The Safe-Deposit Box Trap: A Utah County Litigation Debrief I recently reviewed a title litigation file from a brokerage in Provo that should be mandatory reading for every real estate agent in Utah. It involved a scenic 20-acre horse property in Utah County, valued at 1,500,000 dollars. The owner, an aging rancher, wanted to ensure…
The Vault
VLT_004: Owners of Destiny: Forms of Ownership, Freehold vs. Leasehold, and Life Estates
The Heber Valley Partition Disaster: A Failure of Vesting Alignment A highly experienced broker operating in Wasatch County recently shared a litigation file that highlights the absolute danger of letting clients choose their vesting type without understanding the legal consequences. The transaction involved a scenic 40-acre parcel of mountain land in Heber Valley, valued at…
VLT_003: Neighborhood Rules: Public and Private Controls: Zoning, Eminent Domain, HOA Restrictions, and Easements
The Summit County Retaining Wall War: A Lesson in Invisible Encumbrances A veteran commercial broker operating in Summit County, Utah, recently shared a litigation file that serves as the ultimate warning against ignoring non-possessory rights. The transaction involved a beautiful mountain cabin sold to a wealthy out-of-state buyer for 1.8 million dollars. For fifteen years,…
VLT_002: Mapping the Terrain: Legal Descriptions and the Purpose of Surveys
The Heber Valley Fence Line War: The High Cost of Spatial Ignorance I recently analyzed a litigation file from an agency in Park City that serves as the ultimate case study in why physical assumptions are a form of professional malpractice. The transaction involved a stunning luxury cabin in Heber Valley, sold to an out-of-state…