Real Estate Closings on the Moon

To Boldly Go Where No Real Estate Attorney Has Gone Before. As the nation's leading legal blawg, we at the Nutmeg Lawyer have a responsibility to be on the cutting edge of innovative legal trends. So what is the topic of the future? E-Discovery, twittering jurors, developments in international law? Please...yesterday's news. It is my expert opinion that the biggest trend in law will be intergalactic real estate closings. In fact, I stake my considerable reputation on it. And no, I am not out of my Vulcan mind. A Florida based company called Lunarland.com now offers land for sale on the moon. Lunar Land describes itself as "Earth's Oldest, Most recognized Celestial Real Estate Agency." Starting at $29.99 you can buy an acre of moon land. The agency has even set aside 19 Lunar reserve sites near former Apollo and Soviet mission landing sites. For $1,155,427.00 you can purchase 888,790 acres of lunar land, enough to start your own lunar city. I have already started saving my money to start a moon colony. I have a cool space outfit picked out which includes a cape, a trident, boots (the kind that the band Kiss wears) and a plethora of aluminum foil. I plan to have minions and will rule my colony with an iron fist....but I digress. Lunar Land cites "the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and the Moon Treaty of 1984" as legal authority to sell moon land. The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 explicitly forbids any government from claiming a celestial resource such as the Moon or a planet. This means that no government can appropriate the Moon or any celestial bodies. Because the treaty does not expressly prohibit commercial enterprises, private inviduals, and Trekkies from exploiting or appropriating celestial bodies, the company claims nothing prevents it from selling the land. Lunar Land's "Lunar Embassy", it notes, is not government body.

Wonderful. This is the beginning to bigger and better things for lawyers. Title searches on the moon shouldn't be too hard. So fly me to the moon, and let me play among the stars. I would love to do some closings on Jupiter or Mars. I'm ready. The sky is no longer the limit for our profession. I encourage the American Bar Association to begin discussions immediately regarding the future of space law. Just think of it. Light-speeding ticket defense, light saber personal injury claims, Wookie divorces, Death Star product liability, workers compensation for Imperial Troops attacked by Ewoks, driving under the influence of the force, paternity claims (find out if he really is your father...these Star Wars references doing anything for you?) What ever the case, I will be the first in line to take the intergalactic bar exam. PS: If anyone is interested, I also have a bridge for sale. It has a spectacular view of Brooklyn.