Paid $800 for a paralegal to review my lease - best money I ever spent or total waste?

So I was about to sign a commercial lease for my shop and the landlord threw in all these clauses about maintenance, property tax adjustments, and renewal terms. I figured I could read it myself, but my buddy said I was crazy. Dropped $800 on a paralegal who specializes in commercial leases in Edmonton. She found 3 things that would have cost me way more down the road - like a clause saying I pay for HVAC repairs even if it's the system just dying of old age. On the flip side, my neighbor signed a similar lease without a lawyer and he's been fine for 5 years. So was I smart or just paranoid? Anyone else pay for legal help and feel like you got burned or saved?

3 comments

3 Comments

aaron89613d ago

Ngl that HVAC clause alone makes the $800 worth it. Those systems can cost thousands to replace and landlords love sneaking that one in.

taylor8213d ago

Used to be all "just read it yourself" guy. Boutique owner five years, never hired a lawyer for leases. Thought it was throwing money away. Then my buddy's landlord stuck him with a $12k roof repair bill. That clause was buried deep. Changed my whole view. $800 is cheap insurance compared to that.

kevin_schmidt9713d ago

And for every buddy like yours there's a landlord counting on you skipping the fine print.