At law, a conservator is usually the officer appointed by a court to preserve, maintain or repair the property of a minor, or of one who is incompetent. A guardian of a child who has lost his parents is a conservator. Conservators can also be appointed by the...
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Allegheny County to Implement New Foreclosure Procedures
As the financial crisis has deepened, and more homeowners have faced foreclosure, the federal government is not the only place where changes are being made to bring some relief to overwhelmed homeowners. State courts are the places where the foreclosure actions...
Gas and Oil in Western PA
Recently, as natural gas and oil prices have continued to climb, and concerns over energy independence grow ever larger, Pennsylvania, and particularly Western Pennsylvania, has become the new hotbed of energy speculation in the U.S. This should not be...
Congress Raises FHA Borrower Cash Requirements
On July 31, 2008, changes to Paragraph (9) of section 203(b) of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1709(b)(9)) went into effect. In short, the amendments lay out cash investment requirements for buyers, and what sources of such buyers’ funds are permitted in...
Bankruptcy and Evictions- In Re Alberts
Landlords already know how the challenge of evicting a tenant who files for Bankruptcy protection during the eviction process, especially a tenant who knows how to play the system. After the decision of Judge Deller in the recent Beaver County case, In Re...
The Politics of Real Estate Investing
It has been a long time since I have been seriously moved by a politician or his or her promises. The last I recall, Ronald Reagan was running for the Presidency, and gave a stirring oratory and a calming, fatherly view of the country. I was much younger then,...
Megan’s Law Searches
If you were a woman, or a family with young children looking to buy, rent-to-own, or rent a new place to live, would you want to know if a pedophile or serial rapist lived next door or down the block? Might that affect the value or marketability of the...
A New Scam Involving Trustees
Recently (July 2008), we received notice from one of our Title Insurance Underwriter’s warning us of a new scam involving Trust Deeds and Short Sales. We have been instructed not to close these transactions without prior review and approval by the Title...
Criminal Records Check
Last week, we were showing apartments and taking rental applications. A woman came to see the units, made a good impression, filled out the rental application, and paid the seventeen dollars we charge for a credit report. Looking over the application, her...
Student Housing, Civil Rights and Property Rights
For many years, municipalities all over Pennsylvania have been attempting to deal with student housing issues. When colleges and universities do not have enough dormitories on their own campuses, many homes in the areas adjacent to the schools become student...