Traps to Avoid
December 22, 2022
Finding a financially stable tenant that you know won’t go out of business and will have the financial resources to pay its rent every month no matter how long the lease lasts is every commercial landlord’s dream, especially in these tough economic times. That’s why it might be...
Owner Loses
December 22, 2022
What Happened: There was no dispute that a Chicago hair lice removal salon that stopped paying its nearly $5,000 monthly rent was in default under the lease. The issue was whether the landlord could enforce the lease clause granting it 27 months of future rent as liquidated damages. The lower court...
Owner Wins
December 22, 2022
What Happened: The landlord and tenant performed a massive buildout to make the more than 100,000 square feet of office space leased suitable for a financial services firm with “immense computing power” and infrastructure needs. Once the 15-year lease expired, the question arose of who...
Owner Wins
December 22, 2022
What Happened: Two years into a five-year lease, a medical center stopped paying rent and abandoned the property. At least that’s what it looked like to the property manager who found the place empty and stripped of all furnishings. The sign on the door indicating that the tenant had closed...
Feature
November 29, 2022
One of the few positives to emerge from the pandemic for commercial leasing was how it got landlords and tenants to set aside historical mistrust and work together for their mutual welfare and survival. While the pressing issue at the height of the COVID-19 crisis was restructuring rent obligations...
Drafting Tips
November 29, 2022
It’s a common scenario that’s likely to arise any time a landlord hires outside contractors to carry out substantial improvements on a tenant’s premises: The tenant requests that the landlord “transfer” any construction warranties that the tradespeople may have given...
Traps to Avoid
November 29, 2022
Tenants that must pay common area maintenance (CAM) or operating costs typically want assurances that landlords will keep those expenses reasonable and in line with the average costs that owners of other shopping centers or office buildings in the area pay. And if the tenant has bargaining clout,...
Owner Loses
November 29, 2022
What Happened: In the summer of 2018, a tax firm tenant shut down its business and moved out of the building it was leasing. The surrender was documented in a written agreement that the tenant and landlord both signed. A few months later, the property was sold. During a severe cold spell in January...
Owner Loses
November 29, 2022
What Happened: The tenant was behind on its rent, and the restaurant was closed. So, the landlord assumed that the property was abandoned and exercised its lease right to reenter and change the locks. It then sued the tenant for unpaid rent and late charges. The tenant denied that it had abandoned...
Owner Wins
November 29, 2022
What Happened: J.C. Penney (JCP) subleased commercial property to Klairmont at below-market rates. Later, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, giving it the right to assume or reject its commercial leases.
