**Exhibit 31**

 

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OFTHE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

I, William J.Carden, certify that:

 

1)              I have reviewed this quarterly report onForm 10-Q of American Spectrum Realty, Inc.;

 

2)              Based on my knowledge, this quarterly reportdoes not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state amaterial fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of thecircumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading withrespect to the period covered by this quarterly report;

 

3)              Based on my knowledge, the financialstatements, and other financial information included in this report, fairlypresent in all material respects the financial condition, results of operationsand cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in thisreport;

 

4)              The registrant’s other certifying officerand I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls andprocedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for theregistrant and have:

 

a)              designed such disclosure controls andprocedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designedunder our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to theregistrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is known to us by otherswithin those entities, particularly during the period in which this quarterlyreport is being prepared;

 

b)             evaluated the effectiveness of theregistrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report ourconclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures,as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation;and

 

c)              disclosed in this report any change inthe registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred duringthe registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or isreasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control overfinancial reporting;

 

5)              The registrant’s other certifying officerand I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of the internalcontrol over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and auditcommittee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing theequivalent functions);

 

a)              all significant deficiencies and materialweaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financialreporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’sability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

b)             any fraud, whether or not material, thatinvolves management or other employees who have a significant role in theregistrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

 
| Date:  April 29, 2004 |   |                                           |
|---------------------------------|--------|------------------------------------------------|
|                            | By:    | *  /s/ William J. Carden*            |   |
|                            |   |   William J. Carden                  |
|                            |   |   Chief Executive Officer and Acting |
|                            |   |   Chief Financial Officer            |

 

----