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Tom Wolf today has ordered that all “non-life-sustaining” businesses in Pennsylvania must close their Business List Subject to Governor’s Closure OrderDownload

Many of the lockdown and business closure orders issued by Gov. The plaintiffs in the case included seven businesses and their owners, several state representatives, The businesses included three hair salons, an appliance store, a farm and two drive-in theaters. In addition, the Court found the way the Governor designed, implemented and administered the business The Court’s Order specifically declares that the limits on gatherings, the stay-at-home and business

Everyone’s good buddy, the IRS, did struggling small businesses dirty when no one was watching. Paycheck Protection Program loans were designed to help small business that were reeling with the COVID It was a lifeline to small businesses when they needed it most. No deduction for doing exactly what the PPP loan rules told businesses to do. Here’s how the IRS taketh away from struggling businesses: Say a business receives a $300,000 loan to

It is no secret that Covid-19 hit the food service industry particularly hard. Although we are now largely “back to normal,” many restaurant owners are still dealing with the financial ramifications of pandemic-era restrictions. Recently, Fiffik Law Group Partner Matthew Bole achieved a significant victory for his client, a North Hills restaurant owner being sued for unpaid rent. The landlord of the commercial building sought eviction and monetary damages, prompting litigation. Through effective negotiations and rigorous defense during discovery, Attorney Bole saved his client $60,000 and allowed his restaurant to continue operating in its space. The dispute centered around an interim agreement made during the Covid-19 era when many restaurants faced financial hardships. Miscommunication, unprofessionalism, and faulty payment systems added confusion and complexity to an already delicate case. To avoid a trial, Attorney Bole was able to reach a settlement with the landlord. Attorney Bole negotiated to incorporate old agreements into the deal and addressed his client’s concerns about the landlord’s inaccurate accounting. If you are dealing with commercial landlord-tenant issues, our legal team is here to help. Our attorneys have extensive experience in representing both landlords and tenants in lease disputes and negotiations. Contact us today for a free initial consultation.

You can file a claim on your business insurance to recover your losses. #smallbusinesstips #businessinsurance #smallbusinessattorney #covidrestaurant #covid #smallbusiness

The legislation, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, also ensures tax deductibility for business The bill also specifies that business expenses paid with forgiven PPP loans are tax-deductible. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also argued against businesses being able to deduct business expenses Our business attorneys are available to answer your PPP loan questions. #smallbusinesstips #businessattorneypittsburgh #ppploanforgiveness #PPPLoan #smallbusinessattorney #businessattorneypennsylvania

Fiffik, Esquire to find out if your business could be affected by the proposed rule change.

When acquiring commercial real estate, its vitally important to engage in detailed due diligence investigation to limit the possibility of post-closing surprises. Failing to dig into the hidden details of a property can doom the financial merits of an otherwise profitable deal, turning the transaction into a costly mistake. One very important step in the due diligence process is obtaining estoppel certificates from tenants in the property. An estoppel certificate is a signed statement by an existing tenant certifying for the purchaser’s benefit, that certain facts are correct. A tenant’s delivery of this statement estops the tenant from later claiming a different state of facts. Why would a prospective purchaser care about leases on the property? The reason is that you will be bound by the lease terms after the closing, and you cannot simply undo or change the leases to your liking. A Tenant Owns and Interest in the Property A lease conveys to the tenant the right to the exclusive possession and use of the real estate for a definite period of time. A lease partakes of the elements of both a conveyance and a contract. It is a conveyance by the landlord to the tenant of the right to occupy the land for the specified time in the lease. It contains a contract by the tenant to pay rent to the landlord, in addition, to numerous other promises and undertakings by both landlord and tenant. The legal interest of the tenant in the land is called a leasehold estate and consists of the right to the exclusive use and occupancy of the estate. Because the tenant has an interest in the property, a prospective purchaser takes title to the property subject to the rights of the tenant as set forth in the lease. Cautionary Tale of One Real Estate Investor Consider the unhappy surprise this investor had post-closing. He purchased a four unit building and did not review the tenant leases in advance nor did he request tenant estoppels. He did realize that the rental rates were relatively low and post-closing was looking to raise rates from existing tenants. Not only did he not realize that he was unable to simply modify the leases at will, but he also discovered that the prior owner gave one tenant a lifetime right to occupy the property at a fixed rate that could not be increased. Ever. Had the purchaser taken the very simple step of obtaining estoppel certificates prior to the closing, this problem lease could have been discovered and the financial terms of the deal modified accordingly. What is the Purpose of the Estoppel Certificate? The prospective purchaser of a commercial property has a keen interest in obtaining estoppel certificates from as many tenants as possible. The purposes of an estoppel certificate include: to give a prospective purchaser or lender information about the lease and the leased premises; that there are no defaults in the lease or delinquency in performance by the tenants; that the tenants have not raised claims against the landlord that the prospective purchaser might have to deal with post-closing; that there are no special agreements or concessions given by the landlord to the tenants that do not appear in the lease. These might include agreements to pay for tenant improvements to the leased premises or rent abatements; and to give assurance to the purchaser and their lender that the tenant at a later date will not make claims that are inconsistent with the statements contained in the estoppel. Depending on the size of the target property, a 100 percent response rate from tenants may not be feasible, but a purchaser should insist on estoppel certificates from all tenants whose tenancies are a key component of a property’s cash flow. As part of its due diligence, a purchaser will rely upon tenant estoppel certificates in determining the offering price for the shopping center, and whether the price ultimately paid is reasonable, given the property’s income-generating capacity. If you’re purchasing commercial property, whether it’s a two-unit rental or a multi-story apartment building or office building, the experienced real estate attorneys at Fiffik Law Group can help you make the acquisition a success. We are experienced in all phases of commercial contract negotiation, due diligence and closing the deal.

Nearly one-third of the workforce is comprised of self-employed professionals, sales persons, small business

In fact, business owners can be personally liable for the unpaid wages and penalties resulting from even Choosing to pay creditors before the IRS When a business gets into a cash crush, it may be tempting to This is so even if your business is incorporated or is a limited liability company.  Failing to monitor payroll company activities Many small businesses use outside payroll companies to The attorneys on our business team, Michael E. Fiffik, Esquire, and Matthew A.

Influencer marketing is a business and like any business, has its legalities. your privacy, you should work to keep your personal stuff personal and your influencer stuff strictly business What NOT To Do: 1st don’t forget to mention business relationships. 2nd but don’t obscure that disclosure Get Legal Advice Whether you’re just starting your influencer business or you’re a veteran, its wise to work with an attorney about all of the legalities for your business.

In Pennsylvania all consumers have the ability to choose their electric energy supplier. You might be able to save money or perhaps choose a supplier that sources more “green” energy. If you don’t choose an energy supplier, you will default to the energy supplier in your geographic area. Here are some tips to help you be a smart shopper. Switching Suppliers Won’t Improve Unreliable Service When you choose a company, you are essentially choosing the company that generates your electricity. Since energy suppliers have no way to get electricity into your home, your public utility company will still be your provider because they own all the poles and wires. They will also continue to handle customer service issues and infrastructure upgrades. List of Pennsylvania Electric Suppliers Understand How Electricity Billing Works Your bill is made up of generation charges, transmission charges, distribution charges, customer charges and transition charges. Of these charges, generation charges makes up the majority of your electric bill. This is the charge being billed by the suppliers you choose and the commodity you are shopping for. Each local electric utility has a “price to compare.” The price to compare is the price charged by your local utility for the portion of your service that is open to competition. The price to compare is given in cents per kilowatt hour (kWh). There are basically three charges to your bill. Distribution Charges – Charge for use of local wires, transformers, substations and other equipment used to deliver electricity to households over high voltage transmission lines Transmission Charges – Charge for moving high voltage electricity from the generation plant to the distribution line of an electric distribution company. Generation Charge – Charge for the production of electricity. In addition to these charges, your utility company also bills for the following charges which are unrelated to delivery of energy: State Taxes – Charge or tax by the State of Pennsylvania Customer Charges – A monthly charge to cover cost of billing, meter reading and maintenance. The Pennsylvania Utility Commission allows you to insert your zip code and obtain a list of suppliers and their competitive prices in your area. The list also includes a breakdown of which companies provide green options. 3 Rate Structures You Can Choose From Now, here’s where things can get tricky. The following are pricing options that affect kWh costs. They’re considered standard in the industry. Fixed: This is a locked-in unit price for kWh throughout the term of a contract. If energy prices increase during your contract, your unit price won’t be affected. But if prices drop below the unit price, you’ll end up overpaying. Floating: Also known as a variable rate, this allows a homeowner’s unit cost to rise or fall based on the wholesale value of electricity. Although this may sound like a great deal when prices are low, if the market becomes unpredictable or if prices sky rocket, it can be difficult to manage your home’s energy costs. Hybrid: This is when a percentage of energy use is billed at the fixed rate and the remainder is billed at the floating rate. In this case balance is everything. You could end up with a whopping energy bill if the floating rate goes up and it’s applied to a large percentage of your bill. Contract Summary for Electric Suppliers 7 Questions to Ask Electricity Suppliers Does the price per kWh include sales tax? The prices on the PUC site include the gross sales tax, but if you call companies asking for their price to compare make sure to inquire as to whether or not the quoted price includes the gross sales tax. Is price per kWh a fixed or variable price? Is there a monthly service charge or any other fees? Is there a contract and if so, will the price change once the contract is up? Am I getting a special one-time deal? If so, how long does it last and what happens to the price when it’s over? A number of suppliers offer an introductory rate whose price to compare (PTC) is generally lower than the price at the beginning of the next term. Are there any other discounts and promotions I should know about like referral programs? Is there a fee if I decide to cancel the contract before it expires? Final Words of Wisdom Avoid automatic renewal. You don’t want your contract to renew automatically without your permission. Prior to your contract expiring, you should receive two contract renewal notices from your current supplier. The initial renewal notice should arrive 45-60 days prior to your contract’s expiration date. Additionally, the supplier should provide you with an options notice, which includes certain information including the specific changes to the terms of service being proposed; information on new prices; an explanation of your options and how to exercise those options; the date by which you must exercise one of the options; and the electric distribution company’s price to compare. The options notice should be sent to you no later than 30 days prior to the contract’s expiration date. Read these notices. If you choose to take no action with your renewal and options notices, your rate may change. For example, a fixed rate may change to a monthly variable rate. If you have a variable rate, once the term expires, you may be moved to a different variable rate that could be higher. Ask for Help if You Need it. There are resources available to help you interpret utility supplier contracts and their jargon before you sign to something you may be unfamiliar with. The knowledgeable lawyers at Fiffik Law Group are ready to assist you in your contract needs. Contact them today with any questions you have or to go over your own contracts or agreements. #alternateenergysuppliers #switchingutilitysupplier #alternateenergysupply #utilitychoice #electricshopping #shoppingelectricity #shoppingelectricpennsylvania #compareutilityprices #compareutilityrates #lowerelectricbill #pennsylvaniaelectricsuppliers #pennsylvaniaelectricsupply #pennsylvaniaelectricsupplieres