Commercial Real Estate Law in Texas
Commercial real estate is any form of land or structure in Odessa, Texas which is utilized for business purposes, mainly the sale of goods and/or services to the public.
The Odessa, Texas laws regulating commercial real estate differ significantly from the laws that cover residential and other types of real estate.
Most of the protections that buyers and renters of residential real estate enjoy rarely apply to renters of commercial real estate.
Several of the protections that don't apply to commercial property include warranties of habitability, rent control, and warranties of quiet enjoyment. There are others, as well. The most general protections, nonetheless, apply to buyers of both residential and commercial real estate, including remedies for fraud and concealment of physical or title defects.
Common Commercial Real Estate Law Issues in Odessa, Texas
Financing: The majority of small businesses in Odessa, Texas can't afford to make large real estate purchases with the money they have in the bank. Nevertheless, buying real estate is sometimes essential for a business' survival. This problem is sometimes remedied by taking out a mortgage; a loan used to buy property, with that same property being used to secure the loan.
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: Buyers of commercial real estate are expected to be diligent, and a court will not reward a lack of diligence. Therefore, if the buyer fails to conduct a thorough inspection of the property before buying it, and thereby fails to discover defects which such an inspection could have easily revealed, he will not be able to sue the seller over these defects later on.
Encumbrances: These are defects to title, rather than physical defects. They are legal issues which might make it challenging or impossible for a landowner to make full use of their land. In Odessa, Texas, 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 set 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 Odessa, Texas Attorney Help?
The issues surrounding commercial real estate in Odessa, Texas can get fairly complex. Therefore, it's never a bad idea to have the assistance of an experienced commercial real estate attorney.