Portland Area Law Blog

When buying a home, one wants to make sure the property is in good repair, that it passes all necessary inspections, that it meets one's needs and that one has financing in place. The same can be said for commercial real estate. Buying commercial property is a big investment. Oregon residents who wish to take this kind of thing on may want some assistance to ensure a smooth acquisition process.

Before looking at property, identifying financing is a must. One needs to know how much he or she has to work with. Having financing figured out from the get-go will help the acquisition process move along quickly.

As a tenant, you know how difficult it is when rents keep rising. The Oregon Legislature recently passed a bill trying to address this. What does it do and how is it likely to affect you as a tenant?

What does the new law do?

When selling or buying property in Oregon or elsewhere, a deed is needed to finalize the transfer of property. There are several types of deeds out there. This week, this column will briefly go over the different types, what is needed for a deed to be legally operative and what issues with these contracts can do to a real estate transaction.

Generally speaking, there are four different kinds of deeds, which are general warranty, special warranty, quitclaim and special purpose. A general warranty deed is great for buyers as it protects them should anyone claim they have rights to the property after the purchase is complete. A special warranty deed guarantees that the grantor owns and can sell the property and that during his or her ownership no encumbrances were incurred. Quitclaim contracts allow for the transfer of title but do not allow buyers any legal recourse should a problem with the title be discovered. Special purpose deeds come in many forms and are akin to quitclaim deeds.

Starting a business is a big move. It takes guts, hard work and a lot of determination to make it a success. Doing it with a partner certainly has its advantages, but it can also have disadvantages as well, as disputes will most likely arise at some point. Those who own companies in Oregon and who find themselves dealing with a partnership issue would likely benefit from the services of a business law attorney when seeking resolution.

Any business partnership can start out great. Conflicts tend to arise over time. According to a recently published article, there are six main reasons why partnerships fail. Those reasons are:

• Inability to trust one another
• Failure to achieve success
• Personality conflicts
• Different goals/values
• Different levels of commitment to the company
• Partner is a friend, spouse or other relative