It’s National Grandparents Day, and some grandparents across Pennsylvania will spend it the way they spend many days: Driving a grandchild somewhere, picking one up, walking one through a door marked “sign in here.” The signature is where it gets complicated. Pennsylvania’s 2018 standby guardianship law, Act 88, is one of the only documents that…
The Atlantic hurricane season hit its statistical peak a few days ago, according to the National Hurricane Center. We don’t wish a downed tree on anyone. But this is the time of year when it’s statistically more possible in Florida. These are the situations when a storm-downed tree becomes your neighbor’s problem, not yours. Note:…
In 1872, California decided who owns a tree standing on a property line, and the rule in the state’s Civil Code hasn’t changed since. These are the rules that decide which neighbor pays when a shared tree falls. Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Property and tree laws are subject to change. 1….
Point a camera at the wrong patch of a neighbor’s backyard in Georgia, and the charge isn’t a warning. It’s a felony, one that can carry up to five years in prison. Many homeowners who install a camera, or fume about a camera aimed their way, have no idea where Georgia draws that line. These…
Florida law gives a landlord 15 days to return a security deposit in full once a tenant moves out. Landlords who plan to keep part of it get 30 days to mail a written claim by certified mail. Close to one in three Florida households rent instead of own. Every Florida renter is on that…
That old car in your yard might be perfectly legal today, and a county problem tomorrow. The difference can come down to its condition, where it sits, and even how many other vehicles are on the lot. Here are the rules that can determine when a South Carolina county can haul a car off your…
Few people read Title 55.1 of the Code of Virginia before building a backyard fence. That’s exactly the problem. Many of its fence and property line rules only surface after something’s already gone wrong between two neighbors. By then, the deadline that mattered has usually already passed. These are the Virginia fence and property line…
Think a fender bender on a North Carolina back road is nobody’s business but yours and the other driver’s? It isn’t. One careless word at the scene, in a state where being found even slightly at fault can cost a driver their entire claim, can weigh more than the damage. These are the things North…
Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection estimates there are about 2.6 million septic systems statewide, serving roughly 30% of Florida’s population. Every one of those systems comes with rules attached to the land, not the person selling you the house. These are the septic and well rules Florida buyers inherit along with their new address. Note:…
Three-fourths ownership is the only number that decides whether a company can lease a West Virginia mineral tract, not a unanimous family vote. Once owners holding that share agree to a company’s terms, state law treats every other heir as if they’d signed the same lease too. That catches a lot of heirs off guard,…
