Real Estate Practice Areas

Neighbor Disputes

Trees, Views, Landscaping, and Fences

  • San Francisco Tree Dispute Resolution Ordinance and similar ordinances in the Bay Area to restore views and sunlight while protecting benefits and health of trees, if practical.
  • Resolving overhanging branches and root issues, landscaping, and fence problems.
  • Tree maintenance plans and view agreements.

Easements, Encroachments, Access, and Boundary Lines

  • Researching easements for access and use, and prepare easement or license agreements, including for gate and alley access, egress pathways, or encroaching structures.
  • Resolve zero lot line or other boundary problems related to construction or encroachments, lot line adjustments, and maintenance and construction agreements.

Construction Projects, Nuisances, and HOA Problems

  • Construction projects, shoring or access agreements, retaining walls, noise, barking dogs or other nuisance issues..
  • Represent HOAs and members regarding CC&Rs, house rules, Davis-Stirling, nuisances, noise, repairs, maintenance, short-term rentals, parking, reserves and assessment issues.

Landlord-Tenant Matters

San Francisco Rent Ordinance

  • Represent tenants and landlords regarding rights under the SF Rent Ordinance.
  • Claims for unsafe and uninhabitable rental units, displacements and damages arising from building fires, wrongful and constructive evictions, loss of rent control unit, and OMIs.

Statewide Rent Cap and Just Cause Evictions

  • Counsel tenants and landlords regarding rights and liabilities under the Tenant Protection Act, including rent cap limits and just cause evictions.
  • Claims for violating the Tenant Protection Act, and unsafe and uninhabitable rental units.

Commercial Leases

  • Commercial Leases including assisting owners and tenants on leases and tenancy issues (recently Covid protection laws) for office, restaurant, and retail spaces.
  • Counsel owners and property managers on leasing commercial and multi-unit residential income properties, including state and local compliance issues, tenant problems, ADA issues, and requirements for pool use, bedbugs, smoke alarms, and metering utilities.

Purchase and Sales & Historic Property Investigations

Non-Disclosure and Misrepresentation Claims

  • Claims between buyers and sellers regarding alleged non-disclosure and misrepresentation, including repairs, water leaks, permit and code issues, soil issues, easements, bad neighbors, prior litigation, and occupancy and use rights.

Mediation Demands and Pre-litigation Mediations

  • Mediation demands and pre-litigation mediations for claims alleging nondisclosure and misrepresentations, including those arising from neighbor problems, water leaks, repairs, improvements, permit and code issues, structural and soil issues, and occupancy or use.

Historic Property Investigations

  • Historic property investigations regarding ownership, use, rights, and interests, including to resolve neighbor disputes and to advise on developing or to purchase single family homes, multi-unit residential, commercial, and farms and ranches. Work includes researching agreements, access easements, licenses, land use, or conservation easements.
  • Investigates information on properties from public agencies, libraries, and history rooms throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, and uncovers the human stories related to them.