Below is a review of the posts on Facebook and LinkedIn from the past week. You can check out the full posts by clicking on the links.
NOTE: remember that we now post every other day.
The posts on Monday 7/20/2026, here and here, told us that EEOC alleges Paycom told worker with anaphylactic allergy ‘to wear a mask and carry an EpiPen’. Not the way to accommodate.
In a recently-filed lawsuit, the EEOC alleges that Paycom Payroll LLC failed to provide reasonable accommodations to a benefits coordinator with a severe food allergy (to onions) and then terminated her just shy of a month after she started. The reason given for termination? See the post.
A statement from the EEOC is also in the post. EEOC alleged both failure to accommodate and discriminatory discharge in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The worker said she disclosed her allergy multiple times including during the interview process and the other times as noted in the post. Within days of her first day of work, co-workers carrying onion burgers passed near her cubicle and she had an anaphylactic reaction that required her to leave the office and use emergency medication. The next day, she was again exposed to onions and had to receive treatment from paramedics on site. The worker then emailed HR requesting an accommodation because she is “deathly allergic to onions.” She asked if she could work in a secluded room during lunch hours to avoid exposure. HR approved the temporary use of a private workspace from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and gave the worker forms for her and her medical provider to fill out.
One would think, given what the worker experienced, that this would not have happened again, right? Wrong. The worker was exposed to onions on several more occasions, including one that resulted in a severe anaphylactic reaction and required an ambulance transport to the hospital. And another was solely within Paycom’s control – see the post.
The worker submitted medical documentation from her doctor recommending that she be moved to an enclosed office away from food areas or permitted to work from home. Paycom’s response (as alleged in the suit) is in the post.
But that’s not all. Paycom did relocate the worker to a room on a floor with fewer employees – good, right? Hold that thought – but the room was only about 15 feet from a breakroom that routinely had food. And Paycom did not notify co-workers about the worker’s allergy or take any other steps to protect her from exposure.
Well, Paycom did do one thing to limit her exposure: it eventually fired the worker (which resulted in another violation alleged by the EEOC – see the post).
What EEOC said about Paycom’s ability to reasonably accommodate is in the post. EEOC’s ADA enforcement regulations allow a company to apply a direct threat standard (linked in the post) if there is “a significant risk of substantial harm to the health or safety of the individual or others that cannot be eliminated or reduced by reasonable accommodation.” What an employer needs to consider under that standard is noted in the post.
EEOC said it was unable to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process before filing the lawsuit. Paycom’s statement about the suit is in the post.
TAKEAWAY: Employers have a legal duty to reasonably accommodate employees under most circumstances – talk to an employment lawyer about rights and obligations under the ADA.
The posts on Wednesday 7/22/2026, here and here, explained Condo owners rage at $100K tribal ‘ransom demand’. The hard and expensive lesson (one again): understand what you are buying before you sign on the dotted line.
Often certain states’ law affects what happens in a condominium or planned community differently than in other states. But what doesn’t change is that binding legal documents carry legal consequences.
Palm Springs has long cemented a reputation as California’s desert playground for the rich and famous. But within that glamour a community of condo owners — most of whom are retirees on fixed incomes — finds itself locked in an unprecedented battle with a landowner demanding a six-figure fee to let them stay in their homes. Let’s take a closer look.
As is not uncommon throughout Palm Springs, twin condo developments Saddlerock Estates and Saddlerock Gardens are sitting on leased land belonging to a member of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians (which is the city’s largest collective landowner). What that means is that condo buyers purchase their actual physical units but lease the land on which they are built. The two adjacent developments include a combined total of 67 single-level units (with amenities as listed in the post). Both communities are subject to land leases that expire in spring 20426 years (yep, 16 years from now).
The crisis erupted last year when tribal landowner William McGlamary, the original owner’s son, had his attorney send letters to the condo owners demanding a $100,000 fee to sign a lease extension through 2077, plus a $15,000 attorney’s fee, both payable by the end of the year. How the Bureau of Indian Affairs was involved is noted in the post.
Historically, signing fees in Palm Springs range from $5,000 to $10,000, making McGlamary’s demand a massive outlier. And on top of that, owners’ monthly lease payments will increase from roughly $200 to $640, with 20% to 30% increases every five years, tied to the rate of overall inflation. About one-third of Saddlerock Estates’ residents accepted the offer by the December 2025 deadline.
Soe owners are calling it “ransom” money they nee to pay to keep their homes. One is Saddlerock Estates HOA President Scott Ross, 72, who purchased his condo with his wife five years ago. What Ross said about his decision to buy is in the post – and, sadly, is the key. Ross might have thought there would be reasonableness surrounding the lease renewal process, but the only thing in writing was the current lease. Ross says he and the other homeowners were never offered an explanation for the staggering signing fee 10 times the local average, but instead were handed an ultimatum: Pay now, or lose your home, along with all accumulated equity, in 16 years. (Author’s note: no explanation was legally required: the landlord was within its rights unless barred from its action by applicable law.)
So that is the bleak future awaiting Ross’ neighbors who balked at the six-figure demand, either on point of principle or because they simply could not afford it. If other owners try to sell their units (which probably means they must disclose the potential rent increase) and cannot, then what happens? See the post.
One of the other neighbors is Ann Friday, who purchased what she thought would be her dream retirement haven at Saddlerock Gardens for $475,000 just last year. Again, what Friday says (in the post) is key: she bought without fully understanding the implications. The timing for her was horrible – yep, see the post. What many of the other older condo owners will do is in the post. But both Ross and Friday admit that while the situation may be unfair and “repulsive,” the tribal owner’s actions are entirely legal.
While owner McGlamary’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment, his comments from February when he spoke with a local media station noted that the original lease negotiated more than half a century ago locked in a below-market rent for decades. And the result of that? See the post. (Friday does not agree with what the attorney said – see the post.)
The whole situation goes back to the foundation layout of Palm Springs, where the federal government mapped the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians reservation as a “checkerboard” of alternating 1-square-mile sections. Today, tribal property accounts for nearly half of the total land area within the city (the post notes the total acreage). The remaining tracts are known as nontribal “fee land,” which buyers purchase outright without having to lease. Until 1959, the maximum lease for individual tribal land allotments was only five years, but that changed to 99 years after the tribal council successfully petitioned the federal government. Then developers became interested in working with the tribal owners (even though many mid-century leases were written for shorter periods like 55 or 65 years, as was the case with both Saddlerock developments). And now many leases are expiring, setting the stage for a potential citywide real estate crisis. What one person thinks might happen as a result of all of the lease expirations is in the post – and is not out of bounds.
And again there is the role of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in this – see the post.
With no legal recourse, condo owners at Saddlerock Estates and Gardens are trying to appeal to the public. (Author’s note: but really, what can that legally do?)
TAKEAWAY: When you purchase a home in a condominium or HOA, you should know what you are buying. While what is happening here is sad for the owners, it is perfectly legal and owners had plenty of notice of the lease expiration date.
The posts on Friday 7/24/2026, here and here, detail Why (family-owned) business succession must be part of your estate planning.
You’ve spent years building something that matters, and because of that, or as a result of that, your business represents more than income. It reflects decisions, relationships, and a vision you worked hard to protect. But if your business succession planning and your estate plan are being handled as two separate conversations, with two separate sets of documents, that could cost your family and your business far more than you realize.
Most business owners probably believe that their will handles everything. Some may believe that a buy-sell agreement (for the business) is sufficient on its own. But neither of those documents works as well alone as when the two plans are coordinated and specifically built to reinforce each other. If you own a business in Pennsylvania, this distinction matters in ways that are specific to PA, so keep reading.
What Is Business Succession Planning, and Why Does It Matter? Business succession planning is the process of determining what happens to your ownership interest in a business when you retire, become incapacitated, or die. A formal succession plan dos the things listed in the post. Without such a plan, the people you leave behind may face competing legal claims, forced valuations, or operational paralysis at exactly the moment when clear leadership and continuity are most critical.
And when it comes to family business succession, the stakes are even higher. Various family members may have different expectations about roles, ownership percentages, and compensation (which you may have seen while at the helm and will only multiply when you are not steering the ship). Those conversations are difficult when everyone is present. And when they happen in the aftermath of a death or incapacity, without a plan, they can cause irreparable harm to both the business and the family.
How Does Your Estate Plan Fit into Business Succession? As you hopefully already know, your estate plan governs what happens to your assets when you die. In Pennsylvania, your assets include any ownership interest you have in a business (family or other). If your estate plan does not address how that interest should be handled, then it may pass through your estate in ways that conflict with your business succession plan or with the expectations of co-owners, neither of which is what you want to happen.
Let’s look at a common scenario. A business owner has in place a buy-sell agreement that gives surviving co-owners the right to purchase a departing owner’s interest. But that owner’s will leaves everything, including the business interest, equally to three heirs, none of whom is involved in the business in any way. The problems that arise from this, and resulting financial harm, are discussed in the post. This is exactly why business succession planning must be treated as an estate planning matter, not a standalone business decision. Let’s go a bit deeper …
What Is a Buy-Sell Agreement and Why Is It Crucial in Business Succession Planning? A buy-sell agreement is a legally binding contract between business co-owners that sets forth the terms under which an ownership interest in that business can be sold or transferred. The types of things normally addressed in a buy-sell agreement are listed in the post.
One of the most practical – and important – purposes of a buy-sell agreement is to establish in advance how the business will be valued in the event of a triggering event (one of those things referenced in the prior paragraph that are in the post). Having this be part of a contract now prevents later disputes and protects all parties from a valuation that feels arbitrary or unfair at an emotionally difficult moment.
You might wonder how a co-owner comes up with the money to buy another owner’s interest, especially in a successful business. Buy-sell agreements are commonly funded by life insurance policies held by the business on each owner. That way, the remaining co-owners will have the liquid funds to purchase the departing owner’s interest without disrupting business operations. But it’s not necessarily as simple as that – see the post for other things that must be considered.
Does Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax Apply to a Business Interest? This is a common question, and one where the answer requires careful attention and consideration (while there is time to make any necessary changes).
Pennsylvania does impose an inheritance tax on most transfers of property at death. The tax rate depends on the relationship between the decedent (the person who died) and the recipient. For transfers to direct descendants (which is statutorily-defined), the current tax rate is 4.5 percent. The current rates for other transfers are noted in the post.
But Pennsylvania does provide an exemption for what the Department of Revenue defines as a “qualified family-owned business interest.” The definition is in the post. The business interest must be transferred to a qualified family member who must continue to hold the interest for at least seven years following the decedent’s death. So you can see this takes advance planning …
But also understand that qualifying for this exemption does not mean the estate has no inheritance tax obligations. Other assets may still be subject to the standard Pennsylvania inheritance tax rates. Whether the exemption will apply in a given situation should be discussed in advance, with an estate planning attorney to do the things noted in the post.
What Happens to Your Business If You Become Incapacitated? Accidents happen. Health deteriorates. Business succession planning is often discussed in the context of death, but incapacity is a real thing that presents equally serious challenges for business continuity. If an owner (the sole owner or a co-owner) becomes unable to manage the business’s affairs due to illness or injury, who has the legal authority to act on behalf of that ownership interest? Because someone has to keep that business operating to preserve its value …
This is one of the places business succession planning and estate planning intersect. A durable financial power of attorney (POA) is just the thing here. The post has some examples of what can happen if no such POA is in place.
For businesses that are organized as LLCs or partnerships, the operating agreement or partnership agreement may contain provisions addressing what happens upon incapacity. If there are no such provisions, then it might be time to revise the operating or partnership agreement. Either way, these provisions should be reviewed with the estate planning attorney to ensure no conflicts.
Is Your Business Succession Plan Coordinated with Your Business’s Operating or Partnership Agreement? Your operating agreement (for an LLC), shareholder agreement (for an incorporated entity), or partnership agreement is one of the most important documents your business has. The agreement may contain provisions about many things (as noted in the post), including but not limited to what happens when an owner dies or leaves the business for another reasons.
Problems could occur as noted in the post – but this is easily avoidable. Pennsylvania courts generally will enforce properly drafted operating, shareholder and partnership agreements. Again, these provisions must be reviewed with your estate planning attorney to ensure no conflict with your estate plan (and to make sure your wishes will be carried out).
Take the Next Step Toward a Plan That Protects Everything You Have Built. Business succession planning is not something to maybe think about on a future rainy day. Having no plan in place, or having one that is not coordinated with your estate plan, is not a good situation for a business owner. It leaves exposed everything you’ve worked for – and your family (or other beneficiaries) may suffer.
TAKEAWAY: If you own a business (alone or with one or more other people) and have not worked with an estate planning attorney to coordinate your business succession plan(ning) with your estate plan, do it now. Don’t wait for that rainy day that might come too late.