Features

Why CRE Experts Believe It's a Good Time to Buy Office
The full pain of the post-pandemic office market hasn't been felt, since many tenants still have time left on their leases. As these leases expire, many tenants will either reduce their size or simply not renew their leases. This phenomenon means a long-term (if not permanent) reduction in the demand for office space.
Features

What Constitutes A Landlord's Acceptance of a Tenant's Surrendered Lease During COVID?
As pandemic-related business disruptions continue to appear on dockets statewide, a reversal by the Georgia Court of Appeals has clarified what does, or rather does not, constitute a landlord's acceptance of a tenant's surrendered lease.
Features

Ten of the Worst Words to Hear In a CRE Deal
There are many positive words and terms of wisdom in the CRE industry: That was a great deal, great management equals great value, etc. Conversely, there are also some very scary words and phrases in the CRE industry. Below are 10 of the worst.
Features

'Best Efforts' Clauses In Commercial Leases
Undefined terms of art such as "best efforts" are often utilized in commercial leases, but the interpretation of those terms and the enforceability of the clause, when left to the courts, will turn on how the lease is drafted.
Features

The Impact of Local Law 97
Local Law Number 97 was enacted by the City of New York to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This is accomplished by requiring buildings to retrofit their systems with more energy efficient systems or purchase certain permitted carbon offsets.
Features

The Impact of New York's Greenhouse Gas Law
New York City's Local Law Number 97 was enacted to amend the New York City Charter and Administrative Code to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This is accomplished by requiring buildings to retrofit their systems with more energy efficient systems or purchase certain permitted carbon offsets.
Features

How to Strike a Deal In a Stagnant Net Lease Market
Transactions have slowed in just about every category for commercial real estate and net lease is no exception. The reasons are myriad for that but let's boil them down.
Columns & Departments
Development
Neighbor Lacked Standing to Challenge Nonconforming Use Determination Parking Congestion Allegations Insufficient to Confer Standing Council's Approval of PUD Upheld Neighbor Had No Standing to Challenge SEQRA Determination
Columns & Departments
Real Property Law
Open Use of Driveway Provides Constructive Notice of Unrecorded Easement Subsequent Purchaser Qualifies As Bona Fide Purchaser Despite Notice of Prior Purchaser's Appeal Notice of Pendency Not a Substitute for Recording Defect In Original Foreclosure Precludes Reforeclosure Sellers Who Paid Tax Are Entitled to Refund of Overpayment Easement Holder Has Right to Erect Dock
Features

Can ChatGPT Take the Place of Real Estate Lawyers?
While we marvel at the myriad applications of ChatGPT, it's important to note that this newly introduced tool has nuances which can create problems if misunderstood — especially when attempting to produce legal documents or legal advice in real estate transactions.
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