Insights

Denver, Colorado – For the second year in a row, Otten Johnson Robinson Neff + Ragonetti PC (Otten Johnson) has been named an honoree of The Civic 50 Colorado by CSR Solutions of Colorado and Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service.

In a growing region like Colorado’s Front Range corridor, cities and towns often expand both upward and outward: upward through development and outward through annexation, bringing county land within their boundaries. For a landowner, moving property into a municipality can offer access to a range of services and assurances regarding development rights. Local governments can in turn count on additional tax revenue and corresponding commitments. But that new relationship doesn’t always work. When that happens, an annexation can be unwound through the less familiar process of “disconnection.” This fall, new legislative changes went into effect that will reshape the disconnection process for landowners looking to leave statutory cities and towns.

On September 4th, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the “CDC”) published an Order in the Federal Register instituting a temporary moratorium prohibiting landlords from evicting qualifying residential tenants. That moratorium will, for now, remain in effect until December 31, 2020.

Over the past few months, the question: “Who’s wearing pants?” has become a favored icebreaker, or in some cases the banter during virtual meetings that’s causing some to groan because they’ve heard it 30 times this month. For those who routinely attend public meetings, it’s not uncommon to receive a photo of a friend or colleague preparing for a virtual meeting wearing the equivalent of a mullet for work attire — business on top with, most often, gym shorts or sweat pants on bottom.

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Rocky Mountain Conservation Easement Law Blog. Sign up on the blog to receive insights and updates from Melinda Beck and the Otten Johnson conservation easement team. Please click here to read…

Denver, Colorado – Attorneys with Otten Johnson Robinson Neff + Ragonetti PC (Otten Johnson) have once again been recognized by Best Lawyers®, for 2020. New to the list this year are Julie Gifford and Melinda Beck, both for Real Estate Law.

Retail leases are not pandemic-proof. When COVID-19 first began to have a major impact in the United States, landlords and tenants flipped through their leases, only to find incomplete or unsatisfactory answers regarding government-ordered shutdowns, eviction moratoriums, and other unprecedented COVID-19-related occurrences. As a result, new retail leases are being drafted and negotiated with a sharper eye on the potential effects of the current pandemic and similar future events.

Colorado’s 2020 legislative session wrapped up on June 15, 2020. The session was unusual in that it was suspended from March 14, 2020, through May 26, 2020, due to COVID-19. The legality of the suspension was litigated in the Colorado Supreme Court and ultimately upheld. Despite the suspension, a number of bills impacting business regulation, local governments, housing, water resources, and other real estate matters passed and were signed into law by Governor Polis. This alert provides summaries of bills that may be of interest to business and property owners in the state.

While the repeal of the Gallagher Amendment would be a welcomed change for commercial property owners and developers, it comes with other societal impacts and increased financial burdens on homeowners. Nevertheless, in light of current circumstances, those burdens seem relatively small compared to the alternative.