Schuylkill County Real Estate: May 2008

 EBENSBURG, Pa. -- Members of a small, isolated Amish community are refusing to follow state code in their handling of waste from a school's two outhouses, citing their religious convictions. The Amish property owner said he is even willing to go to jail to defend his beliefs.

Local officials aren't eager to go to that extreme but are in a quandary over how to assure the laws are applied uniformly and the raw sewage doesn't contaminate water supplies. Waste from the outhouses has been collected in plastic buckets, then dumped onto fields.

The county is demanding the Amish install a holding tank and contract with a certified sewage hauler for disposal. A district judge last month found Andy Swartzentruber, on whose land the outhouses sit, and school elder Sam Yoder in violation of state sewage disposal law.

... to read the entire AP article, click here...

This is intersting!

"We feel this sewage plan enforcement along with its standards is against our religious [beliefs]," they wrote. "Our forefathers and the church are conscientiously opposed to install the sewage method accordingly to the world's standards."

To the Editor:

This past week, State Rep. Tim Seip won House passage of his two bills that would ban "spot appeals" of assessments. This is a huge problem here in Schuylkill County, PA. The bills (H.B.s 1438 and 1439) would ban the practice.

Seip was instrumental in organizing a hearing in February to bring much needed attention to this issue. At Seip's request, the House Local Government Committee held a hearing on the bills at Penn State Schuylkill Campus in Schuylkill Haven. The committee heard testimony from an affected property owner from the area and experts on the issue.

Two of the most moving testimonies were given by Attorney Sud Patel (who has been personally affected by this issue), and County Administrator Darlene Dolzani. Dolzani passionately urged the lawmakers to stop this unfair practice that—in effect—penalizes those who move while not affecting homeowners who stay put.

What this has done to our neighborhoods is just not right. Property owners with similar homes in a single neighborhood may be paying widely different taxes. I know of one homeowner paying about $3400 in taxes, while the neighbors to the left and right are paying over $6000. The difference? The homeowner in the middle has not moved in the past few years, while the other neighbors moved in the past 3 years.

Pennsylvania law states taxpayers must be taxed “uniformly” (the principle of uniformity). There is no uniformity in Schuylkill County’s property taxes. "These spot appeals are initiated only because a property is sold, despite the fact that a similar or identical property nearby may continue to be taxed at a lower rate," Seip said. "Singling out individual homeowners like that is wrong. I hope the Senate will join the House in passing these bills so they can go to the governor's desk."

As a real estate broker, this property tax issue affects my business. Housing sales in general are down from 2007 to 2008, due to a number of reasons, including tighter financing, energy jitters and general nervousness amongst buyers. It doesn’t help when we calculate a property’s current taxes and then show the buyer what their taxes may be if their property assessment is appealed and the school district wins. In certain school districts it has become extremely difficult to sell properties when we estimate the property’s taxes could double or triple after the sale.

As a Schuylkill County property owner, this affects me personally, as well. If I was in the market to buy or sell right now, I know I’d be hesitant to purchase in an area where my taxes might skyrocket after the sale.

School districts need more revenue—but taxing a very narrow portion of the community—those who move—is not right. This is not a solution to their budget woes.

Hopefully, these bills will move through the Senate successfully and eventually become law. Then we can tackle the next step of helping school districts fund their budgets in a more fair method, one which spreads the burden amongst all members of the community, and not a select few.

Erica Ramus, Broker / Owner REALTY EXECUTIVES

www.move2pennsylvania.com

275 One Norwegian Plaza, Pottsville PA 17901 570 622 6006 91 S Tulpehocken St, Pine Grove PA 17963 570 345 6000 Cell: 570 449 2131 Office Fax: 570 622 6620 Private Fax: 866 734 4256 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This link provides information on agency relationships and the duties and responsibilities of real estate licensees in Pennsylvania. Please read it carefully: http://www.parealtor.org/content/upload/AssetMgmt/Standard Forms/PDFs/CN.pdf

May 28

Genealogy Workshop

Historical Society of Schuylkill County, Pottsville.

Jean Dellock will conduct a workshop on the bascs of genealogy research. The recourses available for those doing Schuylkill County lineage research will be presented. It will also address requirements for joining the DAR.

570-622-7540.

If you have Schuylkill County roots, you might find this workshop really interesting! Jean is extremely knowledgeable about Schuylkill County history and knows all the ins and outs of ancestry research in our area.

If you're into research, also check out our historical society;

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~paschuyl/HSSC/

Incorporated in 1903, the Historical Society of Schuylkill County is the official historical society of the county.

The Society has a priceless collection of historical materials of Schuylkill County that is used by members, researchers, scholars and the general public. 

305 North Centre Street Pottsville, Pa. 17901

570-622-7540

Hours: Wed 1:30 - 7PM Thurs 10AM - 4PM Fri 10AM - 4PM Sat 9AM - 1PM

Every year, dozens of people are injured or killed at active and abandoned mine sites. In 2007, 31 people died in the U.S. while trespassing at mines and quarries. One of those was in Pennsylvania. In 2006, 30 people died nationwide, two in Pennsylvania.

These are tragedies that could have been avoided. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has partnered with the U.S. Mine Safety and Click to view the Public Service AnnouncementHealth Administration, other state agencies and the active mining industry to promote the “Stay Out – Stay Alive” campaign.

The goal of this nationwide effort is to educate the public, particularly young people, about the dangers of abandoned and active mines. DEP is visiting schools and community groups to discuss the dangers of these sites.

For example, August 21, 2007, a 13-year-old boy died of injuries sustained in a dirt bike accident Sunday afternoon in Porter Township (Schuylkill County). The teen was driving a dirt bike on a private driveway leading to Summit Anthracite, when he failed to see a steel cable strung across the driveway. The cable struck the boy in the upper chest. The victim died of blunt force trauma to the neck and spine. The cause of death was determined to be accidental.

Earlier this year, February 8, a 20 year-old man was electrocuted after coming into contact with a high voltage transformer on Reading Anthracite property in New Castle  (again, in Schuylkill County). Police said the victim was on the property around 11:40 p.m. with another 20-year-old man when he came into contact with high voltage. The other man left the area and called the Schuylkill County Communications Center. New Castle Township police and rescue crews were then dispatched to the area. After a short search, the victim was found in a fenced area on top of a high-voltage transformer, police said. Icy conditions hampered rescuers efforts to reach him, and police had to contact an electrician to shut off power to the off-road area.

Pennsylvania has a great brochure listing all the regional fairs:

Families across the state can plan to experience the rides, entertainment and agriculture products of the commonwealth this summer with the help of the 2008 Pennsylvania Fair Guide, Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff said today.

“Fairs are a great way to celebrate Pennsylvania’s rich agricultural heritage, and to attract millions of people to fun entertainment, delicious food and a glimpse of farm life,” said Wolff. “Pennsylvania’s 117 fairs are a family tradition, and the fair guide provides easy access to information about fairs throughout the state, helping ensure that the tradition of fairs is passed on to the next generation.”

The new fair guide provides convenient information on fairs by region, including their locations and dates. Pennsylvania is home to 117 county and community fairs, some dating back to the 1700s. To recognize fairs that have been operating for at least 100 years and 200 years, Governor Edward G. Rendell created the Century and Bicentennial Fair Program in 2006.

Currently, there are 36 Century Fairs and four Bicentennial Fairs across the state. “Part of the tradition of Pennsylvania fairs is harness racing,” said Wolff. “This year’s fair guide makes it easier than ever to see the up-and-comers in harness racing, with a horse-and-sulky icon beside each of the 15 fairs that offer harness racing events.” In addition to fairs, Pennsylvania is home to educational and affordable agricultural destinations across the state, including farmers markets, wineries and farm stay bed and breakfasts.

To access a 2008 Pennsylvania Fair Guide, visit www.agriculture.state.pa.us and click on “Consumers” and then “Pennsylvania Fairs.”

The Pennsylvania Senate voted yesterday, 48-2, in favor of legislation that would require towns along the Appalachian Trail to enact zoning that would "conserve and maintain" land abutting the historic footpath

...  The legislation - an amendment to the Pennsylvania Appalachian Trail Act of 1978 - was spawned by outrage from environmental activists over the approval of development plans for a 4.2-mile road course for high-performance cars less than a half-mile from where the trail runs atop the scenic Blue Mountain range in Monroe County, north of Allentown.

....  The law would not require an entire community be zoned. Communities would have up to a year to adopt zoning. Cooke Township, Cumberland County, population 117, would be exempt. Its portion of the trail is surrounded by state-owned forest and parkland and a private game preserve, Freeman said. The Senate's action was applauded by PennEnvironment in Philadelphia, which has been lobbying for the bill. "Clearly, this is an important part of our natural heritage that's worth protecting," director David Masur said. When the Alpine complex was proposed and approved by Eldred officials - in 2002 - the township had no zoning. It does now, but too late to stop the rally course, which developers hope to open in summer 2009, pending state approval of stormwater-management permits.

Of the 55 communities along Pennsylvania's 229 miles of trail, nine have no zoning, according to PennEnvironment. The entire trail, a string of state and federal property, runs 2,175 miles through 14 states, from Georgia to Maine.

CLICK HERE to read the whole story

I am searching for a new phone system and am attracted to this one: Vocalocity Hosted PBX

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Is anyone using VOIP systems in general?

Anyone used this one in particular? www.vocalocity.com

I am searching for a new phone system and am attracted to this one:

Vocalocity Hosted PBX

VocalocityPBX is an affordable, feature-rich, no-maintenance hosted PBX business phone solution that can be set up in minutes. At Vocalocity, we help small businesses that need a customized, scalable business phone system with minimal start-up costs and overall reduced phone bills. Unlike expensive traditional systems, our hosted PBX phone solution ties together high quality voice services and features at an affordable price.

Benefits of a Hosted PBX

* Low start-up costs and low monthly fees *Implementation is cheaper, quicker, and easier – be up and running in 15 minutes * No long-term contracts * Smaller businesses can function and appear as larger, established organizations * Scalable to your growing business, quickly and inexpensively

Is anyone using VOIP systems in general?

Anyone used this one in particular?

www.vocalocity.com

"A family of endangered peregrine falcons nesting atop PPL Corp.'s downtown Allentown headquarters made Lehigh County history this morning when the first two of four eggs hatched.

The birth of the falcon chicks marked the first confirmed peregrine nesting success in Lehigh County, and PPL officials say it appears at least one of the two remaining eggs appears to be in the process of hatching, which means as many as three chicks could be in the nest by day's end.

The hatching in Allentown marks yet another milestone in the falcon's impressive recovery across Pennsylvania, which had no peregrines as recently as the early 1960s."

... and apparently this is not rare for PPL property!

"9 falcon chicks have already hatched on PPL properties this spring, with more likely on the way. No other private landowner in the state has more falcon nests on its land than PPL, which also partnered with the Game Commission in the mid-1990s on a successful program that resulted in the release of 14 captive-bred peregrines from a hack box atop the company's downtown Allentown office tower."

Keep reading the story by clicking below.

There's a video you can watch at the Morning Call's website:

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-hatch0513-cn,0,3287065.story

State Rep. Tim Seip today won House passage of his two bills that would ban "spot appeals" of assessments. This is a huge problem in our neck of the woods here in Schuylkill County, PA. The bills (H.B.s 1438 and 1439) would ban the practice.

At Seip's request, the House Local Government Committee held a hearing on the bills in February at Penn State Schuylkill Campus in Schuylkill Haven. The committee heard testimony from an affected property owner from the area and experts on the issue.

"These spot appeals are initiated only because a property is sold, despite the fact that a similar or identical property nearby may continue to be taxed at a lower rate," Seip said. "Singling out individual homeowners like that is wrong. I hope the Senate will join the House in passing these bills so they can go to the governor's desk."

The bills would cover 62 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, based on their populations, including Schuylkill and Berks. Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, Bucks and Delaware counties would not be affected. Seip also called on the Senate to help homeowners by acting on a proposed constitutional amendment that would clear the way for elimination of school property taxes on primary homes and farms.

The House of Representatives passed the amendment unanimously on Jan. 17, but it remains in the Senate Finance Committee. Currently, Pennsylvania's constitution includes a “homestead exemption,” approved by voters in 1997, which essentially limits school property tax relief to 50 percent of the median assessment in a school district. The proposed constitutional amendment (H.B. 1947) would allow the General Assembly to create a full-value exemption from property taxes for residential and farm properties. To be included in the state constitution, an amendment must pass the legislature in two consecutive sessions at least 90 days before the general election, to allow for sufficient public notice. The final step is voter approval.

"This amendment could go before voters as soon as next year – but only if the Senate acts before the summer recess. Otherwise, the amendment will be delayed until at least 2011," Seip said. "I am pleased that slots revenue will begin to reduce homeowners' property tax bills this summer, but I am still committed to doing more."

See online:

State Rep. Tim Seip D-Schuylkill/Berks www.pahouse.com/Seip