Real estate disputes have a way of escalating at exactly the wrong time — when a deal is closing, a project is breaking ground, or a property is generating revenue. Purchase agreements unravel. Leases get contested. Governments take property. Neighbors challenge boundaries. When these conflicts cannot be resolved through negotiation, business owners face a choice: absorb the loss or take it to court.
Demorest Law Firm, PLLC represents business owners, property investors, and commercial stakeholders in real estate litigation across Detroit and throughout Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, Washtenaw, and Monroe Counties. Our litigation team has recovered millions for property owners — including a $9.1 million inverse condemnation judgment — while also handling boundary disputes, lease conflicts, title issues, and breach-of-contract claims. Through our membership in the Primerus international network of independent law firms, we coordinate on real estate matters that cross state lines.
If you are facing a property dispute or anticipate litigation, talk to our Detroit real estate litigation team about your position and what Michigan law allows in your case.
Commercial property claims can disrupt operations and impact long-term investment plans, especially when multiple parties have competing rights or expectations tied to the property. For example:
We regularly represent construction industry clients in development disputes involving contractors, subcontractors, and project owners. Our Detroit real estate litigation team can work to protect your investment while keeping your business operations as stable as possible during the resolution process.
Title claims usually occur when ownership of real property is unclear or contested. When ownership must be clarified through the court system, a quiet title action may be filed to establish legal rights to the property. Michigan’s quiet title statute, MCL 600.2932, authorizes any person claiming title to property to file an action to determine competing claims and clear defects in the chain of title.
Businesses often encounter title litigation during acquisitions, refinancing, or redevelopment projects where uncertainty in ownership can delay or derail transactions. Resolving these issues early helps prevent complications that can affect financing or closing timelines. Unresolved defects can carry forward and create future legal and financial risk, so our lawyers can help you make sure you and your business are protected.
Boundary disputes typically arise between neighboring property owners over the physical limits of land ownership. These disagreements can involve encroachments, fence placement, or disputes over access rights.
Easement disputes involve the legal right to use another party’s property for a specific purpose. These rights are key in commercial settings where access roads or utilities are involved. These disputes can directly impact how commercial property is used, developed, or accessed, which can limit your expansion or alter your planned improvements.
When informal resolution can’t resolve the issue, litigation may be necessary to determine property rights and enforce or challenge claimed boundaries or easements.
Zoning and land use disputes can crop up when property owners or developers disagree with how local governments classify or regulate land. These conflicts often involve zoning ordinances that restrict how a property can be developed or used. Businesses may seek variances, special use permits, or other approvals when a proposed project does not comply with existing zoning rules.
Zoning disputes can significantly affect business expansion plans and property value. Our lawyers are prepared to fight back, whether your case goes to court or can be resolved beforehand.
Under Article X, Section 2 of the Michigan Constitution and the Uniform Condemnation Procedures Act, state and local governments may take private property for public use — but only with just compensation. Disputes typically center on two issues: whether the taking is legitimate, and whether the compensation offered reflects fair market value.
Inverse condemnation occurs when government action effectively takes or damages property without the government formally initiating condemnation proceedings. This can result from regulatory restrictions, physical interference, drainage and flooding from public projects, or other government conduct that diminishes property value or use. Inverse condemnation cases are technically demanding and often turn on detailed expert analysis of the property’s pre- and post-taking value.
Demorest Law Firm has substantial experience on the property owner side of takings cases. Our largest inverse condemnation recovery to date is $9.1 million — a result that reflects both the legal complexity of these disputes and the financial stakes for affected property owners. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each case is evaluated on its own facts, applicable law, and available evidence. If your property has been taken, damaged, or restricted by government action, our team can evaluate whether you have a compensable claim and what fair compensation should look like.
Real estate transactions rely heavily on written contracts, including:
Common breach issues can turn on the specific language of the agreement and the obligations outlined within it.
Legal remedies may include monetary damages or specific performance, depending on the circumstances and enforceability of the agreement. Courts may order a party to complete the transaction when monetary damages are not sufficient to resolve the dispute.
Real estate breach claims often overlap with broader breach-of-contract litigation, particularly when development contracts or joint venture agreements are involved. Many real estate disputes can be prevented at the contract drafting and review stage, when terms and obligations are still negotiable. Our lawyers can protect your interests throughout the process.
Not every real estate dispute needs to go to court. The attorneys at Demorest Law Firm, PLLC, first evaluate whether litigation is necessary based on the facts and your business objectives.
Our pre-litigation strategies often focus on resolving issues without formal proceedings. These may include:
When a dispute cannot be resolved informally, alternative dispute resolution may offer a practical path forward. Mediation allows both sides to work with a neutral third party to reach a negotiated outcome, while arbitration provides a more structured process that can result in a binding decision.
When negotiation and resolution efforts do not lead to a workable outcome, court intervention can be the most effective way to enforce rights or address contract breaches. Our lawyers work hard to make sure that you’re protected, whatever your needs may be.
Timelines vary widely. A straightforward quiet title action with cooperative parties may resolve in six to nine months. Contested commercial lease disputes, eminent domain valuation cases, or complex breach-of-contract claims often take twelve to twenty-four months or longer, particularly when expert appraisals, discovery disputes, or appeals are involved. Acting early — before positions harden — generally improves outcomes.
Litigation is rarely the first option. Many real estate disputes are resolved through demand letters, direct negotiation, or mediation. Litigation makes sense when the other side refuses to engage, when contract terms require court enforcement, when government action requires constitutional challenge, or when the financial stakes justify the cost and timeline of court proceedings. Our team evaluates this calculus at the outset of every matter.
A quiet title action is a lawsuit filed under MCL 600.2932 to resolve competing claims to real property and establish clear legal ownership. Businesses commonly use quiet title actions during acquisitions, refinancing, or redevelopment projects when title defects, unresolved liens, missing heirs, or boundary uncertainties would otherwise prevent the transaction from closing.
Yes, in many circumstances. Under Michigan law, property owners may bring inverse condemnation claims when government action effectively takes or damages property — through regulatory restrictions, physical interference, flooding caused by public infrastructure, or similar conduct — without a formal condemnation proceeding. These cases require careful analysis of the action’s impact and the property’s diminished value, but successful claims can result in substantial compensation.
Eminent domain is when the government formally initiates proceedings to take private property for public use, with the property owner generally negotiating or litigating over compensation. Inverse condemnation is when the government has effectively taken or damaged property without filing condemnation — leaving the property owner to bring the claim. Both require just compensation under the Michigan Constitution and the U.S. Constitution.
Demorest Law Firm, PLLC, combines extensive litigation experience with a practical understanding of real estate and business transactions. This approach allows our attorneys to address disputes in a way that considers both legal rights and the operational impact on your business.
We tailor our representation to business owners and entrepreneurs who deal with property-related disputes as part of broader commercial operations. Our lawyers also work on matters involving business litigation, employment issues on the employer side, and general counsel services when legal issues overlap across practice areas.
Our primary service area includes Detroit and Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, Washtenaw, and Monroe Counties, but we offer statewide representation in Michigan courts. Our attorneys are familiar with local courts, municipalities, and the business environment that often determines how real estate disputes end. That insight means we’re ready to build a custom strategy for your specific needs.
Every week a real estate dispute sits unresolved, the financial and operational stakes grow. Leases keep running. Projects keep stalling. Compensation claims keep aging out. The earlier you understand where your legal position actually stands, the more options you have for protecting your investment.
Demorest Law Firm has handled property disputes, takings cases, lease conflicts, and title litigation for Michigan business owners for more than 35 years. Our case results include the $9.1 million inverse condemnation recovery that anchors our property rights practice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Whether your matter calls for direct negotiation, alternative dispute resolution, or full litigation, we can evaluate your case and recommend the path that fits your business objectives.
Schedule a consultation to discuss your real estate dispute and what Michigan law allows in your situation.
Timelines vary widely. A straightforward quiet title action with cooperative parties may resolve in six to nine months. Contested commercial lease disputes, eminent domain valuation cases, or complex breach-of-contract claims often take twelve to twenty-four months or longer, particularly when expert appraisals, discovery disputes, or appeals are involved. Acting early — before positions harden — generally improves outcomes.
