Impact of Long-Term Leasehold Interest on County Property Tax Assessment
Based on the 1978 voter initiative commonly referred to as “Proposition 13,” the government can reassess the value of real property for taxation purposes after a…
Interpreting the Scope of Mineral Rights Reservations
One of the first lessons in every first-year real property law class is that property rights are commonly referred to as a “bundle of sticks” that…
Enforcing a Tenant Option to Purchase Under “Changed Circumstances”
Commercial leases sometimes contain an option allowing the tenant to purchase the property. If the option is properly exercised, an enforceable purchase and sale obligation is…
Sometimes Real Property Rights Can be Adjudicated in a Criminal Case Where the Property Owner is Not Even a Party
This post was primarily authored by Zachary B. Young, a “Rising Star” for four years running who was recently elevated to Partner at Patton Sullivan Brodehl…
Right of First Refusal Overcomes “Uncertain” Language and Bad Faith
A right of first refusal is a contractual right to purchase property that arises when the owner decides to sell. The holder of a right of…
Quieting Title After a Failed Deed in Contemplation of Marriage
Claims for quieting title to real property can be governed by different statutes of limitations periods. But a common issue in quiet title cases is when…
Is an Irrevocable License Binding on a Purchaser?
A landowner grants a license by allowing someone else to use the land. A license can be created by express permission, or by acquiescence (allowing the…
Can a Holdover Commercial Tenant Hold On to a Right of First Refusal?
In California, a holdover tenant (a tenant who remains in possession after the expiration of the written lease) has fewer rights than a tenant operating under…
When a Tenant Exercises an Option to Purchase, When Does the Obligation to Pay Rent End?
Some commercial leases provide the tenant with an option to purchase the real property. When the tenant exercises such an option, does the tenant’s obligation to…
Money and Dirt: Reviewing 2017
Here is a look back at some of the top real estate and secured lending developments from 2017 covered here at Money and Dirt: The 2016…