Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Revisiting Inquiry Notice

By D. Albert Daspin
July 28, 2006

A recent Illinois Appellate Court decision should lead to increased underwriting and due diligence inquiries by purchasers (and title insurers) of shopping center outparcels (that is smaller parcels at the center's perimeter that the shopping center owner intends to sell or lease for high-traffic uses) and may redefine appropriate inquiry notice throughout the retail industry. In Murray's Discount Auto Stores, Inc. v. USRP Texas, L.P. and First American Bank, Case No. 1-02-3434, the Appel-late Court of Illinois, First Judicial District, held that the purchaser of a shopping center outparcel had knowledge of facts sufficient to put it on inquiry notice as to the existence of a no-build restriction contained in an unrecorded lease at adjacent shopping center property. In so doing, the appellate court sent a loud and clear message that shopping center easement rights and restrictions will be exalted at the expense of buyers who fail to take additional due diligence inquires that may be warranted under the circumstances.

In Murray's Discount Auto, plaintiff Murray's Discount Auto Stores, Inc. ('Murray's'), succeeded to the interest of Trak Auto Corporation, as tenant, pursuant to a lease agreement dated November 1995 (the 'Lease') between the original shopping center developer and Trak Auto Corporation, a memorandum of which was recorded against the shopping center property in June 1996. A lease assignment and assumption was executed in connection with the bankruptcy of Trak Auto Corporation and was approved by the bankruptcy court in January 2002. The Lease included a so-called no-build restriction pursuant to which 'no buildings, kiosks or building type structures' were to be constructed within the designated 'Protected Area.' Subsequent to the initial demise of the leased premises, the shopping center property was conveyed on two separate occasions, the last of which occurred in 1999. Sandwiched between the separate sale transactions, the shopping center owner conveyed an outparcel to American Chartered Bank and, as part of such outparcel sale transaction, the parties entered into a reciprocal easement agreement pursuant to which certain reciprocal easement grants and rights were established. In July 2001, American Chartered Bank conveyed the outparcel to First American Bank, and as part of such transaction, the parties amended the original reciprocal easement agreement.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About It Image

Why is it that those who are best skilled at advocating for others are ill-equipped at advocating for their own skills and what to do about it?

Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.

The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later Image

The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.

A Lawyer's System for Active Reading Image

Active reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.

Protecting Innovation in the Cyber World from Patent Trolls Image

With trillions of dollars to keep watch over, the last thing we need is the distraction of costly litigation brought on by patent assertion entities (PAEs or "patent trolls"), companies that don't make any products but instead seek royalties by asserting their patents against those who do make products.