In a victory for common sense, the Pennsylvania House passed legislation today that would ensure Pennsylvanians are free to dry their clothes outside at their own home. Authored by state Rep. Lisa Borowski, D-Delaware, the measure is aimed at residents of condominiums, cooperatives and planned communities where homeowners’ associations, also known as HOAs, have banned […]
Manor Twp. in ‘stuck position’ after Woods Edge HOA contends developer has not met requirements (PA)
Township officials were stymied by the last agenda item, a financial security release which turned out to be anything but routine. After discussing the matter for 45 minutes, all four supervisors voted down a motion to fully release a developer’s financial security for the second phase of Woods Edge residential development. Instead, the board voted […]
‘Chubby Chicks’ restaurant owner alleges harassment by Center City neighbors (PA)
Shakeira Turner opened Chubby Chicks Cafe on Walnut Street a little over two months ago, an expansion from a smaller space in New Jersey. “I’m super excited. This is my dream restaurant. This is my baby,” Turner said. However, almost immediately, she alleges harassment began. Turner says several things have happened, including a sign being […]
Wayne County woman faces identity theft, forgery charges (PA)
A Lake Ariel woman faces charges after an investigation revealed she had fraudulent permits for entering The Hideout, Wayne County District Attorney A.G. Howell announced in a news release…..A Hideout public safety officer discovered an overturned vehicle Jan. 22 while patrolling the gated community, per the news release. While rendering aid, the officer found Hideout […]
Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia has gotten into the condo business. Here’s why. (PA)
Malik Davis holds a special distinction: He is the first person ever to buy a condo from Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia. Habitat for Humanity is known for building single-family homes for low- and moderate-income households. But the Philadelphia affiliate of the international nonprofit is currently selling its first condos as it tries to create more […]
5 People Injured In Eastern PA Hazmat Incident: Authorities (PA)
The incident occurred in the townhomes located near the 300 block of Amy Court, according to county dispatch. The odor came from an exterior power washing and cleaning that had happened in homes in the area earlier in the day, the fire department explained. Ammonia or bleach may have been used in the cleaning process, […]
Persistent pile of garbage in Northern Liberties has neighbors irate (PA)
The triangle at Second Street and Germantown Avenue is emblematic of Northern Liberties’ gentrification: The mega Piazza complex rises as a centerpiece, rimmed by restaurants and sparkling new condos. But neighbors say a persistent pile of trash that grows each week on a sidewalk in front of one of those new complexes mars the scene. […]
Woman who embezzled more than $375K from Upper Gwynedd employer gets probation (PA)
A Berks County woman who stole more than $375,000 from her Upper Gwynedd employer avoided being sentenced to jail time on felony theft-related charges and received seven years’ probation for her crime…..Butt also must repay $375,928 in restitution to the Gwynedd Office Condominium Association at 311 Sumneytown Pike within seven years, where she worked as […]
Treasure Lake POA awarded forest management grant (PA)
The Treasure Lake Property Owners Association has been awarded a $200,000 grant through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The grant will include funding for a forest management plan, brush management, weed control, upland wildlife habitat management, tree/shrub establishment, early successional habitat development/management and forest stand improvements. Read the article…………………………….
Beaver Grade Road in Moon Township is back open after a landslide. But who pays for the repairs? (PA)
Part of Beaver Grade Road in Moon Township has reopened after it was closed the last six months because of a landslide. It took six months and 40 million pounds of rock to get the road reopened to traffic. Now that it is, who is responsible for its $4 million price tag? Read the article…………………………….
Clay supervisors agree to reimburse homeowners association for walking path (PA)
Supervisors voted 2-1 to contribute a one-time reimbursement for a public walking path in disrepair to the Home Towne Square Homeowners Association. Chair Tim Lausch and Vice Chair Keith Martin voted yes, while Supervisor Gary Landis voted no. Funding will come from the township’s American Rescue Plan Act funds. Read the article…………………………….
Murrysville homeowners’ association wants dredged sediment cleared away (PA)
One of the main reasons homeowners associations exist is to ensure the neighborhoods they govern remain clean and tidy. It’s little wonder, then, that members of the Lyons Run Estates Homeowners Association are not pleased they’ve had several tons of dredged sediment sitting on their property for nearly two years. Read the article…………………………….
Berks woman admits to $375,000 theft from Montgomery County condo association (PA)
A Berks County woman admitted that she embezzled more than $375,000 while working as the bookkeeper for the Gwynedd Office Condominium Association in Upper Gwynedd Township. Judith E. Butt, 74, of the 700 block of Hopewell Street, Union Township, pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court to felony charges of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity […]
Murrysville homeowners’ association wants dredged sediment cleared away (PA)
One of the main reasons homeowners associations exist is to ensure the neighborhoods they govern remain clean and tidy. It’s little wonder, then, that members of the Lyons Run Estates Homeowners Association are not pleased they’ve had several tons of dredged sediment sitting on their property for nearly two years. Read the article…………………………….
Families displaced by condo fire in Cumberland County (PA)
Three families were displaced early Thursday morning after a condominium complex fire in Cumberland County. Fire crews from Cumberland, Perry, and Dauphin counties were dispatched at about 5:55 a.m. for reports of a house fire at the Westwood Village Condominium Read the article…………………………….
Built for white people: The hidden racist history of some Pittsburgh neighborhoods (PA)
Home sale deeds for some subdivisions, written as recently as the 1940s, barred the sales of those properties to Black buyers and sometimes other ethnic groups. A new law allows owners to repudiate such language, but echoes of the covenants remain. Read the article…………………………….
Massive landslide impacts residents in Western Pennsylvania
The impact of a landslide in Western Pennsylvania continues to grow. Residents in Moon Township, outside of Pittsburgh, are being asked to leave their homes after backyards started sliding away on Friday. Read the article…………………………….
Home for the holidays carries different meaning for Rustic Ridge residents this year (PA)
About two weeks before Christmas, little about this corner of Rustic Ridge, a sprawling subdivision of winding roads and cul-de-sacs, suggested it was the holidays. An absence of decorations was noticeable — because nobody was home Read the article…………………………
Historic bill to repudiate racially restricted deed covenants passes (PA)
The Pennsylvania Senate made history Wednesday by unanimously passing state Rep. Justin Fleming’s legislation (H.B. 1289) that would help rectify the legacy of biased housing practices by making it easier for property owners to repudiate discriminatory deed covenants. Read the article…………………………………..
Woman dies in Spring Garden high-rise fire; newly reinstated ladder company first on scene (PA)
A woman has died in a fire that erupted at a high-rise condo building in Philadelphia’s Spring Garden section Monday night. Several other residents have also been displaced. Read the article………………………………..
Half of home heating fires occur in December, January and February — How to stay warm and safe
With the arrival of the cold temperatures, Wilmerding Fire Marshal Alvin Hussey is warning homeowners to be careful while trying to stay warm. Read the article…………………………..
Rustic Ridge hydrant system not enough to fight fully engulfed house fire, Plum fire chief says (PA)
The fire hydrant system in the Rustic Ridge neighborhood of Plum, where a house explosion killed six people in August, is not adequate for fighting a single fully engulfed house fire, according to a borough fire chief who was on the scene that day. Read the article……………………………….
Man charged for allegedly threatening Treasure Lake POA office employee (PA)
A DuBois man has been charged for allegedly threatening an employee of the Treasure Lake Property Owners Association office Tuesday, Oct. 31. Sandy Township Police have charged Richard Glenn Vanhorn, 68, with terroristic threats — a felony of the third degree, harassment and disorderly conduct, according to a criminal complaint filed at Magisterial District Judge […]
There’s a Dangerous Dog in My Building. What Can I Do About It?
Laws about dangerous dogs are designed to protect you, but before you involve the authorities, your condo has a duty to protect its unit owners. Read the Q&A……………………………..
A battle is brewing over a bill that would require sprinklers be added to older condos (PA)
Fire safety experts agree that sprinklered buildings are safer, but opponents to a new mandate say that requiring them in old buildings will be too expensive and disruptive to the lives of occupants. Read the article……………………….
High Carbon Monoxide Levels Prompt Evacuation Of 55-Plus Condos (PA)
A carbon monoxide detector went off in one unit and PECO came out. A PECO crew member found several units with higher-than-normal carbon monoxide levels, which prompted firefighters to respond, Farry said. Read the article………………………..
Pa. Gov. Shapiro secures methane detectors for Rustic Ridge community
Gov. Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Rich Negrin announced Aug. 25 they secured combustible gas detectors for the Rustic Ridge neighborhood in Plum Borough following an explosion that took the lives of six residents and damaged multiple homes. Read the article………………………..
Plum homeowners get help at multi-agency resource center after devastating explosion (PA)
Local, county and state officials helped Plum residents on Thursday replace important documents and get resources they need after an explosion killed six people and rendered 10 homes uninhabitable. Read the article………………………..
A week after fatal house explosion, Plum community seeks the will to push forward (PA)
The idyllic innocence of Rustic Ridge shattered a week ago. Tragedy struck this close-knit community in Plum, a neighborhood of more than 200 homes, about 10:23 a.m. last Saturday. An explosion leveled a home on Rustic Ridge Drive and resulted in an inferno that destroyed two neighboring homes. The shock wave of the blast damaged […]
Pennsylvania bill would allow condo, HOA residents to hang clotheslines
A Pennsylvania lawmaker says her bill would allow residents of condos and homeowners associations (HOAs) to hang their clothing outside to dry. State Senator Amanda Cappelletti (D-Delaware/Montgomery) says some HOAs and housing units ban outdoor clotheslines and drying racks that may hinder the community’s appearance. Read the article………………………..
Bill to repudiate racially restricted deed covenants passes PA House
A bill sponsored by Rep. Justin Fleming, D-Dauphin, that would make it easier for property owners to repudiate discriminatory deed covenants passed the House today. A covenant stipulates what existing or future owners can and cannot do to the property. Racially discriminatory real estate covenants were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1948 […]
Water main break in Oakland impacts two condo buildings, floods garage (PA)
Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority said crews were able to shut off a 20-inch main line near the Park Plaza Condominiums, ending the active leak. Later, crews determined it was a private water line that burst. The building’s owner will have to handle additional repairs to the building. Read the article………………………..
Towamencin: Residents say sewer rate hikes could hit condo residents harder (PA)
During the April meetings hosted by PA American, Fields told the board, that company provided a model for residents to calculate the charges that company will apply to residents who live in condo complexes that are currently unmetered and pay the flat fee. Under the model PA American provided, Fields told the board, her annual […]
York Co. Family Of 7 Displaced By Fire Gets Surge Of Support Thanks To Their HOA (PA)
Homeowner’s associations get a bad reputation. HOAs are known for rules about house color, where to place your basketball hoop, and when you should bring up your trash cans, but one York County HOA is quickly building a good rep. by helping a family in their neighborhood after a devasting house fire. Read the article………………………..
Villas of Newtown basin fix to cost township at least $112K (PA)
Public improvements (the township’s responsibility) regarding drainage were not completed nearly 10 years after the community was first constructed, and in April 2022, bids to complete the work came in at $277,000, which the township escrow fund did not have the resources to cover. The bids were subsequently rejected. Read the article………………………..
Man who lost everything in water main break in Wilkinsburg asking for accountability from officials (PA)
A water main break on Tuesday sent water rushing into a Wilkinsburg condominium complex, forcing one man to break through his patio door to escape. That man is Ray Pope, whose apartment took on four to five feet of water, destroying everything he owns. Read the article………………………..
Water main break floods ground-level condos, causing damage at Wilkinsburg complex (PA)
A massive water main break Tuesday morning flooded several ground-level condos at a complex in Wilkinsburg. Ray Pope was living in one of those units. “I just had to bust this [glass door], boom, boom, boom,” he said, recounting the crucial moments after water began rushing into his condo. Read the article………………………..
Cedar Ridge townhome residents complain developer left no topsoil for landscaping (PA)
On behalf of the Cedar Ridge Homeowner’s Association, attorney Scott Lipson and engineer Bill Erdman of Keystone Engineering presented a report outlining residents’ dissatisfaction with their top soil as left by the developer, THP Homes. They argued that THP did not supply the required eight inches of top soil on the property, with residents finding […]
Philly condo, apartment residents protest a bill to add sprinklers to old buildings (PA)
Philadelphia Councilmember Mark Squilla found himself besieged Thursday by high-rise condo and apartment dwellers angered by a bill he introduced almost a year ago. The legislation would mandate installation of sprinkler systems in older buildings over six stories. Read the article………………………..
State College Sinkhole Update (PA)
To recap residents of the Patton Township townhomes the sinkhole affected told us at an early January homeowners association meeting that they themselves had to conduct and pay for structural assessment studies of their properties. Read the article………………………..
Multiple fires erupt at condominium tower in Cherry Hill (PA)
Several fire crews battled a blaze as flames erupted from the balconies of a condominium tower in Cherry Hill Saturday morning. Officials say multiple exterior balconies caught fire at the Mark 70 Condominiums due to “improperly discarded smoking materials.” Read the article………………………..
2 injured in Warminster, Bucks County fire (PA)
An Action News viewer recorded the arrival of fire trucks as smoke billowed from the condo complex. The fire damaged several units at the Saxony Manor Condominiums and two people had to be hospitalized. Read the article………………………..
Crews responding to Freemansburg condo complex fire (PA)
Crews were dispatched Tuesday morning to a fire that broke out in a Freemansburg Borough condominium and townhome complex. Read the article………………………..
Everything you wanted to know about private streets in Pittsburgh (PA)
In communities around Pittsburgh, there are streets designated as “private.” Sometimes they’re winding roads on college campuses, or they could be narrow spans seemingly tucked away in city neighborhoods. Read the article………………………..
Treasure Lake POA awarded grant for ATV trailhead master plan (PA)
The Treasure Lake Property Owners Association has been awarded $73,500 for the formation of a master plan for an ATV trailhead at Cayman Landing Campground, a project planned in partnership with the Elk County Riders ATV and recreation group. Read the article………………………..
Sinkhole ‘meeting was a bit of a train wreck’: Displaced residents voice concerns (PA)
In Centre County, residents of a Patton Township homeowners association met on Friday with HOA leaders about a massive sinkhole that displaced 18 households. Read the article………………………..
State College Sinkhole (PA)
Dozens of residents have been displaced, and their townhomes abandoned, since Christmas weekend after a sinkhole opened up in their neighborhood. Read the article………………………..
Condo Fire Battled In Haverford Thursday Evening (PA)
A condominium in Haverford caught fire Thursday afternoon, according to the Merion Fire Company of Ardmore. Fire broke out at a condo along the 100 block of Llanalew Road in Haverford at about 4:14 p.m. Thursday. Crews found heavy fire at the properties and raised a second alarm, the fire company said. Read the article………………………..
Firefighters Battle Blaze That Severely Damaged Phoenixville Condos (PA)
Firefighters battled a two-alarm blaze Friday afternoon that severely damaged Westridge complex off Mowere and Township Line roads, officials said Saturday. Read the article………………………..