Posts written by buteralaw

Municipal Officials’ Emails – Are They Protected from Disclosure Under the Right-To-Know Law?

Are a public official’s emails sent from his or her personal computer subject to disclosure under the Right-to-Know Law?   Following a 2011 decision of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court (In re Silberstein), it appeared that the answer was “no.”  However, according to a more recent… Continue reading

Children At the Wheel

At the end of 2011, some major changes regarding teenage drivers went into effect in the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code.  This is a reflection of the concern over the teenage drivers’ accident rate which is four times the adult drivers’ rate.  The new law provides: Within… Continue reading

Automobile Insurance Laws in Pennsylvania

All licensed motor vehicles in Pennsylvania are required to have insurance coverage.  The Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law (“MVFRL”) is designed to protect everyone who could be injured or could suffer a loss in the event of an automobile accident.  Minimum liability coverage is… Continue reading

The Queen’s English – Tidbits

Writing in the monthly Pennsylvania Lawyer, Gertrude Block is always interesting and often wry in her observations.  Here are a few: Pleaded or pled (as in legal filings).  Actually, as the past tense of plead,  either is correct, though Americans seem to prefer pleaded.  Compare the… Continue reading

Kenny Butera Elected To PASD Board

 We are proud to announce that J. Kenneth (Kenny) Butera was recently elected to the Board of the Phoenixville Area School District.  Kenny, who cross-filed as both a Republican and a Democrat, was the largest vote getter in both the primary that occurred last spring… Continue reading

Statutes of Limitations

Different types of lawsuits are subject to different statutes of limitation.  For example, in Pennsylvania a case for libel or slander, sometimes called “defamation”, must be brought within one year following the defamatory conduct.  This is a relatively short statute of limitation.  Most personal injury… Continue reading

Municipalities/Authorities Must Perfect Liens Or Risk Loss

Municipalities and municipal authorities are given a priority lien for “municipal claims.”  Municipal claims include claims for taxes, sewer and water rents and other services provided by municipalities and municipal authorities.  These municipal claims constitute a lien from the date when lawfully imposed and assessed… Continue reading

A Charter School Limitation

The concept of the charter school is relatively recent; it has grown from the belief of many that the public schools are failing to provide the education they should and that the privately-owned charter school will provide a superior experience.  There is also the expectation… Continue reading

A Child’s Duty to Support a Parent

It is well known that parents have a legal obligation to financially support their children at least through the age of 18 or graduation from high school, whichever comes later.  A less well known topic concerns whether adult children have a reciprocal obligation to support… Continue reading

Employee E-Mail Privacy Rights

Whether you are an employer or an employee, it is important for you to know what the extent of your rights and limitations are regarding messages that are sent on employer – furnished computers.  There is an inevitable clash between employees’ right to privacy and employer’s… Continue reading