Residential
-
April 17, 2024
An Architect's Guide To Lunar Housing
While some architects are challenging local zoning codes and designing innovative facades, the team at Bjarke Ingels Group is figuring out how to construct housing to withstand frequent meteorite attacks and one-sixth of the Earth's gravity.
-
April 16, 2024
IRS Publishes 2024 Average Residence Purchase Price Data
The Internal Revenue Service published data Tuesday on the average purchase price for U.S. residences in different areas, which is used to determine whether bond interest can be excluded from gross income.
-
April 16, 2024
NY Budget Deal Revives 421a Credit In Housing Supply Push
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said state lawmakers have agreed to the terms of a state budget reviving an expired affordable housing tax credit, backing office-to-residential conversions and taking other steps to combat New York City's housing affordability crisis.
-
April 16, 2024
Manufactured Housing Cos. Slam 'Nonsensical' Antitrust Suit
A mobile homes data company and multiple manufactured housing companies once again have urged an Illinois federal court to toss rent price-fixing claims brought by a proposed class of mobile home renters.
-
April 16, 2024
3 Takeaways From Urban Land Institute's Resilience Summit
Real estate professionals across the country convened in New York City last week to talk about how to navigate an inconvenient truth in real estate — that extreme weather and climate change must be factored into investments. Here are three takeaways from the conference.
-
April 16, 2024
Excess Carriers Say Property Co. Not Covered In Antitrust Suit
Two excess insurers said they don't owe coverage to a property management company for underlying litigation alleging a price-fixing conspiracy involving software company RealPage Inc., telling a Massachusetts federal court that a professional services exclusion in the primary policy bars coverage.
-
April 15, 2024
Union Pacific Beats Most Claims In Kansas Chemical Spill Suit
A Kansas federal judge tossed most of a proposed class action's claims against Union Pacific Railroad Co., which is accused of contaminating Wichita properties by mishandling hazardous and toxic materials at an industrial railroad site located at 29th Street and Grove.
-
April 15, 2024
NYC Offers 'Wholesale' Zoning Update To Boost Affordability
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and city planning officials are relying on a constellation of zoning changes that loosen parking requirements, permit more density and aid building conversions as part of a plan that could pressure state lawmakers to act on housing costs.
-
April 15, 2024
Brookfield Cos. Want Va. Homebuyers' Class Action Tossed
Entities connected to Brookfield Asset Management Inc. urged a Virginia federal court to toss homebuyers' proposed class claims that the entities invalidated their home warranties by building and selling homes without having proper licenses.
-
April 15, 2024
9th Circ. Says Court Must Consider Pay In Navajo Benefits Bid
The Ninth Circuit has vacated a ruling that a Navajo Nation member failed to prove he was wrongfully denied relocation benefits after the U.S. gave his ancestral lands to the Hopi Tribe, with a split panel remanding the case to federal district court with instructions to consider evidence of his income.
-
April 15, 2024
Ind. Tax Board Hikes Home Value Based On Purchase Price
The Indiana Board of Tax Review increased the valuation of a couple's home based on its purchase price after finding that a sales comparison analysis by the property owners was insufficient to justify a lower value.
-
April 15, 2024
Addiction Recovery Home Says City Seeks Wrongful Eviction
An addiction recovery home is suing the city of Lincoln, Nebraska, and the Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission in federal court, saying they are wrongly using zoning rules in a bid to evict residents from one of its homes in violation of the Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act.
-
April 15, 2024
NYC Real Estate Week In Review
Venable and Holland & Knight are among the law firms that guided the largest real estate deals that hit New York City public records last week, a period that saw four matters north of $20 million become public.
-
April 15, 2024
Clark Hill Adds Fla. Real Estate Atty With 17 Years' Experience
Clark Hill PLC has hired a longtime real estate attorney with almost two decades of experience who spent the past nine years working on transactional and other related real estate matters as a solo practitioner, the firm announced Monday.
-
April 15, 2024
Justices Won't Hear Brokerage's Arbitration Claim In Fees Suit
The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to hear HomeServices of America's argument that certain class members in a lawsuit over real estate agents' commissions should have been compelled to arbitrate their antitrust claims rather than taking them to a jury.
-
April 15, 2024
High Court Passes On Tenants' Debt Collection Dispute
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to consider a Ninth Circuit ruling that revived a suit filed by tenants who hit a California law firm with a Fair Debt Collection Practices Act suit.
-
April 12, 2024
NJ Gives Counties Power To Up Tax After Paying Off Debt
New Jersey will allow counties greater authority to impose property taxes after retiring debts under a bill signed into law by Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.
-
April 12, 2024
Feds Say Ga. Apartments Denied Wheelchair Accommodation
Federal prosecutors on Thursday hit a Savannah, Georgia, apartment complex, a local housing authority and other defendants with a Fair Housing Act complaint alleging they denied a disabled resident an accessible apartment in spite of her repeated requests that they accommodate her disability.
-
April 12, 2024
Ohio Landlords Win Partial Class Cert. For Outsider Fees Suit
An Ohio federal judge partially certified a class of Cleveland Heights property owners who are challenging the constitutionality of a $100 fee applied to those who lease their properties but don't live in Cuyahoga County.
-
April 12, 2024
Mich. High Court Snapshot: Atty Sanctions Kick Off April
The Michigan Supreme Court returns Tuesday for its April session, hearing oral arguments about judges' ability to sanction lawyers for past attorneys' work in a case, what defendants say could be double recovery in wrongful death cases, and an attempt to use a Larry Nassar-inspired law to sue Catholic priests for decades-old abuse allegations.
-
April 12, 2024
KB Home's 'Emeritus' Director Bylaw Invalid, Chancery Rules
A KB Home bylaw that allowed the homebuilder's board to unilaterally shift an acting director into a non-functioning "emeritus" role without conducting a stockholder vote is invalid under Delaware law, a Delaware Chancery Court judge said Friday, siding with a shareholder who challenged the rule.
-
April 12, 2024
SEC Says Developer Pulled EB-5 Funds From Nursing Homes
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission accused a Las Vegas developer of using $10 million raised by overseas investors hoping to immigrate to the U.S. to pay down a loan for a project unconnected to their immigration applications.
-
April 12, 2024
Vermont Attys Can't Be Sued In Connecticut, Court Says
Two Vermont firms that handled the sale of a Connecticut man's second home near a Vermont ski town cannot be sued in Connecticut because the lawyers' business models and the disputed cash transfers that spurred the litigation were not sufficiently directed toward Connecticut, a three-judge appellate panel ruled on Friday.
-
April 12, 2024
Justices Back Property Owner In Dispute Over Permit Fees
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that a $23,420 local traffic impact fee charged to a California property owner's rural manufactured home isn't exempt from scrutiny as a Fifth Amendment taking simply because the charge is allowed by legislation.
-
April 11, 2024
Colo. Developer Sues Over Remodeling Impact Fees
A Colorado developer has accused Pitkin County's Board of Commissioners in Colorado federal court of wrongfully charging impact fees on the remodel of a residential property.
Expert Analysis
-
Rethinking In-Office Attendance For Associate Retention
The hybrid office attendance model doesn't work for all employees, but it does for many — and balancing these two groups is important for associate retention and maintaining a BigLaw firm culture that supports all attorneys, says Summer Eberhard at Major Lindsey.
-
Justices' Minn. Takings Ruling May Have Broad Impact
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Tyler v. Hennepin County that a Minnesota tax foreclosure violated the U.S. Constitution's takings clause may, beyond resolving a circuit split, influence well-established foreclosure laws across the U.S., say Emily Ladd and Gregory Nowak at Miller Canfield.
-
Murdaugh Trials Offer Law Firms Fraud Prevention Reminders
As the fraud case against Alex Murdaugh continues to play out, the evidence and narrative presented at his murder trial earlier this year may provide lessons for law firms on implementing robust internal controls that can detect and prevent similar kinds of fraud, say Travis Casner and Helga Zauner at Weaver and Tidwell.
-
Challenging Standing In Antitrust Class Actions: Rule 23
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.