Real Estate Litigation Attorney in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Real estate transactions can be plagued with challenges. First, you have to present the winning bid, and then you have to survive the hurdles of financing, title searches, property inspections, and contract details. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) estimates that 30 percent of real estate transactions experience contract delays due to various issues, often relating to financing and titling. At least 5 percent of all transactions are terminated by either the buyer or the seller.

Even after the transaction is concluded and the buyer takes possession, issues can arise. Perhaps a title defect suddenly rears its ugly head, or a boundary dispute erupts, or there’s an issue with the construction or condition of the property itself. Disputes can cloud the transaction, perhaps leading to litigation.  

If you find yourself in a real estate dispute that may lead to litigation in or around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, contact Marc V. Taiani, Esquire and Allegheny Attorneys at Law, P.C. I will listen to your story and advise you of your legal options going forward. If that means litigation, I will represent your interests at every stage. 

I proudly serve clients throughout Pennsylvania, including Penn Hills, Aspinwall, Ross Township, Shaler Township, Indiana Township, Oakmont Borough, Fox Chapel, and O’Hara Township. 

Common Real Estate Disputes

After you purchase a property, you might find your ownership being challenged by a previous owner, whose interest in the property was somehow overlooked or undiscovered in the title search process.  

For instance, someone may have inherited the property way back when but not taken the proper steps to record the title, perhaps skipping probate, and then passed it down to their beneficiaries. The whole ownership issue is clouded, and when you buy the property, someone still has a claim to it. Seems odd, but it can happen. A lien may also suddenly appear, or unpaid property taxes may come due. 

Other issues that can arise might include: 

BREACH OF CONTRACT: Perhaps you had a contract to buy a certain property, but the seller backed out and sold it to someone else. That would be a breach of contract, and it would have to be resolved through negotiation or litigation. Or the deal went through, but the seller made contractual promises that weren’t fulfilled. 

BOUNDARY DISPUTES: You move in, but a neighbor suddenly encroaches on what you believe to be our property, perhaps by building a fence, or even a shed that seems to violate your property lines. What do you do? If you don’t object, the other property owner could lay claim to your violated property through the legal process of adverse possession. 

FRAUD: Perhaps you purchase a new home, or even an office building, and the contractor who sold it to you promised that certain work would still be done, such as paving the road adjoining the property. He doesn’t finish the promised work. You could have a claim of fraud, as well as breach of contract. 

HOME DEFECTS: You purchase a home, but when you move in and the first rain comes, the roof leaks. Though you carried out an inspection, you thought everything was fine, but a freshly painted ceiling covered up previous water damage. You might have a claim against the seller. 

CO-OWNER DISPUTES: Co-owners in a property, especially commercial property, can often get at loggerheads over issues related to the property. Should we turn this into a warehouse or a manufacturing site? What should we build on the vacant land? 

Resolving Real Estate Disputes

In any real estate dispute, the first step is typically negotiation. Even in this step, however, you will want to enlist the aid of an experienced real estate attorney to handle matters. If negotiations sour, you can always propose mediation or arbitration. Mediation does not result in a mandatory resolution, but arbitration does. Arbitration is more like a courtroom battle, with both sides presenting evidence. 

The final step is litigation if the other side refuses to negotiate, mediate or arbitrate, or if those efforts fail. An investment in property represents probably the biggest investment anyone makes, so you need to protect your rights and your interests. If you’re facing a breach of contract, fraud, boundary, title or other dispute that threatens your ownership and use of your property, litigation is always an option. You have too much at stake.