Peter Wertz

Profile

Peter Wertz is a real estate attorney with experience guiding clients through both land use and transactional matters. He has a deep understanding of Pennsylvania real estate law and is skilled in negotiating favorable outcomes for clients. Peter provides strategic legal advice to businesses and individuals and helps them collaborate with municipalities, neighbors, and other key project stakeholders to create solutions.

Zoning, Subdivision and Land Development
He conducts comprehensive zoning and code reviews of land use proposals and works with his clients to develop a strategic plan to achieve their goals. This may involve preparing and presenting applications for conditional uses, special exceptions, variances, appeals from zoning determinations, and petitions to amend zoning ordinances and maps.

Peter is an effective negotiator and works with municipal staff to obtain favorable zoning determinations, which can expedite the process for clients. He also has extensive experience in facilitating approvals for subdivision and land development projects, while ensuring that his clients’ rights are protected under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, the Municipality Authorities Act, and other applicable ordinances and regulations.

Other Land Use Issues
Peter provides solutions for private landowners and developers in matters involving agency permitting, temporary and permanent easements, stormwater concerns, sewer and water issues, adverse possession, boundary disputes, personal licenses, agricultural programs, street openings, dedications, and vacations, among others.

Real Estate Transactions
Peter is experienced with real estate transactions and regularly negotiates agreements of sale and related documents on behalf of sellers and purchasers of residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial real property. He also conducts title reviews of real property to identify and eliminate adverse easements, deed restrictions, and other encumbrances of record.

Real Estate Dispute Resolution
Peter represents clients in land use and zoning litigation. He has successfully processed appeals of municipal zoning, subdivision, and/or land development decisions through the court system on behalf of private landowners. He has also defended private landowners against appeals of land use decisions by municipalities and other landowners. Additionally, Peter has litigated quiet title actions (e.g., adverse possession/boundary disputes), actions in ejectment, and deemed approvals of zoning and subdivision and land development applications.

More about Peter
Peter is a co-editor of the McNees Land Use Blog. He is also an active member of his church, St. Lawrence, where he serves on the finance committee. A Lebanon County native, Peter currently resides in Annville with his wife and three children.