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I experienced a loss of income in December 2024 and couldn't pay my mortgage. I initially applied for a loan modification and was approved. My uncle, who was helping me with my bills, passed away in September. Due to stress and depression, I missed work in January and February, and... View More 
answered on Jun 3, 2025
Based on your situation, you still have several potential legal avenues to explore before foreclosure becomes final. Here's how a foreclosure defense or bankruptcy attorney may be able to help:
1. Foreclosure Defense
Even though your loan has been referred to the lender’s... View More
My husband inherited a property due to the right of survivorship after the decedent passed away in January. He did not live in the house with the decedent. There is an outstanding gas bill of $2,000 and a credit card bill of $15,000, for which the banking company has placed a lien on the house. The... View More
answered on May 29, 2025
if the estate is in probate then there is a process that needs to be filed to provide notice to all creditors and also to review claims of creditors to determine their validity and in this case possibly to determine if the estate is solvent enough to pay all creditors. if the deed is a... View More
I'm dealing with an issue where my husband has sole responsibility for a property per a divorce decree and has been renting it out for 15 years. His ex-wife agreed to have her name removed from the deed at the time of refinancing, but she is delaying the process despite having agreed and... View More
answered on May 24, 2025
Your husband should go back to the court that issued the divorce decree and file: (a) a petition in contempt. I am not sure how much time has passed since the divorce decree was issued (was it the 15 years mentioned?), but it must be long enough for the court to conclude that she has failed to... View More
I am currently renting a property under a written lease. The landlord had previously put the house up for sale and we agreed that I would be given at least 60 days to find another property once the house sells. However, I received a written notice giving me only 30 days to move out, which would be... View More
answered on May 18, 2025
The term of your lease ends on the date set forth in the lease, unless that date has been amended in a writing signed by both landlord and tenant - which appears to be the case here. Your landlord is bound by the amendment you both signed which states that, if your landlord intends to sell the... View More
My grandmother's property was left to me in her will, and it has been probated in Pennsylvania with me as the sole heir. I'm in the process of transferring ownership to myself, and there are taxes owed on the property. My goal is to eventually sell the property, and I need guidance on... View More
answered on May 9, 2025
First, if the Will has been probated and the property is a specific bequest to you,it is the Executor's responsibility to prepare and record the new Deed for you. If you are the Executor as well as the heir, then you can prepare and file the Deed. Since your intent is to sell the property... View More
I own a property, and another property owner is claiming they have a right of way through my property. However, there is already an existing right of way down the road to their property. The property owner has obtained an attorney to enforce this claimed right of way, but there is no legal deed or... View More
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answered on May 7, 2025
Probably nothing to do except continuing to dispute any type of easement exists. You might block access but this will cause you to be sued. Many easements exist by prescription, implication, public use, etc. without being express or of record. Hire a PA attorney to search your title and all... View More
I rented a house in Pittsburgh, PA, with a friend and we were both taken to court by our landlord, who won a judgment for $5,600 against us for damages. Although we are both named on the court papers, the landlord's lawyer claims I am responsible for the entire amount, possibly because my... View More
answered on Apr 9, 2025
You and your co-judgment debtor are each responsible for 100% of the judgment amount. if the other guy can't be found, refuses to pay, etc., its all on you. Landlord's attorney is 100% correct.
I started a lawsuit against Pennsylvania American Water because I was being charged an exorbitant amount for water usage, equivalent to an Olympic-sized pool, for my one-bedroom apartment. My landlord and an independent plumber confirmed there were no leaks or issues with the plumbing.... View More
answered on Mar 7, 2025
A Pennsylvania attorney could advise best, but your question remains open for almost a month. This might be too complex a matter for attorneys to offer a quick and direct response to on a public Q & A forum. If you approached an attorney on this, they're going to want to examine the... View More
I am considering bidding on a second chance foreclosure property in Pennsylvania. The auction offers the property with a Special Warranty Deed (Quitclaim) and mentions no warranties. The property has a first and second mortgage, and the total outstanding amount for both is $198,000. If the winning... View More
answered on Feb 24, 2025
When finished (judicial Order confirming sale), a judicial foreclosure removes all liens, and Sheriff pays on taxea, poundage and liens per PA priority.
All liens foreclosed are removed from property and successful bidder gets Sheriff's feed (a quitclaim deed).
If a... View More
Three NJ resident siblings want to set up a LLC for their recenltly inherited vacation home in Paupack PA in order to spell out financial responsibilities, succession rules, and regulations for using the property. With the approval of the others, one sibling had a NJ lawyer produce a LLC for... View More
answered on Dec 19, 2024
While I think it possible that your sibling misunderstood that the tax preparer (CPA?) actually said, in forty-years of practice, I have never heard of a PA law or rule governing or limiting who may draft LLC documents (other than perhaps the PA Bar, which governs who may practice law within PA).... View More
I am adding my daughter's name to my deed with right of survivorship. We have a draft of a special warranty deed with right of survivorship and I want to know if there is specific language that should be included in the deed to show she is my child in order to be exempt from the Pennsylvania... View More
answered on Nov 20, 2024
I do not know all the facts in your situation but before you proceed with adding your daughter to the title of this deed, you should consider the potential that doing so could reduce the benefit of stepped-up basis in calculation of capital gain tax if the house is sold in the future. The... View More
answered on Sep 5, 2024
If there is a mortgage on the property, you will first need the lender’s consent. You will have to hire a surveyor to prepare a new legal description. You should then have a lawyer prepare a new deed for you, which, after execution, can be recorded. The new deed should include both the old and... View More
My deed states I own 13.5 acres 2.5 is where my house sits and other 11 is field and woodlands. The surveyor spoke to neighbor and neighbor has been cutting back of my woods for years. And surveyor says he'll be out his property and only did a brief search on his.
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answered on May 30, 2024
The surveyor has given you his opinion of what you actually own. If you disagree, hire another surveyor for his plat. If it looks good, hire an PA attorney to file a Boundary Line Dispute which is a difficult, expensive Declaratory Judgment Action.
My deed states I own 13.5 acres 2.5 is where my house sits and other 11 is field and woodlands. The surveyor spoke to neighbor and neighbor has been cutting back of my woods for years. And surveyor says he'll be out his property and only did a brief search on his.
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answered on May 31, 2024
It sounds like you might be dealing with an issue related to an incorrect land survey. If your deed states you own 13.5 acres but the surveyor's findings, influenced by your neighbor, result in you losing 4 acres, this could be a significant problem. The surveyor's responsibility is to... View More
Two years before he passed, he and my grandmother filed wills in France giving each portion of the apartment to me (apartment). How does this get handled in the US and in France?
answered on May 5, 2024
According to French law, there are two forms of inheritance acceptance:
acceptance of inheritance in a simple form (complete);
acceptance of the inheritance with the condition of drawing up an inventory.
Full acceptance of the inheritance can be carried out explicitly, by... View More
Two years before he passed, he and my grandmother filed wills in France giving each portion of the apartment to me (apartment). How does this get handled in the US and in France?
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answered on May 8, 2024
In this situation, the handling of your grandfather's estate will involve both U.S. and French laws. Here's a general overview of what you can expect:
1. U.S. probate: Your grandfather's estate will need to go through probate in California to settle any debts and distribute... View More
The bank took us to court on an ejectment case and won the case on 9/2023. However when the court granted the ejectment the bank was not the owner of the property. Another entity is listed as the owner in the recorder of deeds and on the tax statements. The bank lost possession of the property... View More
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answered on Mar 28, 2024
Ownership of a property is determined by who is listed as the owner in the official records at the recorder of deeds and on tax statements. If another entity, not the bank, is currently listed as the owner there and the bank had lost possession prior to the ejectment, then the legal ownership would... View More
My dad passed away in 2015 he has a house in PR that me and my mother have been taking care of. We are trying to switch the title over to our name but taxes still need to be paid. Do we have to pay the entire amount before we can switch names?
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answered on Mar 13, 2024
In most cases, you can transfer the ownership of a property even if there are outstanding property taxes. However, the unpaid taxes will typically remain attached to the property, meaning that the new owners (you and your mother) will become responsible for paying the taxes once the title is... View More
I’ve had water pooling in my yard since early September 2023. I contacted my borough manager and was advised to contact the water company. They were here twice and found no leaks in their system. The borough then referred me to the engineering firm contracted by the borough. No help. Repeated... View More
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answered on Feb 14, 2024
If you are the property owner adversely affected by the property tort damage coming from an adjacent property, then it is your right to sue for the damages. It will not be a simple suit. You will need at least a contractor, probably an engineer, and of course, a PA attorney. SOL's can run... View More
Sister in law is executor of will, mother died in 2017, will not settled yet. Worried about paying property taxes, school taxes, home repairs with 50/50 split, etc. Part of estate includes land rented to farmer so money comes in to estate now. Worried sister in law will not provide information... View More
answered on Jan 29, 2024
You (and your wife) need legal documents (including a Deed) to close the Estate and make sure all Inheritance Taxes were paid so you end up with clear title to the property. You should also have an agreement between your wife and your sister- in- law to manage the property. Your wife and sister-... View More
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