Commercial Real Estate Law in Illinois

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

The Lake Barrington, Illinois laws governing commercial real estate differ significantly from the laws that cover residential and other types of real estate.

When renting or buying residential real estate, renters and buyers have significant legal protections which often don't apply to commercial real estate.

These absent protections include rent control, and warranties of habitability, among others. The most basic protections, such as prohibiting sellers of real estate from lying about the property to the buyer, apply in any context, however.

Common Commercial Real Estate Law Issues in Lake Barrington, Illinois

Financing: Most small business owners in Lake Barrington, Illinois don't have the money to buy real estate with the cash on hand. However, there is a solution to this problem, allowing people without massive sums of money (but with a steady income) to buy real estate: the mortgage. A mortgage is a loan used to buy real estate, and the real estate being purchased is used as collateral for the loan.

Disclosure of Defects: Sellers of real estate have an obligation to inform prospective buyers of any defects present in the property, such as water damage and other structural problems. Basically, if the defect is significant enough that it might affect a reasonable buyer's decision on whether or not to purchase the property, and the seller knows about it, it must be disclosed. Failure to disclose such defects would give a buyer the right to sue the seller, and recover significant damages, including the cost of repairing the defect, compensation for any injuries or illness caused by it, and the reduction in the property's value caused by the defect.

Buyer's Duty to Inspect: generally, buyers of commercial real estate are expected to inspect the property before buying it. A failure to do so might prevent the buyer from prevailing in a lawsuit if he is harmed by physical defects that an inspection would have revealed, and that the seller didn't know about.

Encumbrances: These are defects to title, rather than physical defects. They are legal issues which might make it difficult or impossible for a landowner to make full use of their land. In Lake Barrington, Illinois, these might include easements. An easement is a right to use property held by a party other than the owner. This use is often very limited in scope, such as allowing the holder of the easement to cross the property to access a public road, or something similar. Such rights usually have to be recognized and honored by new owners, so if they buy property not knowing about them, they might be seriously inconvenienced.

Can a Lake Barrington, Illinois Attorney Help?

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