Obligations reduced to a promissory note are often accompanied by a written guaranty. The law treats the guaranty as an independent obligation. A case recently decided by California’s First District Court of Appeal —...more
Consider a lender that extends a term loan in the amount of $1 million to an entity debtor. The loan is guaranteed by the debtor’s owner. If both the debtor and the guarantor become subject to bankruptcy cases, it is settled...more
Real estate lenders and borrowers everywhere are trying to figure out what to do with properties that are either sitting vacant or underperforming pre-pandemic expectations. In New York, a number of mezzanine foreclosures...more
It has been said that a guarantor is a fool with a pen. Even the Bible warns, "whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer, but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe." Proverbs 11:15, NIV. That...more
As the case of NNN Realty shows, years of litigation and legal costs could be avoided with proper use of punctuation marks. A lender made a secured real estate loan to several entities who owned the real estate as tenants in...more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit recently upheld summary judgment in favor of a lender, dismissing an action by the borrowers’ spouses alleging that the lender’s requirement that the spouses sign guaranties...more
On June 13, 2014, the Texas Supreme Court conclusively resolved the issue of whether a guarantor may generally waive his/her/its statutory right of offset under Section 51.003 of the Texas Property Code. In Moayedi v....more
If a lender delays foreclosure allowing years of default interest to accrue such that a guarantor’s obligation increases from $6 million to $12 million, should the guarantor remain on the hook for the full $12 million? In...more
A recent decision in the protracted litigation by lenders of Extended Stay to recover under guaranties executed by owners of Extended Stay highlights the need for clear and unambiguous drafting in intercreditor agreements....more