Residential

  • February 27, 2025

    CFPB Pulls Plug On Rocket Homes Kickback Suit

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has abandoned a lawsuit accusing Rocket Homes of offering kickbacks to brokers and agents who referred homebuyers to Rocket Mortgage, one of several enforcement actions the agency abruptly dismissed on Thursday.

  • February 27, 2025

    How Adams' Latest Move Might Checkmate The DOJ

    New York City Mayor Eric Adams' push to permanently dismiss his federal corruption case is a clever legal strategy that appears to have backed the government into a corner, experts say.

  • February 27, 2025

    Q&A: Minnesota Law Prof On Hard-To-Read Insurance Policies

    How hard is it to understand a homeowners insurance policy? For many, reading a policy will often raise more confusion about what's covered than if they hadn't read a policy at all, according to a new paper from experts in insurance and consumer law. Here, Law360 discusses the subject with Daniel Schwarcz, a University of Minnesota Law School professor who has built a career in studying the transparency of insurance markets.

  • February 27, 2025

    Housing Project To Drop Receiver After US Trustee Concern

    New York City affordable housing complex Valdesia Gardens is transferring control of the property from a receiver back to the debtor after the U.S. Trustee's Office objected to the receiver's involvement and sought instead to appoint a Chapter 11 trustee.

  • February 27, 2025

    Mich. Bill Would Bar Local Tax Caps That Require Rate Cuts

    Michigan would bar local governments from enacting property tax caps on annual revenue that require an automatic tax rate cut under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.

  • February 26, 2025

    Mich. Judge Demands RICO Pattern Details In Foreclosure Suit

    A Michigan federal judge on Wednesday pressed attorneys for homeowners to point to specific criminal activities that would help the proposed class establish a pattern of racketeering activity to support their claim that a real estate developer conspired with county and city leaders in a tax foreclosure scheme.

  • February 26, 2025

    Ga. Judge OKs Deal To End Feds' Apartment Access Probe

    A Georgia federal judge has signed off on a series of consent orders resolving a civil suit brought by the federal government against a Savannah apartment complex and a local housing authority over allegations that they denied a disabled resident an accessible apartment in spite of her repeated accommodation requests.

  • February 26, 2025

    NYCHA Disputes Eviction Hikes At Section 8 Conversions

    New York City Housing Authority officials refuted claims that eviction rates varied significantly between the city's public housing units and those developments converted to Section 8 housing, directly disputing a report from the comptroller's office during a Wednesday oversight hearing.

  • February 26, 2025

    Dewberry Ruling May Lead To More Defendants In TM Fights

    Plaintiffs in trademark disputes likely will consider including multiple defendants in their complaints when it's unclear who holds the profits from the alleged infringement, according to intellectual property attorneys, after the U.S. Supreme Court remanded a case because nonparty affiliates of a defendant were ordered to pay an award that reached nearly $47 million.

  • February 26, 2025

    Low-Key Fort Lauderdale Draws Big-Time Development

    Sitting between posh Palm Beach and cosmopolitan Miami, Fort Lauderdale can feel a little overshadowed with its low-key vibe, but during South Florida's recent real estate boom, the city has carved out its own middle ground that has attracted new residents — and developers have taken notice.

  • February 26, 2025

    Wash. Judge Says Officials Are Immune To Energy Code Suit

    A Seattle federal judge has thrown out a building industry coalition's renewed legal challenge to Washington regulations that discourage natural gas appliances in new construction, ruling the state officials named as defendants are protected because they aren't responsible for enforcing the rules.

  • February 26, 2025

    How One Atty Approached AI Price Gouging Amid LA Wildfires

    In a recent Q&A, an LA-area lawyer who helped a hotel handle inadvertent price spikes following the January fires discussed that matter, as well as the larger question of price gouging at hotel and rental properties.

  • February 26, 2025

    Ariz. Sen. OKs Extending Property Tax Oversight Commission

    Arizona would extend the life of its Property Tax Oversight Commission by eight years under legislation approved Wednesday by the state Senate.

  • February 26, 2025

    Simpson Thacher Guides $1B Real Estate Secondaries Fund

    Neuberger Berman, an investment management firm advised by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, has capped its second real estate private equity secondary fund at $1.05 billion, surpassing its target by $200 million, according to a Wednesday announcement.

  • February 26, 2025

    DOJ Says RealPage Can't Ditch Antitrust Claims

    The U.S. Department of Justice and a group of states are urging a North Carolina federal judge to reject a move by RealPage Inc. and a group of landlords to escape claims that use of the company's software paves the way for collusion on setting rental prices.

  • February 26, 2025

    Michigan Counties Say Firm's Client Solicitations Merit DQ

    Michigan counties sought to disqualify plaintiff firm Visser & Associates PLLC Tuesday, telling a federal judge that the lawyers went back on their word by soliciting potential class members in a suit claiming the government entities improperly kept a surplus of foreclosed home sales.

  • February 26, 2025

    Real Estate Group Of The Year: Weil

    Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP served as lead real estate adviser in Home Depot's $18.3 billion acquisition of SRS Distribution Inc. and helped shepherd an $8 billion merger between two rival amusement park companies, earning the firm a spot among the 2024 Law360 Real Estate Groups of the Year.

  • February 26, 2025

    Vets Press 9th Circ. To Affirm LA Campus Housing Judgment

    A group of veterans' organizations, retired military officers and legal scholars are urging the Ninth Circuit to uphold a California federal judge's decision that the federal government must build veterans housing on a Los Angeles campus, saying such housing is greatly needed and complies with federal law.

  • February 26, 2025

    Adams Says SDNY Memo Leaks Doom His Bribery Case

    New York City Mayor Eric Adams opened up a new line of attack against his federal corruption case Wednesday, arguing that the judge must dismiss the charges due to the "extreme prejudice" caused by leaked Justice Department memos alleging a quid pro quo between the mayor and the Trump administration.

  • February 26, 2025

    Former Trust GC On NYC's Changing Development Game

    In this Q&A, Lisa Lim, a partner at Rosenberg & Estis PC, talks about her work as general counsel setting up a new entity to finance public housing repairs and the outlook for New York City development after dramatic changes to its zoning law.

  • February 26, 2025

    Justices Vacate TM Award That Put Co.'s Affiliates On Hook

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday vacated an award that reached nearly $47 million in a trademark dispute that questioned whether affiliates of a real estate development company should be liable for the payment even though they were not defendants in the case.

  • February 25, 2025

    Fla. Bill Targets Last-Resort Coverage For Unsafe Condos

    A bill introduced ahead of Florida's 2025 legislative session looks to bar the state's Citizens Property Insurance Corp. from providing or renewing coverage policies for condominiums that fall short of inspection requirements.

  • February 25, 2025

    NY AG Probe Latest Headache For Crumbling Property Empire

    Following New York's passage of a tenant-friendly rent law in 2019, a spate of distressed Emerald Equity Group LLC properties are facing foreclosure or bankruptcy. Now, scrutiny by the state Attorney General's Office has added a new layer to the landlord's ongoing struggles.

  • February 25, 2025

    Report: 2025 Seen As A Year Of Opportunity For Real Estate

    Commercial real estate executives see 2025 as a period of opportunity for investment, according to a Seyfarth Shaw LLP report released Tuesday.

  • February 25, 2025

    Law Firm Leasing Reaches Highest Level Since Before COVID

    Law firms in the United States have broken through years of pandemic-related uncertainty about market conditions and the need for office space to record the highest volume of lease activity in more than five years, according to newly released data.

Expert Analysis

  • Colo. Eviction Case Could Transform Tenant Rights

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    The Colorado Supreme Court recently granted certiorari in a case that could open the door for tenants to assert allegations of discrimination and retaliation during eviction proceedings, and dramatically prolong the state's process, says Jacob Hollars at Spencer Fane.

  • Harsh 11th Circ. Rebuke Should Inspire Changes At CFPB

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    The Eleventh Circuit's recent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Brown decision, which found the CFPB's conduct had been egregious in a debt collection enforcement action, should encourage some reflection at the bureau regarding its level of attention to the reasonable due process concerns of regulated institutions, says Eric Mogilnicki at Covington.

  • 3 Alternatives To CRE Collateralized Loan Obligations

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    With current commercial real estate market conditions pushing issuers away from collateralized loan obligations, several Freddie Mac offerings should be considered as alternative exit strategies for mortgage loans secured by multifamily properties, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • Fla. Banking Brief: All The Notable Compliance Updates In Q2

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    Florida financial institutions must now navigate minimum interest rates for attorney trust accounts, restrictions on property sales to prohibited foreigners, and a ban on weighing environmental, social and governance factors to determine a customer's creditworthiness — changes that will add to banks' compliance pressures, says Patricia Hernandez at Avila Rodriguez.

  • NY Court Sends Mixed Signals On Contested Foreclosure Law

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    Although New York's Appellate Division, Second Department, has avoided addressing the constitutionality and retroactive application of the Foreclosure Abuse Prevention Act, its conflicting pattern of applying FAPA to existing cases is creating confusion regarding the future of the law, say Christopher Gorman and John Muldoon at Abrams Fensterman and litigation support analyst Robert Marx.

  • Expect CFPB Scrutiny On AI In Lending

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    As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau prioritizes regulatory oversight of the financial services industry's use of automated systems and artificial technology, it will need to balance regulation and innovation, and companies should prepare to mitigate any potential for bias or unfair, deceptive or abusive acts and practices, say attorneys at Goodwin.

  • Texas Construction Statute Of Repose Leaves Open Questions

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    Texas' new significantly shorter statute of repose barring certain suits against construction contractors contains some ambiguous wording that will likely raise questions to be decided by courts, says Mason Hester at Munsch Hardt.

  • In The CFPB Playbook: Abuse Policy, PACE, Payment Apps

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    From defining "abusive" conduct to implementing green energy financing to policing payment apps, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was busy last quarter. Akerman's Nora Rigby discusses all this and more in the first installment of bureau activity recaps by former CFPB personnel.

  • How To Avoid Flopping When Flipping Fla. Real Estate

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    As land prices rise, Florida real estate developers are increasingly contracting to flip property to other purchasers for a profit, and they should carefully consider the unique risks and issues associated with the different forms that the process can take, says Gary Kaleita at Lowndes.

  • States Must Fight Predatory Real Estate Listing Agreements

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    As momentum against long-term real estate listing agreements continues to grow, states should take action to render existing agreements unenforceable and discourage future unfair and deceptive trade practices in real estate, says Elizabeth Blosser at the American Land Title Association.

  • Steps To Success For Senior Associates

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Adriana Paris at Rissman Barrett discusses the increased responsibilities and opportunities that becoming a senior associate brings and what attorneys in this role should prioritize to flourish in this stressful but rewarding next level in their careers.

  • Ohio Tax Talk: Building On Federal Affordable Housing Credit

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    Ohio's soon-to-be-implemented low-income housing tax credit could significantly affect the state's affordable housing landscape and influence tax-credit deal financing for these projects, though Senate changes may have dampened the new credit's immense potential, say Raghav Agnihotri and Rachael Chamberlain at Frost Brown.

  • LA's High-Value Real Estate Transfer Tax Should Be Scrapped

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    Los Angeles’ recently implemented high-value property transfer tax has chilled the real estate market, is failing to meet revenue expectations and raises significant constitutional concerns, making it a flawed piece of legislation that should be invalidated, says attorney Paul Weinberg.