Commerical Building Question

[Christopher Gosch]

Hi,

I just bought a Commerical building in Los Angeles and was wondering if anyone had experience dealing with neighbors on adjoining property.  On the North side of my building is a 12' wide Alley space that has been closed off by the neighbor and the space extends back along the length of both our properties.  On the city diagrams and a new Alta Survey I had done it is listed as an easement for both properties.  Currently it is filled with tons of junk from the Neighbor business including oil barrels, tons of broken items, and sheds that they use for storage. Included are thousands of pounds of items leaning against my building.  My understanding is that easements should be kept clear for access to the sides and back of the building.

My question is should I use an attorney to reach out to the owner of the building next door or should I reach out directly?  I am not sure of the correct protocol.

Any help, thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

I am starting renovations on the project very soon and need to find an amicable solution since my business will be based there for many years to come and don't want to start my relationship with my neighbors off on the wrong foot.


 

[Jon Schwartz]

Originally posted by @Christopher Gosch:

Hi,

I just bought a Commerical building in Los Angeles and was wondering if anyone had experience dealing with neighbors on adjoining property.  On the North side of my building is a 12' wide Alley space that has been closed off by the neighbor and the space extends back along the length of both our properties.  On the city diagrams and a new Alta Survey I had done it is listed as an easement for both properties.  Currently it is filled with tons of junk from the Neighbor business including oil barrels, tons of broken items, and sheds that they use for storage. Included are thousands of pounds of items leaning against my building.  My understanding is that easements should be kept clear for access to the sides and back of the building.

My question is should I use an attorney to reach out to the owner of the building next door or should I reach out directly?  I am not sure of the correct protocol.

Any help, thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

I am starting renovations on the project very soon and need to find an amicable solution since my business will be based there for many years to come and don't want to start my relationship with my neighbors off on the wrong foot.


 

Christopher,

I'd call an attorney before reaching out to your neighbor directly.

It sounds like your neighbor has been using this alley for a long time, and I'm 99.9% sure he won't take kindly to your asking him to clear it. I may be wrong about that, but any legit attorney will take a call without charging. I'm well worth your time to call an experienced attorney, explain your situation, ask for their cost, and ask for their opinion. At the very least, you'll be armed with a better understanding of the law if you do end up going to your neighbor first.

Good luck!

Best,

Jon