Zeidel & Associates Secures Critical View-Protection Rights in Bronx Billboard Lease Renewals

Situation

Zeidel & Associates represented an outdoor advertising company in connection with the renewal and extension of three leases for large billboard signs located along Interstate 95 in the Bronx. Unlike a conventional lease, the value of a billboard location depends substantially on its visibility to passing motorists.

The existing leases did not adequately protect the client if trees, structures, or other conditions on the landlord’s property obstructed motorists’ views of the billboards. The renewals therefore presented an opportunity not only to extend the lease terms, but also to address a risk that directly affected the commercial value of the advertising locations.

Approach

Zeidel & Associates developed a coordinated strategy for negotiating the three lease renewals together. An existing issue involving trees planted by the landlord, which could obstruct one billboard if not regularly trimmed, illustrated the need for express visibility protections across all three leases.

The firm negotiated amendments providing the client with recourse if a billboard’s view became blocked or obstructed. The resulting provisions established notice and cure periods and provided for rent abatement and termination rights if an obstruction was not corrected. Zeidel & Associates also worked closely with the client to define the relevant stretch of highway from which each billboard was required to remain visible, reducing the potential for future disagreement over whether a qualifying obstruction had occurred.

Result

All three lease amendments were executed, allowing the client to retain the billboard locations in its advertising portfolio while gaining substantially stronger protection for their continued visibility and value. Zeidel & Associates also carefully reviewed the landlord’s individual amendment drafts to ensure that location-specific terms were accurately preserved while the negotiated view-protection rights were consistently documented across the lease group.