The current pandemic has significantly altered how people work, shop, and communicate with each other. The majority of people who have been fortunate enough to keep their jobs are working from home, and doing most of their shopping teleconferencing and/or videoconferencing from their house or apartment. This creates security concerns for us, both personally and professionally.
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A New Age for Pennsylvania Workers
Communities throughout the United States are experiencing unprecedented unemployment levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. People have been blindsided with layoffs and furloughs from employment. Many of these individuals are in critical need of unemployment compensation to get through this crisis.
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What If: My Tenant Won’t Vacate the Leased Premises?
A tenant fails to pay rent or breaches another term of the lease agreement. The landlord terminates the lease. The tenant does not vacate the premises, and does not pay any additional rent. What can you, as a landlord, do to fix this problem? You can get the tenant out, and obtain a judgment for rent owed.
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Becoming a Guardian in Pennsylvania
What do you do if you believe a family member or a friend has become unable to care for themselves or their finances? This is a very stressful and troubling question that, unfortunately, many people end up asking themselves.
In some instances, the individual has an estate plan in place. This might include a power of attorney, or other directive, that indicates who will make important decisions for the individual in the event that they are unable to do so. Sometimes, there is no estate plan, but the individual does not have the capacity to execute estate planning documents, including a power of attorney. All is not lost.
Pennsylvania Companies Must Protect Employees’ Sensitive Data
Employers, and likely all businesses, now have a specific duty to safeguard their employees’ personal data that is stored on internet-based computer systems, according to a recent decision by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Prior legislation only required companies to report potential or actual data breaches to the individuals or businesses whose information may have been, or was, compromised.
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What Does PA’s Medical Marijuana Act Mean for My Company?
Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana Act was enacted in May 2016 (the “Act”). Under the Act, patients with serious medical conditions, such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and severe chronic or intractable pain, are authorized to use medical marijuana to treat their condition after obtaining a certification from a physician and an identification card issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Medical marijuana may only be issued to an individual or an individual’s caregiver who has received the certification and identification card. Medical marijuana may not be smoked and may only be dispensed in certain enumerated forms.
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Landlords Risk Exposure to Double Damages in Suits by Tenants
In Pennsylvania, residential and commercial lease agreements are governed not only by the terms of the lease itself, but also by the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, 68 P.S. §§ 250.101, et. seq.
When a lease term ends, the landlord is required to provide a tenant with a list of damages caused to the premises within thirty days of the termination of the lease or repossession of the property.
In addition, the landlord must return any escrow monies held under the lease within that time period. If the landlord deducts any funds to pay for alleged damages to the premises, then the landlord must return the difference in the balance of the escrow funds to the tenant.
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Pennsylvania Beer Distributors Can Now Sell Six-Packs
Gone are the days of having to buy a whole case of beer or a keg at a beer distributor in Pennsylvania. On Tuesday, Governor Wolf signed House Bill 1196 into law, which will allow beer distributors to sell six-packs to customers.
What does this mean for beer distributors, retailers, and consumers in Pennsylvania? Among
Out-of-Work Employees Can Seek Unemployment Compensation Benefits in Pennsylvania
An individual who is out of work in Pennsylvania may qualify for unemployment compensation benefits through the state government. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Office of Unemployment Compensation Benefits is responsible for processing benefit requests and determining whether you are eligible to receive benefits.
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Prohibition Times are Coming to an End in Pennsylvania
We’ve entered a new era in Pennsylvania. Yesterday, Governor Tom Wolf signed legislation into law that allows wine sales in licensed private establishments in the Commonwealth. Under the law grocery stores, restaurants, hotels, and takeout beer licensees are permitted to sell up to four bottles of takeout wine per customer. This is exciting news for