Commercial Landlord Tenant

Litigation Firm in Orange County, California

Klein & Wilson represents both landlords and tenants in commercial lease disputes. Landlord/tenant disputes include failure to live up to lease covenants, such as failure to maintain property in a reasonable condition and failure to pay rent on time. KLEIN & WILSON DOES NOT HANDLE RESIDENTIAL DISPUTES BETWEEN LANDLORDS AND TENANTS. When lease disputes cannot be resolved at the early stages of a case, Klein & Wilson has the experience and expertise to win commercial unlawful detainer trials. The unlawful detainer process is a mine field for the unwary, and a single technical mistake can lead to judgment in favor of the tenant on procedural grounds.

Klein & Wilson has successfully represented landlords at the trial and appellate level, including evicting a bank in the published decision Plaza Freeway Limited Partnership v. First Mountain Bank (2000) 81 Cal.App.4th 61. This decision was one of the most important landlord-tenant cases of 2000 and remains the leading case in California on estoppel certificates. As a result of Klein & Wilson's litigation and appellate efforts, Klein & Wilson's client succeeded in evicting its tenant on technical grounds relating to the estoppel certificate even though the Bank was able to show substantial hardship due to the eviction.

In a bitterly contested unlawful detainer action in Orange County, Klein & Wilson not only evicted a corporate tenant but convicted the president of the company of contempt when the company tried to hide assets during Klein & Wilson's collection efforts. Klein & Wilson also has had great success in recovering legal fees arising out of unlawful detainer proceedings.

In another case, Klein & Wilson represented a landlord who, unsuccessfully, tried to evict a tenant who caused problems for years. Klein & Wilson's attorneys filed an unlawful detainer action against the problematic tenant and prevailed at trial. The trial court declared the lease forfeited, evicted the tenant, and awarded Klein & Wilson's client attorneys' fees.

Klein & Wilson represented several hundred residents of the El Morro Village Mobilehome Park in Orange County, California, who fought eviction by the State of California. Klein & Wilson successfully delayed eviction for over 14 months and entered into a favorable settlement saving its clients millions of dollars in repair costs the State sought.