February 8, 2024

Partner, David R. Dahan Coordinates Education Symposium Hosted by CAI

David R. Dahan recently coordinated and moderated the educational symposium – NJ Structural Integrity Legislation: Understanding Its Impact – hosted by the Community Associations Institute, Keystone Chapter’s NJ Regional Council. The event explored the recently passed law requiring capital reserves studies and specific structural inspections for primary load-bearing systems in New Jersey. David is the immediate past president of the Keystone Chapter and dedicates a significant portion of his practice to assisting in the governance and administration of Community Associations. HLS was a proud sponsor of this sold-out event.

February 5, 2024

Hyland Levin Shapiro Attorneys Attend Evesham Education Foundation Double Down Event

Will Dungey, Beau Wilson, Paige Joffe and Mariane Gardner, associates at Hyland Levin Shapiro, attended the Evesham Education Foundation Double Down event on Friday, February 2. They enjoyed a night of networking with colleagues, including interacting with property managers for the firm’s Homeowner and Condominium Association clients. The associates were also delighted to enjoy the ambiance and beautiful architecture of the Mansion on Main Street in Voorhees, New Jersey.  Proceeds raised from the event will be used to support the children enrolled in the Evesham Township School District.

December 5, 2023

CAI Gala and Annual Meeting

On November 30, 2023, Partner David R. Dahan along with colleagues, Beau C. Wilson and Zachary C. Friedman, attended the Community Associations Institute (“CAI”), Keystone Chapter’s 2023 Excellence Awards Gala & Annual Meeting.  The firm has been a member of the Chapter for years.  CAI is an international organization that provides education, networking events and resources to America’s 300,000+ residential condominium, cooperative, and homeowner associations, and to the professionals and suppliers who serve them.  It also has various legislative action committees to monitor and support or oppose various bills that affect associations.  CAI has 63 Chapters in the world.  The Chapter covers all of PA, Southern NJ and Northern Delaware.  David has been a member of the Chapter for as long as he can remember, has been on the Board for the last six years and served as President for 2023.  Throughout the years, David has authored many publications for the Chapter and presented numerous seminars at its events.  David will remain on the Board for one more year and will serve on its New Jersey Regional Council for 2023 which is responsible for planning education and networking events in Southern New Jersey.

David was honored to receive a plague to recognize his role as President.  Congratulations to David and we wish the Chapter continued success for years to come!

November 6, 2023

Megan Knowlton Balne Hosts Network Connect Event on Advocacy

Megan Knowlton Balne hosted a Network Connect Event at our firm on November 2, 2023. Megan serves on the Board of the South Jersey Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners. The Event focused on Advocacy and was attended by approximately 20 women business owners from South Jersey. Megan shared a presentation on the importance of civics education to advance advocacy.

October 9, 2023

Hyland Levin Shapiro Sponsors CAI Keystone Chapter Event

On September 20, 2023, the firm was proud to sponsor and support the Community Associations Institute (“CAI”) Keystone Chapter’s annual New Jersey Regional Council’s Legislative Symposium at P.J. Whelihan’s Pub in Cherry Hill.  David R. Dahan gave the welcoming address as current President of the Chapter and has served on the Chapter Board of Directors since 2016.  David was joined by his firm colleagues and Chapter members, Beau C. Wilson and William H. Dungey III.

The event also celebrated CAI’s 50th anniversary!

CAI is an international membership organization dedicated to building better communities by providing the education and resources necessary to foster vibrant, responsive, and competent community associations and helping them promote harmony and responsible leadership.  David, Beau and Will’s engagement with CAI enables them to provide the best and most current information, advice and resources to their common interest community clients.

If you have any questions involving common interest communities, our firm is ready to assist.

December 22, 2022

Partner, David R. Dahan elected CAI Keystone Chapter President for 2023!

Hyland Levin Shapiro LLP is pleased to announce that partner, David R. Dahan has been elected CAI (Community Associations Institute) Keystone Chapter President for 2023. The Keystone Chapter serves the community associations industry throughout the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Northern Delaware.

David has served on the CAI Board of Directors since 2016 and served as Treasurer prior to being elected President.  On November 30, David attended the CAI Keystone Chapter’s 2022 Excellence Awards Gala where he honored 2022 Chapter President, Nicole Skaro, with a plaque recognizing her for outstanding leadership and accomplishments.

The CAI is an international membership organization dedicated to building better communities by providing the education and resources necessary to foster vibrant, responsive and competent community associations and helping them promote harmony and responsible leadership.

A significant part of David’s practice includes representing community associations.  He provides counseling on all aspects of association matters including day-to-day business and legal issues, transition from the developer, and, if necessary, litigation.  David provides legal advice involving governing documents, contracts, rules and regulations, developer transition, construction defect litigation, municipal services and relations, regulatory compliance, insurance claims, member disputes and fiduciary duties of board members.  David has handled numerous transition matters to successful conclusion including the recovery of legal and expert fees.

David is admitted to practice in state and federal courts in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and the U.S. Supreme Court.  He is a graduate of Temple University Beasley School of Law (J.D., 1997) and Temple University, Philadelphia (BBA, Concentration in Accounting, 1991).

David can be reached at dahan@hylandlevin.com or 856-355-2991.

December 7, 2022

Partner, David Dahan Honors Former President at CAI 2022 Awards Gala

On November 30, Partner, David Dahan, attended the CAI (Community Associations Institute) Keystone Chapter’s 2022 Excellence Awards Gala.  This year’s Gala was held at the beautiful William Penn Inn located in Gwynedd, PA.  David was honored to present 2022 Chapter President, Nicole Skaro, with a plaque to recognize and thank her for her outstanding leadership and accomplishments!

We are also proud to announce that David will serve as the Chapter President for 2023.  Please look for David’s letter from the President column in Community Assets, a bi-monthly magazine with tremendous resources for community associations.

September 6, 2022

The NJDEP to Adopt Portions of the Protecting Against Climate Threats (PACT) Rules via its Emergency Rulemaking Powers

For many in the field of real estate development, including developers, builders, engineers, planners and land use attorneys, on May 25th, a bell was tolled.

The New Jersey Administrative Procedures Act (N.J.S.A. 52:14B-1 et seq.) permits an agency such as the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (the “NJDEP”) to make emergency amendments to the New Jersey administrative code upon a finding of imminent peril to public health, safety, and welfare. N.J.S.A. 52:14B-4(c).  On May 25th, the NJDEP announced that it would be adopting portions of the Protecting Against Climate Threats (PACT) Rules pursuant to these emergency rulemaking powers, meaning that these emergency PACT rules would take effect the day they are filed with the Office of Administrative Law and would be valid for sixty (60) days from that date.  In addition, the NJDEP has announced its intention to file not only the emergency PACT rules, but also a concurrent proposal which would enable the rules to remain in effect for a period longer than 60 days.  Once the emergency rules (along with the concurrent proposal) are published in the New Jersey Register, a thirty (30)-day comment period will begin, to run concurrently with the 60-day validity period.

Why is this important?  In the simplest terms, the emergency PACT rules will have a significant and sustained impact on development in New Jersey, as the emergency PACT rules to be adopted include, among other things, changes to the Fluvial Flood Hazard Area (FHA) rules and the Stormwater Rules.  The term “fluvial” generally means “of or relating to a river or stream”, and as such, the changes to the Fluvial FHA rules will be limited to projects located in fluvial areas.  In other words, they will not be applicable to tidal areas.

Under the current Fluvial FHA rules, the Design Flood Elevation (the “DFE”) is the higher of: (1) Flood elevation mapped by the NJDEP (where applicable); or (2) the FEMA 100-year flood elevation, plus one foot.  However, under the proposed emergency Fluvial FHA Rules, the fluvial DFE will be raised by two feet.  As such, applicants utilizing their own flood projections will be required to use rainfall data for the year 2100 in order to calculate an alternative DFE.  If an applicant’s project is not currently located in a floodplain, it must determine whether its application for development will be impacted, and to what degree, by the additional two feet of flood elevation.

As another example, and with respect to stormwater, the emergency rules will require that stormwater designs manage runoff for both today’s storms and future storms, again utilizing county-based rainfall projections for the year 2100, which projections are up to 50% higher than current totals.  The emergency rules will also remove the use of Rational and Modified Rational methods for stormwater calculations.  Furthermore, municipalities will have only one year to update their municipal stormwater ordinances to account for the new rules.

Thankfully, there are certain exceptions to the applicability of the emergency rules.  With respect to the Fluvial FHA rules, applicants will not have to comply with the new standard if:

  1. The regulated activity is part of a project that already has a valid FHA permit. See J.A.C. 7:13-2.1(c)1; or
  2. The regulated activity is part of a project that requires an FHA permit and a complete application for the project was submitted to NJDEP prior to the emergency rulemaking; or
  3. The regulated activity is part of a project that does not require an FHA permit prior to the emergency rulemaking, and:
    • The project has received all necessary Federal, State and local approvals prior to emergency rulemaking; and
    • Construction has commenced, also prior to the emergency rulemaking. See J.A.C. 7:13-2.1(c)4.

Note, however, that obtaining a flood hazard area verification or applicability determination, as opposed to a permit, prior to the emergency rulemaking does not automatically exempt a new project from the new standards.

Regarding stormwater, developers will not have to comply with the emergency rules if:

  1. The project needs FHA, Coastal Zone Management, Freshwater Wetlands, or Highlands approval and a complete application for such was submitted to NJDEP prior to the emergency rulemaking. See J.A.C. 7:8-1.6(b)2; or
  2. The project does not require any NJDEP approval and has already received certain local approvals pursuant to the Municipal Land Use Law (“MLUL”) (J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq.) prior to the emergency rulemaking. See N.J.A.C. 7:8- 1.6(b)1.

As mentioned, municipalities will only have one year to amend their stormwater ordinances to account for the new rules.  However, the emergency stormwater rules will be effective immediately under the Residential Site Improvement Standards (“RSIS”), unless covered by N.J.A.C. 7:8-1.6(b)1, which supersede any municipal ordinance to the contrary and apply strictly to residential development (as opposed to non-residential development).

The NJDEP has already delayed filing the emergency portion of the PACT rules with the Office of Administrative Law at least once, and it is rumored it might happen again due to public outcry from entities such as the New Jersey Builders Association.  Others hear that the emergency rules will be filed sometime after Labor Day of this year.  In any event, those in the business of developing real property, including developers, builders, engineers, planners, and land use attorneys, must be aware of these emergency rules in order to anticipate how they will affect development projects moving forward and be able to swiftly adapt to avoid project delays.


The contents of this article are for informational purposes only and none of these materials are offered, nor should they be construed, as legal advice or a legal opinion based on any specific facts or circumstances.

April 4, 2022

Beau C. Wilson, Esquire Joins Hyland Levin Shapiro

Beau C. Wilson, Esquire has joined Hyland Levin Shapiro LLP as an associate and will continue his concentration in commercial litigation.

Prior to joining Hyland Levin Shapiro, Beau served as Deputy Attorney General at the Office of the Attorney General in Trenton, New Jersey where he represented state agencies in the Office of Administrative Law, the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, the New Jersey Supreme Court, the New Jersey District Court, and the United States Supreme Court.  He also counseled the Department of Community Affairs and its various subdivisions and the Department of State regarding the enforcement or defense of their statutes and regulations.

“We are delighted to have Beau join our active and growing commercial litigation department. He brings a wealth of experience from his work with the State, and we look forward to his contributions to our clients’ successes”, said Managing Partner, Benjamin Levin.

Beau is a graduate of Temple University Beasley School of Law (J.D. 2017), and Messiah College (B.A. 2011).  At Temple, he was the recipient of the Harriet Robinson Gillock Memorial Award and was a Rubin Public Interest Law Honor Society Fellow and member of the Moot Court Honor Society.  After law school, Beau clerked for Superior Court Judge Jean B. McMaster, J.S.C., Civil Division and later interned at the Face to Face Legal Center of Philadelphia as well as the Community Legal Services of Philadelphia.  He is admitted to practice in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

He resides in Haddon Township with his wife and son.  In his free time, Beau enjoys playing tennis, going on hikes, and attempting to convince his family that his dad jokes are, in fact, funny.

Beau may be reached at wilson@hylandlevin.com or 856.355.2931.

November 24, 2021

Partner, David R. Dahan Appointed President Elect for Keystone Chapter of CAI

pic_david_dahan_newWe are pleased to share some very exciting news about our partner, David R. Dahan.  David has been a Member of the Board of Directors for the Keystone Chapter of the Community Associations Institute (“CAI”) for about 5 years.  CAI is an international trade organization for community associations.  CAI promotes certain legislation which favors associations, opposes legislation which is contrary to the interests of associations and provides various education and networking events for the industry.  David was recently notified that he has been appointed as President Elect for 2022 and will serve as President of the Chapter for 2023.  This is in addition to his continued role as a Member of the Chapter’s Finance Committee and Executive Committee.  David will also serve as a Member of the Board Development Committee and the 2022 liaison for the Member Engagement and Golf committees.