Articles by Our Attorneys

With a roar of their trimmers’ two-stroke engines, a husband and wife advance across their yard toward the mass of hemlock branches spilling over from their neighbors’ property. They trim the branches hanging over their yard all the way back to – but not over – the property line. Weeks later, their neighbors sue them for damaging the trees. Was the couple within their rights when they trimmed the branches? 

Yes, held the Pennsylvania Superior Court in Jones v. Wagner, the case from which our lightly fictionalized couple are drawn. In Jones, the court addressed the scenario where a tree is located on an owner’s property but its branches or roots hang above or encroach onto the property of another person (who we’ll call an “affected owner”), and what affected owners can do in response. 

The Court began with the principle that a continuing trespass occurs if the branches of a tree located on one owner’s property overhang the property of another person without the affected owner’s consent. The same principle applies where the roots of a tree on one property extend onto the affected owner’s property. Often, an affected owner sees no reason to take action. Affected owners like those in Jones, however, may want the branches removed for any number of reasons. 

The Court in Jones held that affected owners who want overhanging branches or encroaching roots removed have a few options.

First, an affected owner may file a lawsuit alleging continuing trespass. The affected owner will need to prove both the location of the property line and the branch’s or root’s location over that line. The complaint would request that the court order the owner of the tree to remove the branches or roots to the extent they hang or encroach over the property line. The affected owner should also request money damages for any harm suffered or costs incurred because of the trespass, although a showing of harm is not necessary to prove trespass itself. The downside to lawsuits are that they are expensive and can take a long time – often years – to resolve.

Second, an affected owner may – like those in Jones – simply trim the branches or roots back to the extent they hang over or encroach onto their property. This remedy is referred to as “self-help.” Self-help is an attractive remedy because, in theory at least, it is quick and cost-efficient compared to a lawsuit. Affected owners exercising self-help must be precise to ensure they are trimming only that portion of the branches or roots which cross over the property line and above or onto their property. Even owners who precisely perform self-help still risk being sued by the owner of the tree, especially where there is disagreement as to the location of the property line or the branches or roots that are removed. For these reasons, affected owners who plan on exercising self-help should still consult an attorney before acting.

Finally, affected owners may exercise self-help and then also sue the owner of the tree for the expenses incurred in removing the branches or roots. Given the cost of lawsuits, an affected owner considering this combined remedy should consult with an attorney to confirm that the expense of lawsuit will not exceed the expenses incurred removing the branches.

Property owners involved in tree-related disputes or have questions about liability for damage caused by their tree or a neighbor’s tree should contact an attorney with experience in these matters. You may contact Matthew McKeon at [email protected], or by telephone at 610-840-0225. This article provides a general overview of the law. It is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, legal advice for any particular fact situation.

In my practice I come across many situations where some decisions are made and not communicated to people who it may affect.  This article will briefly discuss three scenarios that I have come across in my practice which could have been made less difficult if communications were made.

Wills

Often I see the following language in Wills: “no provision is made for my nephew Bobby for reasons he well knows.”  Very often, the opposite is true.  The nephew does not know.  It would be better if you communicated that to the nephew.  Usually the Testator wants to avoid bad feelings or confrontations.  I often find it necessary to videotape the Testator to memorialize the thoughts of the Testator in creating the Will.  I often just use my iPhone.  That way you have a record of the thinking by the Testator, as well as a view into the mental condition of that Testator.  Of course, it would be advisable to make sure that the Testator is capacitated, at least in the attorney’s estimation.

Powers of Attorney

Another problem that exists is that in Powers of Attorney, an alternate agent is chosen, without communicating that to the agent.  Things go a lot smoother if the original agent, should he or she not be able to perform their duties, knows that the alternate agent is ready, willing and able to serve.  Communicating that to the alternate agent is critical, before problems happen.

Estate Administration

Lastly, I often see co-Executors, co-Administrators or co-Trustees acting individually without communicating.  Sometimes this happens when the co-Executors, co-Administrators or co-Trustees are angry at each other or are not talking.  Also, in these scenarios, one person will “take over” the process.  The other co-Executor, co-Administrator or co-Trustee does nothing to prevent this from occurring.  It is better to communicate rather than have some very uncomfortable moments, often in Court, when real problems occur.  If there is an impasse, my final suggestion would be to try mediation, as opposed to running to the courtroom.  Many times in these situations Judges will, certainly in Chester County, require mediation to resolve the dispute.  This is a cheaper and more efficient way to resolve issues.

In sum, it is best to communicate at all times, especially before problems occur.  Unfortunately, human nature often dictates that the person will do anything to avoid confrontation, only to find out that things only got worse by ignoring the problem.

Communicate! Communicate! Communicate!

In part I, we discussed that one of the first steps you should take after getting your divorce decree in hand is changing the beneficiary designations for any of your relevant accounts. It is a five minute process that would save your loved ones immeasurable confusion and contention later on.

As you review and change your beneficiary designation, you should begin thinking about and updating your estate planning documents and reviewing your retirement plans. If your estate planning documents are not updated to remove your spouse, they may still be able to receive what you previously allocated to them in the event of your death. Even if state law precludes this outcome, your documents will likely not reflect your current intentions.

If you have not already done so, you should either create or revise the following types of estates documents following your divorce:

• Will;
• Living Will;
• Durable Power of Attorney;
• Healthcare Power of Attorney; and
• Trusts

Meet with your attorney to review these documents. This will provide you some peace of mind and control over who will be taking care of you in your older years and who will be getting your possession when you pass. Avoid putting this off, in the event of your untimely death you want to ensure that your wishes are carried out when it comes time to disburse your assets.

Life is hectic and unpredictable, but taking the right steps now can help reduce your stress and help you take back control of your life after divorce.

If you need guidance with your estate planning needs, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our team.

April, 2021, has brought a number of legal developments in the employment law arena.  Here are a few of notable developments to keep you updated:

1. Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office launches largest criminal wage theft case in U.S. history.

Pennsylvania construction company Glen O. Hawbaker Inc., has allegedly failed to pay full prevailing wages on several years’ worth of project work, allegedly stealing some $20 million in pay from its workers.  The road and bridge building company is charged with four counts of theft for alleged violations of the Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act and U.S. Davis-Bacon Act following a 3-year investigation.  According to the allegations, the company diverted money from workers’ retirement accounts in order to pay pensions for higher-level employees including company executives.  It is further alleged that Hawbaker inflated the amount the company stated it would be paying to cover the cost of worker health care plans, while paying a lower amount and pocketing the difference.  The case serves as a reminder to Pennsylvania businesses that the state attorney general’s office can pursue criminal penalties for wage and hour violations if it perceives the situation as theft.

2. Pennsylvania worker claims employer failed to accommodate her anxiety from COVID-related workplace dispute.

A Pittsburgh woman has filed suit alleging that her employer, a butcher shop, fired her over her anxiety stemming from a COVID-related workplace dispute.  The lawsuit claims that the woman held a wedding in November, and later felt sick at work and left for testing and quarantine.  Her testing was ultimately negative and she returned to work, however upon her return co-workers allegedly accused the woman of potentially exposing them to COVID.  The woman allegedly left to eat lunch and experienced a panic attack in her car and did not return.  During a text exchange with her supervisor, the woman allegedly reported the panic attack, that she had a diagnosed panic disorder, and referenced wanting to find a reasonable accommodation.  The employer allegedly responded by stating that it did not have the resources to accommodate her and terminated the woman’s employment.  The woman has filed suit alleging that the employer’s refusal to accommodate her, and her subsequent firing, were violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.  The case – Hammond v. Strip District Meats Inc., in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania – highlights the importance of understanding “reasonable accommodation” requirements under disability law.

3. “Donning” lawsuit illustrates need for employers to properly account for COVID-era PPE requirements in their wage calculations.

In a recent lawsuit filed over “donning”, employees of Cresco Labs, a cannabis cultivator, complained that they had to arrive at their facility at least 12 to 16 minutes early to undergo mandatory health screenings and to put on company-issued PPE required for safety and to protect the cannabis from contamination, however they were only paid for an additional 5 minutes of time.  This is one of a number of recent wage and hour lawsuits relating to “donning” or “doffing”, including a class action lawsuit filed against Walmart.  “Donning” and doffing” is used to refer to the practice of putting on (donning) and taking off (doffing) protective gear, clothing and uniforms. There are certain circumstances where employers are legally required to pay their employees for time spent donning and doffing.  According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “[g]enerally, donning and doffing, which may include clothes changing, can be a ‘principal activity’ [requiring compensation] under the Portal to Portal Act, 29 U.S.C. § 254.” The Supreme Court in IBP v. Alvarez, 546 U.S. 21, 37 (2005) explicitly held that activities that are integral and indispensable are principal activities, and activities occurring after the first principal activity and before the last principal activity, are compensable.  The case is Janice Dutcher et al. v. Cresco Labs Inc. et al. case number 1:21-cv-02106, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Jeff Burke is an attorney at MacElree Harvey, Ltd., working in the firm’s Employment and Litigation practice groups. Jeff counsels businesses and individuals on employment practices and policies, employee hiring and separation issues, non-competition and other restrictive covenants, wage and hour disputes, and other employment-related matters. Jeff also represents businesses and individuals in employment litigation such as employment contract disputes, workforce classification audits, and discrimination claims based upon age, sex, race, religion, disability, sexual harassment, and hostile work environment.

When a person claims a right to recover damages, the law imposes a duty upon the claimant to mitigate those damages. This means that someone who has suffered a loss or injury must take advantage of reasonable opportunities to decrease the amount of damages suffered. While this principle applies in a variety of civil cases, there are a few notable situations where the mitigation of damages principle arises in a Personal Injury case.

If you have been in a car accident, your first introduction to the mitigation of damages principle often arises with your property damage claim. If your car has been towed from the accident scene, it will most likely be towed to a lot that incurs daily storage fees. The mitigation of damages principle arises in this scenario to require you to resolve your property damage claim without any unnecessary delays such that you are mitigating the amount of storage fees incurred.

At this stage you may receive a letter from the liability insurance carrier informing you of your duty to mitigate your damages. The mitigation of damages letter will advise you that your vehicle needs to be moved to a storage free facility and will most likely state that the insurance carrier has a storage free lot where your car can be moved. If you do not take advantage of the insurance carrier’s offer to move your car to the storage free lot, you will most likely end up with a dispute regarding the amount of storage fees the insurance company is willing to pay.

Similarly, insurance carriers often assert the mitigation of damages principle as a defense to compensating for reimbursement of rental car fees. Disputes often arise with reimbursement of rental car fees where the insurance company will not agree to compensate the claimant for keeping a rental car longer than necessary.

The next area in my Personal Injury practice where I find myself discussing the mitigation of damages principle with clients is with a lost wage claim. If you are unable to work because of the injuries sustained in a car accident or other incident, you are entitled to recover for your lost wages. However, the mitigation of damages principle applies so that if you are able to work in some capacity, the law imposes a duty upon you to continue to earn wages.

One scenario where this issue arises is when a doctor places a limitation on the number of hours that the injured claimant can work. Although you may no longer be able to work full-time, the mitigation of damages principle applies to impose a duty on you to find suitable part-time employment to mitigate your wage losses.

Another scenario where we see mitigation of damages principle arising with a wage loss claim is when an injured claimant has physical limitations. In this scenario, a claimant who was working a strenuous job pre-accident is no longer able to perform the job requirements due to the injuries sustained in the accident. In this scenario, if the claimant has not found alternative employment, it is common for the insurance carrier to hire a vocational expert who will perform an assessment and identify jobs that would be alternative forms of employment.

These are just a few examples of how the mitigation of damages principle may apply to your motor vehicle or Personal Injury case. Personal Injury Attorneys are experienced with handling disputes when the mitigation of damages principle is asserted as a defense and advise their clients so that they are not negatively impacted by the mitigation of damages principle. If you have been injured in a motor vehicle collision and have concerns regarding how the mitigation of damages principle will apply in your case, you should consult a Personal Injury attorney who will assess your situation and guide you in asserting your claim for damages.

Tiffany is a partner at MacElree Harvey, a full-service law firm serving Delaware and Pennsylvania.  Licensed to practice law in Delaware and Pennsylvania, Tiffany represents clients in a variety of civil litigation matters, including Personal Injury, trust and estate litigation, real estate litigation, and corporate disputes. She joined MacElree Harvey in the summer of 2016 and spends her time in the Delaware office located in the Village of Centreville and the Kennett Square office. Contact Tiffany at (302) 654-4454 or [email protected] to discuss your car accident or other civil litigation matter. 

March 2021 has brought several notable employment law updates.  Once again, COVID-19 dominates the headlines.  Here are a few of the most important developments:

1. President Biden signs American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 expanding FFCRA tax credit.  In addition to various stimulus provisions, the new Act extends the available tax credit under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) for employers that voluntarily provide paid COVID-19 leave until September 30, 2021, extending the previous deadline of March 31, 2021.  The credit covers 100% of qualifying wages for FFCRA leave, and the qualifying reasons for taking leave are expanded.  Notably, the qualifying reasons now include leave taken to receive a COVID-19 vaccination or to recover from an injury, disability, illness or condition related to receiving a vaccine.  The maximum tax credit is increased to $200 per day per employee or $12,000 per employee in aggregate.  Left out the Act were a previously proposed extension of the mandatory paid FFCRA leave, which expired at the end of 2020, and an increase in the minimum wage to $15.00 per hour.  
2. Walmart employees pursuing class action for unpaid COVID screening time.  Workers filed a $5 million proposed class action in Arizona federal court alleging that Walmart required them to arrive at their shifts 10 to 15 minutes early to undergo COVID-19 screenings but failed to fully compensate them for their time.  Some workers allegedly were required to stand in line and wait to be screened and when they did not pass the screening, they were sent home with no pay at all.  Walmart denied the allegations.  Employers should keep in mind that, where screenings are done on the company’s premises and for the benefit of the company, the employees are likely considered “on the clock” and must be compensated for their time.
3. Amazon settles Whistleblower lawsuit over alleged COVID-19 safety protocol violations.  The settlement comes after a former New Jersey employee claimed he was fired in retaliation for reporting that a shift manager refused to keep at least a 6-foot distance from other workers.  The lawsuit was filed under New Jersey’s Conscientious Employee Protection Act, and also alleged that the manager had been reported several times by several employees but that HR ignored or refused to pass the complaints on to management.  It bears noting that, while the lawsuit was filed under state law, federal OSHA law also has anti-retaliation provisions.  Therefore, employers nationwide can look to this case as a lesson about the consequences of failing to properly address worker complaints during the pandemic. 

Jeff Burke is an attorney at MacElree Harvey, Ltd., working in the firm’s Employment and Litigation practice groups. Jeff counsels businesses and individuals on employment practices and policies, employee hiring and separation issues, non-competition and other restrictive covenants, wage and hour disputes, and other employment-related matters. Jeff also represents businesses and individuals in employment litigation such as employment contract disputes, workforce classification audits, and discrimination claims based upon age, sex, race, religion, disability, sexual harassment, and hostile work environment.