Opinion ID: 2735193
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Attornment Agreement.

Text: In paragraph 12 of its Complaint, Cadence concedes that it entered into a separate Attornment Agreement with [SREG]: 'The Borrower, the Tenant and Superior Bank, a federal savings bank (the 'Former Bank'), executed a subordination, non-disturbance and attornment agreement dated November 20, 2006....' 17 1111422; 1111449; 1111526; 1121455; 1130054 The Attornment Agreement gave the mortgagee/lender and the tenants -- [SREG] and [Sloss Goodall] -- a direct contractual relationship: '1. LESSEE TO ATTORN TO MORTGAGE. ... '.... '(b) In the event that the Mortgagee shall succeed to the interest of Owner under such Lease, the Lease shall continue with the same force and effect as if the Mortgagee, as Lessor, and the Lessee had entered into a Lease for a term equal to the then unexpired term of the Lease..., and the Lessee hereby attorns and agrees to attorn to the Mortgagee as its Landlord, such attornment to be effective and self operative without the execution of any further instruments on the part of either of the parties hereto immediately upon the succession of Mortgagee to the interest of Owner under the Lease.... The respective rights and obligations of the Lessee and the Mortgagee upon such attornment and their relationship shall be as tenant and landlord respectively, for the remaining term of the Lease, including any renewal periods set forth in said Lease....' (Attornment Agreement, Cadence Complaint, Exhibit D, p. 2.) The Attornment Agreement provides in paragraph 8 that it applies to any successors and assigns (including Cadence): 'This Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto, their successors and assigns. As used herein, (a) the term Lessee shall include any subtenant, successors and/or assigns of Lessee named herein; ... (c) the word Mortgagee shall include the Mortgagee specifically named and any successors and 18 1111422; 1111449; 1111526; 1121455; 1130054 assigns and shall include anyone or any entity who shall have succeeded to Owner's interest in the Leased Premises by, through or under foreclosure of the Mortgage or as a result of any other means.' (Attornment Agreement, Cadence Complaint, Exhibit D, p. 4.) The Attornment Agreement is actually a 3-party agreement, which links Goodall[-Brown] (the Owner) to [SREG] (the Tenant) and the lender and its successors (Cadence): 'APPROVALS. The Owner has joined in this Agreement for the purpose of expressing its consent and agreement to be bound by the provisions of Paragraph 1(b) and Paragraph 4 hereof.' Id.