Reich v. Reading

In Reich v. Reading, 3 Pa. Commw. 511, 284 A.2d 315 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1971), the Court held that the office of a licensed insurance broker was a "business office" rather than a "professional office" and, therefore, was not a permitted use in a multi-family zoning district. In doing so, the Court specifically held that the mere fact that an insurance broker was licensed by the state did not, of itself, categorize his occupation as a "profession." "There are various occupations required to be licensed by the Commonwealth but which have been held not to be professions, such as real estate brokers...." Reich, 284 A.2d at 320. Furthermore, we acknowledged in Reich that an exact definition of the term "profession" and "professional" was difficult, was not limited to the traditional professions of theology, medicine, and law, and included professions such as teaching, architecture, and engineering "for which considerable educational preparation and continuing study are required." Id. 284 A.2d at 320. While acknowledging the occupation of an insurance agent/broker as "important and specialized," after consideration of the provisions of the ordinance at issue, as well as the applicable licensure requirements, we concluded that an insurance office was a business office rather than a professional office. Id.