Renting retail space here in Orange County may have been the best choice for your company. After negotiating a commercial lease you felt worked well for your situation, you settled in and opened your doors. When you signed your lease, you relied on the fact that you and your landlord would fulfill your separate obligations without question. However, that might not always be the case.
Your lease is the controlling document should you and your landlord have any disagreements, which can arise out of a number of situations. Perhaps you included a noncompetition clause in your lease, but the landlord either has, or will, rent out space to another business that violates this provision. Maybe you find that customers with disabilities have trouble getting to you because the building fails to meet rules and regulations provided through the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Your landlord may fail to reimburse you for charges relating to the maintenance of the common areas. In some cases, environmental conditions arise that put you, your employees and your customers at risk. When you approach your landlord, a dispute could arise regarding who pays for the assessment and remediation needed in order to rectify the situation. A disagreement could erupt over something as simple as making an insurance claim for damages to your space.
If you experience these or other disputes with your Orange County landlord, it may be beneficial to carefully review your commercial lease to determine exactly what it provides on a particular issue. More than likely, neither party wants to end up in court, so both parties may have high hopes for early attempts to resolve the issue. If the dispute cannot be resolved amicably, it may be necessary to file litigation to find a resolution.
