Residential

  • April 26, 2024

    Umpqua Bank Seeks Win On Investors' Ponzi Aiding Claims

    Oregon-based Umpqua Bank has asked a San Francisco federal judge to toss claims that it aided and abetted a $250 million real estate Ponzi scheme, arguing the investors who brought the suit saw that their funds were put into "legitimate" investments.

  • April 26, 2024

    Calif. County Wants Out Of RV Parking Site Challenge

    San Luis Obispo County urged a California federal court to toss most of the claims filed by a union of homeless people and recreational vehicle residents who accused the county of wrongfully evicting them from a local parking area.

  • April 26, 2024

    Bankrupt NYC Building Owners, Rent-Strikers Settle Claims

    The bankrupt owners of several Manhattan apartment buildings asked a New York federal bankruptcy court to approve the settlement of the claims of rent-striking tenants, the tenants' debt and a related adversary proceeding.

  • April 26, 2024

    'Nuisance' Atty Neighbor Wins Ch. 11 Eviction Stay

    Norman Resnicow, the lawyer and alleged "nuisance neighbor" who lives next to actor Justin Theroux, has won his bid in New York bankruptcy court to hold off his co-op building from evicting him because of his Chapter 11 automatic stay.

  • April 26, 2024

    Ga. Residents Want In On $300M Monkey Farm Fight

    Four Georgia residents have asked a federal judge to let them intervene in a dispute over the construction of a sprawling primate-rearing farm in Bainbridge, alleging the local development authority that approved a $300 million bond deal for the project is colluding with the farm's backers to advance the project.

  • April 26, 2024

    Colo. House OKs Lower Age For Historic Structure Tax Credit

    Colorado would reduce the age requirement for the properties eligible for the state's historic structures tax credit, postpone its sunset and make other changes under legislation approved by the state House on Friday.

  • April 26, 2024

    Weyerhaeuser Is Optimistic About US Housing Market

    Weyerhaeuser remains upbeat about the housing market in 2024 and expects demand for lumber to pick up in the coming months, the lumber real estate investment trust said on its first quarter earnings call Friday.

  • April 26, 2024

    Default Risk At Major SF Complex Drives April CMBS Distress

    Kroll Bond Rating Agency said Friday that special servicing on a $1.3 billion loan for one of San Francisco's biggest apartment complexes accounted for more than a third of new distress among commercial mortgage-backed securities this month.

  • April 26, 2024

    Philly Mayor Creates Property Assessment Task Force

    Philadelphia will designate a task force to study and address inequities in the city's residential property tax assessments, the mayor announced Friday.

  • April 25, 2024

    PI Ordered To Stay Away From Jury That Issued $10B Verdict

    A California judge on Thursday kept in place an order for a private investigator to cease contacting jurors who delivered a $10 billion verdict in March against his client, telling him, "it doesn't sit well with me" that he's "going and bothering jurors" by visiting them at their homes.

  • April 25, 2024

    Real Estate Exec Can't Escape Shareholder's Self-Dealing Suit

    A California federal judge ruled that a derivative shareholder suit accusing the president of a real estate management and investment firm of misusing nearly $35 million of company revenue now passes the so-called Zuckerberg test since the plaintiff sufficiently pled that demand on the company's board members would be futile.

  • April 25, 2024

    JDS Buys $61M Miami Tower For Dolce & Gabbana Project

    An affiliate of JDS Development purchased a Miami office building for $61.2 million, which the developer plans to convert to a Dolce & Gabbana-branded tower with 259 hotel and luxury condominium units, per a Vizzda filing.

  • April 25, 2024

    Wash. Appeals Court Rejects Seattle High-Rise Permit Dispute

    A Washington state appeals court sided with a developer on Thursday in a challenge to its plan for a 17-story apartment building on Seattle's waterfront, concluding that the project's opponents missed their chance to contest the city's decision not to hold the proposal to certain shoreline regulations.

  • April 25, 2024

    Neb. To Require County Tax Roll Corrections Upon Final Order

    Nebraska county clerks or assessors will be required to correct tax rolls and property assessments when an administrative body or court gives a final order, under a bill signed by the governor.

  • April 25, 2024

    Mr. Cooper's $3.6M Convenience Fee Settlement Gets Final OK

    A D.C. federal judge on Thursday gave the final nod to a nearly $3.6 million settlement to resolve class action claims that Mr. Cooper unlawfully charged processing fees to borrowers who made mortgage payments over the phone.

  • April 25, 2024

    Phoenix-Area Build-To-Rent Project Sells For $57M

    Privately held Christopher Todd Capital said Thursday that it has bought a recently completed build-to-rent community near Phoenix for $57 million from an affiliate of Canadian developer WestStone Group.

  • April 25, 2024

    Peer Street Says It Has Votes To Confirm Ch. 11 Plan

    Bankrupt crowd-funded real estate investment platform Peer Street Inc. asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge to confirm its proposed Chapter 11 plan and disclosure statement, saying its creditors have voted overwhelmingly to support the plan ahead of its confirmation hearing scheduled for Friday.

  • April 25, 2024

    Gibson Dunn, Simpson Thacher Guide $1.6B Campus Deal

    KKR on Thursday announced the purchase of a portfolio of 19 student housing properties from Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, in a $1.64 billion deal advised by Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP.

  • April 25, 2024

    Mobile Home Co. Pays $85K For Misclassifying Workers

    A mobile home transportation company in Texas paid nearly $85,000 in back wages for misclassifying 32 workers, the U.S. Department of Labor announced.

  • April 25, 2024

    EEOC Says Co. Piled Tasks On Black Worker, Then Fired Him

    A real estate company gave a Black manager more than twice as much work as his white colleague, paid him less and then fired him because he was "lazy," the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in a suit filed in Georgia federal court.

  • April 24, 2024

    Wash. Property Manager Sued Over Lease Cancellation Fees

    A proposed class of tenants accused a Seattle property management company and a Washington debt collection agency in state court of using lease cancellation practices that violate state law.

  • April 24, 2024

    Mass. Golf Course Manager Gets 13 Months For Tax Fraud

    A Massachusetts golf course manager was sentenced to 13 months in prison after pleading guilty to tax charges, following prosecutors' accusations that he manipulated contracts with a home developer to deflate their value.

  • April 24, 2024

    Court Pauses Order To Sell Office Park In $16M Tax Battle

    A New Jersey federal court paused its order allowing the U.S. government to sell a family trust's office park to satisfy a trustee's $16.2 million tax debt Wednesday, giving the family time to appeal a decision approving the sale to the U.S. Supreme Court.

  • April 24, 2024

    Condo Group Says Insurer Is Blowing Off Wind, Hail Damage

    Greater New York Mutual Insurance Co. has moved to federal court an Ohio non-profit condominium community's state court lawsuit accusing it of lowballing the group's wind and hail damage costs and then refusing to engage in their agreed-upon appraisal process.

  • April 24, 2024

    Title Co. Sues Conn. Atty Over Botched Mortgage Payoff

    First American Title Insurance Co. has sued a Connecticut attorney in state court for allegedly mishandling a $340,000 Bridgeport residential property sale, claiming the lawyer, who represented the seller, failed to transmit around $163,000 to cover an existing mortgage and left the insurer stuck footing the bill.

Expert Analysis

  • Challenging Standing In Antitrust Class Actions: Rule 23

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    A recent Sixth Circuit decision in Fox v. Saginaw County that rejected the common attempt to use Rule 23 to sidestep Article III's standing limitations shows antitrust defendants' success in challenging standing will rest on happenstance without more clarity from the Supreme Court — which no litigant should be comfortable with, say Michael Hamburger and Holly Tao at White & Case.

  • Key Limited Partnership Provisions During Market Downturns

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    With a recession potentially on the horizon, fund managers should carefully examine their funds' limited partnership agreements for items that may be affected by economic downturns, and assess whether modifications may be appropriate, says Matthew Posthuma at Ropes & Gray.

  • Firm Tips For Helping New Lawyers Succeed Post-Pandemic

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    Ten steps can help firms significantly enhance the experience of attorneys who started their careers in the coronavirus pandemic era, including facilitating opportunities for cross-firm connection, which can ultimately help build momentum for business development, says Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners.

  • Fla. Foreign Real Estate Law Brings Broad Investment Risks

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    Last month, Florida became the latest state to enact legislation prohibiting Chinese investors from acquiring certain interests in real property, introducing significant legal uncertainty and consequences for real estate stakeholders and the private equity industry, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Prepping Your Business Ahead Of Affirmative Action Ruling

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's upcoming ruling on whether race should play a role in college admissions could potentially end affirmative action, and companies will need a considered approach to these circumstances that protects their brand power and future profits, and be prepared to answer tough questions, say Nadine Blackburn at United Minds and Eric Blankenbaker at Weber Shandwick.

  • Tackling Judge-Shopping Concerns While Honoring Localism

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    As the debate continues over judge-shopping and case assignments in federal court, policymakers should look to a hybrid model that preserves the benefits of localism for those cases that warrant it, while preventing the appearance of judge-shopping for cases of a more national or widespread character, says Joshua Sohn at the U.S. Department of Justice.

  • How Attorneys Can Help Combat Anti-Asian Hate

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    Amid an exponential increase in violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, unique obstacles stand in the way of accountability and justice — but lawyers can effect powerful change by raising awareness, offering legal representation, advocating for victims’ rights and more, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • Congress Needs To Enact A Federal Anti-SLAPP Statute

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    Although many states have passed statutes meant to prevent individuals or entities from filing strategic lawsuits against public participation, other states have not, so it's time for Congress to enact a federal statute to ensure that free speech and petitioning rights are uniformly protected nationwide in federal court, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Banking Tips For Lending To Calif. Homeowners Associations

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    With current financial markets and recent changes to California law putting a brighter spotlight on lending, banks should understand the special considerations involved in lending to homeowners associations and the various possible remedies in the event of a default, says Alex Grigorians at Hanson Bridgett.

  • Some Client Speculations On AI And The Law Firm Biz Model

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    Generative artificial intelligence technologies will put pressure on the business of law as it is structured currently, but clients may end up with more price certainty for legal services, and lawyers may spend more time being lawyers, says Jonathan Cole at Melody Capital.

  • How Rent Proposals May Affect Most Populous Md. County

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    Of the various legislative changes concerning rent controls and property taxes that are being considered in Montgomery County, Maryland, comparatively milder controls are likely to prevail, but even these lenient measures may make it more difficult for the county to fulfill its needs for new housing, says Michael Murray at Greysteel.

  • A Lawyer's Guide To Approaching Digital Assets In Discovery

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    The booming growth of cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens has made digital assets relevant in many legal disputes but also poses several challenges for discovery, so lawyers must garner an understanding of the technology behind these assets, the way they function, and how they're held, says Brett Sager at Ehrenstein Sager.

  • High Court's Ethics Statement Places Justices Above The Law

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    The U.S. Supreme Court justices' disappointing statement on the court's ethics principles and practices reveals that not only are they satisfied with a status quo in which they are bound by fewer ethics rules than other federal judges, but also that they've twisted the few rules that do apply to them, says David Janovsky at the Project on Government Oversight.