Application for a declaration regarding the interpretation of a commercial lease and the tenant’s exercise of an option to renew.
The tenant sought confirmation that he had validly exercised a five‑year renewal option under the lease.
The landlord argued that renewal required prior negotiations, that the tenant had not exercised the option clearly, and that alleged lease defaults disentitled the tenant from renewal.
The court held that the tenant clearly and unequivocally exercised the option and that the lease language requiring negotiations did not constitute a condition precedent.
Alleged defaults were either unsupported or waived by the landlord’s conduct, and therefore did not invalidate the renewal.
