Best Lawyers in America® has named Bill a “Lawyer of the Year” for two consecutive years – 2015 Cleveland Real Estate Litigation Lawyer of the Year and 2014 Cleveland Construction Lawyer of the Year. He represents private and publicly held property owners, contractors and developers, and governmental entities. His expertise includes real estate development, affordable housing, leasing, construction law, distressed real estate matters, property taxation and abatement. In the corporate area, he concentrates on corporate governance issues and general business counseling. Bill's litigation practice focuses on property ownership disputes, leasing matters, title insurance litigation, bankruptcy litigation, and construction claims. With over 30 years of experience, Bill has achieved the highest ranking, AV Preeminent, from Martindale-Hubbell, is recognized by Chambers USA and the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, and is also named to Ohio Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America®.

It has an urban, industrial feel. It has a live DJ. It has a festive atmosphere. It has a patio. And, in addition, to the tacos, gorditas, crunch wraps and chulapas that you’ve come to love and expect, it has beer!Taco Bell Cantina

It’s the new Taco Bell Cantina which opened today at 200 Euclid Avenue on Public Square in downtown Cleveland. Lines stretched out the door at opening time today but service was provided smoothly and quickly by the friendly and outgoing employees.

Situated in the long vacant Cadillac Ranch space in the old May Company building, Cleveland’s Taco Bell Cantina joins other Cantina restaurants operated by Taco Bell in San Francisco, Austin, Chicago and on the Las Vegas strip.

The first Taco Bell Cantina opened in Chicago’s Wicker Park Neighborhood in September 2015. Less than a dozen currently exist and only five other Taco Bell Cantinas serve alcohol.
Continue Reading Ulmer Client, Taco Bell, Opens Cantina in Downtown Cleveland

A beta version of Cuyahoga County’s property information website called MyPlace is now up and running.

There is no need to separately search the webpages of the county recorder and county auditor (two divisions of the County Fiscal Office) in order to obtain property information in Cuyahoga County.  Now, all information is available in one

Gagliano PostIt is a parking lot.  In fact, it has been a parking lot for 25 years now.

In 1990, the building located at 33 Public Square, then officially yet non-descriptively known as the “Public Square Building,” was demolished to make way for what was to be the new, high rise headquarters for Ameritrust, successor to

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It’s not often that I receive a standing ovation when I drive over a bridge.  In fact, I don’t think that’s ever happened and that’s probably true for most people.  Today, though, I received one.

At 10:00 a.m. this morning, the Columbus Avenue Bridge which links Ohio City and the Flats in downtown Cleveland reopened

The End of the Suburbs – Where the American Dream is Moving. That’s the title of the newest book by Leigh Gallagher, Assistant Managing Editor of FORTUNE Magazine, and the topic of much interest at the 13th Annual Commercial Real Estate Deal Maker Forum held this morning in Cleveland. The event was co-sponsored by Ulmer

From the standpoint of a construction lawyer, there is no prettier site than construction cranes in the air.  Cleveland has seen its share over the last year, more so than since the mid-1990s when the Rock Hall, Gateway sports arenas and Science Center were constructed within a short span.

During the prior four months of

My office in the southwest corner of the top floor of the  Skylight Office Tower in downtown Cleveland provides a great view point for the comings and goings on the Cuyahoga River below. 

My last blog post dealt with the development of the Towpath reclamation project along the River south of Collision Bend. Today, I am

Dennis Lane would have liked this.  In fact, he would have liked this on at least two fronts. 

First, with an avid love of the water, biking and outdoor activities, Dennis would have appreciated what’s going on in downtown Cleveland along the banks of the Cuyahoga River just south of Collision Bend.  As

No one in the real estate business – – whether a broker, attorney, developer or contractor – – can engage in any conversation with someone in or out of the business without being asked “when will the recovery begin?” And, as everyone knows, there is no assuredly correct answer.

 

Predictions and prognosticators, however, are bountiful. They

So you finally got a buyer for your house after having it on the market for nine months. As frosting on the cake the buyer says she can close within a week. 

Great! Right? Well, if your buyer made her mortgage loan application on or after July 30, 2009, it may take a little longer.

 

On July 30, Federal Reserve System rules (http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-11567.htm) went into effect implementing the Mortgage Disclosure Improvement Act of 2008 (MDIA). The rules – -applicable to purchase, construction and refinance situations – – impose various waiting periods between the time a transaction specific disclosure is made by the lender and the time when the residential loan transaction can close. The rules apply to all institutions engaged in closed-end, dwelling-secured lending for consumer purposes that is subject to RESPA.

 

The rule was going to go into effect in October 2009, but the date was moved up by the Fed two months in mid-May. Home equity lines of credit are excepted from the rule and are instead subject to separate rules for “open-end” credits. Different rules also apply for timeshare interests. Continue Reading Hurry Up and Wait