Allentown SD v. Lehigh Valley Properties and USA ~ Appeal of: Lehigh Valley Properties

CourtCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedFebruary 20, 2026
Docket1179 C.D. 2023
StatusUnpublished
AuthorCohn Jubelirer

This text of Allentown SD v. Lehigh Valley Properties and USA ~ Appeal of: Lehigh Valley Properties (Allentown SD v. Lehigh Valley Properties and USA ~ Appeal of: Lehigh Valley Properties) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Allentown SD v. Lehigh Valley Properties and USA ~ Appeal of: Lehigh Valley Properties, (Pa. Ct. App. 2026).

Opinion

IN THE COMMONWEALTH COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA

Allentown School District : : v. : No. 1179 C.D. 2023 : Submitted: December 5, 2025 Lehigh Valley Properties and : United States of America : : Appeal of: Lehigh Valley Properties :

BEFORE: HONORABLE RENÉE COHN JUBELIRER, President Judge HONORABLE PATRICIA A. McCULLOUGH, Judge HONORABLE LORI A. DUMAS, Judge

OPINION NOT REPORTED

MEMORANDUM OPINION BY PRESIDENT JUDGE COHN JUBELIRER FILED: February 20, 2026

Lehigh Valley Properties (LVP) appeals from the September 27, 2023 Order of the Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County (trial court), which granted the Second Motion to Reassess Damages (Second Motion to Reassess) filed by Allentown School District (School District).1 Because we conclude that there has been an intervening change in circumstances since the filing of the appeal that renders the present appeal moot, we grant School District’s Application to Dismiss Appeal as Moot (Application to Dismiss) and dismiss LVP’s appeal. I. BACKGROUND In 2018, School District filed a tax claim against LVP for nonpayment of real estate taxes for tax year 2017, followed by a Writ of Scire Facias.2 On February 21,

1 On February 20, 2025, this Court entered an Order precluding Appellee United States of America from filing a brief and participating in the appeal. 2 Our Court has described this type of writ as follows: (Footnote continued on next page…) 2021, the trial court entered a default judgment in favor of School District and against LVP. On July 25, 2022, School District filed a Writ of Execution to collect the delinquent taxes. On September 20, 2022, LVP filed a pro se Motion to Strike Judgment and Stay Sheriff Sale, asserting that School District’s counsel “have used the courts and sheriff to defraud LVP[]” and have “scheduled sheriff[’s] sales for taxes that should have been paid ha[d] they not double billed and overcharged [LVP] without a [p]ost[-]judgment [o]rder.” (Reproduced Record (R.R.) at 39.) The trial court denied the Motion to Strike because LVP failed to file a proof of service as required by the local rules of civil procedure. (Id. at 55.) On October 19, 2022, School District filed its first Motion to Reassess Damages (First Motion to Reassess). On October 21, 2022, LVP filed an Amended Motion to Strike Judgment and Stay Sheriff Sale (Amended Motion to Strike). On October 26, 2022, following a hearing, the trial court granted School District’s First Motion to Reassess, assessed damages against LVP in the amount of $7,284.63, and denied LVP’s Amended Motion to Strike. (Id. at 100-01.) LVP timely appealed from that Order, but this Court ultimately quashed the appeal on

A writ of scire facias is a writ authorized to be issued as a means of enforcing payment of a municipal claim out of the real estate upon which such claim is a lien. Technically, it is a judicial mandate which recites the occasion upon which it issues, which directs the sheriff to make known to the parties named in the writ that they must appear before the court on a given day, and which requires the defendant to appear and show cause why the plaintiff should not be permitted to take some step. The object of the writ of scire facias is ordinarily to ascertain the sum due on a lien of record and to give the defendant an opportunity to show cause why the plaintiff should not have execution.

W. Clinton Cnty. Mun. Auth. v. Est. of Rosamilia, 826 A.2d 52, 56 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2003) (internal citations omitted).

2 June 23, 2023, for LVP’s failure to file a court-ordered Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b) Statement. (Id. at 110-11.) On July 18, 2023, School District filed its Second Motion to Reassess, seeking to amend the judgment to include additional counsel fees, costs, and interest incurred by School District in connection with LVP’s Motions to Strike, the October 26, 2022 hearing, and LVP’s quashed appeal.3 School District requested that “the damages in this matter [] reflect the balance due [to School District] as $12,869.00.”4 (Id. at 113.) On July 31, 2023, the trial court issued a Scheduling Order, scheduling a hearing on the Second Motion to Reassess via Zoom video conferencing for September 27, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. (Id. at 117.) The record shows that the trial court sent the Scheduling Order to Glenn Matthew Goodge, Esquire, LVP’s then-counsel of record, via email and first-class mail. (Original Record (O.R.) Item No. 66.) At the scheduled time of the September 27, 2023 hearing, when Attorney Goodge did not appear on Zoom, the trial court telephoned Attorney Goodge. (R.R. at 124.) Attorney Goodge answered the call and advised the trial court that the principals of LVP took the files from him and brought them to another law firm and he “ha[s]n’t seen any of [the files] since.” (Id.) Attorney Goodge informed the trial court that he intended to withdraw his appearance but had not done so yet and did not recall if he received notice of the hearing. (Id. at 124-25.) The trial court stated that the hearing would move forward, and Attorney Goodge stated that he would “stay on the line just because [he felt] a duty to report.” (Id. at 125.) The trial court

3 Specifically, School District asserted that it incurred counsel fees in the amount of $2,672.50, costs in the amount of $2,878.80, and interest in the amount of $41.78 since the prior reassessment of damages in October 2022. (R.R. at 128-35.) 4 This amount was later amended to $12,877.71 based on the evidence presented at the hearing. (See R.R. at 136.)

3 then stated on the record that “the docket certainly indicates that the notice [of the hearing] was sent to counsel of record” and that “Attorney Goodge would like to stay on the phone[] . . . because technically he is still counsel of record.” (Id. at 126.) Attorney Goodge was present via telephone for the entire hearing. During the hearing, School District presented the testimony of its counsel, David Dugan, Esquire, who testified to the attorneys’ fees, costs, and interest that had accrued since the trial court’s October 26, 2022 Order. (Id. at 127-37.) School District also offered into evidence several documents establishing the amount of costs and fees incurred, which the trial court admitted. (Id. at 134-35.) Though given the opportunity, Attorney Goodge asked no questions on cross-examination and presented no evidence. (See id. at 135-37.) Following the hearing, on September 27, 2023, the trial court granted School District’s Second Motion to Reassess and, based on the evidence presented by School District, reassessed damages against LVP in the amount of $12,877.71. (Id. at 118.) On October 18, 2023, LVP filed with the trial court (1) a pro se Notice of Appeal of the September 27, 2023 Order, and (2) a pro se Motion for Reconsideration of the September 27, 2023 Order. At the time, Attorney Goodge was still counsel of record. In its pro se Motion for Reconsideration, LVP averred in pertinent part:

1. [LVP] took the file from Attorney Goodge. Attorney Goodge was no longer representing [LVP] in the tax matter.

2. [LVP] was [c]harged for two [s]heriff[’s] [s]ales that have not occurred.

....

4 4. By law [School District is] only entitled to post-judgment interest. [School District’s counsel] commits perjury in [his] testimony as to the judgment amount and sheriff[’s] sale costs which have not occurred.

5. [School District’s counsel] commits fraud in their monetary amounts demanded.

6. [LVP’s] attorney has had [COVID] causing brain fog.

7. [LVP] was not given due process.

8. [A]ttorney [Goodge] stated the file was taken.

9. [LVP] will post the money in a court escrow.

(O.R. Item No.

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