To My Clients and Friends Over These 43 Years of Law Practice
As of December 31, 2023, I will be closing my law office. I do so for the best of all reasons; to spend more time with family, which, mirabile dictu,…
Pay Attention to What You Sign After You Sign the Purchase and Sales Agreement
This is the clear lesson from a recent Rhode Island Superior Court decision involving the sale of a multi-million dollar Barrington waterfront property. Buyers and Sellers signed a Purchase and…
A New and Comprehensive Guide to Rhode Island Land Use Laws
A Practical Guide to Land Use Law in Rhode Island was just published this summer by Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc. I had the privilege, and the pleasure, of editing…
“Water, Water Every Where, Nor Any Drop to Drink”
That was the lament of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Ancient Mariner, but it is also sometimes the lament of owners of waterfront and water view property. Saltwater Infiltration Recently I was…
Whose Beach Is It, Anyway? *
That is a question which will echo throughout Rhode Island’s coast this summer, as in years past. Disputes over beach rights and access to the shore are not confined to…
Mansions and Property Rights*
Our Rhode Island Supreme Court recently issued an important decision for property rights, even though property rights were never mentioned in the decision. The Court acted in a dispute between…
Stormy Weather
There’s a political storm brewing in Rhode Island and coastal residences and businesses could be at risk. At issue is the accuracy of new Federal Flood Maps for Rhode Island…
Getting a Dock In Rhode Island May Be Harder Than You Think
One of the attractions in acquiring waterfront property is to have a boat dock for recreational activities. That may, however, be easier said than done. For example, if a prospective…
The Precise Boundary of Waterfront Property May Not Be What You Think
Many prospective purchasers of waterfront property expect that they will own all the land up to the water. Some may; others may not. The reason is that the precise boundary…
Getting Out of the Flood Zone
Given it is Hurricane Season, it is appropriate to ask whether Rhode Islanders are any safer from a hurricane today than they were three years ago when Hurricane Sandy hit.…