Residential
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December 23, 2024
McElroy Deutsch Beats Former Exec's Malicious Claim
McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney & Carpenter LLP got a claim for malicious prosecution against it dismissed without prejudice in litigation against its former business development director, who the firm accused of embezzling millions from it.
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December 23, 2024
Top Residential Real Estate Q&As From 2024's Second Half
Check out the top residential real estate Q&As that ran during the second half of 2024, with real estate attorneys and experts reflecting on the evolution of New York City real estate, new construction rules and the state of the multifamily sector.
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December 20, 2024
RealPage Can't Transfer Enforcers' Rent-Fix Case Out Of NC
RealPage cannot get the government's antitrust case against it moved either to the Tennessee court overseeing similar civil litigation or to Texas, where the rental software maker is headquartered, a North Carolina federal judge ruled Friday.
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December 20, 2024
Fla. Judge Orders Ky. Tower Sale Laundering Case To Proceed
A Florida federal judge denied a request by two Miami businessmen to toss a civil forfeiture lawsuit brought by the U.S. government in an attempt to seize $9.1 million from the sale of a Kentucky office tower with alleged links to a Ukrainian money laundering scheme.
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December 20, 2024
Calif. Panel Says Woman Has Right To Sue Over Home Sale
A California state appeals court reversed a quick win granted to Sotheby's International Realty Inc. and other real estate brokers in a suit filed over a $3.15 million sale of a Malibu home, ruling in a published decision that the homeowner legally allowed his daughter to sue over the property sale.
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December 20, 2024
Mich. Tax Panel's Rubber-Stamp Of Valuation Nixed By Court
A Michigan tax panel "rubber-stamped" a city's $16.5 million valuation of an apartment complex, the state appeals court found, saying questions of fact remained on the city's consideration of the property's purchase price.
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December 20, 2024
HUD Awards $225 Million To Boost Manufactured Housing
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that it has awarded $225 million under a grant program for manufactured housing communities, prioritizing tribal applicants and resident-managed communities.
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December 20, 2024
Mich. Duplex Wrongly Added To Site's Tax Value, Court Says
A Michigan municipality should not have boosted the assessment of a property by adding in the value of a third duplex it had erroneously omitted from its tax rolls, the state appeals court said, reversing a state tax panel.
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December 20, 2024
Calif. Appeals Court Upends Arbitration Denial In OT Suit
A California appeals court partially reversed a ruling that real estate company CoStar cannot arbitrate a proposed class action accusing it of failing to pay workers overtime, finding the arbitration agreement is only unenforceable as to claims brought under the state's Private Attorneys General Act.
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December 20, 2024
Ga. Real Estate Law Firm Adds 3 New Attys
Georgia real estate law firm GSH Attorneys said Friday that it has brought on three attorneys to the same number of its offices around the state.
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December 19, 2024
Mortgage Firm Should Face Sex Harassment Suit, Judge Says
A Georgia federal judge on Wednesday recommended not granting summary judgment to CrossCountry Mortgage LLC and a branch manager in a former employee's sexual harassment and retaliation suit.
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December 19, 2024
State And Federal Insurance Regulations To Watch For In 2025
The insurance market will likely face regulatory challenges and opportunities in 2025 as regulators on the state and federal level gear up to reverse major trends and tackle emerging developments. Here, Law360 looks at a few key pieces of regulation and regulatory areas that will be closely watched by the insurance industry.
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December 19, 2024
NY High Court Cements Rollback Of Luxury Decontrol Orders
The New York Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that the state was right to revoke orders deregulating Manhattan apartment units after the Legislature passed tenant-friendly changes to rent stabilization laws, finding that the orders had not yet taken effect when the law passed in 2019.
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December 19, 2024
Overlooked Evidence In Katrina Suit Highlights Insurers' Risks
The Mississippi Supreme Court's ruling affirming a $10 million Hurricane Katrina damages award against USAA emphasized the risk a carrier runs when ignoring evidence while investigating a claim, while an additional $4.5 million awarded in attorney fees by the court raised eyebrows, insurance experts told Law360.
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December 19, 2024
RealPage Inks $625K Calif. Tenant Protections Settlement
Tenant screening company RealPage has agreed to pay $625,000 in penalties and restitution to put to rest allegations it violated California's COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act by providing screening reports to housing providers that improperly led to tenants being denied housing, according to an announcement made Wednesday.
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December 19, 2024
NJ Unclaimed Property Law Targeted In Class Claims
A Chilean citizen on Thursday filed proposed class claims challenging the constitutionality of New Jersey's unclaimed property law, alleging that the state often auctions or sells off abandoned real estate without any prior notice to owners — which purportedly include pop superstar Taylor Swift — and keeps the proceeds for its own use.
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December 19, 2024
DC Apartment Complex Hits Chapter 11 With Over $10M Debt
The operator of an apartment complex in Washington, D.C., filed for Chapter 11 in Delaware, saying the impact of COVID-19 and the district's affordable housing voucher program have led to diminishing cash reserves.
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December 18, 2024
Fla. Condo Sues Ex-Board Members Accused Of Fraud
A Florida condominium association has sued its former president, who was arrested earlier this year and accused of running a multifaceted fraudulent scheme with the help of another board member, allegedly resulting in the theft of more than $1 million used for personal expenses and to acquire additional units.
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December 18, 2024
ResiDesk Simplifies Resident Engagement For Deeper Results
At first glance, ResiDesk may look like any of the countless chatbots, platforms and applications pitching its ability to digitize operations, automate functions and tap into artificial intelligence to boost efficiency and profitability for multifamily property owners. But the New York-based startup has achieved early success by more effectively tapping into resident data.
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December 18, 2024
Insurers Say Arbitration Is Proper In $7M Ida Damage Suit
A group of international and domestic insurers asked a Louisiana federal judge to keep in place an order to arbitrate a $7 million Hurricane Ida damage claim, disputing a property owner's argument that state law has a say in the matter.
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December 18, 2024
Real Estate In 2024 By The Numbers
Rising office delinquencies and falling interest rates are among the key changes the commercial real estate market experienced in 2024.
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December 17, 2024
CFPB Finalizes Rule For PACE Loans
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Tuesday finalized a rule that applies standard mortgage protections to so-called Property Assessed Clean Energy loans, where homeowners pay for upgrades through property tax bills.
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December 17, 2024
RealPage Sees High Supply Of Apartments Easing In 2025
The flow of apartments hitting the market across the U.S. was strong in 2024, particularly in the Sunbelt, but the pace is likely to start slowing down next year as the industry confronts a drop in new construction, according to RealPage.
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December 17, 2024
US Seeks Foreclosure To Pay 'Survivor' Winner's $3.3M Taxes
A federal magistrate judge should have recommended allowing the U.S. government to foreclose on two properties it claims are controlled by a winner of the "Survivor" TV series who owes $3.3 million in taxes, the government told a Rhode Island federal court.
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December 17, 2024
Seattle, Solar Group Sue To Block Natural Gas Ballot Initiative
The city of Seattle and solar industry and environmental groups have sued the state of Washington to preserve municipalities' ability to curb natural gas use in new buildings, arguing a voter-approved measure blocking that power had unrelated provisions that made it unconstitutional.
Expert Analysis
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Proposed Mortgage Assistance Rule: Tips For Servicers
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recent proposal to alter Regulation X mortgage servicing procedures to broadly construe requests for assistance, and stay foreclosure proceedings during loss mitigation review, will, if finalized, require mortgage servicers to make notable procedural changes to comply, says Louis Manetti at Locke Lord.
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How Multifamily Property Owners Can Plan For The EV Future
As the electric vehicle market expands, and federal and state incentives and mandates intended to promote EV use come into effect, owners and operators of multifamily residential properties should be prepared to meet the growing demand for onsite EV charging infrastructure, say Sydney Tucker and Andreas Wokutch at Frost Brown.
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Fla. Insurer-Breach Cases Split On Unrepaired Property Issue
A Florida appellate court's recent decision in Universal v. Qureshi is directly at odds with a 2020 decision from another Florida appellate court, and raises important questions for policyholders and insurers about the proper measure of damages in breach claims involving unrepaired property, say Andrea DeField and Yaniel Abreu at Hunton.
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Colorado Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q3
In the third quarter of 2024, Colorado's banking and financial services sector faced both regulatory updates and changes to state law due to recent federal court decisions — with consequences for local governments, mortgage lenders, state-chartered trust companies and federally chartered lenders serving Colorado consumers, says Sarah Auchterlonie at Brownstein Hyatt.
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In The CFPB Playbook: No Lazy, Hazy Days Of Summer
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is headed for a brisk fall season, on the heels of a heated summer, which included the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that the CFPB funding structure is constitutional, and in advance of the November election, says Eamonn Moran at Holland & Knight.
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Basel Endgame Rules: A Change Is Coming
The Federal Reserve Board's recently announced recalibration of the Basel endgame proposal begins a critical chapter in the evolution of not only the safety and soundness of U.S. banks, but also of banks' abilities to lend and support American businesses and consumers, say attorneys at Davis Wright.
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Reassessing Lease Provisions To Account For ESG Initiatives
As companies seek to build ESG considerations into their businesses, it's crucial to understand how such initiatives can quickly become significant enough to compel reassessment of lease agreement provisions, and how best to modify leases accordingly, say Julian Freeman and Gabe Pitassi at Cox Castle.
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Avoid Getting Burned By Agencies' Solar Financing Spotlight
Recently coordinated reports and advisories from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission maximize the spotlight on the consumer solar financing market and highlight pitfalls for lenders to avoid in this burgeoning field, says Mercedes Tunstall at Cadwalader.
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Assessing Algorithmic Versus Generative AI Pricing Tools
A comparison of traditional algorithmic pricing models and those powered by generative artificial intelligence can help regulators and practitioners weigh the pros and cons of relying on large language models to price products or services, say Maxime Cohen at McGill University, and Tim Spittle and Jimmy Royer at Analysis Group.
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Navigating A Potpourri Of Possible Transparency Act Pitfalls
Despite the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's continued release of guidance for complying with the Corporate Transparency Act, its interpretation remains in flux, making it important for companies to understand potentially problematic areas of ambiguity in the practical application of the law, say attorneys at Sidley.
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DOJ Must Overcome Hurdles In RealPage Antitrust Case
The U.S. Department of Justice's recent claims that RealPage's pricing software violates the Sherman Act mark a creative, and apparently contradictory, shift in the agency's approach to algorithmic price-fixing that will face several key challenges, say attorneys at Clifford Chance.
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What To Know About CFPB Stance On Confidentiality Terms
A recent circular from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau represents a growing effort across government agencies to address overbroad confidentiality agreements, and gives employers insight into the bureau's perspective on the issue as it relates to the Consumer Financial Protection Act, say Holly Williamson and Elizabeth King at Hunton.
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What's Next For Federal Preemption In Financial Services
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's review of its preemption interpretations and growing pressure from state regulators signal potential changes ahead for preemption in U.S. financial services, and the path forward will likely involve a reevaluation of the entire framework, say attorneys at Clark Hill.