Your state Senator needs to hear that you support House Bill 1756! HB1756, which would modernize the lien law, remains pending in the Senate. We need the Senate to act quickly to pass the bill. Today, please email (good) or call (better) the Senators where you live and where you do business, and ask the Senators to support HB1756. The Senators need to hear from you even if you have emailed or called already.

Click here to find your Senator. Please email Joe Doherty with any questions.

New Overtime Pay Requirements Coming to Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania recently published a final rule that will increase the minimum amount a salaried employee must be paid (among other requirements) in order to be exempt from overtime compensation, beginning in October 2021. Pennsylvania employers, including PASSA members, should review the rule now to prepare for changes to employee compensation.

While Pennsylvania’s new overtime rule sets a new overtime pay threshold for 2020, the 2020 threshold is identical to the federal standard. Pennsylvania’s overtime pay threshold will exceed the federal level on October 3, 2021. The new salary threshold for exemptions under the executive, administrative, or professional designations will be phased in as follows:

• ·         $684 per week, $35,568 annually, on October 3, 2020 (same as the current federal standard);
• ·         $780 per week, $40,560 annually on October 3, 2021; and
• ·         $875 per week, $45,500 annually on October 3, 2022.

PASSA members should carefully review this memo, PASSA members click here,  to ensure all employees are appropriately classified as either “overtime eligible” or “overtime exempt.” 

Not a PASSA member, click HERE to join and access critical information about self storage in Pennsylvania. 

Thanks to your assistance, House Bill 1756 passed the House unanimously!

The bill is now in the state Senate.

We need to act quickly to ensure that the bill reaches Governor Wolf.

You can help in two ways:

1. Please call or email the state Senator(s) for your home and business. Your message is simply: tell them who you are and ask them to support HB1756.
2. Please contribute to PASSA’s political action committee by sending a PERSONAL check to:

PA Self Storage PAC, 908 N 2nd Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102.

Your contributions help PASSA to strengthen its relationships with key decisionmakers in Harrisburg.

We need you to voice your support for House Bill 1756.

Please call or email your state representative today and ask him or her to support House Bill 1756. Click HERE.

The bill is expected to be voted on by the House September 16, 2020. PASSA members are urged to call or email the state representatives whose districts cover their homes and businesses and ask those representatives to support HB1756.  

The Pennsylvania Self Storage Association supports HB1756, which is a continuation in PASSA’s efforts to modernize the self storage lien law. Following negotiations with members of the House Commerce Committee, HB1756: 

• reduces the number of lien sale advertisements that must be published in a newspaper;
• establishes a late fee safe harbor of $20 or 20% of rent, whichever is greater; and
• expressly authorizes online lien sales. 

Questions?

Contact Joe Doherty, SSA SVP Chief Legal & Legislative Officer

703.575.8000x123 or email jdoherty@selfstorage.org

Click HERE to read the full communication sent on September 3, 2020. 

As a PASSA member you have access to a large library of information, resources and legal help related to preparing and navigating through disasters.

Click here to access the complete library on the national SSA website. Topics include:

·         Price Gouging Laws

·         Emergency Preparedness

·         Water and Humidity

·         Insurance

·         Legal Help, Self Storage Legal Network , Affiliate Plan

·         Communication Plan and More!

Click here for your state’s emergency management agency.

Click here for the complete communication that was sent to members. 

We need you to voice your support for House Bill 1756.

Click Here to Find and Contact Your State Representative

Please call or email your state representative today and ask him or her to support House Bill 1756.

The bill is expected to be voted on by the House. PASSA members are urged to call or email the state representatives whose districts cover their homes and businesses and ask those representatives to support HB1756.

The Pennsylvania Self Storage Association supports HB1756, which is a continuation in PASSA’s efforts to modernize the self storage lien law. Following negotiations with members of the House Commerce Committee, HB1756:

• reduces the number of lien sale advertisements that must be published in a newspaper;
• establishes a late fee safe harbor of $20 or 20% of rent, whichever is greater;
• allows operators to deny access when the tenant is in default for at least 5 days (down from the current 20 days); and
• expressly authorizes online lien sales.

Questions?

Contact Joe Doherty, SSA SVP Chief Legal & Legislative Officer

703.575.8000x123 or email jdoherty@selfstorage.org

NEW - PASSA 2020 Events

The PASSA is working to provide you with opportunities for networking, access to education, and is your source of news and information. 

As a member of  the PASSA, we are offering FREE networking Zoom meetings with legal and legislative updates, a live Q & A to get your questions answered and, for you to share your recent experiences navigating through the pandemic with fellow owner-operators.  Member only invitations are sent to your email address.  Not a member, click HERE to join. 

The PASSA will be joining the New Jersey SSA for a regional meeting on December 3, 2020 at the Lehigh Valley Hotel and Conference Center in Bethlehem, PA. Please keep a look out for the meeting program and how register.

These events are a fantastic opportunity for storage owners, operators and managers to network and discuss what is happening across the state.  We hope to see you there and online!

Health Department Order Mandates Protective Measures

The Pennsylvania Secretary of Health issued an order that mandates self storage operators and other essential businesses implement protective measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The order took effect on April 19.

Pennsylvania operators are strongly encouraged to read the full text of the order here. The order requires businesses that have maintained in-person operations to do the following, in addition to several other requirements:

Provide a mask to each employee and mandate that each employee wear a mask while on the work site. The employee may wear his or her own mask if meets Department of Health guidance.

1. Require customers to wear masks while within a building or defined area and turn away customers that refuse to do so, unless due to a medical condition.
2. Place signage throughout the site explaining the social distancing mandates.
3. Establish protocols to address the business’ response if it is discovered that the business has been exposed to a person with a probable or confirmed case of COVID-19. The order further explains several steps that the business must take in the event of an exposure.

Please email Joe Doherty with any questions. Please visit the SSA News page for the latest national news affecting the self storage industry, including the new federal leave law and the Paycheck Protection Program.

Pa. Governor Allows Storage Businesses to Remain Open During State of Emergency

By this time, you have probably heard of Governor Wolf’s order allowing only “life sustaining businesses” to remain open. Storage is specifically listed as a life-sustaining business on page 3 of this document accompanying the Governor’s order. Therefore, storage businesses are allowed, but not required to, remain open.

Businesses that remain open must follow the social distancing practices and other mitigation measures defined by the Centers for Disease Control to protect workers and patrons. You can find more information here.

Please email Joe Doherty with any questions.

 

COVID-19

The national SSA has many resources and webinars available focused on COVID-19 and our industry.  Click here to access news about COVID-19 and self storage.  Invitations to register for the webinars are being sent to state and national members, specifically, the primary contact's email address.