Non-Real Estate Licensees Are Not Entitled to Finders Fee in PA: AVVO ANSWER.

f you make a deal with a Pennsylvania real estate broker for a finder’s fee, be aware that such a bargain is not enforceable in court. Real Estate brokers, like lawyers, are not ethically permitted to share fees with non-licensed people.

Mark Twain in the Electronic Age

I read reports that the publisher of the “doorstop” Autobiography of Mark Twain, Part 1 (over 300 pages and just getting started) has exceeded the publisher’s initial projections of initial hardcover sales that it cannot print and ship copies fast enough using its full capacity around the clock. The Publisher has even hired extra-large trucks.

Law Firm Advertising with an Electronic Message Center.

A Pittsburgh law firm recently erected a sign at their suburban location that contained an electronic message center. Very smart. The electronic message center is to traditional signage as email is to snail mail. The message can be changed in an instant — and constantly. That keeps the message fresh and interesting.

Stink Bugs Attend Landlord Tenant Seminar in Force But They Did Not Earn Any CLE Credit

Thanks to the lawyers who attended my Continuing Legal Education seminar at the Community College of Allegheny County last night, especially those who collected dozens of stink bugs who started appearing everywhere about 30 minutes into the program. The lawyers earned 3 hours of CLE credit. The stink bugs were ejected from the room and earned no credit.

Some Legal Problems May Not Be Capable of a Litigation Solution.

No. 526 I observed an interesting case today. It involved two parking tickets and a person with a serious handicap. There were no parking places near her place of employment that could accommodate her van with a wheel chair gate. She had parked twice in a location where parking was prohibited but where the sidewalk […]

Expanding Electronic Filing in the Courts.

Why not permit electronic filing of briefs and reproduced records in the Pennsylvania Commonwealth, Superior and Supreme Courts? It costs several hundred dollars to copy and mail the typical reproduced record and multiple copies of briefs. Electronic briefs are not only faster and cheaper to produce, but could be easily edited to create links to cited cases or portions of the electronic record.

Tenant Protection in Foreclosures Applies to Deeds in Lieu

No. 524 The “Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act” (PTFA) provides that tenants of foreclosed-upon owners cannot be summarily evicted by the foreclosing lender, but are entitled to the full term of a written lease or a minimum of 90 days after notice to quit. An exception was created when a purchaser who intends to live […]

A Pack of Lies.

No. 523 Campaign advertising is wearing me out. The biggest problem is that those negative ads, regardless of who produces them are outright lies. Sure, there is always a little truth blended in. That’s the definition of a very credible lie. And if you disqualify those candidates who run undignified, untrue advertising, you hardly have […]

Freddie Mac Requires Mortgage Servicers to Review Verifications.

Freddie Mac has mandated mortgage servicers to review all verifications to foreclosure documents relating to Freddie Mac cases to insure that the proper formalities were followed and that the person verifying the document had personal knowledge of the facts contained therein. Thanks to April Charney, an attorney in Jacksonville FL, for forwarding the following notice to a real estate attorney’s listserve known as Dirt.

Guide to Recessions since the Great Depression, courtesy of “My Dog Ate My Blog.”

Below is a link to “My Dog Ate My Blog” a very entertaining blog that bills itself as “almost educational.” At the moment, the top post is an infographic showing the Great Depression and every other recession since then. A recession is a period when the GNP contracts. This infographic shows exactly how much the economy shrank and grew every year since the early thirties. Several things appear that might surprise you.

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Welcome

CLIFF TUTTLE has been a Pennsylvania lawyer for over 45 years and (inter alia) is a real estate litigator and legal writer. The posts in this blog are intended to provide general information about legal topics of interest to lawyers and consumers with a Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania focus. However, this information does not constitute legal advice and there is no lawyer-client relationship created when you read this blog. You are encouraged to leave comments but be aware that posted comments can be read by others. If you wish to contact me in privacy, please use the Contact Form located immediately below this message. I will reply promptly and in strict confidence.

Pittsburgh Legal Back Talk

Legal topics of interest to lawyers and consumers with a Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania focus.

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