Residential and commercial land development comes with an entire slew of potential issues, not the least of which is stormwater runoff and potential damaging effects. Local, state, and federal regulations impose requirements on developers to plan for stormwater runoff when constructing developments to prevent future damage to structures, land, and … [Read more...]
General Articles
Who is Responsible for This Mess? – PFA, PFOA, and Other Environmental Clean Up
Water and ground pollution are being discussed everywhere as more research is done discovering the harmful effects of certain commonly used chemicals. Here in New Hampshire, the Department of Environmental Services (DES) is working to implement new, lower, allowable levels of certain perfluoro-chemicals in drinking water. The rule making proposal … [Read more...]
Alfano Law Office Mission Statement
Several months ago, a few of us at Alfano Law Office noticed the frequency with which our office fights municipalities to protect property rights. Property rights are more than just things in your home or office. They include the right to use and develop land, the right to be paid full market value should the government take your property through … [Read more...]
Summer Property Checklist
School is out, Memorial Day is over, and summer is here. With that comes lake houses, beach house, and cabins in the woods. Some of these properties are closed down for the winter and not visited for many months. Aside from de-winterizing, deep cleaning, and re-stocking the refrigerator what should you be doing to open your second home? Walk … [Read more...]
How Northern Pass Appeal of State Citing Decision Works
On May 15, 2019, the New Hampshire Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the appeal of Northern Pass. The New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee (“SEC”) denied the application to build the 192-mile electric transmission line across the state from the Canadian border down to the Massachusetts border in February, 2018. Each side will get 50 … [Read more...]
Are Customers of Extended Stay Hotels Tenants?
Apparently not. The question is important because New Hampshire tenants have statutory protections against forced removal not available to hotel guests. The New Hampshire Supreme Court addressed this question on March 8, 2019 in the matter of Natalie Anderson v. Adam Robitaille. Ms. Anderson and her husband began residing at an extended stay … [Read more...]
The Benefits of a Revocable Trust
Of all that has been written and discussed about what a revocable trust is and is not and how tax laws have changed to make revocable trusts applicable to more people, there is still more to be stated about how a revocable trust, under New Hampshire’s laws, can benefit you and your family. In a discussion of how a revocable trust can benefit … [Read more...]
The Neighbor from Hell
A True Story from Fitzwilliam, NH In 2012, Lorraine and Peter MacDonald purchased a vacation home by the water in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire - an "idyllic" spot. Unbeknownst to them, hell lay just around the corner. As reported in the recent New Hampshire Supreme Court decision of MacDonald et al. v Jacobs (January 15, 2019), one Lisa Jacobs … [Read more...]
What is Property?
Property is anything that is owned by a person or company. It can be bought, sold, traded, stolen, or destroyed. Property can be owned by a single person, or jointly between two or more people. Tangible items such as a car, books, clothes, DVDs, or that collection of weird looking clowns are considered personal property. Real estate or real … [Read more...]
The Changing Tides of the Market: The Effects of Rising Sea Levels on New Hampshire Properties
The concept of rising sea levels has become more common in American news over the past decades, and has become a consistent point of concern for politicians and civilians alike. Many news outlets focus on changes that need to be made to slow or halt rising sea levels to prevent future catastrophes from taking place. But while there is much concern … [Read more...]