We have represented both Contractors and Homeowners in home improvement contract disputes and litigation.

Contractors

• Did your homeowner fail to pay your for completed work? Are you within 6 months of the last day at the jobsite? In most cases we can file a lien for you and protect the hard work and money that you have put into the job. Even if there was a dispute between the contractor and the homeowner we can assist with getting you paid for the work that you completed.

• Are you a subcontractor and you didn’t get paid by the general contractor? We can assist you in filing all the paperwork needed so that you can file a lien on the project. You have a limited window to file a lien and other required paperwork could take another 30 days. Do not hesitate if you have not been paid contact us today.

Homeowners

• Did your contractor walk off the job without completing the work agreed to? Did the contractor leave you with a damaged home, and having to hire a new contractor to correct the last contractors work but also complete the job? Then you have been damaged by the contractors failure to complete the contract. We have helped our clients recover against contractors, in just these types of cases.

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  Did your contractor request that you provide a deposit up front that was greater than 1/3 the contract estimate? If that amount was greater than $1000, then your contractor may have violated the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and you could be the victim of a Home Improvement Scam. We have assisted our clients in recovering money from contractors who have allegedly violated the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act.

Privacy Litigation

Are you an individual who has had their image or likeness taken and used for commercial profit? Are you a person who has been photo’d their intimate partner in a private setting, only to have these private photos made public? Has, this damaged your reputation, embarrassed you, or led you to seek out counseling or even to abusing alcohol, or drugs to deal with the pain and embarrassment? Are you lost on how to proceed and get your life back? While, putting the genie back in the bottle is difficult, you do have options at your disposal.

Here, at the Burnett Law Group, we will fight to get your privacy back and make those who harmed your privacy pay.  In Pennsylvania we can file Invasion of Privacy actions against those that have harmed you and file injunctions against those that would profit off your image or likeness without your permission. 

Invasion of privacy in Pennsylvania is actually 4 different causes of action (lawyer speak for what we can file with the court for relief upon). Intrusion upon Seclusion, Appropriation, Public Disclosure of Private Facts, and False Light.

Intrusion Upon Seclusion, can be a roommate entering your bedroom, a neighbor using electronic surveillance equipment to peer through your window, or you unknowingly being filmed by voyeurs you while you undress.  We also believe unauthorized access to computers and cell phones and the troves of private date stored within to be an intrusion upon your seclusion.  

Appropriation: In Pennsylvania you have a right to be free from your image and likeness being co-opted for commercial purposes, without your consent. While most in State College, would immediately think of Student Athletes being the prime candidate for this action (and you wouldn’t be wrong), but we will also use this against websites posting your intimate images.

Public Disclosure of Private Facts, unlike liable laws, these facts don’t have to be false, they just have to be private. Intimate images of your body, that you are not posting or that you have not expressly authorized in writing to be posted qualify.  We only have to show that these private facts were given publicity, and are highly offensive to a reasonable person, and that these facts were not a legitimate concern to the public.  Your nude body is not a legitimate concern to the public. 

False Light: unlike defamation, facts being published about you need not be false, but it does have to portray you a negative light to the public.

All Invasion of privacy torts have a limited window to file a complaint. Once you find out that your privacy has been violated you have 1 year to bring a complaint.

Employment Discrimination Litigation

Business Formation & Restructuring

Trust & Estate Planning

Contracts