Residential

  • July 15, 2025

    Ex-NY Attorney Pleads Guilty To Stealing $4.7M From Clients

    A former New York lawyer admitted to stealing millions from clients, including draining more than $4.4 million from the attorney escrow account of a company seeking to buy 500,000 boxes of hard-to-find latex gloves during the COVID-19 pandemic, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr., announced Tuesday.

  • July 15, 2025

    Calif. Homeowners Win Cert. In State Farm Underpayment Suit

    A California federal court certified a class of nearly 200,000 homeowners alleging State Farm systematically underpaid property insurance claims in violation of the state's insurance code, ruling Tuesday that the plaintiffs offered a feasible methodology for calculating damages classwide and demonstrated that class members are identifiable.

  • July 15, 2025

    Ex-Yankee Wants $69K Tacked Onto Moldy Mansion Trial Win

    A retired New York Yankees player is seeking nearly $70,000 in prejudgment interest after a Connecticut federal jury handed him a $222,000 win in his suit that sought to hold his former landlord liable for mold in a Greenwich mansion.

  • July 15, 2025

    State Farm 'Maliciously' Denied Property Coverage, Court Told

    A California property owner accused State Farm of "maliciously" denying its property insurance claim in a lawsuit removed to federal court, further alleging that the insurer intentionally ignored evidence of the extent of the property damage.

  • July 15, 2025

    Property Co. Says Storm Coverage Row Can't Be Arbitrated

    The owner of a New Orleans luxury apartment and retail complex urged the Fifth Circuit to affirm a lower court's decision to vacate a previous order forcing it to arbitrate its $7 million Hurricane Ida damage claims against a group of domestic insurers, saying Louisiana law applies and bars arbitration.

  • July 15, 2025

    Denver Defends Affordable Housing Fees, Citing Alternatives

    The city of Denver has urged a Colorado federal court to toss a homebuilder's suit challenging the constitutionality of an affordable housing fee for new development, arguing the developer's claims overlook a clause that allows it to construct affordable housing as an alternative.

  • July 15, 2025

    Calif. Legislature OKs Retroactive Solar Property Exclusion

    California would allow the purchaser of a new property a three-year window to apply for a property tax exclusion for solar energy systems under a bill passed by the state Senate and sent to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom for approval.

  • July 15, 2025

    Leech Tishman Hires Fla. Real Estate Atty For Counsel Role

    Leech Tishman hired an experienced Florida real estate transactional attorney for a counsel role in the firm's teams in Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch while working in its Sarasota office, the firm announced.

  • July 15, 2025

    Pa. Senate Bill Seeks To End School District Property Taxes

    Pennsylvania would propose an amendment to the state constitution to eliminate school districts' authority to levy or collect property taxes after June 30, 2029, under a bill introduced in the state Senate.

  • July 15, 2025

    2 Firms Guide Cavco's $190M Manufactured Home Co. Buy

    Cavco Industries said it has reached an agreement to acquire Houston-based homebuilder American Homestar Corp. and its subsidiaries for $190 million, in a transaction advised by DLA Piper and Jackson Walker LLP.

  • July 14, 2025

    OCC Drops 'Disparate Impact' From Fair Lending Oversight

    The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said Monday that it will stop checking to see whether banks' lending practices are causing potentially unintended discrimination, scrubbing so-called disparate-impact liability from its examination policies.

  • July 14, 2025

    Fla. Landlord Accuses Akerman Of Botching Lease Language

    Real estate investor Turner Healthcare Facilities Fund LP on Monday accused its former Akerman LLP counsel in a south Florida state court of having committed a $45 million "mistake" by approving unenforceable clauses in leases on properties the investor owned.

  • July 14, 2025

    Greystone Arranges $43.5M Refi For Ore. Senior Living Site

    Real estate finance company Greystone said Monday that it arranged $43.5 million in debt to refinance construction debt on a Class A assisted living facility in Oregon.

  • July 14, 2025

    4th Circ. Says Va. County Isn't Responsible For Damaged Pipe

    The Fourth Circuit sided with Virginia's Isle of Wight County on Monday against a takings suit filed by local homeowners who alleged that the county had to pay for a damaged underground stormwater drainage pipe and the erosion it caused to nearby land.

  • July 14, 2025

    Airbnb Wants Out Of Pittsburgh House Party Shooting Suit

    Airbnb said it has resolved all but one of a group of lawsuits brought against it after a 2022 mass shooting at a party at a Pittsburgh house rented through the app, and has renewed its objections to the last remaining claims from the family of a shooting victim.

  • July 14, 2025

    Pa. Bank Fights Court Oversight After $3M Redlining Deal

    A Pennsylvania bank that agreed to pay a $3 million settlement to resolve the U.S. Department of Justice's allegations of discriminatory lending practices has asked a federal judge to reject a request by fair housing advocacy groups to continue court oversight to ensure the bank's compliance with the settlement terms.

  • July 14, 2025

    BNSF Can't Toss Indemnity Claim In Flood Coverage Suit

    Two Travelers insurers may proceed with their claim that they have no duty to indemnify railway giant BNSF in a suit alleging that a track relocation project the company undertook caused significant flooding on a property owner's land, a California federal court ruled Monday.

  • July 14, 2025

    NYC Real Estate Week In Review

    Herrick Feinstein and SLG are among the firms that handled the largest real estate deals that hit New York City public records last week, with a land deal in Queens topping the list.

  • July 14, 2025

    Foreign Spending On US Homes Rises 33% In NAR Report

    The National Association of Realtors on Monday said foreign buyers snapped up about 33% more U.S. homes in the last year, compared to a year prior, with homes in Florida representing about one in five properties purchased.

  • July 14, 2025

    House Bill Would Slash More Than Quarter Of HUD Staff

    A proposed congressional appropriations bill aims to cut 26% of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's staff, according to an official announcement.

  • July 11, 2025

    4th Circ. Tosses Ex-Baltimore Prosecutor's Fraud Conviction

    A split Fourth Circuit on Friday tossed the mortgage fraud conviction of former Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby, finding that the jury was improperly instructed on where the crime occurred, but upheld her perjury conviction.

  • July 11, 2025

    Miami Mayor, Developer Discuss Crypto In Real Estate

    When developer Diego Ojeda's firm closed the first-ever cryptocurrency wallet-to-wallet real estate transaction in the Miami market earlier this year, it drew a social media shoutout from one of the city's biggest crypto supporters — Mayor Francis Suarez. The two recently puzzled the pros and cons for crypto in real estate transactions.

  • July 11, 2025

    Real Estate Co. Says Pa. Title Insurer Missed Invalid Deed

    A real estate company claims its title insurance company missed an invalid deed on a Philadelphia row house it purchased in 2020, negating years of ownership and investment in the property, according to a lawsuit filed in state court.

  • July 11, 2025

    Compass Says It Will Share Exclusive Listings With Any Brokers

    Brokerage firm Compass Inc. announced Friday that it will conditionally share its exclusive homeowners listings with any brokers or multiple listing services.

  • July 11, 2025

    HOA Is Pushing Out Country Club Owner, NC Suit Says

    A Florida country club operator asked a North Carolina judge to find that it controls a Charlotte-area country club and golf course within a gated community, alleging that a homeowners association has refused to recognize the company as the club's owner.

Expert Analysis

  • Takeaways From FDIC's Spring Supervisory Highlights

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    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s spring 2024 consumer compliance supervisory report found that relatively few institutions had significant consumer compliance issues last year, but the common thread among those that did were inadequacies or failures in disclosures to consumers, says Matthew Hanaghan at Nutter.

  • What Calif. Eviction Ruling Means For Defaulting Borrowers

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    A California appellate court's recent decision in Homeward Opportunities v. Taptelis found that a defaulting borrower could not delay foreclosure with an improperly served notice of pendency of action, but leaves open a possibility for borrowers to delay eviction proceedings merely by filing lawsuits, say Anne Beehler and Krystal Anderson at Holland & Knight.

  • How 3D Printing And Prefab Are Changing Construction

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    The growing popularity of trends like 3D printing technology and prefabrication in the construction industry have positive ramifications ranging from reducing risks at project sites to streamlining construction schedules, say Josephine Bahn and Jeffery Mullen at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Wave Of Final Rules Reflects Race Against CRA Deadline

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    The flurry of final rules now leaping off the Federal Register press — some of which will affect entire industries and millions of Americans — shows President Joe Biden's determination to protect his regulatory legacy from reversal by the next Congress, given the impending statutory look-back period under the Congressional Review Act, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • A Deep Dive Into High Court's Permit Fee Ruling

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    David Robinson and Daniel Golub at Holland & Knight explore the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling that a local traffic impact fee charged to a California property owner may be a Fifth Amendment taking — and where it leaves localities and real estate developers.

  • The Case For Overturning Florida Foreclosure Ruling

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    A Florida appellate court's recent decision in Desbrunes v. U.S. Bank National Association will potentially put foreclosure cases across the state in jeopardy, and unless it is reconsidered, foreclosing plaintiffs will need to choose between frustrating and uncertain options in the new legal landscape, say Sara Accardi and Paige Knight at Bradley.

  • Bracing For The CFPB's War On Mortgage Fees

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    As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau homes in on the legality of certain residential mortgage fees, the industry should consult the bureau's steady stream of consumer lending guidance for hints on its priorities, say Nanci Weissgold and Melissa Malpass at Alston & Bird.

  • DOJ Consent Orders Chart Road Map For Lending Compliance

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    Two recent consent orders issued by the U.S. Department of Justice as part of its efforts to fight mortgage lending discrimination highlight issues that pose fair lending compliance risks, and should be carefully studied by banks to avoid enforcement actions, says Memrie Fortenberry at Jones Walker.

  • Reverse Veil-Piercing Ruling Will Help Judgment Creditors

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    A New York federal court’s recent decision in Citibank v. Aralpa Holdings, finding two corporate entities liable for a judgment issued against a Mexican businessman, shows the value of reverse veil piercing as a remedy for judgment creditors to go after sophisticated debtors who squirrel away assets, says Gabe Bluestone at Omni Bridgeway.

  • Calif. Housing Overhaul May Increase Pressure On Landlords

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    Two recently enacted California laws signal new protections and legal benefits for tenants, but also elevate landlords' financial exposure at a time when they are already facing multiple other hardships, says Laya Dogmetchi at Much Shelist.

  • New Proposal Signals Sharper Enforcement Focus At CFIUS

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    Last week's proposed rule aimed at broadening the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States' enforcement authority over foreign investments and increasing penalties for violations signals that CFIUS intends to continue expanding its aggressive monitoring of national security issues, say attorneys at Kirkland.

  • Climate Disclosure Mandates Demand A Big-Picture Approach

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    As carbon emissions disclosure requirements from the European Union, California and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission take effect, the best practice for companies is not targeted compliance with a given reporting regime, but rather a comprehensive approach to systems assessment and management, says David Smith at Manatt.

  • Illinois EV Charging Act Sparks Developer Concerns

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    A recent state law in Illinois requiring multifamily housing to provide facilities for electric vehicle charging raises significant concerns for developers over existing infrastructure that isn't up to the task, says Max Kanter at Much Shelist.