Archive for the ‘Author’ Category

Millions of student loan borrowers across the United States are about to face a harsh reality. Starting May 5, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education will begin resuming collection efforts on federal student loans that are in default—a move that could result in wage garnishments, tax refund interceptions and social security setoffs, and other aggressive collection efforts. This marks the end of a long period of forbearance that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March 2020, federal student loans in default have not been referred to collection, and no wage garnishments or offsets have been pursued. However, that era of… read more »

CGA Law firm announces the retirement of Jack M. Hartman after fifty years of distinguished legal practice. Jack joined CGA in 2015 and has served as Chair of the Litigation Department, Co-Chair of the Professional Development Committee, Shareholder, and Of Counsel. Jack’s practice included complex civil litigation, health law, and alternative dispute resolution. He was instrumental in building the litigation and health law capacity of the Firm and mentoring its members. Jack graduated from Davidson College and Dickinson School of Law and began his legal career as a Captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. His career as… read more »

CGA Law Firm is proud to announce that President and Shareholder Craig Sharnetzka has been recognized on the 2025 Central Penn Business Journal’s Power 100 List. This distinguished honor celebrates individuals who have made impactful contributions across industries such as law, business, healthcare, government, and nonprofits, driving growth and fostering success throughout Central Pennsylvania. “I am honored to be named to Central Pennsylvania’s Power 100 List for 2025, said Sharnetzka. “I am also extremely humbled.  I have had the blessing of fantastic mentors and colleagues here at CGA who have taken an interest not only in my development as an attorney… read more »

CGA Law Firm is proud to announce the election of Frank H. Countess to the Board of Directors for the York County Agricultural Society. As a dedicated Life Member, Frank has demonstrated his commitment to the York State Fair and its mission to promote agricultural heritage in our community. Frank’s election is a significant milestone, as he joins an esteemed group responsible for overseeing the oldest state fair in the United States, founded in 1765. His extensive experience and passion for community service will be invaluable as the Society continues to adapt and thrive. “I am both honored and humbled… read more »

Preparing for a court hearing is a daunting experience for most people. In some cases, however, the case may be heard over Zoom or other digital platforms to allow clients to trade stuffy courtrooms for the comfort of their own home. What started as a pandemic response of moving the court room to Zoom has shown to offer residual benefits, such as keeping courtroom proceedings not open to the public secure and offering the opportunity for individuals unable to physically appear in court due to distance or other factors to still provide testimony. But before you login while still dressed… read more »

After you purchase a property at tax sale, you may find that there are people still living in the property.  An ejectment action will need to be filed in order to remove any occupants because the Tax Assessment Office will not remove them for the purchaser. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court confirmed in 2019 that a purchaser of property at tax sale cannot proceed with an eviction under the Landlord Tenant Act.  This is because there is no landlord tenant relationship between the purchaser of property at tax sale and the occupants of such property, which may be the previous owners. … read more »

From Attorney Tim Bupp, chair of the CGA Law Firm Estate Law practice group. In today’s world, good estate planners have increasingly complex and powerful tools that they can use in your documents to provide protection for your loved ones and your resources in a variety of situations.  Trusts themselves have become increasingly complex, and sometimes trust provisions come into conflict with new changes in law or practice.  This is where a “trust protector” can become a useful tool to make your documents work well, even in new and challenging situations.    1.        What is a “Trust Protector”?  A trust… read more »

The trending practice in restaurants of charging a fixed percentage at the end of each bill has been met with push back from customers. Customers may not recognize that the charge benefits customers because it keeps food costs reasonable. As the cost of food, labor, and supplies rise, it is hard for restaurants to stay profitable while keeping their menu prices reasonable. One way restaurants keep food costs reasonable is by applying a service charge to offset the increasing costs of maintaining a restaurant.   Restaurant owners and hoteliers need to understand the law surrounding the issue so that when met… read more »

About this time of year, when the spring county and municipal real estate tax bills arrive in mailboxes, I start to get lots of phone calls with questions about the appeal process. Without a doubt, the real estate tax assessment process in Pennsylvania is convoluted and murky. York County’s real estate base totals over 175,000 parcels and has not had a uniform reassessment since 2005. Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation that does not have some form of mandatory property reassessment process. The Commonwealth updates the assessments for each of its 67 counties on an annual basis. The… read more »

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in Smith et al. v. U.S. Department of Treasury, et al., 6:24-cv-0036 (E.D. Tex), decided that the beneficial ownership information (“BOI”) reporting requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) are back in effect. On January 24, 2025, we reported in our article “Enforcement Of The Corporate Transparency Act Still On Hold” that the CTA was on hold due to a nationwide injunction issued by Judge Kernodle of the Eastern District of Texas, despite the Supreme Court ruling on January 23, 2025. On February 5, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice… read more »