Pittsburgh Legal Travelog: Washington County Courthouse Parking.

Posted By Cliff Tuttle | April 21, 2009

Posted by Cliff Tuttle

Parking at and near the Washington County Courthouse has been a problem for a long time. The danger of time lost finding a parking place has been a particularly acute one for lawyers, since being late for court is courting disaster for self and client. However, the relatively new LandAmerica Centre, with its multi-story parking facility has saved the day. Just go down West Beau Street (on the right of the Courthouse as you face it) and turn right at an alley about halfway down the block. The lot entrance is at the end of the alley. Take a ticket at the gate. You pay at a machine near the entrance before leaving. Don’t be disturbed if the name of the building has changed by the time you arrive. LandAmerica doesn’t own its former subsidiaries, Commonwealth and Lawyers Title, who occupy the building. They were sold to Fidelity National by a bankruptcy trustee last winter. Its the only new building on the block.

Don’t even mess with parking meters on the street, even if you see an empty spot. These hungry machines must be fed and you may get a ticket if your trial lasts later than expected. Moreover, the parking rates at LandAmerica Centre are cheap compared to Pittsburgh prices.

Unfortunately, the convenient side door of the courthouse is locked for security reasons. You must walk up the hill to the front door. However, look for the steps that take you to the back entrance (on the other side of the building), especially if you are on your way to the Arbitration Rooms in the former jail.

If you haven’t been to the Washington County Courthouse for a while, be advised that the Recorder of Deeds has moved to the Courthouse Annex Building behind the former jail, on the fourth floor. When you walk in the door, you may think you’ve come to the wrong place. Gone is the document counter. You simply walk to the nearest desk, sit down and hand your deed or mortgage to the person sitting at a computer. After it has been scanned and entered into the system, your recorded instrument is handed back to you and you are on your way.

CLT

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.

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