Residential
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May 30, 2025
Missouri Judge Rejects Berkshire Unit's Transfer Appeal Cert. Bid
A Missouri federal judge on Friday denied a Berkshire Hathaway unit's motion to certify the company's denied transfer bid for a consolidated antitrust broker fees class action.
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May 30, 2025
Praying Or Parking? Religious Land Use Fights Head To Court
Local zoning and planning boards, usually unelected decision-making bodies, often operate with sweeping discretion that can provide cover for discrimination against religious communities. But backed by pro bono attorneys, religious groups are leaning on a 2000 federal law in their bid for court intervention.
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May 30, 2025
Atlanta Seeks Win In Ex-Building Officials' Age Bias Suit
A former Atlanta building official has failed to show his age was the deciding factor in not being promoted to a chief inspector role, the city told a federal court, urging it to toss the man's discrimination lawsuit.
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May 30, 2025
Cleary Helping Cushman & Wakefield On Move To Bermuda
Cushman & Wakefield's parent company is seeking to move its place of incorporation from England and Wales to Bermuda, with the assistance of counsel from Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, the real estate brokerage firm said in a regulatory filing.
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May 30, 2025
Bravo Property Trust Lands $400M From Middle East Investor
Real estate financing company Bravo Property Trust announced on Friday that a Middle Eastern sovereign wealth fund manager will invest up to $400 million in the firm to support its bridge and construction loan offerings.
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May 29, 2025
NY Landlord LLC Transparency Bill Advances
The New York State Senate passed a bill on May 28 to require landlords of rent-stabilized properties to disclose members of their limited liability companies.
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May 29, 2025
Real Estate CFO, Mogul's Daughter Dodge Two Trustee Claims
The chief financial officer of bankrupt construction services company Gateway Development Group Inc. and the daughter of the company's chair have escaped a Chapter 7 trustee's claims that they helped the chair breach his fiduciary duties, with a judge ruling the claims aren't recognized under Connecticut law.
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May 29, 2025
Colo. Builder Slams 'Unconstitutional' Affordable Housing Fees
The city of Denver is unconstitutionally forcing homebuilders to contribute to an affordable housing fund before they can obtain development permits, a local developer said in a suit filed in Colorado federal court.
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May 29, 2025
8th Circ. Says Gov'ts Can't Give Up Eminent Domain Powers
An Eighth Circuit panel vacated an injunction barring a North Dakota county from taking private property it said was needed to build a bridge over the Little Missouri River, although the parties had already settled their claims in April.
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May 29, 2025
Home Appraisers' Overtime Suit Moves From NY To Ill.
A lawsuit accusing an Arizona-based home appraisal company of failing to pay real estate staff appraisers overtime will move to Illinois, after a New York federal judge agreed with a magistrate judge's recommendations that the case needed to move to where the key witnesses are.
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May 29, 2025
11th Circ. Won't Revive Antitrust Claims Against Suns Owner
The Eleventh Circuit isn't going to touch a lower court order that tossed an antitrust case against the owner of the NBA's Phoenix Suns and his company, United Wholesale Mortgage LLC, over an alleged boycott.
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May 29, 2025
Ore. Extends Tax Breaks For Affordable Housing Development
Oregon will delay the expiration of three property tax breaks intended to help the development of affordable housing under legislation signed by Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek.
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May 29, 2025
Texas Bars Some Property Tax Hikes Above Voter-OK'd Rates
Texas will prohibit school districts from adopting property tax rates above voter-approved thresholds in response to a natural disaster if voters previously rejected a similar proposed rate increase, under a bill signed by Gov. Greg Abbott.
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May 29, 2025
Montgomery McCracken Wins $680K Fees From Ch. 11 Client
A group of property development companies that Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads LLP represented through years of bankruptcy reorganization still owe the firm $680,000, a Pennsylvania federal judge ruled Wednesday.
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May 29, 2025
Developer Sells Miami Office Tower Project Site For $211.5M
Developer and property manager Swire Properties has sold a project development site for a planned Miami office tower to Melo Group for $211.5 million, a representative for commercial real estate firm CBRE told Law360.
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May 29, 2025
Home Loan Co. Accused Of Failing To Pay Overtime
A lending company required loan processors to put in about 80 hours of work during some weeks but did not pay them overtime wages for the extra time, a worker said in a proposed collective action filed in Arizona federal court.
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May 28, 2025
Multivista Aims To Take Guesswork Out Of Construction
In a recent interview with Law360 Real Estate Authority, the owner of a franchise of proptech company Multivista explained how cataloged insights into the building process can help prevent mistakes or down the road serve as valuable evidence in the event of a dispute or warranty claim.
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May 28, 2025
FBI Misled Court In Russia Sanctions Probe, Judge Rules
Federal prosecutors cannot use certain evidence to prove charges that a Russian bank executive dodged sanctions because an FBI agent "recklessly omitted material facts" from the related warrant application, a New York federal judge ruled.
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May 28, 2025
Stay Won't Be Lifted On Claims Over $93M Real Estate Fraud
Victims of a $93 million Miami real estate development scheme won't be able to pursue their claims — at least for now — against the company's former CEO after a Florida federal judge on Wednesday denied their request to lift a stay on litigation during a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission receivership.
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May 28, 2025
NJ County To Put $240B In Land Records On Blockchain
Land record management company Balcony on Wednesday said it has struck a deal to store some 370,000 property deeds in Bergen County, New Jersey, on its blockchain platform, in the biggest-ever U.S. effort of its kind.
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May 28, 2025
CFPB Energy Loan Rule An 'Unlawful Power Grab,' Suit Says
Lenders that finance clean energy home improvement projects on Wednesday challenged a Biden-era rule that applies standard mortgage protections to loans where homeowners pay for such projects through property tax bills, saying the rule is unlawful and threatens to kill their business.
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May 28, 2025
Insurer Questions Coverage Of Ohio Tenant Harassment Case
An Ohio insurer filed a federal lawsuit arguing on Wednesday that it is not obligated to defend or indemnify Athens County, Ohio, landlords accused in a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit of allowing sex discrimination and harassment against female tenants at at least one rental property for years.
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May 28, 2025
NY Judge Orders $72M Payment Over Multifamily Foreclosures
A New York federal judge ruled that several borrowers must pay more than $72.4 million to Fannie Mae, which accused the borrowers of defaulting on multifamily loans associated with 12 New York City apartment buildings.
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May 28, 2025
Texas Voters To Decide On Raising Homestead Tax Exemption
Texas voters will decide if the state should amend its constitution to increase the state's homestead property tax exemption from $100,000 to $140,000 under a Senate joint resolution approved by state lawmakers and filed with the Texas secretary of state.
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May 28, 2025
Fannie Mae Taps Palantir To Combat Mortgage Fraud
Leaders of Fannie Mae, a government-sponsored enterprise that backs a fifth of the rental market, and tech company Palantir announced a partnership Wednesday to combat multifamily mortgage fraud.
Expert Analysis
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How NJ Worker Status Ruling Benefits Real Estate Industry
In Kennedy v. Weichert, the New Jersey Supreme Court recently said a real estate agent’s employment contract would supersede the usual ABC test analysis to determine his classification as an independent contractor, preserving operational flexibility for the industry — and potentially others, say Jason Finkelstein and Dalila Haden at Cole Schotz.
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7th Circ Joins Trend Of No CGL Coverage For Structural Flaws
The Seventh Circuit, which recently held potential structural instability did not count as property damage under a construction company's commercial general liability policy, joins a growing consensus that faulty work does not implicate coverage without tangible and present damage to the project, say Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty, and Elan Kandel and James Talbert at Bailey Cavalieri.
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In The CFPB Playbook: Making Good On Bold Promises
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision upholding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's funding structure in the second quarter cleared the way for the bureau to resume a number of high-priority initiatives, and it appears poised to charge ahead in working toward its aggressive preelection agenda, say Andrew Arculin and Paula Vigo Marqués at Blank Rome.
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FBI Raid Signals Growing Criminal Enforcement Of Algorithms
The U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division's increased willingness to pursue the use of algorithmic pricing as a potential criminal violation means that companies need to understand the software solutions they employ and stay abreast of antitrust best practices when contracting with providers, say attorneys at Rule Garza.
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State Licensing Pitfalls Mortgage Servicers Must Beware
A recent enforcement action from the Washington Department of Financial Institutions demonstrates how subtle distinctions in state mortgage servicer licensing laws may come as a surprise to some companies, even if they never directly receive payments or interact with borrowers, says Clayton Swears at Hudson Cook.
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Keys To Strong Parking, Storage Contracts For NYC Buildings
Drafting and enforcing unambiguous parking and storage unit license agreements are essential tasks for co-op and condo boards in New York City, with recent cases highlighting how prudent terms can minimize potential headaches, say Matthew Eiben and Adam Lindenbaum at Rosenberg & Estis.
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Realtor Settlement May Create New Antitrust Pitfalls
Following a recent antitrust settlement between the National Association of Realtors and home sellers, practices are set to change and the increased competition may benefit both brokers and homebuyers, but the loss of the customary method of buyer broker compensation could lead to new antitrust concerns, says Colin Ahler at Snell & Wilmer.
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What Fla. Ruling Means For Insurer Managed Repair Programs
A recent Florida state court ruling in Fraga v. Citizens Property Insurance, holding that the insurer could not seek to add additional terms in its managed repair program consent form, should promote clear written contract terms that clarify the relationship between insurers, policyholders and contractors, says Chip Merlin at Merlin Law Group.
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Preparing For CFPB 'Junk Fee' Push Into Mortgage Industry
As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau considers expanding its "junk fee" initiative into mortgage closing costs, mortgage lenders and third parties must develop plans now that anticipate potential rulemaking or enforcement activity in this space, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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NC Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2
After federal banking agencies last quarter released a supplemental final rule updating the Community Reinvestment Act, North Carolina banks involved in community development should consider how the new rule might open up opportunities for investment and services that can benefit underserved areas, says Adam Goldblatt at Michael Best.
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What NYC's Green Fast Track Means For Affordable Housing
New York City's Green Fast Track for Housing initiative, which went into effect last month, aims to speed up the environmental review process for modest residential developments and could potentially pave the way for similar initiatives in other cities, say Vivien Krieger and Rachel Scall at Cozen O'Connor.
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The Often Overlooked NY Foreclosure Notice Requirements
As multifamily real estate defaults mount, New York foreclosing parties should be aware of pitfalls and perils that can await the litigant who is not prepared to ensure adherence with tenant notice requirements under the Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law, say Christopher Gorman and John Muldoon at Rosenberg & Estis.
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Zoning Reform May Alleviate The Affordable Housing Crisis
As America's affordable housing issues continue to worsen, zoning reform efforts can help to provide more affordable homes and mitigate racial and economic segregation, though opposition from residents and in courts could present challenges, say Evan Pritchard and Madeline Williams at Cozen O'Connor.