In January, 2020, Peterson, Martin & Reynolds LLP obtained a settlement for a commercial real estate client for $2,103,745. PMR’s client had leased a 31,320 square foot biotech facility in Foster City, CA for 10 years to a leading international biotech company. When the biotech company moved out, it failed to properly restore the premises, […]
By M. Henry Walker This case involves the appeal of a trial court’s judgment granting an equitable easement over rural property in Ventura County. Plaintiff Hinrichs originally owned two large parcels which he inherited from his mother. He grew up in a home located on the southern parcel but hadn’t lived there since moving to […]
In California, the Right to Repair Act, codified at Civil Code sections 895 et seq., was established with the goal of resolving construction defect claims in an expeditious and non-adversarial manner. The Act requires that, prior to filing a lawsuit, a homeowner must provide the builder with a notice of claim. The notice must contain […]
Jacobs, a licensed real estate broker, signed a vacant land listing agreement granting her the exclusive right to sell a parcel of property in Marin County. The listing agreement was signed by one of the property owners, Locatelli, as trustee for the Locatelli trust. There were signature lines on the listing agreement for five additional […]
It is settled law in California that a real estate broker representing both seller and buyer has fiduciary duties to both parties. In a recent decision, the California Supreme Court has now confirmed that, when there is such dual agency by the broker, the associate licensee acting solely as the listing agent under the broker’s […]
The case of Taylor v. Nu Digital Marketing, Inc. involved an unusual purchase contract for residential property. The contract set forth payment of the “purchase price,” and also included a provision that Buyer would pay monthly “probationary installments” for 60 months, which would not count toward the purchase price. Only payments in excess of the […]
The Salazar family (“plaintiffs”) lived in San Francisco but owned, since 1982, a 10-acre parcel of rural property in Mendocino County that they visited frequently over the years. The property, which included many large trees and a spring, was completely undeveloped except for a small cabin, and the family enjoyed it as a respite from […]
This case pitted the competing goals of two very important statutory schemes. On the one hand, an unlawful detainer action provides landlords a means to evict a tenant in a short, simplified proceeding where the only issue to be tried is whether the tenant is in lawful possession of the premises. The availability of such […]
First Tennessee National Bank Association (“FTB”) initiated a nonjudicial foreclosure on residential real property and sold the property at a foreclosure sale to DM Residential Fund II, LLC (“DM”). The property lacked a utilities easement needed to provide electrical service to the new home on the property. DM discovered the easement issue shortly after buying […]
Vebr v. Culp serves as a cautionary tale for any homeowner considering hiring a contractor to perform work on their home. The Culps contracted with OC Wide Painting to paint the interior of their home. The contract specified that OC Wide had workers’ compensation insurance, or would acquire it. Culp confirmed online that OC […]
