Just as your home (vs your entire property) in Ohio is your "castle" in terms of being able to stand your ground and defend yourself/family against an intruder, the Ohio Senate in SB 56 has recently voted to amend Ohio’s recreational marijuana statute (Ohio Revised...
Real Estate
Ohio Court Case Highlights the Importance of Clarity in Real Estate Agreements
A recent Ohio Court of Appeals decision highlights the importance of clear, precise and complete language in residential as well as commercial leases (and other real estate documents). The General Rule: Judicial Deference to Language Within the “Four Corners” of...
Balancing Compliance and Property Rights in the Cleveland Housing Court
Overview In the recent appellate case Cleveland v. City Redevelopment, L.L.C., 2024-Ohio-5213, the Eighth District Court of Appeals addressed the boundaries of community-control sanctions imposed by the Cleveland Municipal Housing Court. The case underscores critical...
Another Step in Cleveland’s Lakefront Revitalization
Cleveland City Council recently commenced the process to create a new nonprofit development agency, known as a New Community Authority (NCA), to administer land and community facility acquisition and development, as well as related services for its downtown lakefront...
Ohio Court Upholds Acceleration and Non-Mitigation Clauses in Commercial Lease Dispute
A recent Ohio Court of Appeals decision highlighted the importance of strong lease terms in commercial leases. The Commercial Lease Dispute The case, Scott Holding Co., Inc. v. Turbo Restaurants US, LLC, involved a commercial lease dispute concerning an Arby’s...
What Developers Need to Know About Cleveland’s Community Benefit Scorecard
While the City of Cleveland has been using Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs) for development projects for over a decade, City Council passed Ordinance No. 297-2023 on June 5, 2023, officially enacting Chapter 191A of the Codified Ordinances of Cleveland. Chapter...
Cleveland Launches “Residents First” Program: What Residential Landlords Should Expect
In KJK’s prior alert, “Residents First” Proposal Introduced to Cleveland City Council, we discussed the City of Cleveland’s (the “City”) proposed legislation affecting Cleveland’s residential landlords. Since then, legislation passed in 2024, and the City will be...
Changes to Ohio’s Home Construction Law: Benefits and Burdens for Remodelers and Consumers
Ohio made a significant change to its law governing home construction services, introducing an amendment that impacts both contractors and homeowners. House Bill 50 (H.B. 50), signed by Governor Mike DeWine in June 2024, added several key terms to the Home...
Understanding the 2024 Property Reappraisal in Cuyahoga County
On July 9, 2024, the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer (the County) released the newly appraised values for properties within their jurisdiction. As required by state law, every county in Ohio is required to update property values every three years and conduct a...
Transformational Mixed-Use Development Credit: Preliminary Insights for the FY 2025 Cycle
As the Ohio Statehouse works to complete its work on biennial appropriations for public infrastructure projects and one-time strategic community investments, the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) is in the process of promulgating updated guidelines for several key...