Option to Repurchase Property Ruled Void

Winning for our Clients & Strengthening the reliability of contract law.

A recent Norfolk Superior Court decision, “Haven Realty Trust v. Corrigan”, underscores the importance of precision in real estate contracts. The court ruled that an option-to-purchase agreement was void and unenforceable because it failed to clearly define the property’s dimensions and lot lines — language left “to be mutually agreed upon” later.

J. Nathan Cole and Alexander R. Zwillinger of Cole Law Partners, P.C. represented the plaintiffs, emphasizing that the ruling “strengthens the reliability of contract law in real estate disputes and allows our clients to move forward free from baseless claims.”

The decision serves as a clear reminder: in real estate transactions, specificity is everything. Ambiguity in describing a property can transform an agreement into little more than “hopes and prayers,” as one attorney aptly noted.