Residential

  • March 14, 2024

    NYC Developer Lands $150M For Sears Building Renovation

    Clipper Equity LLC secured nearly $150 million in financing from Slate Property Group's debt financing arm for the renovation of a historically landmarked former Sears location, in a deal guided by Seyfarth Shaw LLP.

  • March 14, 2024

    11th Circ. Says Vet Homelessness Grant Suit Is Moot

    The Eleventh Circuit ruled that claims brought by a Florida nonprofit when the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs terminated five grants to reduce veteran homelessness after a financial audit were mooted by later agency actions.

  • March 13, 2024

    Developer Must Arbitrate Defamation Case, Court Hears

    A California man who's been accused of publicly badmouthing a Mexican developer of luxury homes in Baja California Sur to put off prospective buyers is urging a New York court to toss the developer's defamation suit against him or send the claims to an ongoing arbitration in Mexico.

  • March 13, 2024

    NJ Justices Craft Framework For Support Pet Accommodation

    The New Jersey Supreme Court on Wednesday outlined how courts should assess accommodation requests for emotional support animals, reviving condo owners' claims that they were entitled to keep a dog more than double the weight limit allowed under the condominium association's policy.

  • March 13, 2024

    Mich. Justices Open To Counties' Foreclosure Liability Fears

    Two members of the Michigan Supreme Court seemed sympathetic to Michigan counties urging the court to limit their liability for holding onto surplus tax foreclosure proceeds, highlighting during oral arguments that counties were following state law in a practice that was later deemed unconstitutional.

  • March 13, 2024

    Fla. Restaurateur Says Seller Broke $7.3M Colo. Home Deal

    A Miami restaurateur is suing an Aspen family trust for allegedly pulling out of a deal for him to buy a $7.3 million property in the Colorado mountain town, claiming they had no right to terminate the deal over their failure to obtain a demolition permit.

  • March 13, 2024

    NYC Condo Developer's Ch. 11 Liquidation Plan Gets OK

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Wednesday approved the Chapter 11 liquidation plan of 540 West 21st St. Holdings LLC, the developer of a scrapped luxury condo project in New York City's West Chelsea neighborhood, overruling an objection from the managers of a neighboring building.

  • March 13, 2024

    Mass. Justice Presses AG On Fast-Track Bid For Zoning Case

    A Massachusetts high court justice on Wednesday expressed concerns about the state attorney general's aggressive bid to fast-track the enforcement of a divisive housing law to the full court as soon as May.  

  • March 13, 2024

    Ore. Tax Court Restores Property Value To Local Assessment

    Neither the owner of a residential riverfront property in Oregon nor a county assessor showed enough evidence to change the county's $72,000 valuation, the Oregon Tax Court has ruled, rejecting the higher value found by the court's magistrate division.

  • March 13, 2024

    San Francisco Voters Pass Residential Conversion Tax Break

    San Francisco voters have passed a ballot measure that will exempt up to 5 million square feet of residential conversions from real estate transfer taxes — a measure that Mayor London Breed predicted would spur housing production and reduce downtown office vacancy rates.

  • March 13, 2024

    Colo. Lawmakers Try Again With Major Land-Use Overhaul

    After a contentious and failed effort to overhaul state zoning law in one fell swoop last year, Colorado lawmakers have come back in 2024 with dozens of housing-related bills that break last year's effort into more palatable chunks.

  • March 13, 2024

    Cozen O'Connor's Lobbying Arm Adds Land Use Expert In NY

    The former chair of New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission and the Board of Standards and Appeals has joined Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies, an affiliate of the international law firm Cozen O'Connor, as a senior principal.

  • March 12, 2024

    HUD Withholds Refunds Due To Homeowners, Suit Says

    The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development was hit Tuesday with a proposed class action in Florida accusing the agency of failing to refund homeowners $384 million in mortgage insurance premium overpayments when they terminated their government-backed mortgages early.

  • March 12, 2024

    Yardi, Landlords Say Hagens Berman Can't Lead Antitrust Suit

    Property management software company Yardi Systems Inc. and multiple landlords are fighting a putative class's bid to appoint Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP as interim lead counsel for a rent price-fixing class action in Washington federal court.

  • March 12, 2024

    FEMA Claims Process Leaves NM Fire Victims Lost, Suit Says

    Five New Mexico residents are suing the Federal Emergency Management Agency over its response to a massive 2022 fire, alleging it has created delay, confusion and ambiguity in the claims process for the fire's victims.

  • March 12, 2024

    MV Realty Says NC AG Is Working For Real Estate Industry

    Embattled Florida-based real estate company MV Realty told the North Carolina Supreme Court the state's attorney general is "wielding the power of the state under the guise of consumer protection" to shut down the business at the behest of "entrenched real estate brokerage interests."

  • March 12, 2024

    NYC Rezoning Efforts Center On Housing, COVID Changes

    New York City has taken tentative first steps on major rezoning initiatives that aim to encourage housing development in a manufacturing-heavy district of Manhattan and streamline zoning text to promote small business growth.

  • March 12, 2024

    Judge OKs Ch. 7 Liquidation For Reverse Mortgage Co.

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge Tuesday converted Reverse Mortgage Investment Trust Inc.'s Chapter 11 case to a Chapter 7 liquidation, saying the debtor's plan administrator's request for conversion has "good and sufficient cause" under the Bankruptcy Code.

  • March 12, 2024

    NY Lawmakers Float Income Tax Increases On High Earners

    New York lawmakers proposed temporarily increasing income tax rates on individuals and corporations with more than $5 million of income in budget proposals the chambers released Tuesday, rebuking Gov. Kathy Hochul's pledge not to raise taxes that could drive high earners outside the state.

  • March 12, 2024

    Trustee Claims MV Realty Used Ch. 11 To Dodge State Actions

    The U.S. trustee in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of MV Realty argued on Tuesday that a Florida federal judge should dismiss or convert the case, alleging that the real estate company is simply using the action to stall state prosecutors and rack up fees against homeowners instead of reorganizing.

  • March 12, 2024

    Guarantor Owes $29M For Chicago Property Loan, Suit Says

    A real estate investment manager has accused a loan guarantor in New York federal court of failing to cover the more than $29 million in outstanding debt on a Chicago apartment building.

  • March 12, 2024

    NY Homeowners Settle Suit Over Legal Rep For Foreclosures

    Two Brooklyn homeowners agreed to settle a proposed class action accusing New York court administrators and justices of failing to assess whether unrepresented homeowners are eligible for free legal counsel in initial settlement conferences for foreclosure suits.

  • March 12, 2024

    Top Real Estate Issues Tackled By Fla. Lawmakers In 2024

    Real estate matters remained a high priority for the Florida Legislature during its 2024 session, which wrapped up Friday with lawmakers making revisions to a landmark housing bill, imposing statewide vacation rental regulations, and taking further steps to shore up condominiums and community associations.

  • March 12, 2024

    Tenn. Senate Panel OKs Plan To Bar State Property Taxes

    Tennessee voters could decide whether to constitutionally bar state property taxes under a resolution approved Tuesday by a Senate panel to advance the measure to next year's General Assembly.

  • March 12, 2024

    Oak Row Lands $181M Loan On Miami Mixed-Use Project

    Oak Row Equities said it has closed on a $181 million construction loan from Bank OZK for a luxury office and multifamily tower in Miami's Edgewater neighborhood.

Expert Analysis

  • Using Synthetic Securitization In Residential Mortgage Loans

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    In light of a recent Federal Reserve report emphasizing the importance of maintaining sufficient capital positions, banking organizations should consider using synthetic securitization to help mitigate capital charge associated with residential mortgage loan portfolios, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • Tips For In-House Legal Leaders In A Challenging Economy

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    Amid today's economic and geopolitical uncertainty, in-house legal teams are running lean and facing increased scrutiny and unique issues, but can step up and find innovative ways to manage outcomes and capitalize on good business opportunities, says Tim Parilla at LinkSquares.

  • How Cities Can Tackle Post-Pandemic Budgeting Dilemmas

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    Due to increasing office vacancies around the country, cities may consider politically unpopular actions to avoid bankruptcy, but they could also look to the capital markets to ride out the current real estate crisis and achieve debt service savings to help balance their budgets, say attorneys at Cadwalader.

  • What Associates Need To Know Before Switching Law Firms

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    The days of staying at the same firm for the duration of one's career are mostly a thing of the past as lateral moves by lawyers are commonplace, but there are several obstacles that associates should consider before making a move, say attorneys at HWG.

  • FHFA Plans Forecast The Year Ahead In Affordable Housing

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    This year attorneys in the affordable housing sector can expect to see developers utilizing the financing tools included in Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae's updated equitable housing finance plans, including various sponsor-elected programs and Freddie's forward commitment initiative, say Evan Blau and Beth Budnick at Cassin & Cassin.

  • A Case For Sharing Mediation Statements With Counterparties

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    In light of a potential growing mediation trend of only submitting statements to the mediator, litigants should think critically about the pros and cons of exchanging statements with opposing parties as it could boost the chances of reaching a settlement, says Arthur Eidelhoch at Eidelhoch Mediation.

  • How To Determine Best Format For Annual Building Meetings

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    As hundreds of New York City co-ops and condominiums conduct their annual meetings over the next few weeks, they should keep both legal and practical considerations in mind when deciding between virtual and in-person formats, says Robert Braverman at Braverman Greenspun.

  • EB-5 Reform Continues To Weigh Heavily On Participants

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    Recent U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services guidance helps clarify aspects of the 2022 EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act, which increased oversight of EB-5 regional centers, but does not end the industry's continuing state of uncertainty, says Robert Divine at Baker Donelson.

  • Colo. Bankruptcy Ruling Clarifies Debt Collection Rules

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    The Colorado Supreme Court’s recent ruling in U.S. Bank v. Silvernagel provides necessary clarification on the state's debt collection statute of limitations commencement rules and gives lenders breathing room to pursue foreclosure after their borrowers receive a bankruptcy discharge, say Erin Edwards and Justin Balser at Troutman Pepper.

  • Preparing For Legal Scrutiny Of Data Retention Policies

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    Two recent cases involving Google and Meta should serve as a call to action for companies to ensure their data retention policies are updated and properly implemented to the degree of being able to withstand judicial scrutiny, especially as more data is generated by emerging technologies, say Jack Kallus and Labeed Choudhry at Kaufman Dolowich.

  • Echoes Of '80s Thrift Crisis Are Present In Today's Bank Woes

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    The current distress in the banking industry bears an uncanny resemblance to the thrift industry crisis of the 1980s, and while that collapse was a worst-case scenario, it provides lessons for understanding the fundamental economic forces at work today, says Alan Frankel at Coherent Economics.

  • Attorneys Should Have An Ethical Duty To Advance DEI

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    National and state bar associations are encouraging attorneys to apply diversity, equity and inclusion practices in the legal profession and beyond, and these associations should take it one step further by formally recognizing ethical duties for attorneys to promote DEI, which could better the legal profession and society, says Elena Mitchell at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Data-Driven Insights Are Key To Attracting Today's Clients

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    As law firm growth slows and competition for clients increases, modern firms must rely on robust data analytics to develop the sector-based expertise and industry insights that clients increasingly prioritize in relationships with counsel, says Lavinia Calvert at Intapp.