Real Estate Law in Missouri

In Lebanon, real estate law can affect just about anything involving the use, purchase, or sale of land and fixtures to land, such as buildings.

The wide volume of laws regulating real estate in Lebanon might seem overwhelming to the uninitiated. Indeed, they can get very complicated, especially when issues about title defects or construction disputes are involved.

Therefore, it's a good idea to learn some of the basics of Lebanon's real estate laws.

Some understanding of the proper law can give you an advantage in almost any situation. In the real estate instance, it can help you spot illegal terms in lease agreements, give you some idea of what your rights are in a dispute, among other things. If nothing else, knowledge of the law can help you spot people who are willing to break it, so you can avoid dealing with them.

Common Real Estate Law Issues in Lebanon

Financing: Most individuals are unable to make major real estate purchases in Lebanon with cash, because few people have that kind of money on hand. Thus, to buy real estate, most entities use a mortgage. This is a loan used to buy a piece of property. When the loan is authorized, and the property purchased, the lender holds a security interest in the property until the loan is paid off, with interest.

Zoning: Zoning regulations control what types of structures are allowed on various parcels, based on their location in a municipality. For example, some areas in a city might be zoned only for residential use. Another area might permit industrial use. These rules are meant to keep property values up, and promote harmony among neighbors by preventing conflicts.

Duty to Disclose: When buying a home in Lebanon, you are safeguarded by the law. The seller has a legal obligation to disclose to the buyer any defects of which the seller is aware, which the buyer couldn't detect through a superficial inspection. If you are selling a home, it's probably best to disclose every defect you know about, to guarantee that you aren't faced with a lawsuit from the buyer sometime in the future.

Implied Warranties: In Lebanon, every residential rental agreement carries with it a warranty of habitability, in which the landlord implicitly promises that the unit is fit for human habitation. This applies whether or not such a warranty is mentioned in the lease agreement, and it still applies even if the landlord tries to disclaim any such warranty. There are many circumstances that might make an unit uninhabitable. A few examples are a lack of electricity, no running water, or no heating.

Can a Lebanon Real Estate Lawyer Help?

Because the issues discussed above can get intricate for laypersons, if you have a real estate issue, such as an eviction, or a construction dispute, you should not hesitate to contact a Lebanon real estate attorney ASAP.