Blighted residential and commercial properties are a major impediment to rehabilitation and redevelopment efforts in cities and towns throughout Pennsylvania. However, late in the 2016 legislative term, the Pennsylvania House and Senate enacted new laws that will change the rehabilitation and redevelopment landscape. On November 4th, 2016 Governor Tom Wolf signed into law Senate Bill … Continue Reading
In a recent Law360.com article written by Andrew McIntyre, the author addresses three issues in converting parking to accommodate the growing need for E-commerce delivery space and the future effects of driverless vehicles: Zoning Market unpredictability Cost The article discusses the efforts some developers are making to build flexibility into today’s parking space construction to … Continue Reading
Several counties in Pennsylvania are conducting countywide property reassessments. This update provides status changes for Washington, Blair and Lancaster Counties, along with a set of important deadlines and basic assessment appeal information. Washington County Washington County rolled out informal notices setting forth the tentative reassessment values for tax year 2017 for commercial properties last week, … Continue Reading
Dusty Elias Kirk was interviewed this morning on Pittsburgh NPR station WESA concerning the upcoming property reassessments in Washington County, PA, the county immediately south of Pittsburgh’s home Allegheny County. This is the first reassessment of property in Washington County in over 35 years. Allegheny County last reassessed in 2012. Nearby Butler County hasn’t reassessed property values … Continue Reading
Washington County, Pennsylvania recently concluded its first county-wide reassessment in over thirty-five years, with reassessment values effective for the 2017 tax year. Property owners will receive two separate notices regarding the new values. The first notice will be a Notice of Informal Review which will be mailed to property owners starting March 1, 2016. These notices … Continue Reading
It’s that time of year again, as Pennsylvania real property tax assessments will soon be upon us. It is important that property owners do not take an assessment or reassessment at face value. Please contact us if you would like assistance in evaluating your property for a possible 2016 appeal. The annual appeal deadlines for … Continue Reading
Multiple counties throughout Pennsylvania are conducting county-wide real property tax reassessment projects in 2015, including Washington, Indiana, Lancaster and Blair counties. Information requests are also being mailed out to property owners. Here are some details for each county. Washington County The county-wide reassessment is underway and is expected to conclude by the end of calendar year 2015. The county … Continue Reading
This post was written by Dusty Elias Kirk and Peter Schnore Pennsylvania real property tax appeal “season” is upon us once again. It’s important that a property owner not take an assessment at face value. For 66 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, the 2015 real property tax appeal deadlines fall between August 1 and the first Monday of … Continue Reading
If you are a landowner who owns land that came to you or your family through a land grant from the United States government and that land abuts or lies beneath what is now an abandoned railroad, then you might have a legitimate claim to say to the government, “show me the money!” A January … Continue Reading
Urban areas, including the periphery, are now experiencing reverse migration back to the urban centers. This trend links to baby boomers who are now ‘empty nesters’ looking to eliminate work commutes and fulfill a desire for proximity to urban entertainment and cultural centers. Millennials have a role in this demographic shift, favoring a lifestyle where … Continue Reading
This post was also written by Peter Schnore. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s December 2013 decision regarding the constitutionality of the 2012 law amending Pennsylvania’s Oil and Gas Act (Act 13) came as a disappointment to the oil and gas industry. Conversely, the decision was a holiday gift to those governments, groups and individuals seeking greater … Continue Reading
This post was also written by Gerald S. Dickinson. Pennsylvania municipalities and potential developers interested in converting vacant, abandoned, tax delinquent or foreclosed properties into productive use should take note of legislation enacted in 2012 that permits a municipality with more than 10,000 residents to create a land bank.1 Land banks are governmental entities that … Continue Reading
Recent Developments in the Law Portend of Widespread Reconsideration of This Question This post was written by Dusty Elias Kirk with Contribution from Kyle Smith. Courts in a number of states are reconsidering how to determine whether a property owner, often a nonprofit entity, is entitled to a property tax exemption or other special property tax … Continue Reading
This post was written by Dusty Elias Kirk and Peter H. Schnore. [This article was originally published in the June 2012 issue of the Institute for Professionals in Taxation Tax Report.] On April 25, 2012, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court handed down its much-anticipated decision in Tech One Associates v. Bd. of Prop. Ass’t. of Allegh. Co. … Continue Reading
