Reassessment 2012: New Values, perhaps but no you-know what.

No. 794 According to the Trib, the new values for 2013 (remember, assessment changes are on hold at 2011 levels for 2012 taxes) are posted on the County’s assessment website for the City of Pittsburgh and Mt. Oliver. We’ll have to take the Trib’s word for it. The page just says 2011 — the […]

The Loyal Tipstaff.

No. 793 The Pittsburgh Post Gazette expanded its coverage yesterday of employment of the President Judge’s two daughters and two sons-in-law within the judicial system by publishing a list of the relatives of judges working as their tipstaves (yes, that’s the plural), law clerks and other members of their office staff. These Post Gazette articles, […]

When Did Two Former Speakers of the House Run Against Each Other For President?

No. 792 In 1844, James K. Polk and Henry Clay, two former Speakers of the House of Representatives, ran against each other for President. Since Polk, there has never been another former Speaker elected to the Presidency. Clay ran for the Presidency in the general election twice and lost two other times in nominating conventions. […]

Penn State Owes a Public Apology to Paterno, Now not Later.

No. 791 The following post was written before the death of Joe Paterno had been publicly announced. The way the Penn State Board fired Joe Paterno was cowardly and wrong. They bowed to overwhelming pressure of a media-driven lynch mob. Ultimately, in cooler times, Mr. Paterno will be vindicated before the law and in the […]

2012 Reassessment: Hearings Begin, But Where Are the Comps?

No. 790 This morning hearings began for the 2012 reassessment. I asked everyone I could when the comps (sales of comparable properties) were going to be posted on the website. Nobody knew. Why do I care? Well, it would be nice to know the comps upon which the outrageous valuation of my client’s property was […]

Landlord-Tenant: How to Deal With Utility Lockouts.

No. 789 If you are a tenant who is having a dispute with your landlord, here is some information you may need to know. A landlord cannot force you out by refusing to pay the utilities. In Pennsylvania, we have a statute which requires a utility to give you the opportunity to pay one month’s […]

Is Rick Santorum Running for Vice President?

No. 788 He’d deny it of course. But Mitt Romney, who is best positioned to ultimately win a majority of delegates to the national convention, will be hard put not to do business next summer with the social conservatives who are rallying around Santorum this weekend. Of course, they’ll insist on a promise that Santorum […]

Reassessment 2012: Does Rich Fitzgerald Really Believe His Own Message?

No. 787 According to today’s Post Gazette, Rich Fitzgerald says that he will let the current reassessment go through once there is a uniform statewide reassessment program. He says it is unfair for Allegheny County to have assessments based upon current sales data, while the other counties use historic data that, in some cases, is […]

Free Thinker.

Serious thinking requires one vital ingredient — the absence of distraction. You must have quiet. Thus, if you always turn on a radio or television to (I’ve been told) keep you company, you are depriving yourself of the opportunity to think. Instead of getting lost your own thoughts, your mind is filled up by someone else’s thoughts. There is nothing wrong with listening to others. What is wrong is abolishing any opportunity for quiet, reflective thought.

Think about it.

Reassessment 2012: Show Me the Comps!

All is quiet, for the moment. Informal hearings have been cancelled. The County has certified the 2002 values. But that will probably not stand. Judge Wettick has ordered a number of senior staff of the County Assessment Office to comply with his prior orders, setting the stage for a contempt citation that includes a larger group than County Executive Fitzgerald. And so we wait.

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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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