We have extensive experience with riparian claims -- claims by the State to ownership of lands that are or were formally under tidewater -- in all manner of cases including casinos in Atlantic City, office developments in the Hackensack Meadowlands, waterfront developments, marinas, restaurants, housing and hotels on piers in Jersey City and elsewhere along the Hudson River, the Passaic River, Raritan River, on the New Jersey shore and in some unusual inland locations where the tide has not flowed for over 150 years.
A proper analysis of the potential for a riparian claim can be a critical first step in planning any real estate purchase or improvement in all but two counties in New Jersey. The analysis involves a unique combination of knowledge of real estate law, the ability to research historical facts, and an understanding of how claims arise and how to negotiate their resolution with the State. We have the experience to assess claims properly and provide truly expert advice and representation in this unique and complex area of real estate law where few practitioners have ever ventured.
Our related practice areas involving local, State, and Federal development regulations aid substantially in this area as well, because questions about riparian claims are frequently bound up with other development and financing issues.
