Suburban Realtors? Alliance Weekly News Briefs week of: Sept 17, 2021
Weekly News Briefs
Scroll down for full text of articles
General
PA attorney general warns homeowners of repair scams?
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro issued a warning to homeowners about home repair and improvement scams in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. Legitimate organizations, government agencies and contractors will not send Pennsylvanians unsolicited offers or ask for large sums of money, and they will provide written estimates and contracts before entering into agreements. Under Pennsylvania’s Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, homeowners have rights when dealing with contractors. Homeowners can rescind an improvement contract without penalty within three business days of the signing date and a contractor cannot demand any payment before the contract is signed. In the release, Shapiro asked property owners to?report suspicious offers to his office.
Source: The Center Square: 9/10/2021
Free rides take $104M toll on Pennsylvania Turnpike finances
More than $104 million in Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls went uncollected last year as the agency fully converted to all-electronic tolling, with the millions of motorists who don’t use E-ZPass having a nearly 1 in 2 chance of riding without paying under the “toll-by-plate” license plate camera system. An internal turnpike report showed nearly 11 million out of the total of about 170 million turnpike rides generated no revenue for the agency in the year that ended May 31. Last year, license plates could not be identified in 1.8 million Pennsylvania Turnpike rides, bills were undeliverable in just over 1 million instances, and motor vehicle agencies failed to provide vehicle owner addresses more than 1.5 million times. An additional 6.7 million transactions were marked as “not paid.” Mark Compton, the turnpike’s CEO, said the organization is leaving no stone unturned in going after the “leakage.” Toll revenue leakage — an industry euphemism for uncollected tolls — has become the focus of turnpike agencies across the country as the use of E-ZPass transponders and license plate cameras continues to spread. Read more?here.
Source: AP; 9/14/2021
Bucks
Bristol Township opens new municipal park
Bristol Township officially opened the Bristol Township Municipal Park at a ribbon-cutting that coincided with the township’s fall festival. The park opened last year, but the ceremonial opening was delayed by COVID-19. Located next to the municipal complex on Bath Road, the park features a large spray park, an accessible playground, a synthetic turf field and a new amphitheater. Bristol Township Parks and Recreation Director Jessica Fox said the park has already hosted concerts, outdoor movies and sporting events. Construction of the park came in at about $7 million, with the township receiving several grants to offset the cost. See photos of the park and the ribbon-cutting ceremony?here.
Source: LevittownNow.com; 9/13/2021
Proposed zoning ordinance could affect property values in Buckingham Township?
Buckingham Township supervisors will consider an omnibus amendment of the Buckingham Township Zoning Ordinance that amends certain provisions of Article 4, Use Regulations, Article 30, General Regulations, and Article 31, Natural Resource Standards, Site Capacity Calculations, Open Space Standards and Buffers. The ordinance amendment will be considered at a meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 22, at the township building, 4613 Hughesian Dr., at 8 p.m. The enactment of the proposed ordinance “may decrease or increase the value of certain property within the township,” according to the public notice. The full text of the proposed ordinance is posted on the?Buckingham Township website.
Source: The Intelligencer; 9/8/2021
FEMA disaster aid available to Bucks residents affected by Ida
The major disaster declaration issued by President Biden in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida opened the application period for Individual Assistance programs from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The programs provide relief to eligible homeowners and renters whose homes, vehicles or personal property sustained damage. Registration remains open for 60 days following a declaration. Those eligible for aid often receive assistance within a few days of applying. To apply for aid, call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or visit the?Department of Homeland Security Disaster Assistance?website. Bucks County saw three tornadoes and widespread flooding from the weather event. A preliminary tally on Sept. 9 put the storm’s impact to public infrastructure at $9.4 million — a number that is expected to grow. Residents and business owners are urged to report storm-related damage to the municipality in which the damage occurred. Alternatively, damage can be reported directly to the county online. Municipalities should report damage to Bucks County Emergency Management Agency. Residents experiencing homelessness as a result of the storms should call Bucks County Housing Link for assistance at 800-810-4434.
Source: Bucks County; 9/14/2021 & BucksLocalNews.com; 9/9/2021
Bucks commissioners approve $5M in additional funding for Bucks Back to Work Grants
The Bucks County Commissioners last week approved $5 million of American Rescue Plan funds to further help small businesses hurt by the pandemic. The Bucks Back to Work Small Business Grant program launched last year with funding from the federal CARES Act. Amid several rounds of applications, Commissioner Bob Harvie said, the county provided grants to 13,000 businesses in amounts ranging from $5,000 to $50,000. The county expects to announce eligibility requirements and a timetable for applications soon. Harvie said the county is looking to adjust and broaden the new guidelines. Businesses that apply for a Bucks Back to Work grant must be physically located in the county, regardless of the owner’s residence, and have fewer than 50 employees. Eligibility requirements previously stated that for-profit businesses must have an annual gross revenue less than $700,000. Nonprofits and landlords are not eligible for the program. For questions regarding the Bucks Back to Work Grant Program, residents can email?[email protected].
Source: Bucks County; 9/13/2021
?Chester
Toll Brothers out at Crebilly Farm
The Westtown Township Board of Supervisors voted unanimously at a special meeting on Sept. 8 to deny Toll Brothers’ conditional use application to build 319 homes at Crebilly Farm due to a lack of standing. Toll is no longer the equitable owner of the property, as the developer no longer has a valid agreement of sale with the Robinson family, which owns the scenic, 322-acre property. Crebilly Farm has a history dating back to the Battle of the Brandywine in 1777, and the potential development was met with significant resistance from the township and broader community. Toll Brothers first filed a conditional use application in October 2016. In December 2017, the supervisors voted unanimously to deny the plan. Chester County Common Pleas Judge Mark Tunnell then sided with the township. The ruling was affirmed by Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court in December 2019. Toll then filed a new application for a modified plan, which was voted down on Sept. 8. Mindy Rhodes, of Friends of Crebilly Farms, said the land would not be safe until it was placed into conservation easement. “This starts with a willing landowner. In the meantime, I take delicious joy in knowing the many naysayers over the years — who told me Toll Brothers always wins and I am wasting my time — were wrong,” Rhodes said. “Good thing I didn’t listen to them.” The full?35-page decision?may be found on Westtown Township’s website. Toll attorney Gregg Adelman told Chadds Ford Live via email: "My client has no comment to offer."
Source: Chadds Ford Live; 9/8/2021 & Daily Local; 9/9/2021
West Whiteland, East Goshen note jump in RTT
In West Whiteland Township, revenue from real estate transfer tax receipts had already exceeded the 2021 budgeted amount as of a?Sept. 3 memo?from township finance director Beth Jones to the board of supervisors. “Home sales, both new construction and resale, have been remarkably strong. Economic indicators forecast this continuing as the supply of homes has not yet caught up with demand and mortgage rates remain low,” Jones wrote. Earned income tax revenue was also expected to exceed the budget amount. Similarly, in East Goshen Township, the?August treasurer’s report?noted that real estate transfer tax revenue is up 38% over budget, and earned income tax is up more than 10%.?
Source: West Whiteland Township; 9/2021 and East Goshen Township; 8/2021
Homes condemned in Coatesville after Hurricane Ida
According to a Sept. 3 statement accompanying a state of emergency declaration from Coatesville City Manager James Logan, preliminary reports indicate that more than 60 homes and rental properties in the city were severely damaged by Hurricane Ida’s torrential rainfall. A high percentage of those properties were deemed “condemned” due to structural, water and electrical damage. “Two months prior, severe storms left Coatesville underwater after seven inches of rain fell on the city within an hour,” the report noted. “In some areas, the water swelled to more than seven feet with the rainfall lasting up to 6 hours.” Read more?here.
Source: City of Coatesville; 9/3/2021
Trail cameras prohibited in East Coventry parks
East Coventry Township prohibits any person or group from placing or using “deer cameras, trails cameras, or other visual recording devices upon any lands owned by the township,” according to an ordinance passed earlier this year. Read the ordinance?here.
Source: East Coventry Township; 3/2021
Low-interest loans available to Chester County businesses affected by Ida
Chester County residents and businesses affected by the remnants of Hurricane Ida can now apply for low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The service is in addition to the FEMA federal disaster assistance made available through last week’s presidential disaster declaration. Under the SBA program, certain Chester County homeowners, renters and business owners can apply for loans to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate and personal property. Business and private nonprofit organizations of any size that qualify may borrow funds to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets. Mitigation improvement loans may also be available to businesses and nonprofit organizations. Read more?here. For more information related to Hurricane Ida support and recovery in Chester County, visit the county’s?Hurricane Ida information website.?
Source: West Chester Patch; 9/14/2021
Delaware
Ridley Park Borough working on tax cert delays
Realtors? and property owners requesting tax certification information from Ridley Park Borough may experience delays. The borough is working to address issues that have arisen since the resignation of the former tax collector. The borough has appointed an interim tax collector.
领英推荐
Upper Darby to create planning commission
Upper Darby Township will hold a public hearing to discuss an ordinance that would establish a township planning commission. According to?Draft Ordinance 3101, the planning commission would consist of five members with two alternates, all serving staggered four-year terms. The members would be appointed by the mayor with approval from at least six members of council. Among the commission’s potential duties, it would: create a comprehensive plan; provide guidance on an official township map; prepare a zoning ordinance; and prepare, recommend and administer land development regulations. The public hearing will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m. at the municipal building, 100 Garrett Road. Those who wish to speak can sign in between 6:30 and 6:55 p.m. The meeting will be streamed via the?township Youtube account.
Source: Mainline Group on Wednesday, 09/08/2021
New Census 2020 data available in Delaware County
The 2020 Census Redistricting Data summary files are now available from the U.S. Census Bureau. Delaware County's total population went from 558,979 to 576,830, a 3.2% increase, which outpaces the state at 2.4%. The county retained its status as Pennsylvania’s fifth largest county. The Delaware County Planning Department has created a?Census 2020 Updates and Release page?to update the public on where to find and view new data. The page includes a link to the 2020 Census Demographic Data Map Viewer and a link to static and interactive maps of population change from 2010 to 2020 for Delaware County’s municipalities. The?Census Bureau?plans to release the data in a more user-friendly way at the end of September.
Source: Delaware County; 9/2021
Seasonal ice rink proposed for Delco Veterans Memorial in Edgmont
Paul deBotton and the Delaware County Veterans Memorial have filed an application with Edgmont Township requesting variances from sections §365-89A and §365-89B of the municipal code to allow a seasonal outdoor ice-skating rink and associated accessory uses to be installed on the property from November 2021 through March 2022. Outdoor recreational facilities are not a permitted principal use in the C-3 Planned Commercial/Light Industrial District. The Edgmont Township Zoning Hearing Board will hold a public hearing on the application on Tuesday, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m. in the meeting room of Edgmont Township Building, 1000 Gradyville Road, Newtown Square. Instructions for participating via Zoom and by telephone are listed on the?Edgmont Township website.?
Source: Delco Times; 9/13/2021
Montgomery
Montco announces court order to prevent evictions
In an effort to prevent as many evictions as possible amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas President Judge Thomas M. DelRicci has issued an administrative order applicable to all magisterial district courts. The administrative order, which went into effect Sept. 3, directs magisterial district court judges to issue a 30-day continuance for households facing eviction proceedings to provide time for them and their landlords to receive rental and utility assistance. All renter households in Montgomery County that are having trouble paying their rent or utility bills are encouraged to call 2-1-1, text their zip code to 898-211, or visit?the county’s emergency rent and utility relief program website?for instructions on how to apply for help. Montgomery County’s efforts to aid renters and landlords has garnered national attention. The design and implementation of its emergency rental initiative have been used as examples by the Treasury Department and the National Low-Income Housing Coalition. County staff also presented at a national event hosted by the National Alliance to End Homelessness.?Click here?for more information.
Source: NorthPennNow.com & Montgomery County Office of Communications; 9/9/2021
Schwenksville Borough Hall damaged; administration opts for email
Schwenksville Borough Hall is expected to be closed for several months while clean-up efforts continue following flooding caused by Hurricane Ida. In the interim, Borough Manager Anne Klepfer and secretary Gail Phillips are working remotely and responding as quickly as possible to messages. The borough’s general mailbox is?[email protected]. The newly renovated building was inundated by what council member and emergency management coordinator Chris Melville confirmed was a record-setting 23-foot, 1-inch flood level.Source: Sanatoga Post; 9/14/2021
Recorder of Deeds will provide deeds to homeowners affected by Ida
In the wake of destruction caused by Hurricane Ida, Montgomery County Recorder of Deeds Jeanne Sorg wants residents to know that obtaining a copy of their deed is easy and inexpensive. “Homeowners who need a copy of their deed due to Tropical Storm Ida damage can call my office, and we will provide copies of your deed or satisfaction piece free of charge,” Sorg said. Homeowners can call the Recorder of Deeds office weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at 610-278-3289. Homeowners can also log into the Recorder of Deeds online Public Access System and print a certified copy of their deed for $10.50. The Public Access System is available by visiting the?Recorder of Deeds website?and choosing “Public Access System” on the left-hand side of the page. “Don’t fall for third-party companies who want to take advantage of you during this vulnerable time by charging you more to obtain a copy of your deed,” Sorg said.
Source: NorthPennNow.com & Montgomery County Office of Communications; 9/9/2021
Upper Merion to regulate short-term rentals
Upper Merion Township supervisors are considering a proposed ordinance that will regulate short-term rental properties. The proposed ordinance: establishes short-term rental provisions applicable to residential dwelling units and provides for owner responsibility; prohibits short-term rentals in certain residential zoning districts; establishes a requirement for a permit for short term rental unit; establishes requirements for permit applications; requires separate permits for each rental unit; establishes requirement for life safety inspection; limits permits to one year and requires annual renewal; requires renewal permit application; and establishes penalties for violations of the ordinance. The full text of the ordinance is available for review on the?Upper Merion Township website.
Source: Times Herald; 9/8/2021
Philadelphia
Online sheriff’s sales haven’t led to more out-of-town buyers
When the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office made the move to online auctions due to pandemic health restrictions earlier this year, city council members cautioned that out-of-town buyers would swoop in and scoop up Philadelphia properties. So far, that hasn’t happened. Based on the results from the first month of virtual sales, 51% of property buyers were Philadelphia residents. In March 2020, the last month when sales were conducted in a West Philadelphia conference room, 45% of the winning bidders were Philadelphians, according to deeds publicly filed. Maryland-based company Bid4Assets does not charge the Sheriff’s Office for its services but places a buyer’s premium on all properties. The winner of a tax foreclosure pays Bid4Assets a premium of 10% of the property’s sale price. For mortgage foreclosures, the premium is 1.5%. Everyone must register in advance and have access to their computers throughout the sale. City council also raised concerns that virtual sales would be too difficult for people who don’t have access to a computer or for those who are not technologically savvy. Read more?here.
Source: Inquirer; 9/2/2021
Amazon plans to hire nearly 4,800 in Philadelphia region
Amazon is hiring nearly 4,800 people in the Philadelphia region. The company is looking for warehouse workers to help handle packages for its growing number of online shoppers. The jobs pay at least $15 an hour and include benefits for full-timers, but the work can be physically demanding. The work is primarily in picking, packing and sorting packages, but there are also openings in human resources, health and safety, and other departments, a company spokesperson said. The company has faced criticism for how it treats employees, but Philadelphia officials praised Amazon for hiring residents at a time when thousands of workers remain unemployed because of the pandemic. The city’s unemployment rate was 9.4% in July, way down from last summer but still above the pre-pandemic level of 5.8%. Read more about the jobs and benefits?here.
Source: Inquirer; 9/15/2021
?Steve Sisman?
??610.357.6101?mobile
a "Caring Real Estate Professional"
????????Since 1998
CSP, e-Pro, SFR, REALTOR,
Designated Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource,
Certified Short Sale Master Default Intermediary,
Certified Real Estate Divorce Specialist,
Associate Leadership Counsel Alumnus,
a member of the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce,
Delaware Small Business Chamber Alumnus,
VP of the "Little Shul" (CYSEI)
Viet Nam Veteran
FLORIDA's CHOICE REALTY
352.857.9748?office
11150 E Hwy 316
Ft McCoy, FL 32134
A caring professional...
Oh and by the way, I'm never too busy for your referrals!
*If your property is currently listed; or, you are currently?contracted with a licensed real estate professional, this IS NOT intended as a solicitation*
**E-mails sent or received shall neither constitute acceptance of conducting transactions via electronic means nor create a binding contract until and unless a written contract is signed by the parties**
***NOTE:?I will?NEVER?request Bank Wiring Instructions, Bank Account Information or Social Security Number by email.?If you receive an email requesting this information,?DO NOT RESPOND!!!