A Good Deed May Go Unpunished: Parties That Voluntarily Clean Up Sites Can Sue for Cost Recovery Under CERCLA
March 25, 2008
One U.S. Supreme Court decision this past term brought welcomed news to those labeled 'potentially responsible parties' under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act. In <i>United States v. Atlantic Research</i>, the Court unanimously agreed that PRPs that voluntarily clean up contaminated property may bring suit for cost recovery against other PRPs under '107 of CERCLA. The Court's opinion left certain questions unanswered and even raised one or two new questions.
In the Spotlight: Shopping Center Lease Assignments -- Bankruptcy Changes Could Hamper Debtors
March 25, 2008
Certain amendments to Title 11, United States Code (the 'Bankruptcy Code') implemented by the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 received little notice, but one such change made to §365(f)(1), a section commonly utilized by debtor/ tenants to invalidate anti-assignment provisions contained in commercial leases, could have a wide-ranging impact in retail bankruptcy cases.
Retail Goes Green
March 25, 2008
Retail construction represents only 1.5% of the projects registered with the U.S. Green Building Council for green building status. To incorporate this powerful segment of the building industry into the certification program, the USGBC recently introduced two pilot programs tailored to retail development.
Shortfall Fees in Factoring Pact
February 29, 2008
In a recent decision, Judge Shira A. Scheindlin of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York applied New Jersey law in ruling that a shortfall fee charged by a factoring company was enforceable, pursuant to an alternative fee structure under a certain factoring agreement.
Inaccurate Financing Statement
February 29, 2008
Sure, it happens. People make mistakes. But, when does a mistake made on a financing statement render it 'seriously misleading' under revised Uniform Commercial Code '9-506 and thus ineffective to perfect an asserted security interest? The Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida recently addressed this issue in the case of <i>In re John's Bean Farm of Homestead Inc.</i>
Who Benefits?
February 29, 2008
An anlysis of the recent case of <i>Rush v. U.S. Bancorp Equipment Finance, Inc.</i>, __ S.D. Rep. ___ (2007 SD 119, Nov. 14, 2007). There, the plaintiff put forth the novel contention that the creditor/defendant should have protected the debtor's financial condition by perfecting the creditor's interest.
How Much Control?
February 27, 2008
There appears to be an increasing trend in municipalities in the United States to regulate aesthetics and use through the development of 'chronic nuisance' statutes that permit property closure, and regulation of vacant properties.
An Exculpatory Clause Is Not a 'Get Out of Jail Free' Card
February 27, 2008
Until recently, it appeared that exculpatory clauses could exonerate a party from liability under all circumstances. According to case precedent, in a landord/tenant context, it seemed as though a landlord need only cite economic self-interest as the basis for its non-performance under the lease agreement and enforce the exculpatory clause against its tenant, thereby limiting the tenant's remedies to specific performance, injunctive relief, and/or arbitration.
In the Spotlight: Considerations for Payment of a Construction Allowance
February 27, 2008
Several issues arise when contemplating the payment of a construction allowance to the tenant. In particular, issues such as the manner and timing for payment of the construction allowance, documentation required for the payment, and repayment in the event of a default by the tenant, should all be considered when addressing the issue of the construction allowance in the lease. This article discusses the foregoing issues and addresses various manners in which these issues can be dealt with in the lease.
