Commercial Real Estate Law in Iowa

In Windsor Heights, Iowa, "commercial real estate" is any type of land or building which is used for a business, as opposed to residential, purpose.

The Windsor Heights, Iowa laws governing commercial real estate differ significantly from the laws that cover residential and other types of real estate.

Buyers and renters of residential property enjoy a large number of legal protections. Many of these protections don't apply to buyers or renters of commercial property.

For example, commercial real estate usually isn't covered by rent control laws, nor does it carry with it an implied warranty of habitability (because people generally won't be living in it). Furthermore, it also doesn't come with a covenant of quiet enjoyment. However, some of the most basic legal protections (such as laws against fraud, and concealment of defects) apply in both the commercial and residential context.

Common Commercial Real Estate Law Issues in Windsor Heights, Iowa

Financing: Some small businesses in Windsor Heights, Iowa find it necessary, at some point, to purchase a piece of real estate, for various reasons. However, most owners of small to medium-sized businesses can't afford to make a real estate purchase up front, with the cash they have on hand. Simply put, very few people have hundreds of thousands of dollars just sitting in the bank. One solution to this is a mortgage, which is similar to most other types of secured loans: a bank lends you money, and you put up some piece of property as collateral, so the bank has some security in the event of default. With a mortgage, however, the property being purchased with the loan also secures the loan, allowing the bank to foreclose on it in case the buyer defaults.

Concealment of Defects: if the seller or lessor of commercial real estate actively conceals a material defect in the real estate, they can be liable to the buyer or renter for any damages caused by this concealment.

Duty to Inspect: Lest you believe that the duty to disclose defects relieves any duty of diligence on the part of the buyer, the law will not reward such lapses with a major cause of action. Buyers have a duty to conduct a reasonable inspection of the property before they buy it, usuallyy with a licensed building inspector. If the buyer fails to do this, they won't be able to recover any damages for defects which they could have discovered through a reasonable inspection.

Encumbrances: An encumbrance is any interest held in a piece of property by a party other than the seller and the buyer. These property interests might make it very difficult for the buyer to use the land as they intended when they bought it. A common type of encumbrance in Windsor Heights, Iowa is the easement. An easement is some right that a third party has in a piece of property. For example, suppose that, many years ago, a neighbor adjacent to the land you want to buy, paid a previous owner for the right to cross his land to reach a public road. Unless the agreement states otherwise, this right will usually apply to subsequent owners, and has to be honored. Therefore, it might interfere with the intended use of the new owner.

Can a Windsor Heights, Iowa Attorney Help?

The issues surrounding commercial real estate in Windsor Heights, Iowa can get fairly complex. Therefore, it's never a bad idea to have the assistance of an experienced commercial real estate attorney.