In a recently decided New York case, 325 Schermerhorn LLC v. Nevins Realty Corp., decided April 27, 2009, Superior Court Kings County, New York, a purchaser under a contract of sale for real property was awarded the return of its $3.6 million contract deposit after the Kings County Supreme Court held the seller was in default for failing to remove a transit easement encumbering the property. The contract of sale provided that the properties were to be sold “free of all encumbrances” except as otherwise stated in the contract. Attached to one of the contracts at issue was a survey which indicated the footings of the building on the property rested on a subway roof. A subsequent title report identified the transit easement, and the purchaser objected to the easement and demanded it be removed from title. The seller argued that the purchaser was aware of the easement before the contract was signed and that the purchaser agreed under the contract to purchase the properties in their “as-is” condition. The buyer claimed that the seller was in default under the contract since the transit easement was an encumbrance that affected the marketability of title to the property.