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About This Blog
Welcome to the Snell & Wilmer real estate litigation blog. Check back here often for useful news and information about current topics involving real estate litigation. We hope that you will find the blog both timely and helpful, and we invite you to join the discussion by posting comments about the articles and contacting the authors with your thoughts about the posts.
Real Estate Litigation Group Members and Blog Contributors
- Bob Henry
- Kevin Parker
- Matt Fischer
- Adam Lang
- Cory Braddock
- Benjamin Reeves
- Erica Stutman
- Patrick Paul
- Rick Erickson
- Ginny Olmstead
- Neal McConomy
- Michael E. Lindsay
- Bob L. Olson
- Nathan G. Kanute
- Sean M. Sherlock
- Lyndsey Torp
- Anthony Carucci
- Luke Mecklenburg
- Jon Frank
- Kevin Walton
- Lauren Munsell
- Lauren Podgorski
- Addy Colton
- John Sarager
- Jenna Le
- Ian Douglas
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Recent Posts
- A Landlord’s Guide to California’s New Statewide Rent Control Laws
- If You Purchase a House at an HOA Lien Foreclosure, Are You Entitled to Excess Sale Proceeds?
- Airbnb Declares End to Party!
- Short-Term Rental Legislation & Litigation On the Way!
- Foreclosure Deficiency: Construction Loan vs. Home Improvement Loan
Topics
- Anti-deficiency Statute
- Bankruptcy
- Commercial Real Estate Industry
- Construction and Development
- Environmental
- Evictions
- Foreclosures
- Guaranty Contracts
- Judgment Liens
- Medical Marijuana
- Real Estate and Bankruptcy
- Real Estate Appraiser Litigation
- Real Estate Broker Litigation
- Real Estate Purchase/Sale Transaction Litigation
- Real Estate Receivers
- Statutes Affecting Real Estate
- Title Insurance
- Uncategorized
- Zoning
What If Your CCP 998 Offer is Silent on Costs?
By: Tony Carucci
In California, the “prevailing party” in litigation is generally entitled to recover its costs as a matter of law. See Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1032. But under California Code of Civil Procedure section 998, a party may make a so-called “offer to compromise,” which can reverse the parties’ entitlement to costs after the date of the offer, depending on the outcome of the litigation. Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 998. The potential payoff of a 998 offer is that “If an offer made by a defendant is not accepted and the plaintiff fails to obtain a more favorable judgment or award, the plaintiff shall not recover his or her postoffer costs and shall pay the defendant’s costs from the time of the offer.” Cal.… Read More »
Author:
acarucci
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Tagged commercial real estate, construction, contractor, developer, foreclosure, Guarantor, guaranty, real estate, real estate litigation
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Franchisors Should Consider Signing a Conditional Lease Assignment Rather Than a Franchisee’s Lease
In Franchise & High Properties, LLC v. Happy’s Franchise, LLC, a 2015 decision issued by the Court of Appeals in Michigan, the franchisor, Happy’s Pizza Franchise, LLC, signed a five-year lease for the commercial space to be occupied by its franchisee, Happy’s Pizza #19, Inc. The franchisor did so to secure a right of first refusal to purchase the property and to enforce the franchise agreement to have the lease assigned to the franchisor if the franchisee defaulted.
The issue in the case was whether the term “tenant” referred solely to Happy’s Pizza #19 or whether it also included Happy’s Franchise as a co-tenant. … Read More »
Author:
Richard Herold
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Tagged franchise litigation, franchisee, Guarantor, landlord, lease, tenant
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California’s One-Action Rule May Apply to Federal Lenders
California’s one-action rule provides that “[t]here can be but one form of action for the recovery of any debt or the enforcement of any right secured by mortgage upon real property or an estate for years therein . . . .” Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 726(a). In other words, the one-action rule prescribes that the only process for recovery of a debt secured by a mortgage or deed of trust is to foreclose on the lien. The rule aims to prevent a multiplicity of actions and vexatious litigation, and to force a beneficiary to look to all of the security as the primary fund for payment of a debt before looking to the trustor’s other assets.… Read More »
Author:
acarucci
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Tagged anti-deficiency, commercial real estate, deficiency, foreclosure, foreclosures, Guarantor, guaranty, one-action rule, real estate, real estate litigation, real property
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Guarantors’ “Lost Profits” Completely Offset Lender’s Deficiency Claim
By: Ben Reeves
Believe it or not, lenders can breach loan agreements too…and when they do, there can be significant consequences. In Great Western Bank v. LJC Dev., LLC, 726 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 21 (Ariz. Ct. App. Nov. 10, 2015), the Court of Appeals affirmed that guarantors’ “lost profits” resulting from the lender’s breach of a loan agreement completely offset the amount owed under the guaranty. Much can be learned from this unusual outcome, so please continue reading for an analysis of the facts and legal principles of this case.
The Loan Agreements
In Great Western Bank, the bank entered into an acquisition and development loan (the “A&D Loan”) with Cedar Ridge Investments, LLC (“Borrower”) to allow Borrower to acquire and begin the development of infrastructure for a fifty-home subdivision in Flagstaff, AZ to be known as Cedar Ridge.… Read More »
Author:
Ben Reeves
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Tagged deficiency action, Guarantor, lost profits, offset, real estate litigation
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Guarantor Waivers Narrowed
By: Lyndsey A. Torp and Sean M. Sherlock
A general waiver by a guarantor of “all defenses” does not actually waive “all defenses.” California Bank & Trust v. Del Ponti, — Cal.Rptr.3d —, 2014 WL 6908141 (Cal.App. 4 Dist.). That was the holding in a recent opinion wherein the California Court of Appeal affirmed judgment against a lender, holding that the bank could not recover on its loan guaranties because it had breached the underlying loan agreement.
In California Bank & Trust v. Del Ponti, borrower obtained a construction loan from Vineyard Bank (which was later assigned to California Bank & Trust) to develop a townhome project, with guaranties from two principals of the borrower. … Read More »
Author:
Sean M. Sherlock
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Tagged defense, Guarantor, guaranty, waiver
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Guarantors Score Two Victories Before the Nevada Supreme Court.
By: Bob Olson and Nathan Kanute
On May 29, 2013, the Nevada Supreme Court issued two decisions that all real estate lenders need to be aware of because they have the potential to eliminate the ability of a lender to recover a deficiency judgment from a guarantor.
In Nevada it is common for lenders to commence foreclosure proceedings and, at the same time, sue all guarantors that have waived the benefit of Nevada’s one-action rule for the full amount of the debt they guaranteed. Often the foreclosure sale will occur before lender obtains a judgment against the guarantor. In Lavi v.… Read More »
Author:
Bob L. Olson
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Tagged deficiency, foreclosure, Guarantor, one-action rule
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Unmitigated Waivers: Guarantors Remain Liable Despite 4-Year Delay in Foreclosure Sale
By: Ben Reeves
If a lender delays foreclosure allowing years of default interest to accrue such that a guarantor’s obligation increases from $6 million to $12 million, should the guarantor remain on the hook for the full $12 million? In Pi’ikea, LLC v. Williamson, 683 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 32 (Ct. App. 2014), the Arizona Court of Appeals recently confirmed that if the guarantor waived the “mitigation of damages” or “impairment of collateral” defense in its guaranty contract, then the answer is an unmitigated YES.
The Facts
In 2004, TBM Equities, LLC borrowed $5,922,000 to build an apartment complex in Tucson, AZ. … Read More »
Author:
Ben Reeves
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Tagged Guarantor, guaranty, impairment of collateral, mitigation of damages, Pi'ikea v. Williamson, waiver
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Guarantors Beware! A.R.S. § 33-814 May Not Save You from a Deficiency Judgment
By: Ben Reeves
In First Credit Union v. Courtney, 309 P.3d 929, 669 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 18 (Ct. App. 2013), the Arizona Court of Appeals rejected three creative arguments that A.R.S. § 33-814 protected the guarantors from paying on their guaranty. The opinion provides a stark reminder that Arizona courts will usually enforce a guarantor’s contractual obligation to repay a debt.
In 2006, First Credit made a $3.56 million construction loan to Orange Grove I, L.L.C. (the “Borrower”). First Credit secured the loan with a lien against commercial real property called the Appian Estates. The Courtneys guaranteed repayment of the loan. … Read More »
Author:
Ben Reeves
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Tagged anti-deficiency, ARS 33-814, First Credit Union v. Courtney, Guarantor
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