Residential

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • December 17, 2024

    Pa. Supreme Court Says Judge's Side Job Sinks Tax Rulings

    A Pennsylvania state judge who held a side job on a Philadelphia tax appeals board had nullified rulings he made on a local hospital's tax cases, the state's Supreme Court said Tuesday, reasoning that holding both jobs was a "constitutionally impermissible conflict of duties."

  • December 16, 2024

    Colo. Justices Revoke Decision On Eviction Jury Trials

    The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday rescinded its October ruling that tenants facing eviction are entitled to jury trials if there are factual disputes, after a tenant revealed in her rehearing petition that she was sent an eviction notice in the mail and wasn't personally served.

  • December 16, 2024

    CFPB Says Conn. Decision Supports Its Case Against Lender

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has said a Connecticut Appellate Court decision last week in a lender's case against the state banking department bolsters its own parallel federal proceeding against the same entity, noting that the state court rejected the lender's claims that federal and state regulations do not align.

  • December 16, 2024

    NY Gov. Vetoes Change To Property Tax Interest Rates

    New York Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed legislation that would have linked the state's interest rates for delinquent residential property taxes to the prime rate and lowered the minimum rate from 12% to 2%, with a cap of 16%.

  • December 16, 2024

    Mass. Paper To Close, Pay $1.1M To Settle Defamation Case

    A Massachusetts mayor said he has settled his defamation claims against the city's local newspaper for a $1.1 million payment and an agreement that the publication will close its doors later this week.

Expert Analysis

  • Foreclosing Lenders Still Floating In Murky Legal Waters In NY

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    The New York foreclosure landscape remains in disarray after the state's highest court last month declined to weigh in on whether legal changes from 2022 that severely curtailed lenders' ability to bring successive foreclosure cases were retroactive, says Brian Rich at Barclay Damon.

  • Philly's Algorithmic Rent Ban Furthers Antitrust Policy Trends

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    A Philadelphia bill banning the use of algorithmic software to set rent prices and manage occupancy rates is indicative of growing scrutiny of this technology, and reflects broader policy trends of adapting traditional antitrust principles to respond to new technology, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • How Property Insurance Coverage Shrank After The Pandemic

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    Insurers litigating property claims are leveraging rulings that provided relief in the COVID-19 context to reverse the former majority rule on physical loss or damage in all contexts, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Why Secured Lenders Must Mind The Gap In UCC Searches

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    If not adequately addressed, the Uniform Commercial Code filing indexing gap can interfere with a lender's expected lien priority, but taking appropriate preclosing actions and properly timing searches can eliminate this risk, says Robert Wonneberger at Barclay Damon.

  • Election Outcome Could Reshape Financial Industry

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    The policies of the next presidential administration and Congress will shape the landscape of financial services in the U.S. — including banking, mortgage, investment and credit services — for years to come, affecting Wall Street investors and aspiring homeowners alike, say Alexander Hecht and Frank Guinta at Mintz.

  • There's No Crying In Property Valuation Baseball Arbitration

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    The World Series is the perfect time to consider how the form of arbitration used for settling MLB salary disputes — in which each side offers competing valuations to an arbitrator, who must select one — is often ideal for resolving property valuation disputes, say Sean O’Donnell at Herrick Feinstein and Mark Dunec at FTI Consulting.

  • Navigating Fla.'s Shorter Construction Defect Claim Window

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    In light of recent legislation reducing the amount of time Florida homeowners have to bring construction defect claims, homeowners should be sure to understand their rights and responsibilities regarding maintenance, repairs and inspections set forth in developer-drafted documents, say Brian Tannenbaum and Nicholas Vargo at Ball Janik.

  • Rental Price-Fixing Suit Against RealPage Doesn't Add Up

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    Recent government antitrust litigation against RealPage, alleging that the software company's algorithm for setting rental prices amounts to price-fixing, has failed to allege an actual conspiracy, and is an example of regulatory overreach that should be reined in, says Andrew Ketterer at Ketterer & Ketterer.

  • Navigating FEMA Grant Program For Slope Fixes After Storms

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    In the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, it is critical for governments, businesses and individuals to understand the legal requirements of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's grant programs to obtain funding for crucial repairs — including restoration of damaged infrastructure caused by landslides and slope failures, says Charles Schexnaildre at Baker Donelson.

  • Colorful Lessons From NYC's Emotional Support Parrot Suit

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    A recently settled lawsuit in New York federal court concerning housing discrimination claims from a resident who had emotional support parrots highlights the importance of housing providers treating accomodation questions seriously even if they may appear unusual or questionable, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • Recent Securities Cases Highlight Risks In AI Disclosures

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    Increasing public disclosure about the use and risks of artificial intelligence, and related litigation asserting that such disclosures are false or misleading, suggest that issuers need to exercise great care with respect to how they describe the benefits of AI, say Richard Zelichov and Danny Tobey at DLA Piper.

  • Consider Best Legal Practices For Commissioning Public Art

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    Commissioning public art for real estate projects can provide many benefits to real estate developers and the public, but it's important to understand the unique legal and contracting aspects of the process to ensure that projects are completed on time and on budget, says Sarah Conley Odenkirk at ArtConverge.

  • Proposed Mortgage Assistance Rule: Tips For Servicers

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    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.