Chicago Law Firms Robbins, Salomon & Patt andDiMonte & Lizak Merge
– Newly formed Robbins DiMonte, Ltd. combines to become one of Chicagoland’s largest boutique law firms, an all-in-one legal source offering full-service capabilities for individuals, investors,businesses and financial institutions–
“Both of our firms have been in existence for over 50 years and enjoy longtime client relationships. We each recognized that by joining forces with a similarly situated firm to deepen our bench strength and heighten service to clients, we could position ourselves for the next 50 years,” commented Sachs, who was previously RSP’s CEO. “Like RSP, D&L has deep roots in Illinois and throughout the Midwest with a collaborative culture that seeks to effectively and creatively solve client needs to achieve positive client outcomes. As we explored this opportunity, the synergies between our firms became obvious. By combining firms, we are leveraging each other’s specialties and consolidating our resources, which will allow us to deliver even greater value to our clients with in-depth insights across multi-disciplinary teams, diverse experiences, and integrated solutions.”
“This is a true combination of equals, with attorneys and practice areas that are highly complementary,” said DiMonte, who served as Managing Partner of D&L. ‘With our full array of practice offerings, the firm will become a full-service destination of choice for investors, owners, and middle market businesses. Robbins DiMonte is positioned for long-term success and will continue to be a firm well-regarded for personal service, creativity, and forward-thinking, solution-minded attorneys.”
“The interests of our clients were central to making the decision to merge,” noted Sachs and DiMonte. “Both firms wanted to remain nimble and adaptable to changing client needs, while leveraging our comprehensive knowledge and breadth of experience, which we believe power our strong client alliances.”
Our Commitment to You
The two firms bring a deep commitment to the Chicagoland communities and look forward to continuing to connect with clients and community partners. Together, Robbins DiMonte will forge ahead as a new firm grounded in our shared core beliefs: strategic collaboration, transparency, innovative solutions, cost consciousness, a personal touch, and community engagement.
Power in Collaboration
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For more information about Robbins DiMonte, Ltd., visit robbinsdimonte.com
Chicago 180 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 3300 Chicago, Illinois 60601 Phone: (312) 782-9000
Park Ridge 216 W. Higgins Rd. Park Ridge, Illinois 60068 Phone: (847) 698-9600
We are entering a new frontier for adaptive re-use. The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has left the urban commercial landscape in tatters. Shuttered vacant commercial space is commonplace throughout cities and towns. Doors and windows are boarded-up in shopping districts and entertainment districts that were thriving as recently as February 2020. Some have become barely recognizable.
Looking to the Future
What is to become of this vast inventory of vacant retail space, shuttered restaurants, empty hotels and office buildings, abandoned shopping malls, cavernous and empty theaters, stranded travel destinations, and more? Who will have the vision and courage to adapt and redevelop these properties into newly viable economic jewels? And when?
Make no mistake; it will happen. And it’s likely to happen much more quickly than you think.
While many are just beginning to peak their cautious heads out from under their COVID blankets, value-add developers are assembling to scoop-up valuable assets to be reimagined and repositioned for economic glory. If you believe the residential real estate market is hot, hold onto your collective hats. There are enormous profits to be made in commercial real estate and new business. These COVID-depressed sectors have struggled during the COVID shutdown, but unless the government blows it with short-sighted regulation and foolish tax policy, substantial economic revitalization is about to commence. Jobs, business opportunities, community-desired services and amenities, and great economic rewards are on the horizon. The ingenuity and creativity of value-add developers and the entrepreneurs they enable, coupled with vast amounts of available capital, are about to be unleashed in a torrent.
Pent-up demand is a powerful force. We are about to witness the creative power of visionary value-add developers as they reimagine and reinvent vacant and underutilized commercial space and turn it into some remarkably Cool Projects. I can’t wait!
COOL PROJECTS – Real Estate Projects I Love to Work On.
I love cool real estate projects. Cool projects are why I became a lawyer. Cool projects are why I come to the office each day. Cool real estate projects are why I did not become an astrophysicist (well, one reason – although, that might have been cool too). Cool projects are the reason I live, smile, dance, breath, scour the earth for new deals, jump for joy.
And by “cool”, I don’t mean in a thermal sense – but rather in a “this project is so cool” sense. I am referring to real estate projects that are awesome. Real estate projects that are fun. Real estate projects that make you say “Wow – what a cool project!”
R. Kymn Harp
Cool projects don’t need to be costly projects in major urban centers – although those can be cool too. I’m talking about projects that are creative. Projects that require vision and imagination. Projects that take something mundane and turn it into something special.
Some people think I only like huge projects. To be honest, I do like huge projects, but largely because the huge projects I have worked on also happened to be cool projects.
Redevelopment of the commercial portions of Marina City in downtown Chicago was a cool project. Ground-up development of Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois was a cool project. Work on various mixed-use projects around the Midwest and upstate New York have been cool projects. But so has been the much smaller development of an 8,000 square foot microbrewery in the historic Motor Row District of Chicago using TIF financing; development of countless restaurant and entertainment venues throughout the Midwest; conversion of a multi-story industrial building into a high-tech office center; conversion of an outdated office building into a stylish, luxury hotel; adaptive reuse of outdated retail strip centers, bank buildings, city and suburban office buildings, bowling alleys, warehouses, industrial buildings, gas stations, and various small to medium sized special purpose buildings into modern, fully functional jewels – reinvented to provide much needed retail and service amenities for local neighborhoods and communities. It is not the size of the project that makes it cool – or the cost – it is the concept, imagination and creative challenge involved that makes the difference. At least for me.
Cool Projects Test
Here’s a test [call it the “Cool Projects Test”, if you will]:
Which of the following projects is more likely to end up on Kymn Harp’s list of cool projects?
If experience teaches us anything, it teaches that the COVID-19 pandemic will end. Things we enjoyed before, will be enjoyed again. People still want to shop, travel, dine-out, go to theater, attend live concerts and sporting events, marvel at fireworks displays, celebrate family gatherings, and do all the things that enrich our lives. Demand did not simply evaporate; it remains strong. Pressure is building. Pent-up demand is rising. It is waiting to be unleashed. Are you ready?
Pundits speak of a “new normal” – but what does that even mean?
Not long ago, during the Great Recession, we heard talk of a new normal as well. How long did it take for that new normal to become a faded memory once the economy rebounded and began to expand? (Not long.)
Clearly, this pandemic has been devastating, with tragic loss of life, severe illness, and widespread economic devastation. New words and phrases have entered our lexicon, like asymptomatic, social distancing, bending-the-curve, intubation, N95, no-mask/no entry, quarantine, self-isolation, COVID-Lease amendments, COVID-abatements, PPP loans, sneeze-barriers, and the like. Although we learned in pre-school to “wash our hands”, we’ve gained new appreciation for this simple task since March 2020.
Discussions now focus on a need to reconfigure health facilities, office space, restaurants, hotels, conference centers, congregate living facilities, schools, places of worship, public transportation, shopping centers, and more, to prevent the spread of infectious disease. Some claim this pandemic will cause a seismic shift away from urban living and centralized business districts, in favor of far-flung regions linked together by Zoom or other remote video-conferencing technologies.
But will it?
A growing number of medical experts believe that multiple effective vaccines and treatments will be available shortly, which could bring the COVID pandemic to an end by the third or fourth quarter of 2021. What then?
When COVID cases are no longer in the news, will we remain preoccupied with social distancing, isolation, remote offices, and remote meetings? Or will be get back to business as usual? Will we stay hunkered down in our suburban home-offices while our competition is out actively meeting with prospects and clients, looking for development opportunities, and doing business in person?
Is the central business district dead? Is urban living to be no more? Will theaters, bars, and restaurants remain closed? Navy Pier? Magnificent Mile? The restaurant and shopping scene in Chicago’s West Loop, Fulton Market, Pilsen, Greektown, Streeterville, Chinatown, Little Italy, Bronzeville, River North, and neighborhoods and suburbs beyond? Are they gone for good?
How long will it take before the “new normal” gives way to the “old normal” – with restaurants and banquet halls reopening, people dining out, going to live concerts, returning to the office, taking vacations, meeting in-person with customers, clients and friends, going to sporting events and live theater or the movies, spending money on leisure activities, buying urban condos, staying at downtown hotels, and doing all the things they recently enjoyed?
What are the implications for adaptive reuse of commercial space left vacant by this pandemic, and for commercial real estate investment and development, and for business in general? What will be in demand this next summer and fall?
What will be the turning point? Many of my clients are already looking past the pandemic to the next wave of opportunity. Are you?
How are you positioning yourself for the opportunities that are coming? Is your professional team still intact? Did they retire? Move away? Go out of business?
What opportunity awaits?
Are you ready for what comes next? Should we talk?
Opportunity
Zones are among the hottest of Hot
Topics in real estate investment today. With
the December 22, 2017 enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that added Section
1400Z to the Internal Revenue Code, Opportunity Zones were authorized as a potentially
powerful tax deferral and tax exclusion incentive to develop predominantly low-income
communities. The tax issues related to Opportunity Zone investment are
multilayered and complex, but the essential tax benefits are reasonably
straightforward and easy to understand. The potential tax benefits of
investment in Opportunity Zones are serving as an exciting foundation for investment
in community redevelopment. Opportunity Zones are not, however, the tax and
investment panacea some imagine.
STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION
Authorization
to create Qualified Opportunity Zones was set forth in new IRC Section 1400Z-1.
Special rules for treatment of capital gains invested in Qualified Opportunity
Zones are set forth in Section 1400Z-2.
DESIGNATION OF OPPORTUNITY ZONES
As
of December 2018, all Qualified Opportunity Zones have been designated. Each
Opportunity Zone corresponds to a Census Tract meeting certain low-income
guidelines. There is currently no mechanism to create any additional Qualified Opportunity
Zones or to expand or modify any existing Qualified Opportunity Zone. Various mapping tools are available online to
enable you to locate Qualified Opportunity Zones and to determine whether any
specific property is located within a Qualified Opportunity Zone and therefore
eligible for the special tax treatment authorized by IRC 1400Z-2.
THREE KEY TAX BENEFITS OF OPPORTUNITY ZONE INVESTMENT
The
three principal tax benefits of investment in a Qualified Opportunity Zone,
assuming the technical rules required by IRC 1400Z-2 and the implementing regulations
are satisfied, are as follows:
Tax
Deferral. Tax on capital gain reinvested in a Qualified
Opportunity Zone is deferred until December 31, 2026 (unless the investment is
sold or exchanged prior to that time). See: IRC §1400Z-2 (B). The capital gain
subject to deferral is not limited to just capital gains from the sale of real
estate, but also includes other capital gains, including those derived from the
sale of stock and partnership interests as well.
Partial
Exclusion of Deferred Gain; 5 Year and 7 Year Holding Periods.
A portion of the deferred gain reinvested in a Qualified Opportunity Zone for five
years or seven years is excluded from taxation by increasing the tax basis of
the investment by a percentage of the reinvested gain. In the case of an
investment held for at least five (5) years, the tax basis of the investment is
increased by an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the amount of the deferred
gain. In the case of an investment held for at least seven (7) years, the tax basis
of the investment is increased by an amount equal to an additional five percent
(5%) of the amount of the deferred gain, with the result that after seven (7) years
of gain deferral the basis of the property will have increased by an aggregate
of fifteen percent (15%) of the deferred gain. Since the recognition date for
deferred gain is December 31, 2026 pursuant to IRC §1400Z-2(B), as referred to above,
in order to receive the maximum tax benefit the gain must be reinvested in a
Qualified Opportunity Zone on or before December 31, 2019 (seven years before
December 31, 2026). But still, the tax benefits for the five (5) year holding period
remains available for investments made through December 31, 2021. See: IRC §1400Z-2(B).
Stepped-Up
Basis For Post-Investment Gain; 10 Year Holding Period.
Perhaps the most powerful incentive is the special rule for investments held
for at least ten (10) years. Pursuant to IRC §1400Z-2(C), in the case of a
qualifying investment in a Qualified Opportunity Zone held by the taxpayer for
at least 10 years, upon election by the taxpayer the basis of the investment
will be stepped-up to its fair market value as of the date the investment is
sold or exchanged. The effect of this provision is to exclude all appreciation
in the investment from taxation (although it should be noted that the taxpayer
would have been obligated to recognize and pay tax on 85% of the initially deferred
gain (7-year holding period) or 90% of the initially deferred gain (5-year
holding period) as of December 31, 2026).
If there has been substantial appreciation during the holding period of
ten or more years, no tax on that gain will be owed if the taxpayer elects to
have the tax basis stepped-up to the fair market value of the investment as of
the date it is sold or exchanged. See: IRC §1400Z-2(C).
EXAMPLE: Suppose QOZ investor sells an asset and realizes a capital gain of $500,000 on October 1, 2019, and then decides to invest that $500,000 in gain in a Qualified Opportunity Zone investment on or before November 1, 2019. The tax on that gain is deferred until December 31, 2026 or until the investment is sold, whichever first occurs. If the investment is held at least five years, as of November 1, 2024, the basis in the investment will be increased by 10%, meaning $50,000 of the originally invested $500,000 gain is excluded from taxation. If the investment is held at least another two years (for a total of seven years), as of November 1, 2026 the basis in the investment will be increased by another 5%, meaning an additional $25,000 of the originally invested $500,000 is excluded from taxation. As of December 31, 2026, the remaining deferred gain of $425,000 ($500,000 minus $50,000 (the 5-year exclusion) and minus $25,000 (the 7-year exclusion) will be realized, with the result that taxes shall be due on $425,000 of the originally deferred gain as of the investor’s tax filing date in 2027.
Suppose also that in the
ten or more years following the initial investment of gain on October 1, 2019
the Qualified Opportunity Zone property in which the investment was made
appreciated substantially, with the result that the post-investment gain
attributable to the initial $500,000 investment (i.e. the gain after October 1,
2019) is $2,000,000. Under IRC
§1400Z-2(C), at the election of the taxpayer to step-up the basis of the
property to fair market value, the $2,000,000 post-investment gain is excluded
from taxation.
OPPORTUNITY ZONES AS SOCIAL-IMPACT LEGISLATION
The
challenge for Opportunity Zone investing is that it is not enough to simply
“invest” and hold in an Opportunity Zone. Instead, either (i) the original use
of qualified opportunity zone business property must commence with the
investment of qualified opportunity funds, or (ii) if the property is already
in use, it must be substantially improved within thirty (30) months. Generally speaking, “substantial improvement” means improving the property by an amount
equal to the cost basis of the property upon acquisition by purchase after
December 31, 2017, less any amounts reasonably allocated to land. See: IRC
§1400Z-2(d)(2)(D).
Opportunity
Zones were designed to inspire social-impact projects. Investment projects in
Opportunity Zones are supposed to make a positive difference for the low-income
community in which it is situated. The investor seeking the tax advantages of
investing in a Qualified Opportunity Zone must put its funds to work to create
economic opportunity in the community. Merely investing in an existing property
or business is not enough.
SECTION 1031 TAX BENEFIT vs. OPPORTUNITY ZONE TAX BENEFIT
A question I am often asked is whether an Opportunity Zone Investment is better than a tax-deferred exchange pursuant to IRC Section 1031? The short answer is that one is not inherently better than the other, they are just different. It’s like asking whether penicillin is better than a sandwich. Clearly, if you are merely starving a sandwich is better. If you have a bacterial infection, you might be better off using penicillin. The tax benefits of investing in a Qualified Opportunity Zone are different from the tax benefits offered by a tax deferred exchange of like-kind property pursuant to IRC Section 1031, and the circumstances under which each may be beneficial are different. Each has its place. I will be posting an updated article on IRC Section 1031 tax-deferred exchanges shortly.
OPPORTUNITY ZONES AS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE
Qualified Opportunity Zone investments in real property require significant capital improvements and the acceptance of a substantial degree of investment risk. The investment risk is that the property must yield acceptable investor returns to sustain the project over a holding period of at least 5 years, but ideally 10 years, and that during the 10-year holding period the property will substantially appreciate in value, making the promised exclusion of gain taxation meaningful. Because of the substantial investment required to substantially improve property (i.e. double the basis of the existing improvements) and the uncertainty that the primary tax benefit to be derived from appreciation in value over 10 or more years will be achieved, today’s value of property is not automatically enhanced merely because it is located within an Opportunity Zone as some existing owners seem to believe. The project itself must make substantial economic sense on its own – just as if it were not in an Opportunity Zone. The tax benefits available through a Qualified Opportunity Zone investment will not make a poor investment or a marginal investment good. They will only make a good investment better.
What makes a Qualified Opportunity Zone investment similar to a IRC Section 1031 Exchange is that they both provide for tax deferral. Tax deferral for a Section 1031 investment is potentially without end. Tax deferral for a Qualified Opportunity Zone investment is temporary, but carries with it the additional benefit of potential exclusion of gain from taxation. Section 1031 exchanges have been part of the Internal Revenue Code for nearly 100 years and are well understood as a tax deferral tool. Qualified Opportunity Zone investments are a brand-new tax mitigation tool authorized in December 2017, with the rules for their use still being written.
The potentially powerful tax incentives offered by Qualified Opportunity Zone investment, coupled with their focus on revitalizing economically distressed communities, is what has made investing in Opportunity Zones one of the hottest topics in real estate.
END*
*NOTE:
The foregoing article is for educational purposes and is not intended as tax
advice. Taxation of Opportunity Zone investments is highly technical and fact
sensitive. Consult with your own tax advisor when applying the subject matter
of this article to any specific tax scenario.
Lawyers are like most other business professionals. We want your business and we want your referrals – we just don’t always know the best way to ask for either.
Take me for example. I’ve been handling commercial real estate transactions and business deals for nearly 40 years. I’ve loved (almost) every day of it, and I look forward to many more (knock on wood). My clients appreciate my insights and value the guidance I provide. Other attorneys respect what I do, and brokers and CPAs like working with me because I strive for practical solutions to efficiently and effectively get the job done. I pay close attention to learn my clients’ business objectives, then work diligently and negotiate hard to get my clients what they expect – when they expect it. That’s what lawyers do. Or at least what all lawyers should do. For any client hiring a lawyer, what else is there? Achieving client objectives and getting the deal closed on time is why lawyers exist. Deals fail, for sure, but we can never be the reason they fail. Deals that fail are a waste of everyone’s time and money. Getting the deal done, if it can be done, is our value proposition.
Deals are my lifeblood – my passion. They’re why I wake up every morning and get out of bed. I love this stuff. I can’t explain exactly why that is – it just is. Why do musicians practice their instruments and play? Why do scratch golfers golf? Why do competitive skiers ski? It’s our passion. We don’t know exactly why – it comes from within. And we always need more.
Commercial real estate deals always come first for me, but in every commercial real estate project is a business. They go hand in hand. My preference for a good real estate deal over a good business deal is a matter of only slight degree. There’s not really a number one and a number two. It’s more like #1 and #1A.
So what’s the problem?
The problem is, a lot of people don’t know I’m available to represent them. I write books and articles on commercial real estate. I give seminars on how to structure and close business and real estate transactions. I publish a commercial real estate and business blog. People think I’m busy, or that I only handle huge deals. The truth is, I am busy – but never too busy to handle another deal, large or small. In the words of the late, great Lucille Ball: “If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.” We all loved Lucy!
The most shocking question I get from prospective clients is: “Would you (I) be willing to handle my (their) next business or commercial real estate deal?” Are they kidding? My answer is always an emphatic “yes”! It’s my passion. It’s my love. It’s what I live for.
To be sure, I’m a business professional, and I charge for what I do, but if you have a commercial real estate deal or business deal, and need representation, I’m in. Never be shy about calling me. We’ll work out the economics. The range of deals I handle is extraordinarily diverse. For a taste, look at my blog Harp-OnThis.com, or check out my latest book, Illinois Commercial Real Estate on Amazon.com or in your local public library. I love this stuff. I need this stuff. Of course I want to represent you. When can we get started?
So back to my initial point: I do want your business and your business referrals. Like many other business professionals, I just don’t know the best way to go about asking for it. What do you suggest?
A mistake lawyers make is treating all clients the same. It’s a mistake shared by other professions as well. They’re not all the same. The issues clients face, and the solutions they deserve, are as varied as life itself.
R. Kymn Harp Robbins, Salomon & Patt, Ltd.
With the rise of technology and the commoditization of legal services, nuance can be lost. Precise solutions to particular problems may be neglected while cookie-cutter boilerplate is offered as a cheap substitute. Not that all boilerplate and technology is bad – they can provide huge benefits when applied correctly. But just as a mass-produced size 9 leather dress shoe may be ideal for some, it is of little comfort or use to an athlete with a size 10 foot.
Automation is a cost-saver, no doubt. But is it a reasonable substitute for thoughtful analysis and tailor-made solutions to client specific problems?
There may be areas of life where commoditized legal services represent a reasonable tradeoff. Perhaps consumers engaged in everyday transactions are adequately-served by inexpensive one-size fits all solutions. Even a consumer buying a home – often touted as the largest single transaction most consumers will make in their lifetime – may be well-served by inexpensive boilerplate solutions on most occasions. In the world of consumer transactions and consumer finance, there is a protective overlay of consumer protection laws and oversight that will often fill in the gaps left by a one-size fits all approach.
But what about most commercial transactions? Buying or starting a business? Investing in commercial or industrial real estate? Raising capital from third parties? Entering into a partnership agreement or limited liability company operating agreement for a commercial venture where someone else is in control, and uses or controls your money – or where you use or control someone else’s money? Are these circumstances where one-size solutions and documentation make sense?
How do you protect yourself if something goes wrong? Experience shows something can always go wrong. And when things go wrong in a commercial transaction, expensive lawsuits often follow.
Business people consider themselves to be intelligent, reasonable beings. When they invest in a business or real estate project they expect it will succeed. If they thought otherwise, they would not make the investment. That would be foolish, and they know for certain that they’re not foolish. If it fails, they conclude it had be someone’s fault – but it certainly wasn’t theirs. They must have been duped. Information must have been withheld. They must have been lied to or cheated. The other party must at least be incompetent if not downright crooked.
You may laugh, but that’s often how it happens. You may be one hundred percent competent and above-board. You may have understood and discussed the risks to the point where you are certain that your partners or investors understand the risks as well – but if you’re the promoter of the failed business or investment, or you’re in charge of making management decisions – you should expect to find yourself staring down the business end of a double-barreled lawsuit claiming the loss is your fault – even if you lost money as well, and even if nothing you did or could have done resulted in the loss. Changing economic circumstances, business and lifestyle trends, and other factors far beyond your control may be the reason for the loss, but you will be blamed. How do to protect yourself?
Suppose you’re on the other side. What if you’re the investor or partner asked to invest? What do you look for? What do you require? How do you protect yourself?
Clients are not all the same. Commercial transactions are not all the same. The risks and benefits of each investment and business venture are not all the same. The solutions and documentation of each transaction cannot, therefore, be all the same.
If clients are engaged in serious business, serious attention is required. Both the attorney and the client need to understand this. Once a deal goes bad, it’s too late to go back and redo what should have been done at the outset.
Will doing it right up front cost more?
Probably.
Will it be worth it if things go poorly?
You bet.
Should clients buy a size 9 shoe for their size 10 foot?
Prime commercial land is limited. Prices per square foot can be astronomical. Demand for efficiency to maximize return on investment is growing. No wonder developers and property owners are looking to the sky, with varying degrees of success, to capture all the value they can from each urban parcel. Air rights development may be the solution you are looking for.
Owners and developers, and people in general, are conditioned to think of potential development sites as flat surfaces with essentially two dimensions: north/south and east/west. They see only the surface of the land, and envision the building they will construct for the particular purpose they have in mind; a bank, a drugstore, a restaurant, a strip mall, a parking garage, an office building. If the parcel is larger than they need, they may envision subdividing the parcel to make two or more lots. In most cases, however, they think primarily in terms of land coverage for the type of building they need. They visualize only the two dimensional space depicted on their Site Plan or Plat of Survey.
In 30 out of 50 states, including Illinois and all other Mid-Western states, the “Rectangular Survey System” is in effect. The Rectangular Survey System was adopted in 1785 to meet the needs of the Federal Government as it faced the challenge of dividing vast areas of undeveloped land lying west of the original 13 colonies. The system, developed under the direction of Thomas Jefferson, essentially divides the United States into rectangles, measured in relation to lines known as Meridians and Base Lines.
Development lots are instinctively viewed as the two-dimensional surface of land visually representing a potential development parcel. Descriptions of a parcel typically refer to “a parcel of land X feet by Y feet” located in relation to an intersection or other identifiable landmark.
Once a parcel is “developed”, or designated for development, by construction of improvements on the land, it is natural to think of the parcel as being unavailable for further development (unless the existing improvements are to be demolished).
Classic examples of this are single story commercial buildings at prime commercial locations, a multi-deck parking garage or mid-rise building in a downtown development area, railroad tracks or spurs cutting across valuable urban land and, in some cases, roadways and alleys.
Each of these situations represent, potentially, under-utilization of valuable real estate. Finding a way to develop the “air” above these existing or planned improvements maximizes the economic utility of these parcels and can be like creating “money from thin air.”
The practice of finding ways to utilize the “space above” is often referred to as “air rights development”. Air rights development requires thinking in three dimensions, and requires serious design consideration and legal planning but, when land values are at a premium and zoning permits, the economic return may be dramatic.
Though often overlooked, virtually all of Chicago’s downtown business district is a “city in the air“. People tend to think of streets and street level entrances to buildings in the downtown Chicago “loop” as being at “ground level”. This is simply not the case. Most of what is thought of in the Chicago Loop as being at “ground level” is located 12 to 22 feet above the earth’s surface. This explains the vast network of “lower” streets and passageways in downtown Chicago, such as “Lower Wacker Drive”, “Lower Dearborn Street”, “Lower State Street”, etc. which most people seldom traverse. It also explains why, in 1992, the Chicago Loop business district was virtually shut down by “the Great Loop Flood of ’92”, but few people got wet or even saw any water as office and retail buildings were closed and workers were sent home because of “flooding”.
The point of these observations is to reveal that “development of air rights” is not new. It is also not “. . . some exotic legal manipulation of doubtful efficacy dreamed up by big city lawyers for use only in big cities”. Development of so-called “air rights” is little more than efficient use of a limited resource when use becomes economically feasible and beneficial.
WHAT ARE “AIR RIGHTS”?
“Air rights” are part of the “bundle of rights” constituting fee simple title to real estate. The term “air rights” generally refers to the right of the owner of fee simple title of a parcel of land to use the space above the land. If this right did not exist, it would not be possible to
Due diligence is essential when investing in, developing or financing commercial real estate. You must know the right questions to ask, and where to find the answers. The object is not simply to get to closing, but to assure that the project will function as intended after closing.
R. Kymn Harp Robbins, Salomon & Patt, Ltd.
Due diligence is a standard of conduct. It is the amount of diligent inquiry due under the circumstances of your particular transaction. It requires that you determine, confirm and answer “yes” to every question required to be answered in the affirmative, and that you determine, confirm and answer “no” to every question required to be answered in the negative, for your project to proceed to closing and function as intended after closing.
In commercial real estate transactions, there are two layers of due diligence:
Transaction due diligence; and
Property due diligence.
TRANSACTION DUE DILIGENCE
In any commercial transaction, transaction due diligence requires that we ask and know the answers to fundamental questions in seven particular areas of concern. These areas of concern include the six elements of every story-line, plus authority of the parties to act. Transaction due diligence requires that you determine, confirm and know the answers to each of the following:
Who are the parties to the transaction?
a. Seller
b. Buyer
c. Lender
d. Tenants
e. Other
2. What property is included?
a. Real estate
b. Personal property
c. Franchise agreements or rights
d. Other
3. Where is the property located?
4. Why is the property being acquired? – Intended use?
5. When must it Close? And other critical dates?
a. Due diligence period
b. Title delivery deadline
c. Survey delivery deadline
d. Financing deadlines
e. Section 1031 identification period and replacement property acquisition deadlines
f. Other critical dates
6. How will the transaction be structured?
a. Sale
b. Lease
c. Section 1031 exchange
d. Seller financing
e. Other transaction structure issues
7. By what authority are the parties acting?
a. Board approval, if necessary
b. Shareholder approval, if necessary
c. Governmental approvals, if necessary
d. Manager authority under LLC Operating Agreement
e. LLC member consent, if necessary
f. Landlord consent, if necessary
g. Lender consent, if necessary
h. Any other required consents or approvals or other sources of authority
When the “what” of Transaction Due Diligence is commercial or industrial real estate, the next step is to conduct an investigation of the property using all appropriate due diligence. Property due diligence is describes below.
PROPERTY DUE DILIGENCE
Property due diligence has four additional areas of concern. As discussed below, the four major areas of concern for property due diligence are market demand, access, use and finances. All of the questions concerning the property that need to be asked and answered when investing in, developing or financing commercial or industrial real estate fall within one or more of these four major areas of concern.
Property due diligence requires that you determine, confirm and know the answers to each of the following:
1. Market Demand
a. How will the property be used?
b. Who are the intended users?
c. Is there a need – and more importantly, will there be a need at the time the project is completed?
2. Access
a. How will users get to the property?
b. Are there adequate traffic controls, stoplights, stop signs, etc.?
c. Adequate drives for customers and deliveries?
d. Sufficient roadway stacking room at nearby intersections?
e. Lawful curb-cuts?
f. Full access vs. right-turn only?
g. Adequate parking for business needs (which may be more than zoning requirements)?
h. ADA compliant/handicap accessible?
i. Any other access requirements or impediments?
3. Use
a. Any private land use controls/restrictions on use?
b. Proper zoning?
c. Sufficient parking as required by zoning?
d. Sufficient occupancy capacity?
e. Adequate utility service?
f. If buyer is acquiring the property for its own use, are there any existing tenants or users that must be terminated or removed? Can they be lawfully removed?
g. Environmental issues? (which may be as much a finance issue as a use issue)
h. Other use requirements or issues?
4. Finances
a. Financing
i. Appraised value?
ii. Loan to value – equity requirement?
iii. Terms of financing?
iv. Lender required due diligence expenses?
v. Lease subordination required?
x. Subordination Non-Disturbance and Attornment (SNDA) Agreements?
y. Tenant Estoppel Certificates?
vi. Other lender requirements?
b. Financial Metrics
i. Real estate taxes and special assessments?
ii. Rehab/repair costs?
iii. User fees and recapture costs?
iv. Environmental remediation costs?
v. Leases?
1. Lease income?
2. Security deposits?
3. Rental abatement?
4. CAM and operating expense reconciliations?
5. Landlord obligations to Tenants for build-out, etc.?
vi. Other financial benefits and burdens affecting the property?
Should you need assistance, we have a number of attorneys at Robbins Salomon & Patt, Ltd. who are experienced commercial real estate practitioners and can help. Do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are always looking for new clients with interesting or challenging projects.
NEW ALTA LAND TITLE SURVEY STANDARDS effective February 23, 2016.
UPDATE: Effective February 23, 2016, new minimum standard detail requirements for ALTA Land Title Surveys went into effect, replacing the previously existing 2011 Minimum Standard Detail Requirements for ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys.
Note that the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) is the legal successor organization to the American Congress of Surveying and Mapping (ACSM). Accordingly, the new survey standards will be cited as the “2016 Minimum Standard Detail requirements for ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys.“
Several substantive changes have been made in the updated 2016 land title survey standards. A comparison of the 2016 standards to the previous 2011 standards is highlighted on the Red-lined version showing the changes made. Among the notable changes are changes to the Table A list of Optional Survey Responsibilities and Specifications. The modifications to Table A are largely a result of the 2016 Land Title Survey standards making certain requirements mandatory instead of optional. Additional changes involve reassigned responsibilities (or at least a clarification of responsibilities) for obtaining certain information for use by surveyors in preparing a 2016 ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey.
Update Purchase Agreements to Require Surveys compliant with NEW 2016 ALTA Land Title Survey Standards
Especially for commercial or industrial real estate purchase agreements (and financing commitments) requiring ALTA Surveys prepared after February 23, 2016, be sure to contractually require that they be prepared in accordance the the 2016 Minimum Standard Detail requirements for ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys. Be sure, also, to modify your existing contracts as they pertain to the Table A Optional Survey Responsibilities and Specifications to address the new Table A instead of the version associated with the former 2011 standards.
Purchasers should check with their lenders, and with the title insurance company engaged to insure title, to be certain everyone is on the same page, and that all parties understand their respective responsibilities for obtaining documents and information necessary for use by the Surveyor. Lenders and their counsel should do likewise.
2016 should be an interesting year for commercial real estate. Best of luck for a prosperous year!
Anyone who thinks closing a commercial real estate transaction is a clean, easy, stress-free undertaking has never closed a commercial real estate transaction. Expect the unexpected, and be prepared to deal with it.
I’ve been closing commercial real estate transactions for over 35 years. I grew up in the commercial real estate business.
My father was a “land guy”. He assembled land, put in infrastructure and sold it for a profit. His mantra: “Buy by the acre, sell by the square foot.” From an early age, he drilled into my head the need to “be a deal maker; not a deal breaker.” This was always coupled with the admonition: “If the deal doesn’t close, no one is happy.” His theory was that attorneys sometimes “kill tough deals” simply because they don’t want to be blamed if something goes wrong.
A key point to understand is that commercial real estate Closings do not “just happen”; they are made to happen. There is a time-proven method for successfully Closing commercial real estate transactions. That method requires adherence to the four KEYS TO CLOSING outlined below:
