Residential
-
April 05, 2024
DC Circ. Says DOJ Can Reopen Realtor Antitrust Probe
The D.C. Circuit said on Friday that the U.S. Department of Justice can reopen an antitrust investigation into the National Association of Realtors, despite an earlier agency settlement over the association's rules.
-
April 05, 2024
Shelter Network Fights Public Camping Ban At High Court
A network of more than 200 women's and family shelters told the U.S. Supreme Court that an Oregon city's prohibition on camping in public spaces subjects involuntarily homeless women and children — who are often put in that position due to gender-based violence — to further potential harm.
-
April 05, 2024
Cos. Say Fair Housing Groups Can't 'Manufacture' Injury
Property management company AION Management LLC and multiple property owners urged a Delaware federal court to dismiss a disability bias suit filed by the federal government, arguing that the government's opposition to their dismissal motion "relies on mischaracterizations" of case law and federal law.
-
April 05, 2024
Pa. Supreme Court Snapshot: COVID Coverage Starts Spring
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court's April lineup will prepare the justices to deliver highly anticipated guidance on whether business losses stemming COVID-19 pandemic orders should be covered by insurance and if Pittsburgh can compel rental-property owners to register and undergo training.
-
April 05, 2024
Conn. Fraudulent Property Transfer Suit Against Atty Resolved
A New York doctor and the real estate attorney and developer he accused of transferring his Fairfield, Connecticut, property to benefit a scammer have resolved a federal lawsuit, agreeing to quiet the title and dismiss all other causes of action, following the reported settlement of a separate state court action.
-
April 05, 2024
NC High Court Snapshot: Law Firm Battles Defamation Suit
The Supreme Court of North Carolina has a stacked calendar heading into spring arguments, from an appeal over Black-owned properties targeted for demolition to a law firm's attempt at dodging defamation claims over allegations of voter fraud.
-
April 05, 2024
Redwood Trust REIT CLO Earned $2.7M In 2023
Mill Valley, California-based real estate investment trust Redwood Trust paid Chief Legal Officer Andrew P. Stone $2.7 million in total compensation in 2023, according to a regulatory filing from the housing investor.
-
April 04, 2024
Judge Punts 'Warning Shot' Condo Sale Bid In Giuliani Ch. 11
A New York bankruptcy judge held off on deciding if Rudy Giuliani must sell his Florida condo Thursday, cautioning attorneys for the former New York City mayor that the official committee of unsecured creditors might take more extreme steps in the Chapter 11 case if its concerns over Giuliani's expenses aren't addressed.
-
April 04, 2024
Homeowner Asks 9th Circ. To Rethink Fire Coverage Ruling
A woman who was prevented from coverage of a 2021 house fire by the Ninth Circuit asked the court to rehear her case, arguing among other things that she did not lie to her insurer about renting her home, because she didn't fill out the insurance application.
-
April 04, 2024
ISP Tells FCC Bulk Billing Deals Are Pro-Consumer
An internet service provider is trying to convince the Federal Communications Commission that banning bulk billing in apartment buildings is not the way to go and that the arrangements are actually a "key tool for closing the digital divide."
-
April 04, 2024
FDIC Reports Discriminatory Lending At SouthStar Bank
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has downgraded SouthStar Bank's community lending rating, reporting that a review of the institution's lending practices revealed evidence of redlining, according to an evaluation released by the agency.
-
April 04, 2024
Ginnie Mae, HUD Must Face Bank's Vacated Lien Suit
A Texas federal judge trimmed but declined to dismiss Texas Capital Bank's suit against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and its Government National Mortgage Association program over a vacated loan lien that the bank says was worth tens of millions of dollars.
-
April 04, 2024
Last-Resort Insurers Grapple With Increasing Exposure
Insurance pools meant to serve as backstops for consumers shut out of traditional markets are grappling with increased exposure to natural disasters, according to experts and market data, a trend that observers say is concerning as climate change intensifies storms.
-
April 04, 2024
Ex-NY Court Atty Found Guilty Of Official Misconduct
A New York state jury on Thursday found a former appeals court attorney guilty of official misconduct for using her position to provide a legal opinion that helped her husband and his law firm secure a $55,000 payment from a new client.
-
April 04, 2024
Va. Ups Income Tax Credits For Landlords In Housing Program
Virginia doubled the maximum amount of income tax credits that may be issued to qualifying landlords who participate in a housing choice voucher program under a bill signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
-
April 04, 2024
MV Realty Abusing Ch. 11 Process, Bankruptcy Court Told
State prosecutors, federal agencies and consumer advocates have told a Florida bankruptcy judge that MV Realty is using the Chapter 11 process to avoid enforcement and enshrine a set of predatory agreements designed to extract millions in junk fees from homeowners over the next 40 years.
-
April 04, 2024
Surfside, Fla., Condo Collapse Victims To Get Additional $4.8M
A Florida judge signed off Thursday on an additional $4.8 million distribution to the victims of the deadly collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium after the receiver overseeing the defunct condominium association told the court the association had fewer financial obligations and tax liabilities than expected.
-
April 03, 2024
Nationstar Adds 'Junk Fee' For Loan Payoff Quote, Suit Says
A proposed class hit Nationstar Mortgage LLC with a suit alleging the mortgage servicing firm illegally charges homeowners a "junk fee" for written payoff quotes in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
-
April 03, 2024
US Bank Beats $100M Suit Over Role As CDO Trustee
A New York federal judge has freed U.S. Bank from a more than $100 million conflict-of-interest lawsuit brought by a group of mortgage-backed CDOs, which accused the bank of obstructing their efforts to sue over underlying mortgage bond losses tied to the 2008 financial crisis.
-
April 03, 2024
Tenants Seek To Join NJ Rent Control Exemption Suit
Two Jersey City tenant associations have urged a New Jersey federal judge to allow them to intervene in a suit filed by a landlord and its property manager over a revoked rent control exemption.
-
April 03, 2024
EPA Faces Down Water Rule Challenge In Texas
The federal government has asked a Texas federal judge to toss lawsuits filed by Texas, Idaho and more than a dozen industry groups challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers' rule defining the extent of the Clean Water Act's reach.
-
April 03, 2024
Md. Lawmakers OK Special Tax Rates For Vacant Property
Maryland would authorize its counties and the city of Baltimore to impose special tax rates on vacant or abandoned property under legislation approved by lawmakers and headed to the governor.
-
April 03, 2024
Colo. Judge Rejects Landlord's Bid To Toss Unfair Fee Suit
A Colorado state judge rejected a property management company's bid to toss a class action accusing it of charging unfair rental application fees, writing in an order that a Denver renter has done enough to allege the company violated a 2019 law aimed at protecting renters from inflated charges.
-
April 03, 2024
San Francisco Leaders Back Ax Of Public Camping Ban
A coalition of San Francisco stakeholders has accused the city and California of overstepping their bounds in an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn an Oregon city's prohibition on camping in public spaces, discounting their "alarmist claims" that the ruling rendered jurisdictions powerless.
-
April 03, 2024
CBRE Economist Projects Real Estate Uptick For 2024
After largely retreating to the sidelines during the past couple of years of economic challenges, it is time for real estate players to step back on the field and take some risks — if cautiously — in light of the current economic outlook and solid industry fundamentals, CBRE Group Inc.'s global chief economist suggested Wednesday.
Expert Analysis
-
Colo. Bankruptcy Ruling Clarifies Debt Collection Rules
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
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
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
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
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.
-
EV Chargers Can Bring Benefits For Calif. Property Owners
California property developers and owners face growing pressure to provide electric vehicle charging infrastructure — but this can be a unique opportunity to add value to real estate assets, and can be accomplished in multiple ways, say Riley Cutner-Orrantia and Eurie Hwang at Crosbie Gliner.
-
Brownfield Renewables Guidance Leaves Site Eligibility Murky
Recent IRS guidance sheds some light on the Inflation Reduction Act's incentives for renewable energy development on contaminated sites — but the eligibility of certain sites for brownfield status remains uncertain, say Megan Caldwell and Jon Micah Goeller at Husch Blackwell.
-
Pending Legislation Holds Promise For SF Buildings
Recently introduced state and local legislation could make it easier for office-to-residential conversion projects in San Francisco to secure approval and funding sources, although financial incentives similar to those implemented by other states may be necessary to ensure the feasibility of such projects, say Caroline Chase and Nick DuBroff at Allen Matkins.
-
A Breakdown Of Freddie Mac's New Servicer Custody Rules
Freddie Mac's new custodial account requirements are mostly straightforward, but even full compliance with those obligations can't eliminate the risk of unexpected bank failures, so servicers should review the ratings of their depositories and create procedures for evaluating them, says Eric Edwardson at Mayer Brown.
-
Ghosting In BigLaw: Why Better Feedback Habits Are Needed
Not giving assignments or constructive criticism to junior associates can significantly affect their performance and hours, potentially leading them to leave the firm, but partners can prevent this by asking the right questions and creating a culture of feedback, says Rachel Patterson at Orrick.
-
Law Needs A Balance Between Humanism And Formalism
A recent Law360 guest article rightly questions the pretextual pseudo-originalism that permits ideology to masquerade as judicial philosophy, but the cure would kill the patient because directness, simplicity and humanness are achievable without renouncing form or sacrificing stare decisis, says Vanessa Kubota at the Arizona Court of Appeals.
-
Short Message Data Challenges In E-Discovery
As short message platforms increasingly dominate work environments, lawyers face multiple programs, different communication styles and emoji in e-discovery, so they must consider new strategies to adapt their processes, says Cristin Traylor at Relativity.
-
Ambiguity In 'Buy America' Implementation May Slow Projects
The White House Office of Management and Budget's most recent guidance, which builds on a complex patchwork of Buy America restrictions that vary by federal agency, would perpetuate government contractors' uncertainty regarding product and material classification and could delay infrastructure projects, say attorneys at Miles & Stockbridge.