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- The Ratliff Firm's Real Estate Team -
The Ratliff Firm's Real Estate Team is recognized for its
legal work on major local and national real estate projects
and in resolving real estate related disputes. Our lawyers act
as counsel in many of the most significant local transactions,
including acquisitions, development and commercial leasing matters.
The Ratliff Firm also represents clients in resolving complex
real estate disputes, through both negotiation and litigation.
The real estate team is comprised of both commercial and litigation
attorneys, working together to handle our clients' broad spectrum
of real estate needs.
We represent developers,
owners and lenders in all types of commercial and residential
real estate developments throughout Virginia and Tennessee,
including timber transactions, agricultural transactions,
and land auctions. Our real estate lawyers have earned a reputation
for timely, cost-efficient representation on real estate projects
and transactions. There is no real estate situation too small
or too big for The Ratliff Firm to handle.
If
your real estate transaction involves commercial, residential,
industrial, retail, office, hotel, resort, golf course and
mixed-use projects, as well as municipal facilities such as
courthouses, roads, schools, stadiums, airport expansion,
water reservoirs, the financing of major public projects,
timber transactions, agricultural loans through governmental
subsidies, or a possible auction, give us a call. We want
to provide you with the best service and fastest closing possible
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Acquisitions Sales & Exchanges
The Ratliff Firm's real estate attorneys have vast experience
in representing buyers, sellers and lenders in connection
with the acquisition, sale and exchange of shopping centers,
hotels, office buildings, mixed use developments, multi-family
projects, industrial and warehouse facilities, raw land and
virtually every other type of real estate. Our experience
in real estate transactions covers a broad range of clients,
industries, and transaction structures, from simple to complex
multi-property situations. Real estate team members are prepared
to advise clients on the optimal structures for a transaction,
as well as represent the client in the various tasks in the
transaction process, including drafting and negotiating agreements,
organizing and conducting due diligence, title and survey
review, and closing activities.
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Real Estate Financing
The Ratliff Firm's lawyers represent large and small financial
institutions, land owners and developers in a wide array of
real estate lending transactions, including term loans, construction
financing, land development loans and project financing. The
Ratliff Firm's lawyers have extensive experience in structuring,
negotiating and documenting secured or mortgage-based financing
transactions involving all product types such as office, industrial,
warehouse, retail, apartments, town homes/condominiums, restaurants,
hotels and gaming projects.
The
Ratliff Firm's lawyers understand that each real estate project
has its own complex set of concerns, and are recognized for
their business-oriented and pragmatic approach to solving
transaction issues.
The
Ratliff Firm's lawyers regularly advise lenders in connection
with the workout and foreclosure of troubled real estate loans
and are well versed in the unique concerns facing lenders
in connection with such matters, including receiverships,
environmental liabilities, rights of competing creditors and
tenants and other third party and lender liability claims.
The Ratliff Firm also has a wealth of experience representing
lenders in bankruptcy.
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Design & Construction Agreements
The Ratliff Firm's Real Estate and Construction Teams have extensive
experience representing owners, lenders, architects, engineers
and contractors in transactional construction matters and construction-related
disputes. Our lawyers frequently represent clients with respect
to complex design and construction agreements, working from
a base of both standardized industry forms, such as the AIA
documents, or from deal specific, custom drafted agreements.
The Ratliff Firm also has substantial experience in resolving
complex construction-related disputes through negotiation, mediation,
arbitration and litigation.
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Condemnation, Eminent Domain
The Ratliff Firm has represented owners of all
types of properties, from large commercial businesses to small
family-owned businesses, from farms to gas stations to mines.
The
taking of property under the power of eminent domain or condemnation
is a unique and often unsettling experience. Discussions regarding
the taking of private property for a road, redevelopment project
or other "public purpose" may come years before
the project begins. Property owners and others must contend
with the pending changes. Once the government begins the formal
condemnation process, it can be protracted and contentious.
The Ratliff Firm's attorneys are there to guide clients through
the process and litigate the case at all levels from the initial
Commissioner's hearing to the Supreme Court.
Condemnation
issues may arise in other contexts as well and The Ratliff
Firm has the experience to deal with these issues as they
arise. For instance, State and local zoning and other regulations
may give rise to a claim that a taking has occurred. The Ratliff
Firm has the experience to evaluate these situations and litigate
the claims if necessary.
Persons
affected by a government taking are often entitled to Relocation
Benefits under state and federal law. The Ratliff Firm's is
available to assist with these claims as well.
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Environmental
The Ratliff Firm's lawyers assist owners, contractors, lenders
and sureties in several environmental areas, including coordination,
investigation and review of Phase I and Phase II reports, compliance
and remediation work with environmental regulatory agencies,
preparation and review of environmental audits, and responding
to environmental inquiries.
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Commercial Leasing
The Ratliff Firm's Real Estate Team has substantial experience
representing both landlords and tenants in a full range of commercial
leasing matters. Our transactional commercial lease experience
includes the full array of leasing structures (e.g., ground
leasing, occupancy leasing and sale/leaseback) covering the
spectrum of uses, including agricultural, Class A office, industrial/warehouse,
retail, restaurant and residential. The Real Estate Team frequently
handles complex, heavily negotiated lease transactions for our
clients. In addition to our transactional leasing skills, The
Ratliff Firm's Litigation Team is experienced in advocating
on behalf of both landlord and tenant clients in lease-related
disputes, and in resolving those disputes through negotiation,
mediation, arbitration or litigation.
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Development
The Ratliff Firm's real estate attorneys have extensive experience
representing property owners and developers in land development
matters. This experience covers an array of development types,
including casinos, hotels, restaurants, office, research/industrial
parks, urban mixed use, retail centers and single and multi-family
residential projects. The Ratliff Firm's attorneys represent
clients in all aspects of the development process, including
land acquisition, project financing, land use entitlements,
design and construction through sales and/or leasing of the
completed project.
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Title, Zoning & Land Use
The Ratliff Firm's Real Estate Team commonly advises and represents
clients in an array of title, zoning and land use matters, including
subdivisions, planned developments, common interest communities,
zoning issues, conditional use permits, green acres, agricultural
preserves, conservation easements, wetlands and historical preservation.
Whether representing a developer or land owner seeking entitlements,
or advocating for clients in front of governmental entities
such as planning commissions or city councils, The Ratliff Firm's
attorneys are able to provide clients with wise counsel and
staunch advocacy in land use matters. We are also experienced
in assisting clients with title and survey review matters.
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Property Tax Appeals
We have represented both taxpayers and governmental entities
in large real estate tax appeals. We have represented many
owners of large commercial, retail and industrial properties
in appealing their taxes. We are knowledgeable about the process
and very familiar with property valuation and other key issues
regarding property taxes. Finally, because we are trial lawyers,
and although we are committed to resolving disputes without
litigation, we are prepared to take your case to trial if necessary.
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Real Estate Litigation
The Ratliff Firm's Real Estate Litigation Group represents
owners of real estate, buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants,
lenders, individuals, business entities and governmental entities
in a wide variety of real estate related disputes. These include
eminent domain proceedings (condemnation), real estate tax
appeals, quiet title actions, disputes over easements, boundaries,
access, roads, liens, zoning, assessments, commercial eviction
proceedings and disputes involving development agreements,
partnership agreements and property management agreements.
We
regularly appear in state courts, federal trial courts and
appellate courts, as well as the Virginia Tax Court, Counties
and Court Appointed Condemnation Commissioners. Because we
are experienced trial lawyers we bring creativity and a results
oriented approach to real estate disputes. Our experience
in litigating real estate issues gives us the background and
experience to quickly understand the specifics of your real
estate problem.
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The
Ratliff Firm 1031 Solutions.
Provides 1031 Exchange Investors with an efficient exchange
facilitation service focused on achieving the clients' tax
saving goals. We help sellers of investment real estate to
lawfully delay and avoid paying taxes on their sale. |
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Completing a Tax Exchange requires an in-depth understanding
of taxation, the exchange process, and most importantly an
ability to quickly identify replacement investments. In short,
it requires unique investment knowledge, tax expertise,
transactional experience and professional service skills.
The Ratliff Firm provides TENANT-IN-COMMON (TIC) co-ownership
SAFE HARBOR REPLACEMENT REAL ESTATE ACQUISITION & INVESTMENT
SERVICES which creates multiple reinvestment opportunities
for our clients.
Successfully Reinvesting
REINVESTMENT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT FOR IMPLEMENTING
TAX EXCHANGES
Reinvesting effectively in replacement investment real estate
has been one of the most important and challenging requirements
in completion of a 1031 Exchange transaction. In fact, many
failed 1031 Exchange transactions have resulted from the Exchange
Investors' inability to identify desirable reinvestment property.
Our safe harbor consulting approach now allows more real estate
investors to successfully reap the tax saving benefits of
1031 Exchange Sales and to achieve greater flexibility with
reinvestment options. We implement an innovative Qualified Intermediary Escrow Facilitation
Service to assure our clients realize their tax saving objectives. Let us help you with your 1031 exchange today.
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