Residential

  • May 17, 2024

    Short-Term Rental Owners Sue Colo. City Over Phase-Out Law

    A group of short-term rental property owners claimed in Colorado federal court that a local ordinance enacted late last year "effectively bans most existing short-term rentals."

  • May 17, 2024

    Ohio School Board Can't Appeal Property Value To Court

    An Ohio school board is prohibited from appealing a board of revision's valuation of a property that the school board didn't own to a court of common pleas, a state appeals court ruled.

  • May 17, 2024

    Wash. Energy Codes Challenged Again After 9th Circ. Decision

    In the wake of a Ninth Circuit ruling that forced Washington officials to revisit regulations on natural gas appliances used in new construction, a group of natural gas companies, homeowners and construction interests are claiming the state's apparent fix is again out of step with federal law.

  • May 17, 2024

    House Advances Pro-Development Zoning Report Bill

    Members of the House Financial Services Committee sent to the House floor a bipartisan bill that would require municipal recipients of federal development grants to provide information about progress toward adopting pro-development land use policies.

  • May 16, 2024

    No Double Jeopardy In Philly Execs' Embezzlement Case

    Two former Philadelphia nonprofit executives convicted for an embezzlement scheme weren't subject to double jeopardy when a judge rescheduled trial after several jurors left, the Third Circuit ruled Thursday, reasoning that the court had no other choice.

  • May 16, 2024

    NJ Lets Some School Districts Hike Property Taxes Above Cap

    New Jersey will allow school districts that experienced cuts in state school aid to request increases in local property tax levies above previously permitted amounts without voter approval under a bill signed by Gov. Phil Murphy.

  • May 16, 2024

    Oversight Hearing Adds Pressure On Calif. Insurance Chief

    Under growing pressure from Gov. Gavin Newsom and the insurance industry, California’s top insurance regulator defended its process of implementing proposals to stabilize the Golden State’s faltering homeowners insurance market.

  • May 16, 2024

    Apt. Complex Must Face Insurer's Mold Death Coverage Suit

    A Georgia federal judge has refused to toss an insurer's suit seeking to evade coverage of an apartment complex accused of failing to stop a mold infestation that killed a tenant, finding the insurer has plausibly alleged it does not have a duty to defend under the prevailing insurance policy.

  • May 16, 2024

    Multifamily Investing In San Diego Sees Q1 Decline

    Investments in San Diego's multifamily market "reversed course" in 2024's first quarter after seeing consistent increases during the previous three quarterly periods, according to a CBRE report.

  • May 16, 2024

    HUD Calls Pa. Medical Marijuana Housing Suit Premature

    A Pennsylvania housing authority and two would-be residents acted hastily in suing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, since HUD hadn't formally threatened to pull the authority's funding over a state court order to offer assistance to medical marijuana users, a HUD lawyer told a federal judge Thursday.

  • May 15, 2024

    Hedge Fund Says Deal With Colo. Developer Lacked Details

    A Colorado-based hedge fund owner and the former president of one of his entities have urged a Colorado state court to permanently toss a suit related to a Denver commercial housing project, arguing that they can't be accused of violating the project's term sheet due to its vagueness.

  • May 15, 2024

    Accusations Execs Looted RE Platform To Play Out In NY

    Two directors of Fang Holdings Ltd. and their affiliates will have to face claims in New York of orchestrating a scheme to strip the Chinese operator of an online real estate portal of its value for personal gain after the court refuted arguments that the litigation belongs elsewhere.

  • May 15, 2024

    11th Circ. Judge Doubts Defense Of IRS Easement Notice

    An Eleventh Circuit judge was skeptical Wednesday of the government's arguments that the Internal Revenue Service could issue a notice imposing reporting requirements on potentially abusive conservation easements without soliciting public feedback that administrative law requires.

  • May 15, 2024

    Arizona Judge Revives Opendoor Investors' Securities Suit

    An Arizona federal judge has revived a consolidated securities class action accusing real estate company Opendoor Technologies Inc. of misleading investors about the benefits of its pricing algorithm software in order to go public in a reverse merger with a special-purpose acquisition company.

  • May 15, 2024

    Tenant Screening Co. Hit With Race Bias Complaint

    A tenant screening software company racially discriminated against prospective Black residents by providing landlord and property manager users with the option to exclude housing voucher holders, according to a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development suit filed by three fair housing rights groups.

  • May 15, 2024

    Md. Tax Court Affirms Denial Of Credit For Townhouses

    A Maryland real estate developer was correctly denied a tax credit for townhouses built in Baltimore, as the credit is limited to certain multifamily buildings, the state tax court ruled.

  • May 15, 2024

    Colo. Will Extend Property Tax Assessment Rate Cuts

    Colorado will extend its current temporary property tax rate reductions into 2024 and will lower tax rates for future years under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis. 

  • May 15, 2024

    Klobuchar Wants FTC To Make Firms Report Real Estate Buys

    It's time for the Federal Trade Commission to require the companies and private equity firms gobbling up residential real estate to report those acquisitions to the agency for antitrust purposes the same way they have to report other big purchases, Sen. Amy Klobuchar said.

  • May 15, 2024

    Holland & Knight Hospitality Leader Sees Mixed-Use Boom

    As hotel companies ride a rebound in travel following occupancy lows in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the hospitality sector is also benefiting from a boom in demand for mixed-use residential and hotel projects, one of Holland & Knight LLP's hospitality leaders told Law360 in a recent interview.

  • May 15, 2024

    NYCB To Sell $5B In Warehouse Loans To JPMorgan Chase

    New York Community Bancorp announced it has agreed to sell $5 billion worth of mortgage warehouse loans to JPMorgan Chase Bank.

  • May 15, 2024

    Mortgage Co.'s $2.4M Data Breach Settlement Gets Initial OK

    A Connecticut federal judge gave her initial sign-off to a $2.4 million settlement between mortgage firm Planet Home Lending LLC and a consolidated class of customers whose personal data, including their Social Security numbers, was exposed in a cyberattack.

  • May 14, 2024

    RealPage, Landlords Look To Trim Ariz. Price-Fixing Case

    Rental algorithm company RealPage and several landlords have urged an Arizona state court to trim fraud claims from the attorney general's case accusing them of using software to illegally raise rents for hundreds of thousands of renters, and they also asked to limit the time frame for enforcers' antitrust claims.

  • May 14, 2024

    Keller Williams Freed From Fla. 'Shotgun' Class Action, For Now

    A Florida federal judge on Tuesday released Keller Williams Realty from a proposed racketeering class action, agreeing with a magistrate judge that the suit was a "shotgun pleading" claiming the broker sought to generate commissions by harassing homeowners into selling their properties.

  • May 14, 2024

    Colo. Lawmakers OK Sales Tax Exemption For Modular Homes

    New modular homes would be exempt from Colorado's sales and use taxes, saving taxpayers about $1 million annually, under legislation passed by lawmakers and heading to Gov. Jared Polis.

  • May 14, 2024

    Tenn. Judge Wants Default Win For Bank But No Atty Fees

    A Tennessee magistrate judge recommended partially granting a default judgment win to a bank suing a Florida-based developer accused of defaulting on about $15.3 million in loans, but also suggested denying the bank attorney fees.

Expert Analysis

  • How To Avoid Flopping When Flipping Fla. Real Estate

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    As land prices rise, Florida real estate developers are increasingly contracting to flip property to other purchasers for a profit, and they should carefully consider the unique risks and issues associated with the different forms that the process can take, says Gary Kaleita at Lowndes.

  • Ghosting In BigLaw: How To Come Back From Lack Of Feedback

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    Junior associates can feel powerless when senior colleagues cut off contact instead of providing useful feedback, but young attorneys can get back on track by focusing on practical professional development and reexamining their career priorities, says Rachel Patterson at Orrick.

  • States Must Fight Predatory Real Estate Listing Agreements

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    As momentum against long-term real estate listing agreements continues to grow, states should take action to render existing agreements unenforceable and discourage future unfair and deceptive trade practices in real estate, says Elizabeth Blosser at the American Land Title Association.

  • Steps To Success For Senior Associates

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    Adriana Paris at Rissman Barrett discusses the increased responsibilities and opportunities that becoming a senior associate brings and what attorneys in this role should prioritize to flourish in this stressful but rewarding next level in their careers.

  • Legal Profession Must Do More For Lawyers With Disabilities

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    At the start of Disability Pride month, Rosalyn Richter at Arnold & Porter looks at why lawyers with disabilities are significantly underrepresented in private practice, asserting that law firms and other employers must do more to conquer the implicit bias that deters attorneys from seeking accommodations.

  • Ohio Tax Talk: Building On Federal Affordable Housing Credit

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    Ohio's soon-to-be-implemented low-income housing tax credit could significantly affect the state's affordable housing landscape and influence tax-credit deal financing for these projects, though Senate changes may have dampened the new credit's immense potential, say Raghav Agnihotri and Rachael Chamberlain at Frost Brown.

  • Appellate Funding Disclosure: No Mandate Is Right Choice

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    The Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules' recent decision, forgoing a mandatory disclosure rule for litigation funding in federal appeals, is prudent, as third-party funding is only involved in a minuscule number of federal cases, and courts have ample authority to obtain funding information if necessary, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.

  • LA's High-Value Real Estate Transfer Tax Should Be Scrapped

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    Los Angeles’ recently implemented high-value property transfer tax has chilled the real estate market, is failing to meet revenue expectations and raises significant constitutional concerns, making it a flawed piece of legislation that should be invalidated, says attorney Paul Weinberg.

  • How Attys Can Avoid Exposing Their Firms To Cyberattacks

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    Attorneys are the weakest link in their firms' cyberdefenses because hackers often exploit the gap between individuals’ work and personal cybersecurity habits, but there are some steps lawyers can take to reduce the risks they create for their employers, say Mark Hurley and Carmine Cicalese at Digital Privacy & Protection.

  • Foreign Investment In Real Estate Is Getting More Complicated

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    Increasing federal scrutiny and a proliferation of new state laws targeting foreign investment in real estate may complicate or prevent transactions even by U.S. companies or funds that have shareholders or limited partners from China and other countries of concern, say attorneys at Akin.

  • Virginia 'Rocket Docket' Slowdown Is Likely A Blip

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    After being the fastest or second-fastest federal civil trial court for 14 straight years, the Eastern District of Virginia has slid to 18th place, but the rocket docket’s statistical tumble doesn't mean the district no longer maintains a speedy civil docket, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

  • Home Equity Option Contracts Appear Ripe For Rating

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    Given that home equity option contracts share similarities with evolving asset types like litigation funding, and that courts continue to characterize them as real estate option contracts, it seems they are poised to be rated in the near future, say Darius Horton and Holly Spencer Bunting at Mayer Brown.

  • 5 Management Tips To Keep Law Firm Merger Talks Moving

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    Many law firm mergers that make solid business sense still fall apart due to the costs and frustrations of inefficient negotiations, but firm managers can increase the chance of success by effectively planning and executing merger discussions, say Lisa Smith and Kristin Stark at Fairfax Associates.