Michigan building owner supported in landlord-tenant issues fight

Michigan building owner supported in landlord-tenant issues fight

Tenants of a Michigan real estate company were supportive of it following news that the company was engaged in a lawsuit with a tenant of a downtown Detroit building owned and leased by the company. Bedrock Real Estate Services was called a great commercial property owner by a cafe owner, citing the accommodations made by the firm for more parking as his restaurant grew. Another business owner said that the owner of Bedrock had played a central role in supporting her business and helping it achieve success.

The lawsuit was filed by a restaurant tenant that claimed Bedrock had been unfairly charging for common area maintenance. At issue was a lease signed after the tenant had filed for bankruptcy in 2011. The tenant alleged that it was pushed into making an unfavorable agreement to lease the space. Bedrock had sought to have the bistro owners evicted due to defaulted payments.

For its part, Bedrock said that it actually charged below-market rental rates while simultaneously promoting its tenents’ businesses. Of the five tenants who came out to publicly support the company and its owner, one retailer said that when she was struggling to find a space for her venture, Bedrock rolled out the red carpet to make her feel welcome.

As long as there has been commercial property for rent, there have been landlord-tenant issues. A Michigan attorney with a background in commercial real estate issues may be of service to a client involved in such a situation. Such an attorney may be able to help settle lease disputes through negotiation, and may also be able to pursue litigation should it be deemed necessary or advisable.

Source: MLive, “Several Detroit retail tenants rush to defense of Dan Gilbert real estate firm“, David Muller, September 11, 2013

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