Landlord & Tenant Law

In commercial tenant's action for declaratory and injunctive relief, tenant appealed from Supreme Court's declaration that tenant had no legal interest in the real property. The Appellate Division affirmed, holding that tenant's failure to procure insurance entitled landlord to terminate the lease and prevent tenant from exercising its option to purchase the property.

The parties entered into a lease for a period beginning Oct. 1, 2004 and ending on Sept. 30, 2015. The lease required tenant to purchase $2,000,000 in insurance coverage, and to provide proof of coverage to landlord. The lease also gave tenant an option to purchase the property. In three letters dated in early 2014, landlord notified tenant that it was in default for failure to procure the requisite insurance coverage. Those letters were followed by a letter dated April 30, 2014 informing tenant that the lease would be terminated as of May 8, 2014. On July 25, 2014, tenant commenced this action for a declaration that the lease had not been validly terminated and that tenant was entitled to exercise its option to purchase. Supreme Court granted summary judgment to landlord and declared that tenant had no interest in the property. Tenant appealed.