Epstein Becker Green successfully prevented a landlord from terminating the commercial lease of clients Shell Oil Company and Motiva Enterprises LLC (collectively, "Shell/Motiva") at a gasoline service station in Suffolk County, Long Island. On Sept. 3, 2011, Shell/Motiva received a notice indicating that the landlord intended to terminate the lease within 30 days because of Shell/Motiva's allegedly unlawful use of the leased premises as a gasoline refilling station with a convenience store. (The certificate of occupancy permits the leased premises to be used as a gasoline refilling station with a garage.) On Sept. 30, 2011, Epstein Becker Green, on behalf of Shell/Motiva, immediately requested a temporary restraining order, which was granted that day. EBG subsequently filed a motion, on behalf of Shell/Motiva, seeking a "Yellowstone injunction" to stop the landlord from terminating the lease and ejecting Shell/Motiva from the leased premises.
On March 23, 2012, the Suffolk County Supreme Court granted the motion for a Yellowstone injunction. The court found that Shell/Motiva had met the criteria for the injunction, including demonstrating that they have the desire and ability to cure the alleged default. Additionally, the court pointed out that the landlord acknowledged that Shell/Motiva had already stopped using the leased premises as a convenience store. Based on the clear and unambiguous language of the lease, the court also rejected the landlord's argument that Shell/Motiva had an affirmative obligation to restore the automobile repair shop operation, which had been discontinued several years ago.
The EBG team representing Shell/Motiva consisted of New York Litigation attorneys William Ruskin and J. William Cook.