In many commercial real estate matters, an environmental assessment is critical to the overall decision-making process. This assessment evaluates the environmental risks and liabilities associated with a property. An environmental assessment helps investors, lenders...
Real Estate Law
How might zoning regulations violate your land ownership rights?
Property owners in Pennsylvania have certain rights related to their land ownership. They have the right to quietly enjoy their property and utilize it as they see fit, provided that their use of the land complies with local and state law. They also have the right to...
What is a hard money loan?
Commercial real estate deals often involve "hard money loans”. In this case, the private lender offers fast cash financing at a higher interest rate and lower loan to value ratio than an institutional lender. Rather than a mortgage company, credit union or bank, the...
Importance Of Attorney Review Of Title Reports
According to the Washington Post, one-third of all real estate transactions require “extraordinary work” to deal with title issues, also referred to as “clouds” or “defects.” A title company will research past deeds, court judgments, tax records, trusts, wills,...
What Rights Do Property Owners Have With Runoff?
Pennsylvania contains a wide variety of different surface waters across the state. Included in which is over 83,000 miles of streams and rivers, more than 4,000 lakes and ponds as well as 120 miles of coastal waters. There is also groundwater, which is essential for...
Owners Have Several Legal Options For Resolving A Boundary Dispute
History is filled with stories of border wars, ranging from one country invading another to neighbors putting a fence or structure on an adjacent property. Regardless of the parcel size and stakes involved, any perceived encroachment can be a source of anger and...
How Adverse Possession Works In Pennsylvania
Adverse possession is a legal term used to describe how an occupant can gain legal title over property owned by someone else. In theory, a trespasser could enter the property uninvited, like it, and decide to move in. They may have made improvements to the land,...
Tips For Tenants Negotiating A Commercial Real Estate Lease
A lease agreement may be the difference between success and failure. With so much riding on this agreement, it is essential for business owners to negotiate one that gives them the best chance for success. Owners and managers should read any contract they sign and...
COVID as a Defense to Commercial Collections
During the COVID emergency of 2020, many commercial borrowers and commercial tenants suffered loss of revenues and fell into arrears on their scheduled mortgage or rent payments. Business revenues fell either because the businesses were required to be closed by...
Negotiating a commercial lease
Most companies do not own the facilities from which they conduct their business. The agreement by which a business rents space from the owner of the property, called either a landlord or a lessor, is called a lease. Leases can be either oral or written. Pennsylvania...