Commercial Lease Lawyer in Los Angeles and San Jose
The Coronavirus pandemic has significantly impacted business owners in Los Angeles, San Jose, Oakland, and all other areas of California (and the U.S. overall). The sudden downturn in the economy (primarily due to stay-at-home orders issued in California and other states), has resulted in many commercial tenants being sent into dire financial straits and unable to pay their rent. If you own a business in or around Los Angeles, San Jose, or Oakland, and are struggling to come up with the necessary funds to pay the rent owed for your business location, RS Law Offices is here to help. RS Law Offices is comprised of attorneys and professionals who possess extensive legal knowledge, especially in the realm of commercial leases and landlord-tenant disputes. We possess the skill and dogged determination to appropriately analyze your situation and decipher the complex details of your commercial lease to ensure you are in the strongest position possible when attempting to re-negotiate your lease with a landlord. We are proud to have helped many commercial tenants in Los Angeles, San Jose, Oakland, and all other areas throughout the great State of California.
Legal Protections for Distressed Commercial Tenants During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Since we are living in unprecedented times and struggling to combat a worldwide pandemic, it is important to know that legal protections have been put in place to help tenants struggling to pay the rent who may have been threatened with an eviction action by a landlord. For example, the California Judicial Council recently issued an order prohibiting all California courts from issuing an unlawful detainer summons for at least 90 days after the Governor's declaration that California is in a State of Emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This order means that landlords may not file an unlawful detainer action in a California court to try and evict a residential or commercial tenant during the pandemic. In effect, tenants were provided with a temporary reprieve from having to pay rent. However, unfortunately, it is does not mean that the rent owed is forgiven or wiped clean. Instead, many tenants are confronting the prospect of owing significant sums to landlords if and when we get through the Coronavirus pandemic. According to Cal Civil Code § 1167, any tenant who cannot afford to pay rent in a timely manner must deliver to their landlord a written notice expressly stating that the tenant is unable to pay the month's rent as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. This written notice must be provided to the landlord within 7 days from the day the rent is owed.
