Monthly Archives: October 2012

Third-Party Code Inspector Can Be Liable to Homeowner for Negligence

On behalf of Kaplin Stewart Meloff Reiter & Stein, P.C. posted in Construction Defect on Oct 31, 2012.

In the case of Baker v. Reese Bros. (decided October 19, 2012), the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania upheld a decision by the Court of Common Pleas of Somerset County to not apply the Economic Loss Doctrine to bar the homeowner’s claim for negligence against a third-party code inspector.

Tags: , ,

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court Has Affirmed Invalidation Of A Local Ordinance Exceeding Requirements Of The Uniform Commercial Code Without Justification

On behalf of Kaplin Stewart Meloff Reiter & Stein, P.C. posted in UCC on Oct 25, 2012.

The Uniform Construction Code (UCC) generally preempts and rescinds construction standards provided by statute, local ordinance, or regulation unless the law meets the following four standards:

Tags: , ,

Pennsylvania Appellate Court Has Provided Some Clarity to the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act

On behalf of Kaplin Stewart Meloff Reiter & Stein, P.C. posted in General on Oct 5, 2012.

On July 1, 2009, the Pennsylvania Home Improvement Consume Protection Act (HICPA), 73 P.S. §§ 517.1 et seq., became effective. HICPA is a consumer protection statute that regulates and governs home improvement contractors and their contracts with homeowners. HICPA provides, inter alia, that “[n]o home improvement contract shall be valid or enforceable against an owner unless it . . . [i]s in writing and legible.” 73 P.S. § 517.7(a)(1).

Tags: , ,

ALLENTOWN HOCKEY ARENA CONSTRUCTION ON THE MOVE AGAIN

On behalf of Kaplin Stewart Meloff Reiter & Stein, P.C. posted in Construction Industry News on Oct 3, 2012.

Work on the Allentown Hockey Arena, the future home of the Phantoms of the American Hockey League and the anchor to larger development plans in Allentown, has broken another log jam. The Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone Development Authority has closed on funding for completion of the arena complex construction.

Tags: , , ,

Sequestration Threatens Construction Budgets

On behalf of Kaplin Stewart Meloff Reiter & Stein, P.C. posted in Public Construction Projects on Oct 1, 2012.

As election season hits full stride in the race to November 6, a good deal has been discussed about sequestration. The term has been mentioned most prominently in the context of cuts to defense spending. If it should occur, however, it will hit construction related budgets hard as well.

Tags: , , ,

  • Best Lawyers | Best Law Firms | U.S.News | 2015
  • Philadelphia Ranking Tier 1 - Land Use & Zoning Litigation
  • msi Global Alliance | Member of Independent Legal & Accounting Firms
  • Business Journals Law Firms | Top 50 | 2012