Posts written by buteralaw

Wine Boutiques in Pennsylvania?

      As part of its plan to evolve into a customer-focused specialty retailer, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (“LCB”) is investigating the idea of wine “boutiques.”  These boutiques would operate as sublets from high-end gourmet food shops in select Pennsylvania communities.  The LCB is proposing… Continue reading

The Queen’s English – Odds & Ends

Certain adjectives express conditions that are beyond improvement; that is, the words express perfection and cannot be improved upon, though sometimes we feel compelled to embellish them unnecessarily.  (I pause here to acknowledge that one of the world’s most important documents commences, “In order to… Continue reading

Schoolhouse Rock

In the 1970’s ABC television introduced a series of animated musical educational short films aimed at children called Schoolhouse Rock.  Perhaps you remember some of the catchy tunes that usually ran on Saturday mornings such as: Conjunction Junction; Mother Necessity and I’m Just a Bill. … Continue reading

Renovating Your Home? Get a Contract in Writing!

Renovating Your Home?  Get a Contract in Writing! So you are you considering adding a master bedroom, building a new garage, perhaps a new in-law suite or a finished basement? You have financing in place, and you have met a contractor that you like and… Continue reading

The Queen’s English

Old words with new meanings have a way of creeping into our consciousness.Some years ago when I heard a presidential assistant say of a cabinet appointee whose checkered past had become an embarrassment to the President, “We just didn’t vet him sufficiently,” I only vaguely… Continue reading

Watch Out For The 100% Penalty!

The Internal Revenue Code requires employers to withhold from wages and pay over to the government employment taxes at specified intervals. Because funds withheld from employee wages are not property of the employer but instead are earmarked for the government, they are commonly known as… Continue reading

Mortgage Contingency Update: A Helpful Court Decision

We recently reported on the “standard” mortgage contingency clause which the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors (“PAR”) has promulgated in its form residential agreement of sale which is used widely.  The form provides that if the mortgage contingency fails, it is the seller, not the buyer,… Continue reading

The Local Taypayers Bill of Rights

Most people view tax season as “over” on April 15.  However, in reality, a taxpayer’s issues with the taxing authority may only just begin on that date.  No one looks forward to a tax dispute with local taxing authorities, but it is comforting to know… Continue reading

Letters of Credit: An Alternative Form of Security

A landlord or bank seeking payment of obligations owed to it may well want to consider a letter of credit (“LOC”). An LOC is a financing “facility” where a bank is paid a fixed amount of money by the customer or a tenant, in return for… Continue reading

The Queen’s English – The End is Near!

They have always been something of an affront, those signs that say: “Penns Landing”, “Mens Room” or “Citizens Bank”.  A sign maker, perhaps unconsciously, has neglected in each case to put the apostrophe before the “s”.  We have to wonder whether the person who left… Continue reading