Residential
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August 08, 2025
Wash. Justices Won't Touch Builder Seattle Condo Tower Win
The Washington State Supreme Court will not take up a case involving a $19.2 million jury trial verdict for a construction company in a dispute with the owner and developer of a 41-story Seattle condo tower project, according to recent filings.
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August 08, 2025
BofA Must Face Trust Property Suit, Ga. Judge Says
A Georgia federal judge refused to let Bank of America escape a proposed class action accusing it of overcharging residential trusts for insurance, ruling in part that the named plaintiff can seek damages for his breach of trust claim against the bank.
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August 08, 2025
Ga. Court Keeps Insurer's Shooting Coverage Dispute Alive
A Georgia federal judge refused to grant AMCO Insurance Co. an early win on most claims in its suit asserting it has no duty to defend an Atlanta apartment complex sued by a resident who was struck by bullets while sleeping.
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August 08, 2025
Trump Planning Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Stock Sale This Year
The Trump administration may move to sell stock in federally backed mortgage bundlers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, with officials discussing the details of a possible sale later this year.
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August 08, 2025
Greystar Can't Duck Tenants' Trimmed Security Deposit Suit
A California federal judge has denied Greystar's request to dismiss a proposed class action alleging the property owner and manager unlawfully withheld tenants' security deposits, finding that the suit need not have named the special purpose entities that own the properties as defendants.
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August 08, 2025
Texas Bill Seeks To Allow Injunctions Against Tax Collectors
Texas property owners could seek injunctions to prevent local taxing authorities from collecting property taxes if a taxing entity adopts a voter-approved tax increase and takes action that strays from the tax hike's stated purpose, under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.
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August 08, 2025
South Korea Probes 49 Foreign Luxury Apartment Buyers
South Korea's National Tax Service said it has launched a tax evasion probe into 49 owners of high-priced apartments who are from foreign countries such as the U.S. and China.
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August 08, 2025
Brokerage Urges 10th Circ. To Revive NAR Antitrust Suit
A residential brokerage startup is heading to the Tenth Circuit to appeal the toss of its antitrust suit against the National Association of Realtors and several major brokerages, which were accused in Utah federal court of conspiring to block the startup from accessing NAR multiple listing services because it offered lower buyer-broker commissions.
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August 07, 2025
Fire Victims See Positive Step In Calif.'s FAIR Plan Action
California regulators gave fire victims a boost last week when the state's insurance department launched a legal action seeking penalties against the state's last-resort insurer for its handling of smoke damage claims, but the market effects of the move are still not fully clear.
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August 07, 2025
Insurers Say Property Co.'s $7M Ida Claim Must Be Arbitrated
A lower court order forcing a New Orleans property owner to arbitrate its $7 million Hurricane Ida damage claim against its domestic insurers should be reinstated, a group of carriers told the Fifth Circuit on Thursday, saying the New York Convention mandates the enforcement of the policy's arbitration provision.
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August 07, 2025
9th Circ. Revives Homeowners' 'Reverse Mortgage Loan' Suit
A Ninth Circuit panel has revived a proposed class action against a company offering homeowners cash in exchange for a slice of their home equity, finding a Washington couple has shown their arrangement amounted to a reverse mortgage loan subject to special statutory requirements.
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August 07, 2025
9th Circ. Backs Seattle's Win In Housing Ordinance Suit
The Ninth Circuit affirmed Seattle's lower court victory against a suit filed by landlords challenging a 2017 city housing law that, among other restrictions, prevents landlords from requiring prospective tenants to disclose whether or not they have criminal records.
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August 07, 2025
Housing Authority Can't Slip Ex-Worker's Retaliation Lawsuit
A North Carolina federal judge has refused to end a discrimination suit against Charlotte's public housing authority Inlivian, finding that several material disputes remain about whether an ex-worker faced retaliation after whistleblowing.
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August 07, 2025
Judge Says Wis. Tribal Roads Must Stay Open
Four Wisconsin tribal roads at the crux of a yearslong dispute over trespassing allegations must permanently remain open to the public, a federal court judge has ordered, saying there is no doubt that the town of Lac du Flambeau provided maintenance to them for decades despite an expired 50-year easement.
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August 07, 2025
Loan Servicer Inks $2M Deal With Mass. AG Over Foreclosures
A mortgage servicing firm will pay $2 million to settle allegations that it violated Massachusetts consumer protection, debt collection and foreclosure prevention laws while previously operating as a direct loan servicer, the state attorney general's office announced on Thursday.
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August 07, 2025
Texas Senate OKs Lower Voter-Approval Property Tax Rate
Texas would reduce its voter-approval property tax rate, the maximum rate a local government may adopt without voter approval, for large taxing units under a bill passed by the state Senate.
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August 07, 2025
Smoke Taint Evidence Complicates Recovery For Wineries
Recent widespread fires in and around California's wine-producing regions, which produce a vast majority of the nation's wine, have spurred concern from policyholders and public officials over how wineries can seek coverage for smoke tainting their products. Victor Jacobellis, an insurance recovery attorney at Merlin Law Group, spoke to Law360 about the implications of smoke taint as well as a Senate bill that could provide a baseline standard for measuring it.
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August 07, 2025
Trump Greenlights Private Equity, Crypto 401(k) Investing
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that aims to make it easier for retirement plans to invest in a wider range of assets, including cryptocurrency, private equity and real estate.
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August 07, 2025
Housing Advocates Say Opponents Stole Name For PAC
A housing advocacy nonprofit in the Boston suburb of Newton say that opponents of a zoning measure appropriated its name, "Newton for Everyone," for a political action committee to fund candidates opposing the plan, violating its trademark rights and other laws.
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August 07, 2025
Texas Bill Seeks Two-Thirds Vote To Exceed Max Tax Rate
Texas would require two-thirds approval from voters to allow local taxing entities to increase property taxes beyond a maximum rate permitted by law without a vote under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.
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August 07, 2025
NY AG Says Landlord Overcharged City Subsidized Tenants
The New York Attorney General's Office has filed a lawsuit in state court against a New York City landlord who it says overcharged rent-stabilized tenants receiving subsidies and then sued some of the tenants for nonpayment.
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August 07, 2025
Former LVMH Atty Joins Realtors Association's Legal Team
The National Association of Realtors announced Thursday it has appointed as its vice president of litigation and associate general counsel the former vice president of legal affairs and head of litigation at LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton Inc.
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August 07, 2025
NC Biz Court Bulletin: Divorce Dust-Ups And Judicial Rebukes
Litigation in the North Carolina Business Court is heating up this summer with new complaints centered on fears a former state politician's divorce proceedings will impede his companies' operations and accusations that a climate technology company has failed to pay out a former engineer's ownership interest.
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August 06, 2025
Under Pressure, Higher Ed Leans On Real Estate
As institutions of higher education contend with declining enrollment and federal funding cuts, some are finding creative ways to monetize their real estate, which comes with important legal considerations, according to attorneys.
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August 06, 2025
Aimco Agrees To $740M New England Portfolio Sale
Real estate investment trust Apartment Investment and Management Co. will get paid $740 million for selling off a 2,719-unit portfolio of five New England apartment properties to an affiliate of real estate investor and manager Harbor Group International LLC, Aimco announced Wednesday.

CoStar Claims Zillow Stole Copyrighted Property Photos
CoStar Group Inc. and CoStar Realty Information Inc. alleged Wednesday in New York federal court that property listings giant Zillow stole and profited off of more than 46,000 of CoStar's copyrighted real estate photos.

Calif. Attys See Policy Split For Infill, Greenfield Projects
While changes to the California Environmental Quality Act approved last month could make developing infill housing easier, other legislation in the works might make building greenfield housing tougher, according to Nossaman LLP attorneys observing the legislative session.

Record Crypto Deal Sought For California Property
California's Manhattan Beach is best known for surfing and beach volleyball, but a local real estate listing is making a play for attention, as the seller's willingness to accept cryptocurrency for the $12 million asking price could set up the state's largest real estate deal closed using digital currency, according to its brokers.
Expert Analysis
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New NY Residential Real Estate Rules May Be Overbroad
New legislation imposing a 90-day-waiting period and tax deduction restrictions on certain New York real estate investors may have broad effects and unintended consequences, creating impediments for a wide range of corporate and other transactions, says Libin Zhang at Fried Frank.
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Compliance Is A New Competitive Edge For Mortgage Lenders
So far, 2025 has introduced state and federal regulatory turbulence that is pressuring mortgage lenders to reevaluate the balance between competitive and compliant employee and customer recruiting practices, necessitating a compliance recalibration that prioritizes five key strategies, say attorneys at Mitchell Sandler.
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What Developers Can Glean From Miami Condo Ruling
A Florida state appeals court's recent denial of a Miami condo redevelopment bid offers a detailed blueprint of what future developers must address when they evaluate the condominium's governing declaration and seek to terminate a condominium, say attorneys at Shubin Law.
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6 Questions We Should Ask About The Trump Trade Deals
Whenever the text becomes available, certain questions will help determine whether the Trump administration’s trade deals with U.S. trading partners have been crafted to form durable economic relationships, or ephemeral ties likely to break upon interpretive disagreement or a change in political will, says Ted Posner at Baker Botts.
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CEQA Reform May Spur More Housing, But Devil Is In Details
A recently enacted law reforming the California Environmental Quality Act has been touted by state leaders as a fix for the state's housing crisis — but provisions including a new theoretically optional traffic mitigation fee could offset any potential benefits, says attorney David Smith.
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Wells Fargo Suit Shows Consumer Protection Limits In Mass.
The Massachusetts Appeals Court's May decision in Wells Fargo Bank v. Coulsey underscores that consumer rights are balanced against the need for closure, and even the broad protections of state consumer protection law will not open the door to relitigating the same claims, say attorneys at Greenberg Traurig.
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What Calif. Insurance Ruling Means For Smoke Damage Limits
As California continues to grapple with an increasing number of wildfire claims, a state court's recent Aliff v. California FAIR Plan decision serves as a clear directive to insurers that policy language that narrows the scope of fire coverage below the California Insurance Code's minimum standards is impermissible, say attorneys at Wood Smith.
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The Metamorphosis Of The Major Questions Doctrine
The so-called major questions doctrine arose as a counterweight to Chevron deference over the past few decades, but invocations of the doctrine have persisted in the year since Chevron was overturned, suggesting it still has a role to play in reining in agency overreach, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.
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What 9th Circ. Ruling Shows About Rebutting SEC Comments
The Ninth Circuit's June opinion in Pino v. Cardone Capital suggests that a company's lack of pushback to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission comment may be evidence of its state of mind for evaluating potential liability, meaning companies should consider including additional disclosure in SEC response letters, say attorneys at Barnes & Thornburg.
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2 NY Cases May Clarify Foreclosure Law Retroactivity
Two pending cases may soon provide the long-awaited resolution to the question of whether retroactive application of the New York Foreclosure Abuse Prevention Act violates the state Constitution, providing a guide for New York courts inundated with motions in foreclosure and quiet title actions, says Fernando Rivera Maissonet at Hinshaw & Culbertson.
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Yacht Broker Case Highlights Industry Groups' Antitrust Risk
The Eleventh Circuit recently revived class claims against the International Yacht Brokers Association, signaling that commission-driven industries beyond real estate are vulnerable to antitrust challenges after the National Association of Realtors settled similar allegations last year, says Miles Santiago at the Southern University Law Center and Alex Hebert at Southern Compass.
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A Look At Trump Admin's Shifting Strategies To Curtail CFPB
The Trump administration has so far carried out its goal of minimizing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's authority and footprint via an individualized approach comprising rule rollbacks, litigation moves and administrative tools, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.
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Rocket Mortgage Appeal May Push Justices To Curb Classes
Should the U.S. Supreme Court agree to hear Alig v. Rocket Mortgage, the resulting decision could limit class sizes based on commonality under Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Evidence as opposed to standing under Article III of the U.S. Constitution, say attorneys at Carr Maloney.