Be Informed.

Homeowners, home sellers, lessors and lessees, commercial property owners, developers, and anyone else who is entering into a real estate transaction needs to consider the terms of the contract, the financing terms, and a wide variety of other issues in order to ensure that their purchase is a good one for both the long-term and the short-term.

Because zoning regulations only allow for specific kinds of uses for each given property or lot, zoning rules dramatically impact how a residential, commercial, or industrial property owner can use his or her space. As a result, ownership of a property is never absolute because it is always subject to zoning restrictions. The authority of municipalities and local government to establish zoning rules has withheld challenges to the U.S. Supreme Court, and it is clear that property owners must respect zoning rules and not use properties for unapproved uses or build structures that violate zoning laws.

In general, a home is assessed only at specific times. Your home will be assessed to determine its value when it is newly built and completed.  Homes are typically re-assessed when a sale occurs and new people move into the house. When you do home improvements and pull permits, this can also result in a reassessment of your home to account for the higher value due to the improvements.

The Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 establishes many of the rules applicable to the landlord/tenant relationship in the state of Pennsylvania. Tenants have many rights under this Act, but five of the most fundamentally important rights of tenants include the following:

If a landlord fails to provide an apartment or rental unit that a tenant can actually live in, the tenant has rights including the right to withhold rent or the right to deduct from the rent to pay for the cost of repairs. Both landlords and tenants should seek legal help if a dispute arises related to problems with the habitability of the apartment, as there could be significant amounts of money at stake.

Montgomery County millage rates determine the amount of taxes that will be paid.  The millage rate refers to the amount per $1,000 of property value that is used to determine the amount of property and school taxes owed. You will multiply the assessed value of your home times the taxable percentage of the home to determine the amount that is taxed. You then multiply this by your millage rate. For Conshohocken, the 2016 county millage rate is 3.459 and the 2016 municipal millage rate is 3.5. The school millage is 20.5125 and the total millage is 27.4715.

Landlords may wish to evict a tenant for a number of reasons, such as a desire to move in a tenant who will pay more; a tenant who is violating the terms of the lease; or a tenant who is not paying rent as required.  Whatever the reason why a landlord wants to evict a tenant, a landlord should not move forward unless and until the landlord has spoken with an attorney and is confident of how the eviction process will work. This is because tenants have many rights during eviction and landlords cannot just force them to leave.

There are a lot of different reasons to talk with a zoning and land use attorney, but all of those reasons essentially boil down to two basic issues: can you do what you want with the property and how much cost and complexity is involved in doing what you want with the property.

Before you purchase land for development and throughout the development process, it is imperative that you do your due diligence so you can make the best choices for the success of your project. There are many different things you'll need to make sure you do so you can feel confident the land is a good investment that you can develop the way you wish.

Zoning rules are aimed at protecting property values, preventing crime and problems for residents, and maintaining nice areas to live. Unfortunately, these rules can be frustrating if you find that they prevent you from doing what you want to do with your own land. It is best to find out as early as possible in the purchase or development process whether zoning will be a problem for you.

The Montgomery County Board of Assessment Appeals explains the appeals process and the steps to residential property tax appeals. According to the Board of Assessments, appeals have to be filed by August first preceding the year in which the taxes are being appealed. If there is a change in assessment, an interim appeal can be filed within 40 days from the notice of the assessment change.  Appeals have to be either postmarked or hand-delivered on or before the deadline, and will not be accepted via fax.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) states: "The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) is the most important resource for creating affordable housing in the United States today." This program benefits not just to people looking for low income housing, but also developers. If you qualify for these credits, it can also be an important source of financial savings that makes a development significantly more affordable for you to construct.

Both landlords and renters need to know Pennsylvania landlord tenant law because these laws impose both rights and obligations. The laws mandate that landlords meet basic minimum standards in terms of providing a safe place for renters and in terms of providing renters with notice when they need to leave. Tenants are also required to fulfill certain obligations, including paying rent on time to landlords. 

Appealing property taxes can allow for significant savings, but it can be a difficult process. Residential property tax appeals are often successful; however, they are a success only for people who know what is required of them and who put together a strong case to show why the value of their home should be reduced.

A tenant may be evicted for failing to pay rent as required by the lease the tenant has entered into. A lease may contain a grace period after which rent is considered to be late. A landlord has to abide by the grace period and rules set forth in the lease for rent collection.  Tenants may also be evicted if they violate other terms of the lease, aside from requirements on rent.