ARE MULTIPLE LAWSUITS BETTER THAN ONE? An important component of litigation strategy in disputes involving multiple parties or multiple claims involves deciding which claims and parties to include in a lawsuit. By extension, that strategy decision includes...
WHAT IS AN EXPRESS EASEMENT? An easement is a non-possessory interest in another's property that authorizes the holder to use that property for a particular purpose. Marcus Cable Assocs., L.P. v. Krohn, 90 S.W.3d 697, 700 (Tex.2002).Notably, an easement does not...
Has a neighboring landowner caused water to divert onto your property resulting in flooding or other damage? Erection of dams, walls, fences, channels, berms, culverts, and culverts can change the natural flow of rainwater or water courses, resulting in destructive...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONjT3AnNWNM HAVE YOU RECEIVED A SCARY LAWYER LETTER? Have you received an aggressive lawyer from a lawyer accusing you of terrible acts and threatening horrific things unless you pay a sum of money? How did reading the letter make you...
THE MEANING OF AN “AS IS” AGREEMENT IN REAL ESTATE When buyers of real estate in Texas contract to buy a property "as is," they agree to make their own appraisal of the bargain and to accept the risk that they may be wrong. Prudential Ins. Co. of Am. v. Jefferson...
WHAT IS RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL? A Right of First Refusal or "ROFR" is a grant or covenant by a landowner to another of a preemptive or preferential right, to purchase the property on the same terms offered by or to a bona fide purchaser." Tenneco Inc. v. Enter. Prods....
UNDERSTANDING VENUE In the legal world the term "Venue" refers to the county in which a lawsuit is to be prosecuted. Venue and jurisdiction are related terms, but the concept of venue is more concerned with the locale of a lawsuit. Notably, the venue in which a case...
Right to Partition When Joint Owners of Real Property in Texas determine that they can no longer co-exist or "co-own" property, they may invoke the power of the Court to sever their ownership interests. The law will not force a reluctant joint owner of real property...
Anatomy of an Earnest Money Dispute Let’s face it, a large number of real estate contracts do not close. No matter how pure the intentions of the buyer and seller, many variables pose hazards to consummation of real estate deals. Some of the deal-killing factors are...
https://youtu.be/c6KFV5KMzR0 When you see it... I had the opportunity to visit the Leon County Courthouse in Centerville, Texas during November 2021. The courthouse was built in 1886, making it one of the oldest functioning courthouses in Texas. The restored district...
STATUTE OF FRAUDS - GENERAL RULE REQUIRES REAL ESTATE CONTRACTS TO BE WRITTEN AND SIGNED The general rule in Texas is that contracts for the sale of real estate must be in writing and signed by the parties in order to be enforceable. This notion, commonly known as...
Judgment Determining Catholic Archdiocese Was Unjustly Enriched by Improvements to its 978.6 acre Ranch Vitiated by Fourth Court of Appeals. In a July 2021 opinion, the Fourth Court of Appeals saved the Diocese of Corpus Christi from a $458,426.14 jury verdict. In...
On May 26, 2021, the Texas Fourth Court of Appeals issued its opinion in a case that explored the requirement that a real estate broker's commission agreement be written and signed. The opinion was authored by Justice Irene Rios in a case entitled Stephen W. Mabery...
Suits to enforce payment of real estate commissions generally turn on the presence or absence of a signed agreement providing for the commission. PLAIN LANGUAGE OF THE TEXAS REAL ESTATE LICENSE ACT The Texas Real Estate License Act ("RELA") statute of frauds provision...
INTRODUCTION Emotion is complex. It is also instinctive, biological and neurophysiological. Emotion is a natural state of mind or mood that derives from a variety of internal and external factors. In short, Emotion is very real and very Human. Litigation, on the...
I have always enjoyed studying and discussing details of ancient and modern trials of significant import. The details of some of these trials, such as the trial of Jesus and Salem Witch Trials, are widely-known. Others are far more esoteric. My passion for reading...
Formation of a valid contract for the purchase and sale of real estate in Texas does NOT require a Buyer to deposit earnest money. Even if a contract expressly requires the Buyer to make the earnest money deposit within a certain time, failure to do so does NOT mean...
For landowners looking to sell acreage or commercial tracts, being approached by a developer can be exciting. Over the years I have had many landowner-sellers tell me that after the first contact, they felt like their "ship had finally arrived." However, when it came...
Texas law requires that a contract’s subject matter be reasonably identified. With contracts for the purchase and sale of land, the subject matter is the property itself. If the contract and related writings do not sufficiently describe the property to be conveyed,...
Contract Price Isn't Always the Actual Price Sellers of acreage properties for other than farm and ranch use can be in for a big surprise when it comes to the actual price a buyer is willing to pay. This is true because many contracts for the purchase of large tracts...
The Texas Real Estate Commission is making big changes to some of its most commonly-used forms. In addition to adopting a new Consumer Protection Notice, and revamping other contract forms and addenda, the Commission has adopted significant revisions to the One to...