Office Image of Bacon and Wilson P.C

Experienced Guidance

When Life Gets Legal SM

Real Estate/Zoning

Are you a real estate buyer or a seller? A lender or a borrower? Bacon Wilson can demystify the real estate sales process for you, smooth out the bumps along the way, and expertly handle all of the tedious details. Whether it’s a complicated commercial deal or the purchase of your first home, our firm understands how important this transaction is to you. We will treat you with warmth and respect and make it a pleasant experience for you. In addition to buying or selling real estate, our legal team can help you with:

Borrower Representation

  • Construction Loans – If you’re looking for an often short-term, interim loan for financing the cost of residential or commercial construction, rather than outlaying the entire principal amount of the loan at once, your lender can disburse the funds to you in accordance with a construction schedule as your project progresses. We can provide you thorough assistance to ensure that your construction project financing moves forward on the anticipated schedule.
  • Purchase Money Financing – This is when the seller of equipment (e.g. machine, device, or vehicle) provides the financing for the acquisition of the equipment to the purchaser and agrees to take back a lien on the equipment as collateral security for the financing. We can assist you in making certain that new equipment is financed expeditiously to avoid any interruption to your ongoing business operations and ensure your business’ continuity.
  • Asset-Based Loans – This is a commercial loan secured by your company’s ‘personality’ as well as its real property assets. In addition to the lender receiving a real property mortgage on real estate as collateral for the loan, the lender may also collateralize the loan by a lien on accounts receivable (A/R), inventory, and equipment. Often the amount of the loan is directly related to the value of the assets, as measured over a period of time, e.g. annually. We can demystify the complexities of asset based financing, and ensure that all borrowing requirements are clearly stated and understood.
  • Equipment Leases – By obtaining the use of machinery, vehicles, or other equipment on a rental basis versus purchase, you avoid the need to invest significant capital for a purchase. This prevents the need to invest capital in equipment. Ownership rests in the hands of the financial institution or leasing company, while your business has the actual use of the equipment. We can work with you to ensure that lease terms are commercially reasonable, agreeable, and provide for favorable terms and conditions.

Brownfields Redevelopment Counseling

A Brownfield site is real property in which the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Brownfield sites are often abandoned industrial or commercial sites.

Previously, both developers and their lenders steered far clear of these sites for fear that the substantial environmental cleanup costs involved would reduce the anticipated project profit margin. Commercial lenders also feared that, in the event of a foreclosure, the bank would be burdened with a contaminated property and substantial attendant cleanup costs.

New federal and state legislation (the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownsfields Revitalization Act, and the Brownsfields Act: Chapter 206 of the Acts of 1998, respectively) now provide financial incentives that can allay these concerns and have reinvented the business model regarding these sites. Our attorneys can help guide you through the process of purchasing and developing a Brownsfields site.

Co-ownership of property

There are three principal types of ownership (tenancies) relative to real estate. The most familiar is what is known as “joint tenants”. This means that if one person dies, the survivor owns all of the interest in the property. In a “tenancy in common”, each owner of the property has an undivided interest in the whole of the property. In this type of tenancy, upon the death of any owner, his share will pass as directed by his will, or by intestacy if he does not have a valid will. A third, special form of ownership allowed in several states is what is known as a “tenancy by the entirety”. In this case, only a husband and wife may own the property, and the property passes to the survivor.

Each type of ownership has advantages and disadvantages specific to your situation. Our lawyers can help you determine which suits you best.

Evictions

As every residential landlord knows, obtaining a judgment for eviction can be difficult and expensive. Under the old bankruptcy law, tenants could file and cause a lengthy delay of a hard-fought eviction.

Now, under the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, (BAPCPA,) if a residential landlord has a judgment for possession by the time the tenant files for bankruptcy, the stay does not prevent the landlord from continuing to evict the tenant 30 days after the petition was filed. With few exceptions, in a majority of cases, it is likely that a debtor’s financial distress will prevent any cure, thus permitting the landlord to move forward with eviction in a relatively short period of time. Bacon Wilson can help facilitate the process for you.

Homestead declaration

In Massachusetts, homeowners and condominium owners may file a homestead declaration to protect $500,000 of equity in their property. It must be filed in the Registry of Deeds for the county in which the property is located. This document protects you from creditors or judgments against you in the event that you are sued. It does not, however, protect you against existing mortgages, long-term care claims for Medicaid payments by the Division of Medical Assistance, or existing claims or lawsuits. The Declaration of Homestead is a relatively straightforward document that is filed after being notarized. However, there are certain special situations that require attention, such as ownership of multiple residences. Our team of legal experts can help.

Like-Kind Exchanges or 1031 Exchanges

Conducting a “like-kind” exchange under the Internal Revenue Code section 1031 is one of the few legitimate tax shelters available to individuals, corporations, and other business entities engaging in the disposition of assets. Deferred exchanges allow taxpayers to engage in transactions for the exchange of like-kind property and avoid capital gains tax on the appreciation in the value of their property. A 1031 exchange (or a tax-deferred exchange) permits investment property owners to sell a property and defer tax payments by reinvesting the proceeds of the sale into a like-kind property.

Simply put, a like-kind exchange is a method whereby a property owner trades one or more relinquished properties for one or more replacement properties of like-kind, while deferring the payment of federal income taxes and some state taxes on the transaction. The Bacon Wilson legal team can help.

Property co-ownership

There are three principal types of ownership (tenancies) relative to real estate. The most familiar is what is known as “joint tenants”. This means that if one person dies, the survivor owns all of the interest in the property. In a “tenancy in common”, each owner of the property has an undivided interest in the whole of the property. In this type of tenancy, upon the death of any owner, his share will pass as directed by his will, or by intestacy if he does not have a valid will. A third, special form of ownership allowed in several states is what is known as a “tenancy by the entirety”. In this case, only a husband and wife may own the property, and the property passes to the survivor.

Each type of ownership has advantages and disadvantages specific to your situation. Our lawyers can help you determine which suits you best.

Qualified personal residence trusts

You may have maintained a home, summer cottage, ski chalet, or similar property for family use. A qualified personal residence trust (QPRT) may accomplish your objective of maintaining this property after your death so that your children will be able to use it for future generations. The property will mostly have appreciated since you purchased it, and the QRPT may be utilized to reduce taxes upon passing the property to your children, so that they won’t be forced to sell it.

Tenancy

There are three principal types of ownership (tenancies) relative to real estate. The most familiar is what is known as “joint tenants”. This means that if one person dies, the survivor owns all of the interest in the property. In a “tenancy in common”, each owner of the property has an undivided interest in the whole of the property. In this type of tenancy, upon the death of any owner, his share will pass as directed by his will, or by intestacy if he does not have a valid will. A third, special form of ownership allowed in several states is what is known as a “tenancy by the entirety”. In this case, only a husband and wife may own the property, and the property passes to the survivor. Tenancy should not be taken for granted. A careful review of all deeds for a condominium, house, timeshare, or other real estate entity will ensure that the objectives of the ownership are accomplished. Each type of ownership has advantages and disadvantages specific to your situation. Our lawyers can help you determine which suits you best.