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An estoppel certificate is a legal document where a party confirms key facts about an existing contract. It is common among contracts involving tenants, borrowers, and homeowners associations. Estoppel certificates may appear in real estate transactions such as: Buying commercial property with existing tenantsPurchasing multi-family apartment buildingsBuying shopping centers and retail locationsAcquiring office buildings with…

Clearing a title defect, often called a “cloud on title,” can take multiple forms. Simple errors, such as a misspelled name on a deed, a missing notary stamp, or a paid debt that was never officially released, can usually be resolved by recording a corrective deed or a lien release in county records. Major issues, including…

Texas law does not give property owners an automatic right to a view. If a neighbor builds a fence, plants trees, or adds a second story that blocks your line of sight, you usually have no legal right to prevent the project, even if it lowers your property value or ruins a view you enjoyed….

In Texas, a mechanic’s and materialman’s lien allows unpaid parties to place an official legal claim on real estate where they provided labor or materials. This claim attaches directly to the property and provides claimants with the legal right to pursue action through the courts to satisfy the outstanding debt.Filing a mechanic’s and materialman’s lien…

Common area maintenance (CAM) is a lease term that requires commercial retail tenants to pay toward operating shared spaces. These expenses usually cover parking lot repairs, landscaping, and other maintenance. Landlords generally split these costs among tenants based on the percentage of total floor space each tenant rents.Commercial properties most likely to have CAM obligations…

Property surveys are important to define the boundaries of a given parcel. But when a survey shows issues like property line disputes or undisclosed rights of way, related real estate transactions can face delays. Recognizing common survey complications can help protect your investment and keep your closing on schedule.Access IssuesAccess problems happen when a survey…

A commercial lease is a contract. Contracts allocate risk. Texas courts generally enforce these leases as written, especially between sophisticated parties. Therefore, the fine print controls who bears what risks. In commercial real estate transactions, this makes lease review as important as due diligence on the property itself. Several common clauses quietly move high costs…

In Texas, what happens before a construction lawsuit is filed often decides how it ends. The pre-suit phase is where plaintiffs gather persuasive evidence, identify all at-fault parties, and develop a strategy for a successful claim.  Skipping a required step can delay a case, cap a recovery, or get a lawsuit dismissed outright. A…

A title commitment is one of the most important documents in a real estate transaction. This document is the title company’s conditional offer to issue a title insurance policy. It identifies the current owner, describes the property, lists the requirements that must be satisfied before closing, and discloses exceptions (i.e., items the policy will…

To admit a will to probate in Texas, the executor or another interested party must file an application with the probate court in the county where the deceased lived. The court will then post notice and hold a hearing, where a witness or the will’s self-proving affidavit establishes validity before a judge signs an order…