Real Property eNews

In recent weeks, California Senate Bill 939 has garnered significant attention from the commercial real estate industry. This controversial legislative proposal written by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) is designed to provide relief to small business commercial tenants during the state of emergency issued by the Governor on March 4, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic threat. Read more

As more and more commercial tenants stop paying rent under their leases due to the impacts of COVID-19, much has been written in recent weeks about possible defenses to performance such as force majeure, frustration of purpose, and impossibility. Read more

The California Lawyers Association (“CLA”) held its Second Annual Legislative Day in Sacramento on March 4, 2020. It was a well-attended event and included CLA leadership, Executive Committee Members of the various sections of the CLA, members of the bar, and various individuals representing different organizations. Read more

Huang v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (2020) _ Cal.App.5th _ , 2020 WL 2059951: The Court of Appeal reversed the trial court's order granting defendant's summary judgment on the basis of the statute of limitations. Read more

County of Humboldt v. App. Div. (2020) _ Cal.App.5th _ , 2020 WL 1164262: The Court of Appeal granted a writ petition directing respondent to vacate its earlier order dismissing petitioner's appeal and to issue a new order transferring the case to the Court of Appeal for further proceedings. Read more

The California Association of Realtors Residential Purchase Agreement does not have a force majeure provision in the contract, so a buyer or seller wishing to cancel or delay should review their signed escrow instructions for further guidance. They should not rely on their brokers in giving them any legal advice, because the finding of whether a contract could be breached will depend on the facts and law of each individual case and on the judge who hears it. Read more

The global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is forcing the world to change its daily practices and the impact was felt almost immediately in the California landlord-tenant arena. As governments scramble to protect citizens, the state issued a moratorium on certain evictions in an effort to help residential tenants remain in their homes and small commercial businesses stay afloat. Read more

The COVID-19 pandemic and the United States’ efforts to “flatten the curve” and slow the spread of the disease present considerable issues for commercial tenants and landlords. Read more

On March 19, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-33-20 (the “Order”), requiring that all individuals in California stay at home, with certain exceptions for essential business and to maintain critical infrastructure. The Order is in effect until ‘further notice.’ Other states and cities have enacted similar measures. Read more

The recent California Governor executive order and the continued practice of brokers, requires a refresher on the brokers’ duties of inspection, so that brokers understand what they may or may not do. One of those duties is the broker’s duty of physical inspection, which is required before completing the Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) and the Agent Visual Inspection Disclosure (AVID). The AVID was created by the California Association of Realtors to assist agents in their disclosure duties, and it is therefore the ‘standard of care’ for brokers practicing in California. Read more