Q & A
May 25, 2016
Q: A tenant’s space at my shopping center was damaged and I can’t afford to fix it immediately. The tenant is withholding rent, but continuing to operate from an undamaged portion of its store, so I don’t believe that it can claim that it has been “constructively evicted,...
Owner Wins
May 25, 2016
Facts: An owner signed a lease with a tenant for space to operate a convenience store. After the tenant took possession of the space it notified the owner that the owner’s obligation to remove or remediate any asbestos in the building was waived. The tenant began making improvements to the...
Owner Wins
May 25, 2016
Facts: An owner signed a lease for nightclub space with a tenant. Under the lease, the owner was entitled to additional rent under certain circumstances. The owner had no day-to-day supervision over the property or the tenant. After a nightclub customer was attacked by a third party, he sued the...
Feature
April 28, 2016
It’s not uncommon for tenants to plan to spend more than you’ve agreed to pay for a tenant improvement allowance (TIA). Owners have a dual goal when providing a TIA: It entices tenants to lease the space and, by being updated, the space is more valuable overall. But generally it takes...
Q & A
April 28, 2016
Q: I signed a lease for space at my shopping center with a tenant that said it would operate a floral shop. Apparently, after a storefront that is more convenient for its business became available, it decided to use that space for retail sales and my space for storage and as a workshop for its...
Owner Wins
April 28, 2016
Facts: A tenant assigned its lease for office space. The assignee later claimed that the owner was required to pay a tenant improvement allowance (TIA). The assignee based its argument on lease drafts that had discussed a TIA. But the final version of the lease, which the tenant and owner signed,...
Owner Wins
April 28, 2016
Facts: A woman purporting to be the owner of a property signed a lease with a tenant for space to operate its auto body shop. The lease required the tenant to make necessary repairs and improvements, and it specified that those improvements would be left behind at the end of the lease.
Feature
April 18, 2016
Operating expenses for an office building or retail property have the potential to make or break an owner’s or tenant’s budget. So it’s not surprising that they’re also a major point during lease negotiations. Your goal should be to pass through in the lease as many...
Plugging Loopholes
April 18, 2016
Many retail space owners, and especially mall owners, give themselves a relocation right. That is, the right to relocate the tenant to a different space in the center or mall under certain circumstances. Negotiating a relocation right can be tricky—if you don’t draft this provision...
Owner Wins
April 18, 2016
Facts: The owner of a gas station signed a lease with a tenant. The tenant became a sublandlord when it signed a convenience store sublease for space at the gas station where a subtenant could operate its coffee shop. The sublease with the coffee shop subtenant was for a 10-year “initial term...
