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- 177 of 177 successful Chester County mobile home tax assessment appeals in 2019
- How YOU can get involved in 2020 to help reach 1,000 more people! Pro bono opportunities start Jan. 17
- LASP's Independence Foundation Fellow Lily Austin to work on civil legal aid in partnership with Montgomery County Public Defenders
- Board of Directors: Welcome to Lauren Dentone & thank you to Hon. Stephanie H. Klein
- Second Chance Expo in Coatesville: State & county leaders & LASP attorney share criminal justice reform news & services
- Consumer law: Sarah A.E. Frasch, Chief Deputy Attorney General for PA, meets with LASP attorneys from all 4 counties
- $20 birth certificate fee to be waived for homeless Pennsylvanians
- BUCKS: Martin Ghen honored for pro bono service | Thanks, Bucks County Bar Foundation!
- CHESCO: Homeless? Call 211
- DELCO: Expungement clinic in Brookhaven helps 35
- MONTCO: Thank you, Montgomery Bar Foundation!
- YOU can make a difference! There's still time to donate in 2019!
- Intern news
- LASP job openings
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Chester Co. Mobile Home Tax Appeal Project
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177 of 177 successful tax appeals in 2019!
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Join this exciting partnership:
YOU can help reach 1,000
mobile home owners in Chester Co. in 2020
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by Rachel Houseman
Chester County Managing Attorney
In 2018 Randy and Debbie Blough, volunteers at the Lord’s Pantry of Downingtown and the Honey Brook Food Pantry, realized that many of the clients living in mobile homes were having difficulty paying their large property tax bills. The Bloughs realized that the mobile homes were being taxed based upon a value of the homes which greatly exceeded their actual values.
This problem was created because mobile home owners pay property taxes like any other homeowner. But unlike houses built on land, mobile homes do not appreciate in value. In fact, as soon as the home is placed on a property, it has lost a significant amount of value. A mobile home continues to depreciate in value every year thereafter. Unless a mobile home owner appeals the home’s assessed value, it will be taxed as if it is increasing in value over time at the same rate as other homes within the county.
The Bloughs filed property tax appeals for 22 mobile home clients in 2018 and were successful in all appeals. In 2019, LASP took part in a pilot project in partnership with the
United Way of Chester County, the
Lord’s Pantry, and the
Honey Brook Food Pantry to help mobile home owners appeal their property taxes on their overvalued homes.
Vital to the success of this project was the hard work of volunteer attorneys and the Chester County Paralegal Association. The paralegals staffed many of the outreaches, which were held near where the clients live.
This project successfully appealed 177 mobile home tax assessments.
The pilot project revealed that
on average, a mobile home owner is paying nearly 400 percent more in taxes than the amount they should owe. Mobile home owners comprise a population who face significant and often insurmountable obstacles to successfully appeal their homes’ value. Our county’s neediest families have been paying thousands of dollars in taxes they should never have owed. These families can now breathe easier and have greater opportunities to provide food, medicine, stable housing, and other necessities to their households.
The work done in 2019 has only scratched the surface. In total this project reached 177 homeowners who were paying on average nearly $1,000 more in property taxes than they would owe if their homes were properly assessed. The 177 homeowners will save a combined $171,580.09 every year, beginning in 2020. However, there are nearly 3,600 occupant-owned mobile homes throughout Chester County.
The program partners’ goal is to assist 1,000 owner-occupied homes next year, and continue every year after that until the system is fixed. We can’t do this without the assistance of volunteers. LASP is asking that Chester County law firms support and encourage their paralegals to participate in this unique opportunity to help correct an injustice. Partner organizations in the Mobile Home Tax Appeal Project already have started scheduling outreach events for 2020. See below for how to volunteer.
More dates and locations will be added.
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Get involved: Sign up to volunteer in 2020!
Nine outreach dates are already scheduled for January through March!
Volunteer sign-up is taking place at:
http://bit.ly/34Rf74i. Whether you're an
attorney, paralegal, student or community member, if you'd like to learn more about volunteer opportunities for the Mobile Tax Appeal Project, please contact Brian Doyle, Staff Attorney and Chester Co. Pro Bono Coordinator, at 610-436-4510 x211 or
bdoyle@lasp.org.
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INSPIRATION for the Mobile Home Tax Appeal Project
Alfred Lubrano's story about Randy and Debbie Blough's work on mobile home tax appeals appeared in the Philadelphia
Inquirer in August 2018:
http://bit.ly/339uMeJ. Staff at the United Way of Chester County read the story and reached out to LASP to provide legal assistance.
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Note:
A version of this story appeared in the Chester County Bar Association's 4th Quarter 2019 issue of
New Matter.
Click here for the article.
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Second Chance Expo in Coatesville
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Clean Slate, e
xpungements
& pardons explained
at Second Chance Expo in Coatesville
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COATESVILLE - Learning directly from state and local leaders about the latest news in criminal justice reform in PA, Coatesville area residents packed a
Second Chance Expo Dec. 14 at Chester County OIC. The informational event was hosted by State Rep. Dan K. Williams.
Daniel Cortes, LASP Community Engagement Staff Attorney, spoke about ways in which legal aid can help individuals through expungements, record-sealing and other civil legal issues. Expungements and record-sealing help people overcome barriers to employment, education, and more.
Brandon J. Flood, Secretary of
Pennsylvania's Board of Pardons, outlined some expected improvements to Pennsylvania's pardon process, including an increased number of applications to be considered by the Board of Pardons, from about 40 per session to 160. Flood also noted that the Board plans to develop informational materials to help prepare those going through the process. "I was a beneficiary of the pardon process, and my goal is to pay that forward," Flood said.
State Rep.
Jordan A. Harris of Philadelphia discussed the bipartisan efforts that resulted in PA's groundbreaking, first-in-nation Clean Slate legislation, as well as current efforts to improve it. Audience members shared stories of problems they or their family or friends face with probation, professional licensing, driver's license restoration and more.
Chester County
Clerk of Courts
Yolanda Van de Krol discussed navigating the court system.
Fred Sharpe, Employment Specialist with Chester County OIC, outlined reentry issues and the
SOAR program. SOAR is the SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery program, designed to increase access to Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits for eligible individuals who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and have a mental illness, medical impairment, and/or substance use disorder.
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Brandon Flood, Secretary of PA's Board of Pardons, shares plans to improve the pardon process.
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State Rep.
Jordan Harris discusses the bipartisan effort to pass the Clean Slate law.
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Daniel Cortes, LASP Community Engagement Staff Attorney, explains LASP's services in expungments, record-sealing and other civil legal matters.
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Expungement / Clean Slate Clinics
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LASP has multiple expungement clinics scheduled for January. As of press time, full details were not available for e-news. Please check our
Facebook events page, which will have information on each clinic as soon as details are confirmed.
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Consumer protection: Sharing latest regional & state trends
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Sarah Frasch (at right), Chief Deputy Attorney General for PA, meets with LASP Staff Attorneys (clockwise from right)
Leo Vasmanis
, Chester County;
Michael E. Kelley
; Norristown, Montgomery County Managing Attorney;
Dave Jonas
, Regional Housing Unit;
Donald B. Cheetham
, 3rd; Pottstown, Montgomery County Office;
Susan Strong
, Norristown Office;
Kesha James
, Deputy Director for Advocacy;
Annie Neamand
, Regional Housing Unit, Chester city, Delaware County Office; and
Robert Kim
, Bristol, Bucks County Office. Present but not pictured:
Kristan Burgess
, Norristown Office, and
Joshua Z. Goldblum
, Bristol Managing Attorney.
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Sarah Frasch of PA Attorney General's office addresses consumer law with LASP affinity group
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Representing all four counties in LASP's service area, members of the
Homeownership, Housing, Consumer, & Utility Affinity Group
met recently with
Sarah A.E. Frasch
, Chief Deputy Attorney General for PA and Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection. Frasch addressed
consumer issues and trends
that the AG's office is seeing and ways in which LASP can work with the AG's office. LASP attorneys shared information on legal issues facing our clients in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.
Frasch noted that the
No. 1 consumer complaint received by the AG's office is telemarketing calls
. To add your phone number(s) to the
Do Not Call list
, see the Attorney General's Office website:
http://bit.ly/36s0fKS.
Recognizing the value of shared expertise, LASP's affinity group works to develop and share practice tools and research tips, and to establish a robust framework for communication on issues commonly seen across our service area
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Birth certificate fee to be waived in PA for homeless
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HARRISBURG - The $20 birth certificate fee will be waived for homeless individuals in Pennsylvania:
http://bit.ly/2S4qKlD. This NBC story is part of the
Broke in Philly reporting partnership and also was reported by the Associated Press. Birth certificates often are needed to receive medical assistance, housing and other public benefits, to obtain a Pennsylvania driver's or non-driver's license, for access to many public buildings, and for many other general identification purposes.
LASP's most recent birth certificate clinics, held with partner organizations which sponsor the birth certificate fees, have resulted in 72 birth certificates requested in Delaware County, 75 in Montgomery County, 55 in Bucks County and 40+ in Chester County.
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Independence Fellow Lily Austin to work with LASP & Montgomery County Public Defenders for a Pottstown-based partnership
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PHILADELPHIA - Lily Austin (Temple Law '20)
will join LASP in September 2020 as an Independence Foundation Fellow. (Temple Law news story:
http://bit.ly/2ZhHRlu
.) During an anticipated two-year term, she will implement a project to address collateral consequences of contact with the criminal justice system in Montgomery County, especially in the Pottstown area. She also will work closely with Montgomery Public Defenders to help bridge the gap between the civil and criminal defense worlds.
Lily originally hails from Delaware County, PA and is experienced in and passionate about collaborative and community-based legal work.
Thank you to the Independence Foundation
, a private, nonprofit philanthropic organization serving Philadelphia and its surrounding Pennsylvania counties. The Foundation’s mission is to support organizations that provide services to people who do not ordinarily have access to them. With a strong focus on health, the Foundation invests in people and programs that enrich the life experiences of the residents of the Philadelphia area. In addition to health care, the Foundation extends its funding to human services, legal aid and arts & culture, building on the belief that a region that promotes physical well-being, provides equal access to services, values justice, and appreciates the arts will thrive for generations to come.
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Lauren Dentone joins LASP Board of Directors;
Thank you to Hon. Stephanie H. Klein for your service to LASP
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NORRISTOWN - LASP's Board of Directors met Dec. 11, thanking
Hon. Stephanie H. Klein
for her service on the Board as she steps down to take her seat as Court of Common Pleas judge in January. In addition to serving on LASP's Board since October 2014, she also worked for LASP's predecessor, Delaware County Legal Assistance, where she revitalized the volunteer attorney program. In five years, she recruited several hundred attorneys to advise and represent clients who, without the program, would have had no representation in their cases. She then served 18 years as Magisterial District Judge for Media, Nether Providence Township, and Swarthmore. She is pictured with
Shawn Boehringer (at left) and
William L. Baldwin, Board Vice President and Executive Director of the Delaware County Bar Association.
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The Board also welcomed new member
Lauren Dentone, Esq., Partner at Gawthrop Greenwood.
A former Solicitor for the Chester County Department of Children, Youth & Families, s
he began her career as a prosecutor for the Chester County District Attorney’s Office and served as private counsel at a Chester County law firm, specializing in criminal defense, employment law, civil litigation and civil rights defense. Dentone is also a former Assistant District Attorney and served as an adjunct professor in criminology and prison practices at Rosemont College. She volunteers with the Home of the Sparrow. In the photo, Lauren is pictured (at right) with Board member
Latanya Martin
.
Photos from a holiday reception following the Board of Directors meeting
are included above and below.
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Hon.
Stephanie Klein (at left),
Catherine Voit, and
Nancy R. Paul.
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Helen Whittington (at left),
Stephen Scott, and
Kesha James, Deputy Director for Advocacy.
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William Baldwin,
Helen Whittington, and
Lindsay Childs.
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John McKenna and
William Gallagher.
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Bucks Bar Foundation presents donation to LASP;
pro bono volunteers honored
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DOYLESTOWN -Thank you to the
Bucks County Bar Foundation for your contribution to LASP of $25,000, presented at the Bucks Bar Association annual meeting and dinner Dec. 5! LASP greatly appreciates your support.
Martin N. Ghen, Esq. received the Arthur B. Walsh Award. This award honors the memory of Hon. Arthur B. Walsh, who encouraged attorneys to provide pro bono assistance to low-income residents of Bucks County. The Pro Bono Committee recognized Mr. Ghen for his countless years of pro bono assistance in PFA Defense representation and as a conciliator at Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program conferences, where he assisted people facing losing their home and encouraged lenders to work with homeowners to save their homes. The program has successfully helped people save their homes and work out refinancing options with lenders.
Mr. Ghen's commitment to pro bono service extends throughout his entire legal career to law school graduation in 1971, when he volunteered for Montgomery County Legal Aid in its infancy and worked with the Bucks County Bar Association to create a Solo Practitioner’s Section modeled after the PA Bar Association’s section in the late ‘70’s/early ‘80’s.
Honored for pro bono service "above and beyond" were:
- Ronald J. Smolow, for time & effort in creating the new eviction prevention pilot program, which launched in November. (For more information, please see November e-news: https://conta.cc/2O7asGh.)
- Eric Tobin for mediating Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program conferences.
- Robert Katzenstein for PFA Defense Representation.
- Morris J. Kaplan for PFA Plaintiff Representation.
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Tina Mazaheri, Esq., President of the Bucks County Bar Foundation, presents a check for $25,000 to LASP's
Shawn Boehringer, Executive Director.
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Martin Ghen (at left), recipient of the Arthur B. Walsh Award, with
Robert T. Repko, BCBA President
. Photo courtesy of BCBA.
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Morris Kaplan receives recognition for pro bono service "above and beyond" from
Jennifer Pierce, LASP Doylestown Managing Attorney and BCBA Pro Bono Committee Chair.
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New homeless assistance program in Chester County: Call 211
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WEST CHESTER - Chester Couny announced that the new 2-1-1 Homeless Coordinated Entry Call Center is now operational, as of Dec. 12.
Individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Chester County should call 2-1-1 for assistance.
Call Center services will be administered by Pennsylvania's 2-1-1 system via a contract with the United Way of Chester County. 2-1-1 services will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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Expungement Clinic in Brookhaven helps 35
BROOKHAVEN - LASP partnered with
Rep. Leanne Krueger
and pro bono volunteers from LASP and the
University of Pennsylvania Law School
to present an Expungement Clinic Nov. 21 at Brookhaven Municipal Center. Headed by Erica Briant, Supervising Attorney for LASP's new Community Engagement Unit,
the clinic helped 35 people determine whether or not their criminal records are eligible for expungement or sealing
, both of which can help increase employment and education opportunities.
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PA Rep. Leanne Krueger
(at left);
Erica Briant
, LASP Supervising Attorney, Community Engagement Unit; and
Brittany Murphy
, LASP intern.
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Liel Azoolin
(at left);
Erica Briant
, LASP Supervising Attorney, Community Engagement Unit;
Emily deLisle
; and
Gal Sagi
.
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Thanks to Montgomery Bar Foundation!
NORRISTOWN - Thank you to the Montgomery Bar Foundation for your generous donation to LASP! Shawn Boehringer, Executive Director, accepted the contribution on behalf of LASP and joined other grantees at the presentation Dec. 17.
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Robert A. Bacine (from left), Montgomery Bar Foundation Treasurer;
Carl Weiner, MBF President;
Shawn Boehringer, LASP Executive Director; and
Barbara M. Smith, MBF Secretary.
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2019 Montgomery Bar Foundation leaders and grantees.
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Through your support for LASP,
YOU make a difference!
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Free civil legal aid
for low-income and vulnerable people helps level the playing field in our courts in
Bucks, Chester, Delaware & Montgomery counties. Please visit
our secure Network for Good page:
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WEST CHESTER -
Shaina Bethala interned at LASP's Chester County office this fall.
She finished her J.D. at the University of Massachusetts earlier in 2019, winning a "Servant of Justice" award for 100 hours of pro bono community service work. She is an alumna of Temple University, with a B.A. in criminal justice. Shaina served as a certified legal intern for the Massachusetts Dept. of Children & Families and with the Montgomery County Public Defender's Office.
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NORRISTOWN -
Charles Foltz interned at LASP's Norristown Office this fall. He worked with Erica Briant, Supervising Attorney for the Community Engagement Unit, on expungements and record-sealing. Charlie is a law student at Temple University and holds a Bachelor's in Business Administration from Temple. A Union League Good Citizenship Award recipient, he also worked as a legal intern with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of PA, as a group insurance underwriter for Cigna, and as an employee benefits intern for Marsh & McLennan Agency.
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NORRISTOWN - As an intern in the Norristown Office this fall and continuing into the spring,
Mary Jacob is working on expungements and record-sealing with Erica Briant in the Community Engagement Unit. She attends Villanova Law School and is a student legal assistant with Walter S. Betty, Jr., Esq. She earned an undergraduate degree in sociology from Widener University, where she was president of the Sociology Club and vice president of the Debate Society. As a Research Assistant, she located
blighted properties for the City of Chester and Widener University using innovative photography methods and organized ongoing research to identify blight efficiently in residential areas, including coordination with the City of Chester Planning Department.
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DOYLESTOWN -
Cheyenne Stahley
served as paralegal intern in the Doylestown Office this fall. She helped with client intake, attended Protection from Abuse hearings, did conflict checks, helped send client and attorney letters for court dates, and delivered paperwork to the sheriff for service. Earlier this month, she earned her associate's degree as a legal assistant / paralegal from Bucks County Community College and is now a paralegal at Family Design Resources, Inc. in Levittown.
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Legal Aid of Southeastern PA
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