Real Estate

OVERVIEW

In an age when we can turn on the television and see ordinary people flipping houses and accumulating substantial wealth from real estate deals, it is easy to forget that Reality TV is, in fact, not always reality. The truth is: there is no such thing as an easy, routine real estate matter. Real estate transactions and disputes are governed by a complex body of law, and they frequently overlap with other practice areas including family law, estate planning and administration, civil rights, and tax law. Insufficient action to address real estate problems today can potentially result in difficult legal consequences that surface many years from now.

The Law Office of Faye Riva Cohen has decades of experience in the practice of real estate law and is proficient in protecting your interests.

We handle a full range of residential and commercial real estate issues including:

• Property purchases and sales– representing individuals and small businesses in negotiated transactions, agreements of sale, and issues that arise during the purchase process, including inspections/repairs, title problems, zoning and usage issues; and representation if litigation is necessary. Real estate agents do not generally have the legal knowledge necessary to protect the legal rights of buyers and sellers.
• Landlord/Tenant– advising and representing landlords and tenants in residential and commercial properties on their rights and obligations under the law, and negotiating successful resolutions between the parties or assisting in the eviction process
• Fraudulent title– recovering property for victims of fake deeds and transfers, often many years after the property was fraudulently transferred
• Partition– dividing real estate, including under circumstances where ownership is shared with an uncooperative party, a party who cannot be located, or a party who is not legitimately living in the property
• Quiet title– removing title claims of all types, including claims brought by heirs and representatives of deceased property owners, claims related to adverse possession, and claims involving allegations of forged deeds
• Ejectment– pursuing actions to remove parties who are wrongfully occupying real estate and are not owners or tenants as defined under the law
• Foreclosure– representing private and institutional lenders in actions to take possession of mortgaged real estate; defending against foreclosure, including the options of loan modification, short sales, deeds in lieu of foreclosure, and bankruptcy
• Zoning, Licensing, Environmental and Code Enforcement Issues– assisting in resolution of problems encountered with government entities due to the manner in which properties are defined under local regulations, and representing property owners at government hearings and in court concerning zoning and property usage issues

Addressing the “Big Picture”

We are skilled, knowledgeable attorneys with experience in multiple practice areas. This gives us the ability to see the “big picture” beyond the real estate issue at hand and address what has to be done.

Real estate issues are often influenced by outside events or situations, for example:

• Family law issues that arise when couples separate and divorce
• Estate planning and inheritance issues
• Tax implications that if not properly addressed, can result in adverse consequences
• Type of entity, individual or corporate, purchasers or sellers should create
• Federal and state civil rights and anti-discrimination laws to protect the right to purchase, rent, or finance real estate
• Environmental issues

Regardless of the many complexities of your real estate matter, we are prepared.

While we are thorough and creative in our work and act to protect your interests, we approach each case practically with the goal of keeping costs and expenses low. We negotiate and work with adverse parties when appropriate, while protecting our clients’ interests. Litigation is always a last resort.

We Understand

What distinguishes us from other firms is that we try to anticipate any future adverse consequences that can occur years down the road if your matter is not properly handled initially. We consider future implications. Let us assist you with your real estate needs, make you whole, and engage the legal system to achieve the justice to which you are entitled.