Residential

  • March 17, 2023

    HUD Reinstates 2013 Anti-Discrimination Rule

    The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said Friday it is reinstating a 2013 rule that aims to make it "straightforward" to allege Fair Housing Act claims over discriminatory housing policies, removing barriers introduced by a 2020 rule change.

  • March 17, 2023

    Ariz. Court Tosses Counties' Property Tax Valuation Method

    A property valuation method used by two Arizona counties for properties that underwent changes or improvements violates state law, a state appeals court ruled.

  • March 17, 2023

    Architect Wants To Affirm $1.5M Arbitration Against Developer

    A Michigan architecture firm is seeking enforcement of a $1.5 million arbitration award against an Ohio developer that was planning to build apartments in Pittsburgh's Lower Hill, according to a petition filed in Pennsylvania state court.

  • March 17, 2023

    'Birth Tourism' Co. Operator Liable For Tax Lien, Court Says

    The U.S. government has valid liens on property belonging to a fugitive who pled guilty to operating a so-called birth tourism scheme and owes approximately $293,000 in federal income taxes, plus penalties and interest, a Nevada federal court said.

  • March 17, 2023

    SF Blasts Advocacy Org.'s Bid For Answering Brief Extension

    San Francisco urged the Ninth Circuit to deny the Coalition on Homelessness' request for an extension on its answering brief, saying the organization has ample counsel to submit its filing on time and that any further delay will further prejudice the city from having discretion over sidewalk encampments.

  • March 17, 2023

    Florida Tenants File New Antitrust Claims Against RealPage

    Tenants in Miami and Tampa, Florida, have hit software company RealPage and a group of large landlords with a proposed class action in Florida federal court alleging they colluded to drive up rental costs and control the supply of new units, the latest action to make such antitrust claims.

  • March 17, 2023

    Ex-CEO Gave Away House Tied To $10M Fraud, Suit Says

    The former CEO of a Connecticut data security firm used stolen company money to buy a $1.8 million house, then he and others transferred the deed to shield it from being recovered, according to a lawsuit filed in state court that seeks to stop the planned sale of the property.

  • March 17, 2023

    8th Circ. Backs 25-Year Term For Investment Fraudster

    The Eighth Circuit affirmed a 25-year prison sentence for a Pennsylvania man who was convicted for being part of a multimillion-dollar investment fraud scam in which investors were tricked into putting up funds for fake humanitarian projects, ruling that there was "overwhelming evidence" that he intentionally committed fraud and was part of the scam.

  • March 17, 2023

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    The past week in London has seen Dechert LLP face up to yet another lawsuit over allegations of email hacking in ongoing litigation involving the Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority, rum maker Bacardi bring legal action against seven logistics companies in a carriage of goods claim, and an art collector fight for legal ownership of a $7.5 million (£6.1 million) Picasso. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • March 17, 2023

    Weekly Internal Revenue Bulletin

    The Internal Revenue Service released its weekly revenue bulletin, which included resident populations for determining the state housing credit ceiling for 2023.

  • March 16, 2023

    Lease Sex Clause Defendant Finally Finds Atty Ahead Of Trial

    A former property manager accused of pressuring a tenant to sign a document consenting to sexual acts says he has secured new counsel, months after the man told a Nevada federal court he was struggling to find a lawyer willing to represent him due to media coverage of his case.

  • March 16, 2023

    New Antitrust Case Against RealPage Pops Up In Pa.

    A Philadelphia tenant on Thursday joined a series of plaintiffs making antitrust claims in federal court against large landlords and RealPage Inc. for using software to raise rent prices and keep the supply of apartments unnaturally low.

  • March 16, 2023

    Minorities Face Bias At Wells Fargo, Derivative Suit Says

    Wells Fargo shareholders have claimed that the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts of the bank's board have failed, alleging that Wells Fargo discriminates against minority job applicants, employees and borrowers.

  • March 16, 2023

    Atty's Illness Prompts Queries From Judge In LA Bribery Trial

    A California federal judge said on Thursday that before he could declare a mistrial in ex-Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan's bribery trial, he needs additional details on the health status of Chan's defense attorney, whose sudden illness and hospitalization have postponed proceedings for the last two weeks. 

  • March 16, 2023

    Judge Pauses Wells Fargo Forbearance Suit Amid $94M Deal

    An Ohio federal judge is holding off on approving a $94 million deal resolving class claims that Wells Fargo Bank NA improperly sent the mortgages of struggling borrowers into forbearance during the COVID-19 pandemic, reasoning that litigation with the same allegations in California needs to be resolved first.

  • March 16, 2023

    Douglas Elliman Worker Settles Suit Over Miscarriage

    Real estate company Douglas Elliman and a former employee have reached a deal to end her suit accusing it of firing her because she had a miscarriage and had to miss work, according to a filing in New York federal court.

  • March 16, 2023

    ​​​​​​​NY Board Appeals Court Order Killing 15% Rent Cut

    The rent guidelines board for Kingston, New York, is appealing a state court order that quashed a measure reducing rent by 15% for certain tenants in the Hudson Valley town, a notice filed Thursday shows.

  • March 16, 2023

    Los Angeles Wants Federal 'Mansion Tax' Lawsuit Tossed

    The city of Los Angeles urged a California federal court to toss a suit filed by property owners over a so-called mansion tax ordinance approved by voters in November 2022, arguing the Tax Injunction Act bars federal court suits over state and local taxes when suits over those taxes can be dealt with in state courts.

  • March 16, 2023

    Airbnb Seeks Arbitration In Suit Over Wounds At Deadly Party

    Airbnb told a Pennsylvania state judge that a woman's suit against the company for injuries sustained at a house party should be dismissed and resolved in arbitration.

  • March 16, 2023

    ​​​​​​​PNC Customer Asks 4th Circ. To Revive Home Equity Suit

    A PNC Bank customer asked the Fourth Circuit to reverse a lower court ruling that the bank could withdraw funds from a deposit account without his consent to cover a late payment on his home equity loan.

  • March 16, 2023

    Norfolk Southern Derailment Suits Spur Lead Counsel Race

    Two legal teams featuring plaintiff powerhouses like Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC and Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP have submitted dueling bids for the lead counsel role in mounting litigation over last month's Norfolk Southern Corp. train derailment and chemical spill, with one group touting its class action work and the other championing its members' local connections.

  • March 16, 2023

    Court Voids Property Transfer In SC Man's $25M Tax Suit

    A federal court on Thursday stopped a man's transfer of a South Carolina apartment building that the U.S. Department of Justice says was intended to prevent the government from collecting on his $25 million tax debt.

  • March 16, 2023

    Real Estate Rumors: Basis, 'The Godfather' Home, Legacy

    Basis Industrial has reportedly dropped $22 million on a South Florida mixed-use building, a California home featured in the "Godfather" movie franchise is reportedly for rent at $30,000 a month, and Legacy Real Estate Investments is said to have paid nearly $25 million for a Denver-area office property.

  • March 16, 2023

    Tripled Damages Shouldn't Count For Fees, Homebuilder Says

    Attorney fees for a victorious plaintiff should be based on the jury's original damages award, not the tripled amount allowed under Pennsylvania's consumer protection law, counsel for Heartland Homes argued to a Pittsburgh federal judge Thursday.

  • March 16, 2023

    Opendoor Hit Again By Shareholder Suit Over Algorithm Tech

    An investor sued Opendoor's executives on behalf of the company in Arizona federal court this week, alleging they overstated the strength of the business's algorithm, adding more claims to the legal troubles the firm faces over its so-called "iBuying" technology.

Expert Analysis

  • When It Comes To CFPB Agenda, Expect The Unexpected

    Author Photo

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's regulatory agenda identifies some key issues for financial institutions, but it is by no means a complete list, as the agency may continue to make extensive use of circulars, advisory opinions, amicus briefs and other means of setting out regulatory positions, says Michael Flynn at Buchalter.

  • Townstone Ruling Rocks The Boat On Equal Credit Law Reach

    Author Photo

    While an Illinois federal court's recent decision in Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Townstone has disturbed the use of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act to address discrimination in preapplication activities, lenders must still continue to monitor how they interact with prospective applicants to mitigate fair lending risk, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • Don't Assume AI Is Smart Enough To Avoid Unintended Bias

    Author Photo

    As companies increasingly incorporate artificial intelligence decision models into their business practices, they should consider using statistical and qualitative analyses to evaluate and reduce inadvertent discrimination, or disparate impact, induced by AI, say Christine Polek and Shastri Sandy at The Brattle Group.

  • Steps Lawyers Can Take Following Involuntary Terminations

    Author Photo

    Though lawyers can struggle to recover from involuntary terminations, it's critical that they be able to step back, review any feedback given and look for opportunities for growth, say Jessica Hernandez at JLH Coaching & Consulting and Albert Tawil at Lateral Hub.

  • NY Law Alters Foreclosure Timeliness Framework Post-Engel

    Author Photo

    New York's recently passed Foreclosure Abuse and Prevention Act aims to prevent lender manipulation of foreclosure statutes of limitations following the Court of Appeals' 2021 decision in Freedom Mortgage v. Engel, and should cause lenders to work with mortgagees to resolve defaults, say attorneys at Abrams Fensterman.

  • High Court Ax Of Atty-Client Privilege Case Deepens Split

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent dismissal of In re: Grand Jury as improvidently granted maintains a three-way circuit split on the application of attorney-client privilege to multipurpose communications, although the justices have at least shown a desire to address it, say Trey Bourn and Thomas DiStanislao at Butler Snow.

  • CFPB Brings RESPA Reminder To Mortgage Comparison Sites

    Author Photo

    In light of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recent advisory opinion on the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, anyone who, in a compensated arrangement, operates or participates in a digital comparison-shopping platform for real estate settlement services should revisit RESPA and related regulatory risk, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

  • 3 Job Satisfaction Questions For Partners Considering Moves

    Author Photo

    The post-pandemic rise in legal turnover may cause partners to ask themselves what they really want from their workplace, how they plan to grow their practice and when it's time to make a move, says Patrick Moya at Quaero Group.

  • 4 Exercises To Quickly Build Trust On Legal Teams

    Author Photo

    High-performance legal teams can intentionally build trust through a rigorous approach, including open-ended conversations and personality assessments, to help attorneys bond fast, even if they are new to the firm or group, says Ben Sachs at the University of Virginia School of Law.

  • Key Considerations For Appointing A Real Estate Receiver

    Author Photo

    With commercial real estate loan distress expected to grow dramatically in the coming months, lenders should make sure to understand best practices for seeking appointment of a receiver over a defaulted property, say Dave Wald at Wald Realty Advisors and Mark Silverman at Locke Lord.

  • NY Foreclosure Notice Ruling Is A Win For Lenders

    Author Photo

    The New York Court of Appeals' decision this week in Bank of America v. Kessler, holding that including additional information does not void 90-day preforeclosure notices, will counteract the wave of foreclosure dismissals caused by the lower court's decision, say Diana Eng and Alina Levi at Blank Rome.

  • 8 Steps To Improve The Perception Of In-House Legal Counsel

    Author Photo

    With the pandemic paving the way for a reputational shift in favor of in-house corporate legal teams, there are proactive steps that legal departments can take to fully rebrand themselves as strong allies and generators of value, says Allison Rosner at Major Lindsey.

  • Procedure Rule 7.1 Can Simplify Litigators' Diversity Analysis

    Author Photo

    A recent amendment to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 7.1 will help trial courts determine whether the parties to a case are diverse, and may also allow litigators to more quickly determine whether they can remove certain cases to federal court, says Steve Shapiro at Schnader Harrison.