East End real estate is more than an investment. For many owners, their property represents not only a major financial asset, but a place where they can rest, relax, and restore their health and sense of well-being. So when property owners' autonomy and rights are threatened or attacked, the stakes are high indeed.
The stakes are high, too, when municipalities or businesses find themselves in dispute with other entities seeking to limit or interfere with their rights.
My team and I have established a strong record of winning some of the toughest and hardest-fought cases in the Hamptons and surrounding towns, both in and out of court.
"Nica Strunk is an exceptional lawyer focusing on property protection and ownership. She is a thorough researcher, a brilliant writer, a cool and effective litigator, and a pleasure to work with on challenging legal matters."-RAND V. ARASKOG
"Her motions and briefs were superbly reasoned and concisely and persuasively written, all of which lead to a favorable result in the suit."-PETER SARTORIUS
"Nica Strunk is a master. The work she has done for me personally married her command of property law with a gift for the inventive argument. That combination resulted in complete victory, and made her my go-to attorney in the Hamptons."-MARY ANN TIGHE
"Nica is the single best writer I have come across in forty years of law practice."-DAVID BERG
"Her first-rate research and drafting skills, and her insightful analysis of the issues, were crucial in winning for our client one of the largest parcels in the Hamptons, a result that seemed almost impossible when we started working together."-ARTHUR COHEN
"Nica Strunk is an intelligent attorney’s attorney."-JANE R. KRATZ
"As a lawyer myself, I know what makes a good lawyer, and Nica has all those qualities and more, which in my mind makes her a great lawyer."-PAUL NAPOLI
Semlear v. Incorporated Village of Quogue, 127 A.D.3d 1062 (2d Dep’t 2015) (won landmark case determining that the Trustees of the Freeholders and Commonalty of the Town of Southampton had no power to regulate dune restorations in incorporated villages because their jurisdiction over ocean beaches was limited by the legislature in 1818 to regulation only of seaweed-gathering, fishing, and other traditional activities)
Petrello v. White, 412 F. Supp. 2d 215 (E.D.N.Y. 2006), aff’d, 344 Fed. Appx. 651 (2d Cir. 2009) (drafted winning briefs in District Court and on appeal to Second Circuit obtaining specific performance for buyer of oceanfront property in Sagaponack)
McLoughlin v. McLoughlin, 67 A.D.3d 751 (2d Dep’t 2009) (won judgment in a partition case requiring buyout of client’s interest in property in Southampton Estate Section, after a non-jury trial that I first-chaired; judgment affirmed on appeal)
Von Blomberg v. Garis¸ 44 A.D.3d 1033 (2d Dep’t 2007) (won summary judgment dismissing claim of fraud and reformation of deed to East Hampton property)
Reis v. Coron, 37 A.D.3d 803 (2d Dep’t 2007) (won summary judgment dismissing claim of adverse possession of East Hampton property)
J.C. Tarr, Q.P.R.T. v. Delsener, 19 A.D.3d 548 (2d Dep’t 2005); aff’d in part, mod. in part 70 A.D.3d 774 (2d Dep’t 2010) (won partial summary judgment in easement dispute involving property in East Hampton Estate Section; affirmed with modifications on appeal)
Eckel v. Francis, 5 A.D.3d 719 (2d Dep’t 2004) (won summary judgment on appeal on behalf of seller of property on Meadow Lane in Southampton Village, dismissing purchaser’s claim of specific performance)
- “Time of the Essence” Contract Dispute Resolved -Read More...In 2014, I represented a purchaser of two lots in the Estate Section of East Hampton, where the contract was contingent upon the seller obtaining certain approvals from the Town prior to closing. The seller became frustrated at the time the approvals were taking, and issued a “time of the essence” letter deman...
- Abuse of shared driveway stopped -Read More...In 2016-17 I represented a family in Southampton whose property shared a driveway with another home. The neighbors were regularly renting their house out to tenants who held big parties and parked all over the shared driveway and in my clients' front yard. I brought an action against the neighbors to enjoin blocka...
- Encroachment/Adverse Possession Case: T.R.O. Issued and Problem Resolved -Read More...In 2013-14, I represented the owner of a vacant parcel of land in the Southampton Village Estate section. She had bought the property in the 1970s and had been living out of the country for many years. She decided to sell the property and entered into a contract for a substantial price, but a survey revealed tha...
- T.R.O. Issued in Easement Case -Read More...I am currently representing the owner of several parcels in the Estate Section of the Village of Southampton, whose neighbors claim a right to drive over a portion of her property for ingress and egress to a public road. However, the neighbors’ property fronts directly on another public road, and they appear to w...
- Painful Family Dispute Resolved to Everyone’s Benefit -Read More...Over the past 15 years, I have handled a number of “partition” cases, which is the judicial process by which people who own property jointly can bring their joint ownership to an end. Many of my partition cases have involved adult siblings who jointly own their childhood home. This type of dispute can be hig...
- Permits Issued for New Waterfront Home -Read More...In 2015, I succeeded in obtaining all of the necessary permits for a client to build a new home on Big Fresh Pond, north of the Village of Southampton. The permitting process was difficult, for many reasons. First, there was substantial opposition by neighbors, who argued that a restrictive covenant going back to ...
- Dispute Regarding Title to Underwater Land Resolved -Read More...In 2015-16, I represented the owner of commercial waterfront property in Southampton, which was in the process of getting approvals for the redevelopment of its site, which included a marina and a dug lagoon. During the approval process, a question was raised as to the title to the land under the dug lagoon, and th...
- Southampton Driveway Dispute Resolved Quickly and Effectively -Read More...In 2016, I represented the owner of a home in Southampton who had a shared or “common” driveway with his neighbor (a common scenario in the Hamptons and on the East End). The neighbors had been renting their house out and their tenants were throwing parties and parking all over my client’s driveway. The situ...
- Progress in Beach Erosion Case -Read More...In 2016, I began representing an oceanfront property owner on Flying Point Road in Water Mill, just west of the periodic inlet or “cut” between Mecox Bay and the Atlantic Ocean managed by the Trustees of the Freeholders and Commonalty of the Town of Southampton. The client had previously experienced erosion as ...
- Easement Dispute Resolved Quickly and Effectively -Read More...In 2015, I represented the owner of property in Bridgehampton over which a neighbor claimed a prescriptive easement, arguing that they and their predecessors had used a portion of my clients’ property to access the beach for a period of more than ten years. I evaluated the claim and succeeded in negotiating a set...
