Parties can provide in their contracts that any dispute be resolved by “general reference.” A general reference directs a referee to try all issues in the action. The hearing is conducted under the rules of evidence applicable to judicial proceedings. In a general reference, the referee prepares a statement of…
I recently described a decision that overruled the rule that a borrower may not make a claim for fraud based on the other party misrepresenting what the contract will say (The Pendergrass Rule). In the past borrowers who claimed that their mortgage broker or lender made promises about their loan…
A Deed of Trust in California can be used to secure contract obligations other payment of money. Usually, the primary obligation secured is the repayment of the loan. There are ancillary duties usually set out in the deed of trust, such as keeping the property in good repair, maintaining insurance,…
According to the California Legislature, the vast majority of joint tenancies in California are used as a will substitute among family members. In a joint tenancy, the survivor among the title holders “inherits” the property. This is different from holding the property as tenants in common, in which case each…
A landlord or lessor does not have any possessory interest in the property during the term of the lease. That is the nature of a lease – the owner transfers the right to possession to the lessee. But what if, during the lease term, a third party trespasses on the…
The Marketable Record Title Act (MRTA, Civil Code section 882.02+) was enacted so that ‘ancient mortgages’ would not last forever. Prior to the act, lost or forgotten mortgages and deeds of trust would continue to be a cloud on title. The MRTA became law in 1982 to put an outside…
When California real estate is bought or sold, there is always a period of time between signing the purchase and sale contract, and when the title is transferred. With commercial properties the period could last for months, as the buyer completes their due diligence. But what happens if the building…
When a debtor files bankruptcy, an “automatic stay” arises by operation of law which prohibits all actions by creditors to collect, such as foreclosure, repossession, or lawsuit against property of the bankruptcy estate, the debtor, and the debtor’s property (11 U.S.C. (the Bankruptcy Code) §362). Real Estate attorneys frequently see…
California commercial tenants sometimes need to sublease their premises, or assign the lease. Without fail, they remain liable to the property owner for the lease, in the event that the subtenant does not perform. Breach of the lease does not automatically terminate it – the owner must exercise its right…
Liquidated damages provisions in California real estate contracts provide that the parties, at the time they enter into the contract, determine what the damages will be if there is a specified breach of the contract. It must represent a reasonable attempt to anticipate the losses to be suffered. It will…