Articles Posted in Business Transactions

rise-help-up-support-climb-300x192This post comes with a “spoiler alert” warning.  Like many, this author has become obsessed with the Max show Succession, not merely as a television viewer, but for the legal issues raised by the storylines.  We  will discuss the multiple legal issues covered in the Emmy award-winning series.

The jaw dropping images of real estate are practically a character on the show.  The townhouse on Fifth Avenue across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art was the primary residence of Waystar/Royco’s founder and patriarch Logan Roy.  The home was shared with his third wife, who obtained the property in their divorce.  After Logan’s death, Marcia and Logan’s oldest child Connor were visiting the home.  Marcia and Connor started a discussion whereby Connor expressed interest in buying the home from Marcia, who said that she was looking for sixty to seventy million dollars.  Connor said he would pay sixty-three million dollars, and they verbally agreed to the deal.  A verbal agreement to sell real estate is not binding in New York State.  The statute of frauds requires that contracts pertaining to real estate be in writing.  Marcia could have backed out of her agreement to sell the property to Connor.  However, Connor and his wife were in control of the townhouse in a later episode, so Marcia must have followed through with her oral agreement to sell the property to Connor.

Estate matters also figure prominently in the series.  Connor introduces a “sticker system” to distribute personal property in the townhouse that he purchased.  Logan’s children were to affix stickers to personal property in Logan’s townhouse to indicate which items they wanted.  Then, the “second tier bereaved,” such as Logan’s last mistress, would have an opportunity to select items.  While this may be a relatively good method with which to distribute personal property, the question arises as to why Connor was in charge of this process.  Was he nominated as Executor of Logan’s estate?  It would not be realistic for Connor to have been officially appointed as Executor within days of Logan’s death.  Another possibility is that Marcia owned these items as part of the acquisition of the townhouse in her divorce and that she decided to sell the items to Connor along with the townhouse.

mediation-300x150Recently, New York Courts, especially in those in Westchester County, where our offices are located, are encouraging the use of mediation to resolve disputes which have been filed as lawsuits in the Court.  What is mediation, and how does it differ from arbitration?  Mediation is the use of an independent third party, known as a mediator, in an attempt to resolve a dispute that initially commenced in Court. Many Courts now have a mediation program, and are referring cases to mediation, and, in some cases, ordering that the parties use a mediator to attempt to resolve a Court dispute.

Legally, a mediation is different from arbitration.  In arbitration, the parties usually are contractually obligated to use an arbitrator (also an independent third party) by the terms of a previously executed document such as a lease to resolve a dispute.  There are organizations such as the American Arbitration Association (AAA) whose purpose is to provide arbitrators to resolve disputes.  The main difference between arbitration and mediation is that arbitration, when contractually mandated, results in a binding decision reached by the arbitrator after he hears the case.  Once the arbitrator makes a ruling, either party (usually the prevailing party) can file a motion in the appropriate Court to enforce the arbitrator’s decision as a judgment.  For example, if the arbitrator rules, after hearing the evidence from all parties, that one party owes the other $50,000.00, that decision can be entered in Court as a binding judgment, after motion made to enforce the arbitration decision.

Conversely, mediation is generally done on the consent of all parties, and is not binding.  It is an attempt to mediate the dispute between the parties, and can often replace discovery, Court hearings and a trial.  In general, the parties, after appearing in Court for a preliminary conference, can consent to use a mediator in an attempt to resolve the dispute.  More frequently, the Judge in the case may order the parties to use a mediator.  In such cases, the Court generally provides the parties with a list of potential mediators, and the parties jointly choose a mediator.

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We often have inquiries from clients considering the purchase of a business.  An experienced attorney should be consulted when commencing this process.  Initially, the seller’s attorney will deliver the contract to the buyer’s attorney for negotiation.  Should the business being sold be a franchise, the final contract should be conditioned on approval of the franchisor to the buyer conducting business under the franchise name.

After consulting an accountant to confirm that the business to be purchased is financially viable for the buyer’s future income needs, the financial terms of the deal are to be structured.  There may be a broker who has negotiated the initial terms, which may be modified during the contract negotiation process.  Usually the payments required of the buyer are the delivery of the downpayment to the seller’s attorney to be held in escrow until closing and another payment at closing.  The payment at closing may be the last payment to be made or the buyer may sign a promissory note for subsequent payments to be made after the purchase.

Particular protections need to be in place on behalf of the buyer.  A lien search should be obtained prior to closing, so that the seller obtains lien releases for equipment and tax matters that may have an effect on the buyer.  For example, if a freezer is to be conveyed and the seller has a business loan on such equipment, a UCC Financing Statement is likely to be filed evidencing the loan.  If the loan is not paid at the closing and the UCC remains, the buyer is acquiring the freezer subject to the seller’s loan and will not own it outright.

chelsea-300x200A recent article in the New York Times discusses the purchase of the building which currently houses Chelsea Market by Google.  Of course, this raises the issue of what becomes of the tenants in the building, including the all-important food vendors.  Commercial real estate in New York, whether in the New York City area or its surrounding suburbs, often changes hands.  The question then becomes what are the legal responsibilities of the new owner regarding the existing tenants.

In most cases, the property is sold subject to the current tenants’ leases.  This means that if the tenants have valid leases, and most commercial tenants would have such leases, then the new owner “steps into the shoes” of the existing landlord, and takes the property subject to the leases.  It is important for anyone purchasing such commercial real estate to have experienced counsel review the existing leases, and be aware of the rights and responsibilities of both landlord and tenants.  A commercial property such as Chelsea Market may have dozens of commercial tenants, who may have different leases, expiring at different points of time, with potential options to renew.  The new owner must analyze the situation prior to purchasing to ensure that the existing rent obligations create sufficient cash flow for their purposes.  Also, if the new owner wants the space vacated, an evaluation is needed to determine how long the existing tenants may remain.

Assuming the buyer is obtaining financing for its purchase, the institutional lender will require subordination non-disturbance and attornment agreements from the tenant.  This is an acknowledgement from the tenant of the status of the lease, such as term, security deposit held, rent due and whether either party is in default, and that it will pay the lender if the buyer does not make payments on their mortgage loan.  In exchange, the tenant should obtain an estoppel certificate, which is a document confirming their tenancy, and stating that they will not be evicted assuming they continue to meet their obligations under their existing leases.

ralph-300x200News outlets have recently reported a conflict between local business Ralph’s Italian Ices in Mamaroneck and local officials, who are seeking to close the business due to noise and parking issues.  While we do not know how this specific situation will resolve itself, many of our firm’s clients are small businesses who may find themselves in similar situations.  This post will discuss the legal issues involved when a commercially leased property has issues relating to compliance with local regulations.

A business owner seeking to lease commercial property should first have counsel research the property in question.  Issues such as allocation of parking spaces, permitted hours of operation, and legal as-of-right zoning of the proposed location must be thoroughly vetted prior to signing any commercial lease.  Zoning is particularly important.  If the property being leased is not zoned for the proposed tenant’s use, a special use permit must be obtained from the locality in which the premises are located.  A special use permit allows the property to be used for a non-conforming use outside the legal as-of-right zoning.

When such a permit is necessary, the tenant’s attorney should make sure that a contingency clause is inserted in the commercial lease to allow for the obtaining of such a permit.  Obtaining such a permit requires a detailed application, formal notification of adjacent property owners of the pending application, and, usually, attendance at a zoning board hearing to explain the situation at a hearing before the town zoning board.  Therefore, the lease should contain a clause that the proposed tenant will make a good faith application to the zoning board for a special use permit, and, if such application is rejected, that the tenant would have the option to terminate the lease in question.  Otherwise, a tenant may lease a property, and discover that they cannot open their business due to not being in compliance with zoning regulations.  A contingency clause allows the tenant to apply for a special use permit without the risk that they may be committed to a long-term lease without the ability to legally operate their business.

fatherOur firm wants to extend its best wishes to all Dads for a happy Father’s Day.  We would like to mention some gift ideas of a legal nature that cannot be purchased in an ordinary department store.

Your Father may be on the verge of retirement.  As such, he may be in the market for a qualified attorney  who will negotiate and document the terms of his business sale.  Such a sale may involve preparation of a contract of sale, coordination of the payoff of a business or equipment loan, closing document drafting and the like.  Once the transaction is complete, your Dad can enjoy a care-free retirement.

If your Father is not ready to retire, he may have an ongoing business in the process of relocation.  Our attorneys would welcome the opportunity to negotiate the commercial lease for the new space. We would negotiate its terms in a manner most favorable to dear old Dad.

stripcenterOur firm is routinely involved in commercial lease negotiations.  This post will address the “give and take” that takes place in such negotiations, while discussing the legal issues that commonly arise.  For convenience sake, let’s assume that our attorney is negotiating on behalf of a retail store tenant engaged in a food business in a suburban strip center.

Commercial leases typically span several decades and are not rent-regulated.  Both landlord and tenant cannot envision business conditions or pricing over such a timeframe.  Most leases will run for an initial term, potentially for ten years.  The parties may wish to include a renewal provision, potentially for another five years.  Is such a renewal term to be a requirement for the landlord to offer or an option to renew on behalf of the landlord or tenant?  If the option to renew is for the tenant, one may find provisions as to the timeframe in which to exercise the option, so that the landlord can make the space available to another tenant without a vacant period of time.

The determination of rent to be charged during the renewal period is tricky.  The parties could state in the current lease that the renewal period rent will be a certain percentage above that charged in the last year of the lease.  This provides certainty but may be too high or too low for market conditions at the time of renewal.  The other option is for the renewal rent to be determined by an appraiser to be mutually selected by the landlord and tenant.  The inherent problems in this formula are that there may be a disagreement on the selection of the appraiser and the rent to be charged would be uncertain.

church-300x225News reports have recently discussed the Archdiocese of New York and their seeking Court approval to mortgage church-owned property.  The purpose behind such action is for the Church to obtain a loan of $100,000,000.00 from JP Morgan, Chase, N.A., backed by a mortgage on Church-owned property located at 457 Madison Avenue in midtown Manhattan.  The loan proceeds will apparently be used to pay monetary settlements to the victims of the Church child abuse scandal.

Laymen may be asking why Court approval is necessary for such a transaction.  If an individual owns property, and seeks to obtain a mortgage on the property in order to raise funds, generally, Court approval is not needed.  The difference in this situation is that the Archdiocese of New York is a Religious Corporation, and, as such, is subject to the New York Religious Corporations Law.

As prior blog posts have discussed, any New York Religious Corporation seeking to buy property, sell or lease property, or obtain a loan backed by a mortgage on property it owns, must obtain approval of the New York State Attorney General’s Office.  The reason behind this statute is to make sure that a religious institution is not “sold out” from under its members by unscrupulous individuals or leaders.  Most religious institutions, of course, do not own the large real estate portfolio that the Archdiocese of New York does, and may own a single building which is used for its offices and place of worship.  The Religious Corporation Law protects all such institutions by requiring Court approval for such important real estate transactions, in order to insure that loan proceeds are used for purposes that congregants will believe will advance the legitimate interests of the church.

touroRecently in the news is a story relating to control over Touro Synagogue, located in Newport, Rhode Island.  The Touro Synagogue was built prior to the Revolutionary War and is one of the oldest congregations in the United States.  As with many older institutions, over the centuries, the original congregation and their descendants eventually moved from the area in question.  Many of these individuals settled in New York, and formed a new congregation, named Shearith Israel.  The original congregation in Rhode Island dwindled and even fell dormant for a period of time.

According to the Court records, there is a dispute between the current congregation of Touro Synagogue, now named Jeshuat Israel, and the New York congregation, Shearith Israel, over who was the rightful owner of the Touro Synagogue, and who has the right to make decisions such as the sale of ornaments in order to raise funds.

Our firm has handled similar cases involving control over religious institutions.  Many churches and synagogues experience changing congregations and conditions over a long period of time.   Depending on the location of the institution, members may move from the area, causing a sharp decrease in active membership.  At that point, the institution must decide whether to continue in its present location, or consider moving to another part of the New York where membership may increase.  Moving an institution will usually involve the sale of the current location.  Such a sale must be approved by the Board of Trustees or other governing body of the institution in question.  Prior blog posts have discussed the handling of legal disputes relating to control over a religious corporation.

leaseOur firm is often involved in landlord-tenant situations involving assignments of commercial leases.  What this means is that one party to a commercial lease (usually the tenant) wishes to transfer their rights and responsibilities to a third party, either an individual or company who is not a party to the original lease.  Most often this occurs when there is a potential sale of the business associated with the lease.

For example, a commercial tenant operates a car repair business and has a lease for the business for a period of five years.  A third party approaches the business owner and offers to buy the business.  As part of the purchase, the lease needs to be assigned from the current tenant to the purchaser of the business.

The main legal issue relates to the lease itself.  Most, but not all, commercial leases contain a clause allowing assignment of the lease to a third party with the consent of the landlord.  They may also state that such consent is not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed.  Some leases will further delineate what “unreasonable” may entail.  For example, it may state that it is not reasonable to refuse consent to a purchaser who intends to operate the same type of business as the current tenant, assuming they have the financial standing to assume the lease.

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