Residential
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July 16, 2025
Nixon Peabody Adds Former HUD Managing Attorney
Nixon Peabody LLP bolstered its affordable housing and real estate practice by hiring an attorney who most recently served on the leadership team for the southwest regional office for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
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July 15, 2025
HomeServices, Douglas Elliman Nix Broker Fee Antitrust Suit
HomeServices of America and Douglas Elliman escaped homebuyers' proposed antitrust class action alleging real estate agents conspired to artificially inflate broke service commissions for home sales, after a Florida federal judge ruled the buyers lacked standing since home sellers are the ones who paid those commission fees.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Expert Analysis
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LA Wildfires' Effect On Calif. Insurer Of Last Resort
Attorneys at Willkie discuss the background of California's insurer of last resort — known as the Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan — and examine the process of assessing member insurers and relevant recent property insurance market developments in light of the destruction from the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires.
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Algorithm Price-Fixing Ruling May Lower Antitrust Claims Bar
A Washington federal court's refusal to dismiss Duffy v. Yardi Systems, an antitrust case over rent prices allegedly inflated by revenue management software, creates an apparent split in the lower courts over how to assess such claims, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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California's New Homeowner Law Could Hamper Foreclosures
While A.B. 2424, which took effect this month in California, gives homeowners in default additional protections, it also provides loopholes that can be used to delay foreclosure auctions, and the cost of these delays will likely be passed on to the borrower, says Stephen Britt at Severson & Werson.
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Small Biz Caught In Corporate Transparency Act Crossfire
Despite compliance being put on hold due to a nationwide preliminary injunction, small businesses have been caught in the middle of the legal battle over the Corporate Transparency Act — and confusion over the law's requirements could result in major penalties, say attorneys at Snell & Wilmer.
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What's Ahead As Transparency Act Comes To A Crossroads
Synthesizing the contrasting federal district and appellate court rulings on the Corporate Transparency Act’s validity reveals several main areas of debate that will likely remain at issue as challenges to the law continue winding through the courts, say attorneys at Farella Braun.
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Ohio Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4
Ohio's banking and financial services sector saw several significant developments in the fourth quarter of 2024, including a landmark Uniform Commercial Code ruling, adjustments to the state's Homebuyer Plus Program and the launch of the state's first women-led bank, says attorney Alex Durst.
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In The CFPB Playbook: A Sprint To The Finish Line
The fourth quarter of 2024 was an impressive demonstration of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's ability to regulate, enforce and supervise, even on borrowed time following the election results, and we should expect the current bureau to run nonstop until Jan. 20, say attorneys at Covington.
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The 6 Most Significant FCRA Litigation Developments Of 2024
From a key sovereign immunity decision at the U.S. Supreme Court to a ruling on creditworthiness out of the Seventh Circuit, several important Fair Credit Reporting Act cases wound their way through the courts in 2024, each offering takeaways for both plaintiffs and defendants, say attorneys at Shipkevich.
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10 Noteworthy CFPB Developments From 2024
In a banner year for consumer finance regulation, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau made significant strides in its efforts to rein in Big Tech and nonbank financial firms, including via rules regarding open banking, credit card late fees, and buy now, pay later products, say attorneys at Wiley.
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The Story Of 2024's Biggest Bank Regs, And Their Fate In 2025
U.S. federal bank regulators were very active in 2024 with initiatives ranging from antitrust and capital to proposals regarding controlling shareholders and incentive-based compensation, but many regulations face an uncertain future under the new administration, say attorneys at Latham.
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Conducting A 'Reasonably Expected Market Area' Analysis
Regardless of whether the incoming administration scales back on redlining examinations and investigations, lenders should take steps to understand how regulators define "reasonably expected market areas," and how to conduct analyses of such areas, say attorneys at Mitchell Sandler.
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Adapting Force Majeure To A Predictably Unpredictable World
As the climate and political landscapes get more complicated, force majeure provisions will likely be triggered increasingly often, demanding an evolving understanding of when events and their impacts are truly unforeseeable, say attorneys at Nossaman.
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Impact Of Corporate Transparency Act Ambiguity On Banks
Even though banks generally needn't file beneficial ownership information reports, financial institutions must continue to monitor the status of the Corporate Transparency Act and understand its requirements in case the nationwide injunction that was issued against the CTA earlier this month is overturned, say attorneys at Armstrong Teasdale.