On Wednesday, July 5, 2017, Grim, Biehn & Thatcher sponsored the evening’s concert as part of Perkasie Borough’s 2017 Summer Concert Series.
It was a beautiful day at Menlo Park in downtown Perkasie, and concert goers were treated to a throwback to the hits of the 60’s with the Concert’s featured band, The Large Flowerheads.
For more information on Perkasie Borough’s Summer Concert Series, click here.
We hope everyone is enjoying the summer season, and we hope to see you at a future concert!
Municipalities often struggle to fund infrastructure repairs without incurring shocking rate hikes for local residents. Due to increased regulations and costs associated with the physical upgrades to Pennsylvania’s aging water and wastewater facilities, more municipalities are considering the sale of their municipal-owned water and wastewater facilities to private ownership.
Jonathan J. Reiss, Esquire, a member of Grim, Biehn & Thatcher’s Municipal Department, recently represented Tobyhanna Township in the sale of the Township’s sanitary sewer collection system and waste water treatment plant to Aqua Pennsylvania Wastewater, Inc. On March 13, 2017, the Tobyhanna Township Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance No.: 530, after a public meeting, authorizing the sale of the sewer and wastewater facilities to Aqua.
During this sale, Attorney Reiss prepared all necessary agreements, addenda, resolutions, and ordinances while also navigating the Township through a number of title, customer, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, and easement issues regarding the sale. The transaction closed on June 30, 2017 with the sale price of $5,500,000.00.
Contact Attorney Reiss today for more information on the sale of municipally-owned infrastructure.
Summer is officially here, and we can’t think of a 
better place to spend a Wednesday evening than in beautiful Upper Bucks County!
Enjoy live music from local performers in the Borough of Perkasie with this free Concert Series held select Wednesday evening’s beginning at 7:00 p.m. throughout the Summer of 2017.
WHEN:
WHERE: Menlo Park – 499 Arthur Avenue, Perkasie
With the exception of June 28th’s Concert which will be held at the Lenape Park Bandshell during the Perkasie Fire Company’s Summer Carnival, the remainder of the 2017 Concerts will be held at Menlo Park.
Grim, Biehn & Thatcher is the proud sponsor of the July 5th Concert where we’ll take a groovy trip back to the 60’s with The Large Flowerheads. Grab the family or plan your next date night in “America’s Home Town,” and meet us with your lawn chair at Menlo Park on Wednesday July 5th!
On Saturday, July 8, 2017, Tobyhanna Township of Monroe County will be hosting their annual Community Day at Blanch D. Price Park. 
Tobyhanna Township is conveniently located in the heart of the Poconos of northeast Pennsylvania. This event has food, fun and something for everyone!
Admission is free, and the “Party in the Park” will feature local food vendors and live musical entertainment from Organized Resistance and Everything Annie.
New for this year’s event is the Pocono Beer Garden where you will find Susquehanna Brewing Co and the Jubilee Restaurant.
WHEN: Saturday, July 8, 2017 from 2:00 – 10:00 p.m.
WHERE: Blanch D. Price Park
Grim, Biehn & Thatcher is a proud sponsor of Tobyhanna Township’s 2017 Community Day, and we hope to see you there, and don’t forget to stay for the fireworks at dusk!
When buying a new home, there are certain contingencies (aside from a mortgage contingency) that you should consider including in the agreement of sale.
First, make sure you have received a Seller’s Disclosure. Realtors use the Pennsylvania Association of Realtor’s standard agreement of sale. 
In it you should include a home property inspection that includes environmental hazards such as mold, asbestos and underground storage tanks. The purpose of the home inspection is to investigate the structure, building materials, plumbing, heating and cooling systems as well as the overall condition of the house. You should also include a wood infestation inspection to discover any active or past infestation of wood destroying pests and/or any resultant damage. Also, make sure you include a radon contingency to determine if there is any exposure to radon gas.
I also recommend the deeds, restriction and zoning contingency to review the zoning and file on the property with the municipality where it is located as well as to have the title searched. Consider the property and flood insurance contingency to investigate the cost for the house and flood insurance (if needed) to factor into your budget. If the house was built prior to 1978, include a lead-based paint hazard contingency to make sure such paint is not present in the house. 
If the property is serviced by an on-lot well and/or an on-lot sewage disposal system, make sure you include the contingencies for each. A property boundary contingency will also help you locate the boundary lines and any encroachments but may be expensive. Consider such a contingency if you are buying a lot that has not been recently subdivided. Finally, provide ample time to have the inspections performed and reports issued as a contingency may be waived if the inspection and report are not completed within the agreement’s contingency period.
Jonathan J. Reiss is a member of the Real Estate Department at Grim, Biehn & Thatcher with experience in all areas of real estate law such as sales, acquisitions, leases, land preservation, and real estate litigation. Contact Attorney Reiss today for help with all of your commercial and residential real estate matters.
Ensuring that a disabled child or loved one is provided for after you are gone is imperative. Unfortunately, having cash or cash equivalents available can disqualify a person with disabilities from certain governmental benefits, including Medical Assistance and Medicaid, so strictly saving cash for your disabled loved one’s future needs may not be the best way to ensure that they are provided for after you are gone. Fortunately, there is a way to provide for a disabled person’s well-being without disqualifying him or her from governmental benefits. Establishing a Special Needs Trust is exactly one way to accomplish this goal.
A Special Needs Trust allows money, and other assets, to be held in trust and expended for the benefit of a disabled person, without the assets being considered as resources of the disabled individual. This is especially relevant for the purposes of applying for governmental benefits, which are often restricted based upon available resources and income. One minor catch is that the trust may be liable for reimbursement of any benefits disbursed to the disabled person during his or her lifetime. Reimbursement for the governmental benefits that were provided, however, is typically never sought until after the disabled person has died. With that caveat, a Special Needs Trust is one great mechanism that is available to ensure that your disabled loved one(s) will be able to sustainably live comfortably while also being able to take advantage of the useful income and resource restricted governmental benefits that are offered to individuals with disabilities.
Georgios K. Patsalosavvis is the newest member of the Estates Department at Grim, Biehn & Thatcher. Contact Attorney Patsalosavvis today for help with all of your estate planning needs.