How To Resolve Common Commercial Property Disputes

07/22/2026 11:10 AM Mark Goodman

You can’t please everyone in life, and that saying is especially true in the world of commercial real estate. When you’re dealing with a commercial property, you likely have neighbors, tenants or a significantly higher number of involved parties, and it’s inevitable that an issue will arise at some point. Knowing how to handle some of the more common disputes can smooth things over in a hurry and help you achieve your desired result. In today’s blog, we explore how to solve some common commercial property disputes.

Let’s take a look at some of the more common disagreement types that we see when helping clients with their commercial transactions, and provide some advice for resolving these disputes.

Boundary Disagreements - A neighbor may believe that they are entitled to some property simply because they maintain it or put a fence on it. If you’re ever involved in a boundary dispute that can’t be settled by talking with your neighbor, you can order a boundary survey that will confirm the specific boundaries of your property and the lot lines that separate you from your neighbor’s property.
Easement Issues - There are a variety of ways that you can work to settle an issue you have with an existing easement agreement. We generally recommend approaching the other side about any concerns you have with an easement. You may also be able to have the easement voided if they are not accessing the shared area as agreed upon in the terms of the easement.
Fraud - Your title services team and an owner’s title insurance policy can help protect you against fraud. If someone claims to have a legitimate deed to the property or is trying to pull a fast one on someone at the county registrar’s office and claim ownership of your land, your title services team can sniff this fraud out and protect you if you’re financially impacted by this fraud.
Tenant/Lease Disputes - If you’re taking over a commercial property with tenants, renters or current lease agreements, your title services team can review all these contracts and ensure you understand what you can and can’t do with the property or your tenants once you take over as owner. Knowing your options for eviction, rent modification, lease termination, payment schedules and covenant restrictions can ensure you and your tenants are on the same page when you take over as owner.
Structural Disputes - We pride ourselves on helping commercial investors develop a strong structural ownership model before they complete the purchase so that stakeholders don’t get into disagreements once the purchase has been completed or the business is up and running. We can work with you to develop an ownership or business structure that protects all vested parties in the event that a co-owner or investor wants to sell off their portion of the venture in the future. Preventing these types of disputes is much preferred to trying to solve them once they're known.

Disputes are going to happen, but if you’re aware of potential issues and work with a team of professionals like the ones you’ll find at Commercial Partners, we’re confident any issues will be resolved with your needs in mind. For more information, or for help with any aspect of your next commercial acquisition, connect with Commercial Partners today at (612) 337-2470.