Practice Areas

Real Estate 

Richard Allen is a Lehi, Utah attorney who has extensive experience in real estate transactions and he can help assure that your transaction will be as successful as possible. Richard also has extensive litigation experience involving real estate matters including title and boundary issues. Richard has represented real estate clients in:

     · purchase and sales, leasing and other transactions 

     · obtaining development approvals

     · preparing owner association documents and CC&Rs

     · title and other types of litigation

     · borrowing and lending 

Richard Allen has assisted in real estate purchase and sales transactions in Utah and other western states. Those transactions include the purchase and sale of office buildings, strip malls and other retail properties, industrial properties, mixed use properties, large ranches and recreation properties including ski resorts. He has significant experience in the sale and purchase of assisted living facilities. He has represented both landlords and tenants in lease transactions involving most types of real estate. 

The development of property in Utah requires compliance with the laws of the city or county in which the property is located including project approval by the municipal authorities. Richard has assisted his clients in obtaining development approval for projects totaling thousands of residential units as well as master planned communities, multifamily and commercial projects.  He has also represented municipalities in development and water right matters. 

Richard Allen has drafted condominium and owner association documents for a number of developments from large and expensive projects to entry level residential projects. He has also drafted condominium documents for office buildings and industrial and retail developments.  Richard has also represented owners associations in enforcement actions and in the collection of assessments. 

Richard Allen has experience in litigating many types of real estate matters. Richard has been successful in quiet title actions and litigation of property description and boundary issues. He has sued title companies for not properly closing real estate transactions and municipalities over development rights.  Richard has successfully litigated other issues involving real estate including disputes over transactions and leases, mortgage or trust deed foreclosures, construction disputes and mechanic liens.

Utah Water Law

Richard Allen has worked with Utah water rights since he was in college and he has been involved in most aspects of water right law. Water law in Utah is a very specialized and it is easy to make mistakes in dealing with water rights. 

Most water in Utah has already been appropriated and it is usually not possible to obtain a new water right needed for a project so existing water rights have to be purchased and the place and nature of use of the water must be changed. 

Utah water rights are very difficult to evaluate based on the water right records. Water Rights may be forfeited if they are not used for an extended period of time and they are limited by beneficial use and some water rights are duplicative. As a result it takes a great deal of experience and expertise to properly evaluate a water right.

Title companies regularly refer their clients to Richard when there are water right title questions and seek his assistance in making sure that water rights involved in their land transactions are properly transferred and documented.

Business

Richard Allen has experience in the handling business legal matters. Richard has set up business entities such as limited liability companies and corporations and has helped sell and purchase of a number of ongoing businesses.

Richard can help you with transactions and can help you be success in resolving disputes including litigation if necessary. Richard has special expertise in certain kinds of business such as assisted living and real estate based businesses.

Natural Resources

Richard Allen began his legal career at a Salt Lake City natural resource law firm and has done natural resource work throughout his 40 year career. A significant portion of his natural resource work has been oil and gas and mining title work.  Richard has done significant mineral title work in Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Idaho and Arizona. He has prepared title opinions with very complicated fee mineral ownership and for federal and state leases.  Richard has also done a significant amount of water right work for natural resource projects and related developments.

Estate Planning

Having good estate planning documents can help your family avoid some very difficult issues when you die. Richard uses revocable trusts with supporting documents that provide how your property will be distributed upon your death and allows the property to be distributed without any probate or other legal proceeding. Richard's plans also includes additional documents that may be important near the end of your life such as medical powers of attorney and living wills.