Real Estate Law

When someone rents a house in California, the landlord typically takes a security deposit. This could be twice the rent payment, for example. The goal of this security deposit is to protect the landlord from a financial perspective, as there are certain situations in...

An easement is a legal agreement between a property owner and someone else -- often a neighboring property owner. For example, when one piece of real estate doesn’t have direct access to a main road, the landlocked owner may be granted an easement allowing them to...

Boundary disputes are surprisingly common, and they can get tense fast. If you’re caught up in a boundary dispute with your neighbor, you don’t have to end up in a courtroom to sort things out. First, it helps to understand why property line disputes occur. Boundaries...

Property title issues can create major problems during a sale, transfer or refinance. In California, several types of disputes can affect who truly owns a property or what rights come with it.  Recognizing the most common title disputes can help buyers and owners...

Imagine that you get home from work one day, and your landlord is in your apartment. You’re shocked to find them there, and you ask what they’re doing in your home. They counter by saying that it isn’t your home—that they own the property. They believe they have the...

There are many ways for people to invest in real estate. Some people convert inherited property that they receive from parents or grandparents to rental units. Others purchase vacant land and wait for infill to make the property valuable decades later. Those looking...

Eviction is the legal process through which landlords can remove problem tenants from their properties. There are certain scenarios in which removing a tenant may become the best option available to a frustrated landlord.  If a tenant refuses to pay rent, if they...

You and your neighbor have a long-standing dispute about the trees in your yard. Your neighbor complains about the shade and the fact that the trees block their view. You, on the other hand, enjoy the aesthetic appeal that they add to your property and do not want to...

When someone signs a commercial lease, they’re expected to continue making payments for the entire term of that lease. While residential leases often run for 12 months, commercial leases are sometimes longer. A tenant may sign a lease that is intended to last for 3 to...

Encroachment is a common yet often overlooked issue in California’s real estate scene. Understanding how encroachments occur is crucial for homeowners, buyers and developers alike. This phenomenon happens when a property owner unlawfully extends their structure,...