A commercial property can look like one site from the street and still carry several deeds in its ownership records. A buyer may see one building, one parking lot and one tax bill, then find three or four separate legal … Continue reading →
A commercial ground lease splits ownership in an unusual way. The landlord keeps the land, and the tenant builds on it and runs the site for decades. That setup puts one question at the center of the deal: exactly which … Continue reading →
You’re buying or refinancing a commercial property that already has buildings on it. It might have a main building, a later addition, a detached shop and a canopy over the loading area. Before the surveyor heads out, someone has to … Continue reading →
An old commercial building can look like a settled fact. Its brick walls have stood for generations and the alley behind it still carries delivery trucks. Before you buy it or plan changes, an ALTA land survey checks whether those … Continue reading →
A commercial lot beside a railroad can look like a strong fit for a warehouse, plant or truck yard. The rail line next door also brings questions that most sites never raise. Buyers, lenders and developers need to know where … Continue reading →
A mixed-use redevelopment never starts on a blank page. The site already holds old buildings, pavement, utility lines and recorded rights that someone created years or decades ago. An ALTA survey records that site as it stands today, so the … Continue reading →
Commercial property on Portland’s waterfront rarely ends at a clean line on dry land. Much of the ground along Commercial Street was once part of Casco Bay and the Fore River, and the piers beyond it reach out over water … Continue reading →
On a large development site, the survey plan often falls behind the project. When a tract covers thousands of acres, the ALTA survey has to answer questions about boundaries, access, easements and existing features across ground that can take crews … Continue reading →
Many commercial buyers and developers order an ALTA survey later than they should. By the time the order goes in, the contract is often signed, the due diligence clock is running and the design team has started sketching. Several choices … Continue reading →
When you order an ALTA survey for a development site, you also get a list of optional items to pick from. That list is called Table A. The items you check decide what extra details the land surveyor measures and … Continue reading →