Attorneys in GDL’s Condominium and Common Interest Community Practice counsel clients in the development of residential and office condominiums, including new construction and the conversion of existing buildings into condominiums. This representation includes providing advice and guidance to developers with respect to the drafting of condominium documents, and the registration and recordation of the condominium documents with applicable government agencies. With respect to the conversion of existing apartment buildings into condominiums, GDL also has extensive experience assisting clients in obtaining eligibility for conversion, and in negotiating with tenants and tenant organizations. GDL attorneys are well respected among clients and peers for being on the cutting edge of legal practice with respect to the complexities of both the Rental Housing Conversion and Sale of Act of 1980 and the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA).
GDL’s work in this area includes the representation of clients in the development, structuring and operation of a wide variety of projects, which have been located in both urban and suburban settings. Included among those projects are various types of master-planned, mixed-use communities, which include a variety of improvements, including residential, commercial/retail and mixed-use improvements.
GDL has formed numerous master associations for projects, with various component associations in order to best suit the product type being constructed, including condominium associations, homeowners associations, commercial owners associations and cooperatives. We have also structured numerous residential communities which include public housing units and affordable housing components as well as market rate components in a manner to assure that the owners and occupants of all types of housing products can participate in the operation of the community. With regard to each of these types of projects, GDL lawyers have the experience to advise our clients as to the potential options for legal structuring so that the client can make informed and appropriate decisions in the legal aspects of their projects. Where a developer determines that for any reason a master association will not be the ideal structure for the long-term operation of a mixed-use community, we advise the developer with respect to various easements, use rights and public dedications which may be needed in order to ensure that the intended use of the components of the community are available to all owners and occupants within the community, and we assist in structuring cost-sharing arrangements among the various components of the community. In addition, we represent developers before federal, state and local governmental agencies on issues related to the drafting of documents necessary to satisfy all applicable governmental and regulatory requirements.
GDL attorneys also represent developers with respect to sales and marketing issues, including the preparation of the form of sales contract for the sale of individual dwelling units, of various disclosure statements required to satisfy the applicable governmental and regulatory requirements, and of certain addenda that can be employed by the developers in the ordinary course of marketing activities. GDL also advises developers and their sales personnel with respect to issues which arise during the course of such marketing and sales activities.