PROSPECT   SCREENING
By   Matthew   C.
Samley,   Esq.
and   Samuel   M.
Mecum,   Esquire
REESE,   SAMLEY,   WAGENSELLER,   MECUM   &   LONGER,   P.C.,   120   North   Shippen   Street,   Lancaster,   PA   17602
1.
COURT ‐ RELATED   INVESTIGATIVE   TOOLS   ‐  What   do   you   know   about   your   prospective   client?
Why   is   he   buying,   selling,   leasing,   etc.?
Is   he   being   honest   with   his   answers   to   your   questions?
How   can   you   double ‐ check   his   information   (who   he   is,   about   his   business,   etc.)?
Lancaster   County   Prothonotary   (for   civil   suit,   judgment,   and   lien   information)   http://lcapp1.co.lancaster.pa.us/bannerwebimg/BannerWebImg.dll
Lancaster   County   Recorder   of   Deeds   (for   deed,   mortgage,   and   other   recordable   information)   https://searchdocs.lancasterdeeds.com/countyweb/login.do?countyname=Lancaster
Pennsylvania   Department   of   State   and   Charitable   Organizations   (for   business   entity,   fictitious   name,   UCC   financing   statement   ,   certificate   of   authority   information   within   the   Commonwealth)   https://www.corporations.state.pa.us/corp/soskb/csearch.asp
Lancaster   County   Register   of   Wills   (marriage   license   and   estate   information)   http://paperless.co.lancaster.pa.us/viewerportal/
Public   Access   to   Court   Electronic   Records   (PACER)   (for   federal   lawsuit   and   bankruptcy   information)   https://pacer.login.uscourts.gov/cgi ‐ bin/login.pl?appurl=https://pcl.uscourts.gov/search
Lancaster   County   GIS   (tax   assessment   and   property   owner   information)   http://lcapp1.co.lancaster.pa.us/aoweb/
Common   Pleas   Criminal   Docket   Sheets   http://ujsportal.pacourts.us/docketsheets/cp.aspx?lancoNav=%7c&lancoNav_GID=987
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2.
GET   THE   RIGHT   PARTY   COMMITTED   TO   THE   CONTRACT!
Who   is   the   appropriate   person   to   sign   the   lease,   what   authority   does   that   person   have?
Should   you   and,   if   so,   how   do   you   verify   the   authority?
What   about   a   d/b/a?
Or,   if   the   person   is   a   single ‐ member   LLC   and   signs   as   “Mr.
X   d/b/a   YZ,   LLC?”    Who   is   bound?
Mr.
X?
YZ,
LLC?
Or   both?
Is   this   the   right   entity   to   be   bound   to   the   contract?
Are   you   reviewing/double ‐ checking   whether   this   entity   even   exists?
Is   it   to   be   formed?
Will   you   have   the   contract   formulated   on   the   basis   of   a   “to   be   formed”   entity?
Resolutions   to   ratify?
Yes…there   are   differences   between   corporations   and   LLC’s   and   partnerships   and   limited   partnerships   and   limited   liability   partnerships   and   professional   corporations   and   ………..
Don’t   have   them   all   sign   the   same   way.
MEMBERS   of   LLC’s   may   sign   for   member ‐ MANAGED   LLC’s.
MANAGERS   should   sign   for   MANAGER ‐ managed   LLC’s.
Verify   with   the   operating   agreement.
Corporate   officers   (usually   an   executive   officer)   should   sign   for   a   corporation   and   there   should   be   a   resolution   allowing   the   officer   to   sign,   or   you   should   ensure   power   is   within   the   bylaws   allowing   for   the   officer   to   sign.
General   partners   can   sign   for   partnerships,   but   maybe   the   partnership   requires   ALL   the   partners   to   sign   off   on   a   real   estate   deal.
Limited   partners   in   a   limited   partnership   may   generally   never   sign   off   on   a   real   estate   contract.