Arnold & Clifford Attorneys Win Declaratory Judgment to Enforce Commercial Lease Renewal

An Arnold & Clifford trial team consisting of James E. Arnold and Michael L. Dillard, Jr. won a declaratory judgment action to prevent their client from being evicted from multiple gas station properties located in several states, saving the client millions of dollars. The declaratory judgment hearing in Franklin County, Ohio was the culmination of five months of expedited litigation, involving several hearings, conferences, multiple depositions, written discovery, and briefing.

The client was a multi-national energy company who was leasing multiple gas station properties from the landlord as part of a complicated commercial lease initially entered in the 1990s. The landlord sought to terminate the lease, evict Arnold & Clifford’s client, and seize millions of dollars in land improvements for itself.

The client turned to Arnold & Clifford to prevent the unlawful termination. Arnold & Clifford sued the defendant for declaratory judgment. The defendant counterclaimed for forceable entry and detainer, and another multi-national gas station company, the client’s sub-tenant, joined the fray as an additional plaintiff trying to prevent eviction. The court stopped the unlawful eviction and attempted seizure of expensive gas station improvements.