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
In an article titled“The State of Compulsory Integration in Pennsylvania” that appears in The Legal Intelligencer, Michael Joy, Robert Jochen and Steven Chadwick of our Pittsburgh office review the challenges oil and natural gas developers face in Pennsylvania. The authors argue that an established compulsory integration process will benefit the industry by providing a predictable permitting … Continue Reading
This post and related article was also written by Michael Joy and Robert Jochen. In an article that appears in The Legal Intelligencer, the authors discuss the significant impact that will result from a successful PA Supreme Court appeal of the lower court decisions surrounding Shedden v. Anadarko E & P Co., L.P., 88 A.3d 228 … Continue Reading
this is a follow-up to an earlier blog post on this issue from March, 2014 On Thursday, August 14, 2014, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania advised that it would consider the appeal from the Superior Court determination dated March 14, 2014 in the matter of Sheddon v. Anadarko E&P Co. LP. We will continue to update this … Continue Reading
This entry was also written by Michael Joy and Robert Jochen. Article 34.1 of the Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Lease Act was enacted July 9, 2013, and has received heavy scrutiny since its enactment based on the misperception that it permits unfettered, “forced pooling” by oil and gas developers. In an article written by Michael Joy, … Continue Reading
On Thursday, July 17, 2014, in the matter of Robinson Township, et. al. v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania issued the latest decision in the state judicial system’s ongoing review of amendments to Pennsylvania’s Oil and Gas Act (“Act 13”). Under a prior decision issued on July 26, 2012, the Commonwealth Court … Continue Reading
On Tuesday, July 8, 2014, the Pennsylvania State Senate passed the Commonwealth’s fiscal code by a margin of 26 to 22. Included within the fiscal code, as a companion piece to the legislation, were provisions critical to the Commonwealth’s commitment to future natural gas development on state lands. Specifically, the fiscal code included measures which: … Continue Reading
On April 8, 2014, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania issued its decision in Kraftdev Assoc., LLC v. East Cocalico Township Authority, affirming the trial court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of Kraftdev Associates, LLC (“Kraftdev”). In so doing, the Court clarified some important aspects of the scope and application of the Development Permit Extension … Continue Reading
On April 8, 2014, the Court of Appeals for the Seventh District of the State of Ohio issued its opinion in the matter of Walker v. Noon (2014-Ohio-1499). In Walker, the Court considered competing claims to a previously severed mineral estate between a surface owner, Jon Walker, Jr. (“Walker”), and the purported owner of the … Continue Reading
On March 14, 2014, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania ruled in favor of an oil and gas exploration company, applying the doctrine of estoppel by deed to prevent a landowner from partially repudiating an existing oil and gas lease. This decision is significant for oil and gas lessees as it stands for the proposition that … Continue Reading
This is a follow-up to an earlier blog post on the PA Supreme Court Act 13 decision On Friday, February 21, 2014, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court announced that it would not reconsider its December, 2013 decision striking down as unconstitutional broad portions of the 2012 law amending Pennsylvania’s Oil and Gas Act (Act 13). Following the … Continue Reading