Tenant Installed Vending Machine After I Signed Purchase Contract

[David Gore]

I’ve been working a deal to acquire an office building with 3 tenants for the past month. I signed a purchase agreement today. I drove by the property tonight and noticed a brand new vending machine installed on the sidewalk by the front door of one of the tenants.

I know the property owner/manager didn’t approve of it, so it must be someone that works for the tenant that had it installed.

The office building is a 225 foot long single story building with 3 tenants. The vending machine blocks the entire sidewalk. No way a wheelchair could get by.

The use of the outside sidewalk is not mentioned in the tenant’s lease.

I don’t want the machine there. My goal is to clean up the property and make it nicer. And if anyone deserves to make money from a vending machine located outside the premises, I feel it should be me. Their lease is only for the square footage inside the walls, correct? 

They are also a retail store (the only retail in the building) and they have been putting goods for sale out on the sidewalk during the day.

I don’t like it, but they are a long term tenant and I don’t want their first impression of me to be a jerk trying to throw my weight around...

How should I approach this issue? What rights do I have? Any advice from those more experienced?

Thanks!

David