Recovering Attorney’s Fees in California
California follows the “American Rule” — each side generally pays its own attorney’s fees unless a statute or contract says otherwise. Here’s when you can recover yours.
Tag Archives: Church Real Estate
How Zoning Code Affects Church Property Use
Zoning laws don’t disappear just because a church has used its property the same way for years. Here’s how zoning code affects church property, nonconforming use, conditional permits, and RLUIPA protections actually work together — and what happens when a city tries to push a church out.
Public Hearings
Public hearings come up constantly in church real estate matters — a zoning change, a Conditional Use Permit, a Planned Development, or any redevelopment of church structures often runs into the same requirement along the way. In simple terms, a public hearing is an open gathering where citizens can offer testimony or comment before a public board, commission, or agency makes a significant decision. Understanding how these actually work — and what rights a church has going into one — makes the difference between being prepared and being caught off […]
Commercial Tenant Abandoned Property California
Commercial tenant abandoned property California law changed in 2019, raising the threshold for what a landlord can simply keep or dispose of without a public sale. Here’s the current process, notice requirements, and how to avoid liability for a tenant’s leftover belongings.
Restricted Donations: Rules Every Church Should Know
Restricted donations bind a church to spend the gift exactly as the donor intended — spend it elsewhere and you risk a breach of fiduciary duty claim. Here’s how to tell a restricted gift from an unrestricted one, and the only lawful ways to change course.
Copyright Laws for Churches
What the religious service copyright exemption actually covers, what it doesn’t (reproduction, livestreaming), and how most churches close the gap.
Real Property Fraud: Warning Signs to Know
CReal property fraud can cost a church hundreds of thousands of dollars in a single wired transaction. Here’s how wire fraud, mortgage fraud, and title schemes actually work, based on FBI and FTC warnings, and the signs that mean you’re already a target.
Security Deposits: 5 Rules for Commercial Leases
Security deposits in a commercial lease work nothing like residential ones — no caps on the amount, no automatic accounting requirement, and different refund deadlines depending on why the landlord is keeping part of it. Here’s what actually applies.
Premises Trespasser Liability: 5 Duties Churches Must Know
Premises trespasser liability doesn’t stop at your church’s front gate — California law can hold a church responsible for injuries to trespassers, off-site pedestrians, and everyone in between. Here’s what the law actually requires, and the practical steps that reduce your risk.
Incorrect Deeds
A small error in a deed’s Grantee name can cloud your church’s title for years. Learn how incorrect deeds happen and why it matters when selling or financing your property.