One of the questions frequently asked when the lockdown began over two months ago was from small business owners who wanted to know whether they had the right to suspend their rent payments. In response, the New Jersey Legislature introduced a bill on April 9, 2020, that would authorize Governor Murphy to permit emergency rent suspensions for a small business tenant economically distressed as a result of the pandemic. » Read More

With the COVID-19 crisis upon us and New Jersey businesses shuttered, many commercial tenants suddenly find themselves deprived of the ability to pay their rent. By order of Governor Murphy, there is a moratorium on residential evictions and foreclosures in New Jersey. » Read More

Many commercial tenants that fail to pay rent because the premises are not “up to snuff” operate under the mistaken impression that they can continue to operate the business and defend their failure to pay rent by simply alleging that the landlord deprived them of the use of the premises. » Read More

Many times, a commercial landlord really does not want to evict a non-paying tenant – particularly in those instances where the landlord is trying to keep up appearances at a center – but is left with little choice when a tenant falls so far behind in rent that the landlord is compelled to sue for possession. » Read More

One of the knocks against the legal profession is that it uses terms that are obscure or undecipherable by the rest of the population. One of those terms is “privity.” It gets thrown around in some circles with less than a full understanding of what the term means and how it may apply. » Read More

As with anything worth pursuing, the better prepared a landlord is before signing a lease the better off the landlord will be should any difficulty arise during the term of the lease. Below is an outline of items a landlord should address prior to signing a lease as part of due diligence:

• Document the condition of the premises.

Many times I have been approached by a landlord who wants to evict residential tenants from the premises because the lease has “expired.” The first questions I ask are: 1) whether the landlord lives in the premises, and 2) whether the premises contain no more than two rental units (in addition to the landlord’s unit). » Read More

The New Jersey Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of a residential landlord, Anna Mae Cashin, who sought to evict Marisela Bello. Bello lived in a single family home located on Cashin’s property, which also contained another building with five residential units. » Read More

On many occasions, a commercial landlord and a tenant who find themselves in court together will enter into a consent judgment as a means to resolve their dispute in order to avoid the time and expense of a trial. The courts provide basic consent judgment forms that the parties may revise to fit their specific situation. » Read More

Generally, where there is a final judgment on the merits by a court having jurisdiction, that judgment is conclusive between the parties to a suit as to all matters that were litigated or that could have been litigated in that suit. » Read More