REAL ESTATE LAWYERS
The
real estate lawyers of Battaglia, Ross, Dicus & McQuaid, P.A. have helped change the face of the entire west-central Florida region. Whatever your real
estate-related legal needs, please contact a real estate lawyer at our office in St. Petersburg, Florida, today.
Battaglia, Ross, Dicus & McQuaid, P.A. real estate lawyers have a rich history of helping individuals and business entities achieve their real estate related goals. Our founder, Attorney Anthony S. Battaglia, was named one of the “Best Lawyers in America” for his accomplishments as a
real estate lawyer. Mr. Battaglia and
Attorney Howard Ross, have been instrumental in the growth and development of the Tampa Bay Area for the past 60 years.
Real estate attorney Andrew R. Pardun, joined the team in 2016 and has worked directly with Attorney Howard Ross, one of the top real estate practitioners in Florida, with over 50 years experience, to develop skills well beyond his years.
Our real estate department represents and counsels property owners, investors, developers, lenders and borrowers, and groups of owners such as condominium and homeowner’s associations (HOAs) throughout St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Tampa.
This includes:
Learn more our
Real Estate Legal Services, including real estate litigation, eminent domain, inverse condemnation, and environmental law.
For the past 60 years, the law offices of Battaglia, Ross, Dicus & McQuaid, P.A., have represented clients throughout Florida with their
real estate legal needs. Our experienced practitioners have been able to provide sound legal advice to buyers and sellers of both commercial and residential real estate. Our office also specializes in handling
real estate closings. When you close with our experienced attorneys you get the added benefit of getting sound legal advice as it pertains to your real estate transaction.
REAL ESTATE LAWYERS PRACTICE AREAS
Our St. Petersburg real estate lawyers are experienced in many areas of
real estate law including:
REAL ESTATE CLOSINGS AND TITLE INSURANCE
When you
hire a St. Petersburg Real Estate Lawyer to handle closing your commercial or residential real estate transaction you get benefits that are not available to those using non-attorney title companies. The largest benefit is that if there is a problem with the target property, a lawyer has the tools and knowledge to fix that problem and cure title defects. Non-attorney title companies are not going to be able to cure most title defects and you will have to retain an attorney to remedy the defect before returning to close your deal which often results in significant delays or even losing the deal. Many times an attorney will be able to cure the defect and close on the scheduled closing date. For typical
title defects, our
real estate lawyers do not charge an additional fee to cure title. We view this added service as fulfilling our promise to provide the best possible service to our clients.
COMMERCIAL LENDING AND SECURED TRANSACTIONS
Our office is experienced in representing
commercial lenders or
hard-money lenders secured by Commercial Real Estate. Our
real estate lawyers assist lenders in completing due diligence, securing the loan with the first mortgage on commercial real property, and procuring a title insurance policy with limited exceptions. We also have the interpersonal skills necessary to explain the nature of each transaction to both the lender and the borrower. Our
real estate lawyers understand that each transaction is unique and we approach each transaction with careful attention to detail to ensure that our clients receive the soundest legal representation.
DEVELOPER RELATED MATTERS
Our office
represents real estate developers on a wide array of projects including:
- Purchase and Sale Agreement
- Escrow Services
- Drafting Condominium Documents
- Closings
- HOA Turnover
- Other community-related issues
Our firm has assisted developers in some of the most successful projects on the West Coast of Florida. No matter how small or large the scope of the project may be, our
real estate attorneys treat each project with meticulous care to ensure that our clients are protected.
NEGOTIATING REAL ESTATE CONTRACTS
Our real estate attorneys are experienced and skilled in
assisting buyer and seller of commercial and residential real estate with their contract negotiations. We understand that each deal begins with the negotiation of the contract and we have the ability to explain the pros and cons of each integral detail of the contract. Whether clients are using standard
FAR-BAR real estate contracts or we are drafting a tailor-made agreement each provision must be carefully considered in light of the nature of the transaction.
- Some questions that need to be answered are:
- How long will due diligence be?
- What will due diligence entail?
- Are there survey issues?
- What environmental issues are there with the property?
- How much earnest money should I require?
- Should I require additional deposits?
- Are there any extensions?
- Are there any options that need to be incorporated?
The list is endless and each deal requires its own unique provisions. Our
real estate lawyers have the ability to assist in all
real estate transactions from small residential purchases to multi-million dollar land and improved property acquisitions and sales.
DRAFTING AND NEGOTIATING LEASES
Far too often, landlords and tenants mistakenly assume that the lease they have been provided is adequate. A leasehold interest in a property is a legal right to occupy and use real estate subject to the terms of the lease. Our
experienced real estate lawyers can help negotiate and review leases for landlords and for tenants.
Often times a lease may be for an extremely long term. Therefore, it is important to consider all the challenges and problems that may occur in the distant future.
- Who will maintain the building?
- Who is responsible for fixing components of the leased premises including HVAC, the roof, the interior, and the exterior.
- Who is responsible for paying the taxes?
- What insurance requirements should be in my lease?
- Is there a need for indemnification?
These are just a few of the typical questions involved in drafting a lease. Before signing a lease, you should consider hiring one of our
experienced real estate lawyers to review your agreement.
INVESTOR DUE DILIGENCE
Our real estate lawyers are experienced in
assisting real estate developers to conduct due diligence on a prospective acquisition. Often times, investors need
due diligence completed on short notice, perhaps because the target property is being sold at a public auction.
Investors should be extremely cautious when purchasing a property at auction and they need to review and understand what liens may be on the property, what mortgages are not satisfied, and what other encumbrances could surface in the future. Our real estate lawyers have the ability to
pull a full title report on a target property and review the relevant history to understand what potential problems may exist. After we have investigated the target property, investors can purchase with peace of mind.
FORECLOSURE REPRESENTATION
Florida Foreclosure law is extremely confusing and complex. Our experienced real estate lawyers can
assist both lenders and borrowers with the foreclosure process to accomplish their individual objectives. From a borrower perspective, we will review every aspect of the loan to ensure that the lender has complied with all of its obligations. Our borrowers also receive the added benefit of staying in their home while we fight on your behalf. When representing lenders, we aggressively pursue the case to real the most expedient and efficient resolution possible.
EVICTIONS
Our real estate lawyers are incredibly knowledgeable about
Florida landlord-tenant law and are experienced in assisting both landlords and tenants with achieving their legal objectives. Florida law is very unforgiving for tenants who do not pay their rent and our real estate attorneys will ensure that landlords are able to retake possession of their property quickly from a non-paying tenant.
