Rockville Centre Elder Law Blog

To our Clients and Friends in the Community:  In compliance with Governor Cuomo's Executive Order, our firm will begin working remotely beginning Monday, March 23, 2020, but we are here for you!  Calls will still be answered, and appointments will be scheduled for telephone and video conference. 

For any client needing to have powers of attorney, trusts, deeds, and other documents notarized that we have prepared for you, per the Governor's Executive Memo, such documents can now be notarized via live video conference.

Please continue to contact us at 516-280-1339, or at irene@ivelderlaw.com.  Now, under these uncertain times, it is essential that we continue to have our estate plans, as well as plans for incapacity, and long term needs in place.

As a condition of a mortgage loan, a lender may require that the borrower (or landlord) obtain a signed Subordination, Non-Disturbance and Attornment Agreement (SNDA) from the tenants. A SNDA is a tri-party agreement between the lender (the mortgage), the borrower who uses the proceeds to purchase the property (the landlord) and the tenant. 

A SNDA will reference the lease, lease parties and execution date.  The purpose of the Agreement is the provide that the lease (and any modifications to the lease) will be “subject to” and “subordinate” to the mortgage lien.  This is the “S” in SNDA.  In exchange for the tenant’s agreement to remain behind the lender’s rights to the property, the lender agrees to give tenant protections in the event of a foreclosure. 

A foreclosure of the property would occur if the borrower/landlord failed to pay its mortgage or breached the loan documents and lender could take possession of the property.   In this situation, the ender agrees to leave the tenants in possession and not disturb the tenancy, provided that they have not breached the lease.  The covenant of non–disturbance is the “ND” in the SNDA.  

When one party agrees to let another party use its business space, they must agree on the terms of use, the fee, the term and how the occupancy will come to an end.  This is referred to as a license to occupy space, which is different from a commercial lease.  A commercial lease is an agreement between a landlord/lessor and tenant/lessee to lease real property.  The landlord-tenant relationship creates a leasehold interest.  A license to occupy real property, on the other hand, is merely a privilege to use the real property and no property estate is created.  

A license is generally revocable by either party upon notice, at will – with or without cause and is usually not assignable the way a lease can be assigned to another entity with the landlord’s consent.  A license to occupy is generally a personal right of the party to the license. The tenant and landlord have a relationship governed by the terms of the lease, and all the rights and remedies available under landlord tenant laws (including the eviction laws), whereas the laws of contract govern a licensee and licensor.  

Generally, a license is for a shorter term than a lease.  The parties may prefer a license agreement for an event to be held in business space for a seasonal duration (such as a Halloween store or a Christmas shop) or as a “pop up store” (which is test run to see if the business location works).  Also, in the retail context, a license for space in a larger department store is often called a “concession.” An example of a concession is a makeup counter in a retail outlet. 

A new home is often the biggest financial investment for many individuals and families. With the down payment and all the costs of closing on a home, a buyer may seek to cut costs, however, title insurance is not the place to do this. Most consumers are familiar with health insurance and car insurance, but title insurance can be a bit confusing.

A Primer of Title Insurance

When a buyer purchases real property, the seller is conveying (i.e. transferring) title or legal ownership.  Ownership of real property can be held by a person, a husband and wife, two or more individuals or by a corporate entity, partnership or LLC.   A title company offers insurance that the title transferred is good and without defects. The amount of insurance taken is based on the value of the real property and is paid in one lump sum at closing.  It is not a continuing monthly payment like a mortgage. 

There are two types of title insurance policies -- a homeowner’s policy and a lender’s policy.  A bank will not want to give a mortgage to a borrower/buyer without the lender’s policy.  The bank wants to protect its interest in the real property, as does the homeowner. 

When engaging a realtor to list a home, the realtor will ask a seller to sign a listing agreement which will detail the broker arrangement and the terms of paying the commission.  You should consult an experienced real estate attorney before you sign a brokerage agreement  

Key Terms of a Real Estate Brokerage Agreement

A brokerage agreement should properly identify the property (by address or block and lot) and the price the home is offered for sale.  Additionally, the agreement should list a term and expiration date. If the house doesn’t sell during this time (usually 6 months or less then a year) the seller may want to engage a new broker to sell the home.  

In any event, a seller should not enter into a brokerage agreement with no end. In addition, there will often be a “grace period” whereby if anyone that the agent showed the property to buys the property within thirty (30) days after the termination of the listing agreement, the agent is entitled to the commission.  The agreement should provide the percentage of commission the listing agent will receive as well as the commission the buyer’s agent will receive. A total commission of 2-6 percent of the sale price is customary and varies from locale to locale.   

A landlord and a broker typically enter into a brokerage agreement in connection with the leasing of commercial space. The best way to protect your interests is to consult an experienced real estate attorney before signing such an agreement. 

Key Terms of a Commercial Lease Broker Agreement

A broker who finds a tenant for a landlord of commercial space is entitled to a commission. The broker will want the agreement to be “exclusive” which means the broker gets paid the commission regardless of which party brings the tenant.

The landlord should verify that the broker is licensed in the state where the rental property is located. The agreement should identify the rental space (office or retail) and the building address. Generally, the commission will not be earned until a lease is signed, the tenant has paid the first month’s rent in advance and taken possession of the property.  

The agreement will describe the rate of commission for the initial term of the lease and any renewal periods. If a lease has an escalating rent provision, the parties may agree on a flat commission or a commission based on a percentage of ech years’ rent. Certain items that are not included in the rent may be excluded when calculating commissions such as the utility costs, any free rent or construction costs.  The agreement should also consider the rate of commission if the tenant takes on additional space in the building (whether adjacent or on another floor).  

Co-working is a popular, flexible work style for sharing a workspace and reducing overhead costs for the users. Users can choose an unassigned seat at a desk or a more formal private office setting. Co-working is on the rise in many industries but special care and concern should be noted for professions such as law that require confidentiality.  

What is a user office agreement?

There are many companies that offer co-working facilities, especially in urban environments and these providers will often require the user to sign a User Office Agreement.  The agreement should clearly state that it is not a landlord/tenant lease. In fact, the landlord is the owner of the building, where as the co-work provider is the tenant and the member is a co-work user. 

Co-working agreements resemble a gym membership more then a lease agreement.   For example, the user agreement will list certain “house rules,” which give users the day-to-day rules regarding using the space and sharing it with other users.  Some of the key provisions to look for before signing a user agreement in addition to the fees to be paid are:

When a landlord and tenant enter into a commercial lease for a retail store or office space, the lease will likely contain a long insurance provision as well as an indemnity provision.  An indemnity is a promise whereby one party promises to indemnify (or compensate) the other against some anticipated loss.  

The commercial lease insurance provision will state the types of insurance the landlord must carry on the building, such as casualty insurance for damage caused by fire, hazards or terrorism and liability insurance to cover damage to property, bodily injury or death. By contrast, the tenant will be required to obtain and pay for insurance covering casualty or liability occurring within the leased premises and coverage for the certain events that occur in common areas of the leased building, especially if due to the tenant’s negligence.  

The tenant is the named insured – that is the party paying for the insurance whose credit was reviewed when issuing the policy and determining the premiums.  The landlord will request certain types of insurance in certain amounts be on a “per occurrence” basis with permitted deductible amounts. Landlords will sometimes request a tenant to carry business interruption insurance.  The rationale behind this request is if an event occurs that interrupts tenant’s business, the tenant ymay lose revenue and then not have sufficient funds to pay the rent.

Why is the tenant being asked to add others to its insurance policy for casualty and liability ?

On most casualty policies (with the exception of business insurance), the landlord will ask to be named as an “additional insured” on the tenant’s casualty policy, together with other interested parties such as the landlord’s agents (e.g. the property management company, or the mortgage lender).

An “additional insured” is a person or entity other than the named insured who is protected under the terms of the insurance policy sometimes referred to as the “loss payee. “ Typically an endorsement to the policy is added to cover additional insureds.  Landlords feel this protection is like “a belt and suspenders.”

The landlord will sometimes request a full copy of the tenant’s insurance coverage, with an endorsement showing the additional insureds listed, but more commonly will request a “Certificate of Insurance” which is a one-page sheet showing the types of coverage, amounts and deductibles and the lists the parties covered as additional insureds. 

The Bottom Line

Both the tenant and landlord should have their attorney carefully review the insurance provisions of the lease and indemnity clause to determine that there is adequate protection for each party and reasonable coverage given the specific risks.

Residential landlords will often include a provision in the lease requiring the tenant to carry renter’s insurance. Landlords do not want be sued by tenants for damage to their possessions and want tenants to look to their own coverage. Tenants often balk at an additional cost and mistakenly assume that they are covered under the landlord’s policy. This is not the case. 

In fact, the landlord’s insurance will cover repairs to or replacement of the structure from things from fire, water or storm damage. Damage to or theft of the tenant’s possessions are not covered. Tenants will often believe their possessions are not worth much, when you make an inventory (TVs, computers, clothing, books, mattress, furniture) it adds up!  

A common lease provision reads as follows:

“The Tenant shall be responsible for obtaining at Tenant’s own cost and

expense, a tenant’s insurance policy for the Tenant’s furniture, furnishings,

clothing and other personal property.  The Tenant’s personal property shall not

be the responsibility of the Landlord, and will not be insured by the Landlord. 

The Tenant’s insurance policy must also include liability coverage.  Upon

request, the Tenant shall periodically furnish Landlord with evidence of

Tenant’s insurance policy.”  

Some savvy Landlords will go further and add: 

“Tenant shall provide a copy of renter’s insurance at the time of lease signing

and at each renewal of the lease.  Tenant shall provide written notice of any

interruption of Tenant’s insurance during the Lease term.”  

This additional provision prevents a tenant from letting the renter’s insurance lapse for non-payment or alerts the landlord if the insurance carrier dropped the tenant.  A failure to provide the insurance could be a breach under the lease.  

Tenants should consider who is listed on the insurance policy,  in particularl  roommates and couples, to be sure all occupants’ possessions are covered. Some renter’s policies can extend to possessions damaged or stolen while traveling.  A Renter’s policy can also cover a hotel stay or other interim housing if a tenant must leave its rental because of damage.  

In conclusion, renter’s insurance is not as costly as one may think and it is a good investment and protection tool for both the landlord and the tenant.

Married couples will often have legal estate documents prepared together.  Such documents may include a will, leaving all property to the surviving spouse and/or the couple’s children, and a heath care proxy (sometimes known as a living will) to direct the spouse how to handle medical issues if one spouse becomes incapacitated.   However, another estate document may be beneficial for spouses -- a durable power of attorney.  

What is a durable power of attorney?

A durable power of attorney (POA) is a power of attorney given in the event of disability (whether mental or physical) by one spouse and directs the other spouse how to handle certain business or monetary activities detailed in the agreement.  Some instances of disability could include mental illness, physical illness, advanced age, drug use, alcoholism, confinement or disappearance.  

While state law may grant spouses certain rights to act for the other spouse, some activities may or may not be covered.  A power of attorney also helps spouses who may have separate ownership of property by giving the spouse the right to act on behalf of the incapacitated spouse. 

Some examples of business decisions in real estate matters where the well spouse is not a co-owner (perhaps because the real estate was a premarital asset or for other tax reasons) and can act for the incapacitated spouse are:

• If the incapacitated spouse owns rental property, the other spouse can collect rent
• To pay real estate taxes for properties that may not in both spouses ownership
• To handle issues related to any mortgages
• To take out property insurance

Some other general business related functions a durable power of attorney can include: 

• To sue on the collect of a debt
• To file for bankruptcy
• To write checks and do banking transactions
• To sell stock or other securities
• To file tax returns
• To manage retirement accounts
• To borrow money
• To make loans
• To make charitable donations
• To hire attorneys, accountants or other professionals

In the event state law did not allow a spouse to do any of the functions described above for its incapacitated spouse, a durable power of attorney signed by the incapacitated spouse before the disability (and notarized for validity) can come in handy in a family emergency. 

Many people purchase a life insurance policy as a way to ensure that their dependents are protected upon their passing. Generally speaking, there are two basic types of life insurance policies: term life and whole life insurance. With a term policy, the holder pays a monthly, or yearly, premium for the policy which will pay out a death benefit to the beneficiaries upon the holder’s death so long as the policy was in effect. A whole life policy is similar to a term, but also has an investment component which builds cash value over time. This cash value can benefit either the policy holder during his or her lifetime or the beneficiaries.

During the Medicaid planning process, many people are surprised to learn that the cash value of life insurance is a countable asset. In most cases, if you have a policy with a cash value, you are able to go to the insurance company and request to withdraw that cash value. Thus, for Medicaid purposes, that cash value will be treated just like a bank account in your name. There may be certain exceptions under your state law where Medicaid will not count the cash value. For example, if the face value (which is normally the death benefit) of the policy is a fairly small amount (such as $10,000 or less) and if your "estate" is named as a beneficiary, or if a "funeral home" is named as a beneficiary, the cash value may not be counted. However, if your estate is the beneficiary then Medicaid likely would have the ability to collect the death proceeds from your estate to reimburse Medicaid for the amounts they have paid out on your behalf while you are living (this is known as estate recovery). Generally, the face value ($10,000 in the example) is an aggregate amount of all life insurance policies you have. It is not a per policy amount.

Each state has different Medicaid laws so it’s absolutely essential that you seek out a good elder law or Medicaid planning attorney in determining whether your life insurance policy is a countable asset.