Residential
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August 01, 2024
Cos., Military Housing Lender Seek Early Wins In Loans Suit
Developers of military housing and a lender for such housing filed dueling summary judgment motions in New York federal court Wednesday, each seeking a quick win in a suit accusing the lender and others of defrauding the developers of hundreds of millions of dollars in project proceeds.
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August 01, 2024
Senate Advances Bipartisan Bill To End Hotel 'Junk' Fees
The U.S. Senate voted to advance a bill out of committee that would crack down on "junk fees," or hidden fees tacked on to hotel or short-term rental bookings, an idea that has drawn bipartisan support.
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August 01, 2024
Real Estate Lawyers On The Move
Honigman and Gordon Rees are among the firms that have made recent real estate or construction hires.
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August 01, 2024
Mother-In-Law Says Atty Misrepresented Property Investment
The owner of a Pittsburgh-based home care agency is suing her former son-in-law in Pennsylvania state court, claiming the attorney tricked her into investing in a real estate company then mismanaged its funds and withheld her share of the proceeds.
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August 01, 2024
Investor Hits Arbor Realty With Securities Fraud Claims
An investor accused real estate investment trust Arbor Realty Trust Inc. in New York federal court of misleading its investors about how the REIT was doing financially.
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August 01, 2024
Gibson Dunn, Fried Frank Guide $560M NYC Tower Refi
Ares Management and Douglaston Development secured a $560 million refinancing for the pair's 938-unit Manhattan residential tower originated by Goldman Sachs USA and Wells Fargo Bank NA, guided by Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP and Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP.
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July 31, 2024
Top California Real Estate News In 2024 So Far
Catch up on the hottest real estate news out of California so far this year, from homeless policy shifts and rent algorithm disputes to a $5 billion mixed-use project and a shareholder activist campaign.
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July 31, 2024
HSBC Says HUD Has Closed Fair Lending Probe
HSBC's U.S. banking arm said it is no longer facing a multicity fair lending investigation from federal housing authorities after an outside complaint that prompted the probe was withdrawn.
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July 31, 2024
Multifamily REIT Welcomes Lagging West Coast Supply
Essex Property Trust told investors on Wednesday that the real estate investment trust has benefited from the West Coast's failure to meaningfully expand its supply of multifamily properties.
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July 31, 2024
Mortgage Co.'s $300K Wage Deal Gets Initial OK
A California federal judge has given an initial stamp of approval to a $300,000 settlement between a mortgage company and a class of its employees, ending claims that the company failed to pay hourly wages or provide meal and rest breaks.
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July 31, 2024
Cities, States Weigh Homeless Policies Post-Grants Pass
In the weeks since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that an Oregon city's camping ban doesn't amount to cruel and unusual punishment of its unhoused residents, municipal and state governments are rethinking their approach to homeless encampments and weighing newfound authority.
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July 31, 2024
Ga. Panel Strikes Sanctions Without Day In Court In HOA Row
A Georgia Court of Appeals panel said Wednesday a Fulton County trial judge wrongly entered sanctions against a woman without holding a hearing after she failed to attend depositions with an Alpharetta homeowners association.
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July 31, 2024
Age Limits On Owning Senior Units Unlawful, NJ Panel Says
A New Jersey appellate panel on Wednesday backed a lower court's finding that a Garden State municipality's ordinance limiting property ownership in senior housing communities to those 55 years old or older violated the federal Fair Housing Act and state Law Against Discrimination, holding that both statutes prohibit discrimination based on familial status.
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July 31, 2024
Locke Lord CMBS Leader On Why Multifamily Deals Scare Him
While the multifamily sector experienced significant growth in the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic when others like the office sector have struggled, continued high interest rates are now starting to have more of an impact on the multifamily space, a Locke Lord LLP commercial mortgage-backed securities leader told Law360 in a recent interview.
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July 31, 2024
Rising Star: Kirkland's James Clark
James Clark of Kirkland & Ellis LLP has for years worked on one of the world's largest development and infrastructure projects — a Herculean undertaking in Saudi Arabia — and in the process has earned a spot among the construction law practitioners under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.
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July 31, 2024
Rising Star: Fried Frank's Julianne Befeler
Julianne Befeler of Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP has been a key adviser on complex commercial real estate transactions for heavy hitters including Brookfield Asset Management, Brookfield Properties and Blackstone Inc., earning her a spot among the real estate law practitioners under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.
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July 31, 2024
Rising Star: Simpson Thacher's Sam Rudik
Sam Rudik, a recently promoted partner at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, guided Blackstone on several billion-dollar transactions over the past three years, including a handful of major development deals and acquisitions involving data centers, landing him a spot among real estate attorneys under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.
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July 31, 2024
With CENSAI, Real Estate Dives Into Detailed Population Data
The real estate industry's growing embrace of technology has placed greater emphasis on the role of data in making decisions. Data and technology firm i360 has recently made a move into this sector with CENSAI Population Intelligence, a new venture it says will provide investors and developers more reliable and up-to-date insights and projections on markets and even individual properties.
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July 30, 2024
Fla. Insurance Co. Accused Of Causing Black Mold Death
A Florida insurance company was accused of wrongfully causing the death of a woman who died from black mold contamination in a state complaint brought by her sole descendant, who alleges the insurer didn't send a promised team to remediate the woman's home after it was damaged by Hurricane Ian.
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July 30, 2024
Zillow Escapes Real Estate Agent's Trade Practices Claim
Zillow Inc. on Tuesday escaped a proposed class action by a Connecticut real estate agent who claimed the website's computer-based home value estimates and "contact agent" buttons interfered with the ability of on-the-ground professionals to manage listings, work with clients and accurately price properties.
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July 30, 2024
Ex-HFZ Capital Chief Can't Reduce Bail In $86M Fraud Case
A Manhattan judge on Tuesday denied, for now, a request by the former head of troubled real estate firm HFZ Capital Group to lower a hefty bail requirement so he can get out of Rikers Island while fighting $86 million theft and tax fraud charges.
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July 30, 2024
Ohio Bill Would Create Credit For Property Tax, Rent
Ohio would allow homeowners and renters to claim a refundable property tax credit or rebate if their property tax or rent-equivalent tax exceeds 5% of their household income under a bill introduced in the House of Representatives.
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July 30, 2024
Insurer Says No Coverage For Florida Sex Assault Claims
A trust facing a negligence claim after a minor said she was sexually assaulted while staying at the trust's vacation rental isn't owed any coverage for the lawsuit, its insurer told a Florida federal court Tuesday, citing a sexual molestation exclusion.
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July 30, 2024
No Damage Needed To Replace NJ Beach House, Panel Says
New Jersey property owners looking to replace an existing structure located in a flood hazard area don't have to show it's in an unusable condition, a state appellate panel ruled Tuesday, backing the state Department of Environmental Protection's denial of a request by neighbors to rescind a developer's permit to replace a beachfront home.
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July 30, 2024
Feds Must Maintain Center's EB-5 Status During Fee Dispute
A Montana federal judge ordered U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to maintain a regional center's designation to participate in the EB-5 investor visa program while he reviews claims that the agency moved to terminate its designation without proper notice.
Expert Analysis
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Reverse Veil-Piercing Ruling Will Help Judgment Creditors
A New York federal court’s recent decision in Citibank v. Aralpa Holdings, finding two corporate entities liable for a judgment issued against a Mexican businessman, shows the value of reverse veil piercing as a remedy for judgment creditors to go after sophisticated debtors who squirrel away assets, says Gabe Bluestone at Omni Bridgeway.
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Calif. Housing Overhaul May Increase Pressure On Landlords
Two recently enacted California laws signal new protections and legal benefits for tenants, but also elevate landlords' financial exposure at a time when they are already facing multiple other hardships, says Laya Dogmetchi at Much Shelist.
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New Proposal Signals Sharper Enforcement Focus At CFIUS
Last week's proposed rule aimed at broadening the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States' enforcement authority over foreign investments and increasing penalties for violations signals that CFIUS intends to continue expanding its aggressive monitoring of national security issues, say attorneys at Kirkland.
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Climate Disclosure Mandates Demand A Big-Picture Approach
As carbon emissions disclosure requirements from the European Union, California and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission take effect, the best practice for companies is not targeted compliance with a given reporting regime, but rather a comprehensive approach to systems assessment and management, says David Smith at Manatt.
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Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Nearly a lifetime of playing hockey taught me the importance of avoiding burnout in all aspects of life, and the game ultimately ended up providing me with the balance I needed to maintain success in my legal career, says John Riccione at Taft.
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Illinois EV Charging Act Sparks Developer Concerns
A recent state law in Illinois requiring multifamily housing to provide facilities for electric vehicle charging raises significant concerns for developers over existing infrastructure that isn't up to the task, says Max Kanter at Much Shelist.
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What NAR Settlement Means For Agent Commission Rates
If approved, a joint settlement agreement between the National Association of Realtors and a class of home sellers will likely take the onus off home sellers to compensate buyers' agents, affecting considerations for all parties to real estate transactions, say attorneys at Jones Foster.
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Calif. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q1
The first quarter of the year brought the usual onslaught of new regulatory developments in California — including a crackdown on junk fees imposed by small business lenders, a big step forward for online notarizations and a ban on predatory listing agreements, says Alex Grigorians at Hanson Bridgett.
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2nd Circ. Ruling Clarifies When Demand Letters Are Claims
The Second Circuit’s decision last week in Pine Management v. Colony Insurance, affirming that an insurer had no obligation to defend an insured for claims made before the policy period, provides clarity on when presuit demands for relief constitute claims — an important issue that may be dispositive of coverage, says Bonnie Thompson at Lavin Rindner.
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Serving As A Sheriff's Deputy Made Me A Better Lawyer
Skills developed during my work as a reserve deputy — where there was a need to always be prepared, decisive and articulate — transferred to my practice as an intellectual property litigator, and my experience taught me that clients often appreciate and relate to the desire to participate in extracurricular activities, says Michael Friedland at Friedland Cianfrani.
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Preparing For Possible Calif. Criminal Antitrust Enforcement
Though a recent announcement that the California Attorney General's Office will resume criminal prosecutions in support of its antitrust enforcement may be mere saber-rattling, companies and their counsel should nevertheless be prepared for interactions with the California AG's Antitrust Section that are not limited to civil liability issues, say Dylan Ballard and Lillian Sun at V&E.
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Conn. Loan Law Tweaks May Have 3 Major Effects On Lenders
Recently proposed minor amendments to Connecticut’s consumer protection laws could nonetheless mean major and unexpected changes to state consumer financial services regulations that dictate how lenders and their customer-facing service providers handle fee payments, mortgage servicer licensing and private student loans, says Jonathan Joshua at Joshua Law Firm.
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Document Retention Best Practices To Lower Litigation Risks
As new technologies emerge and terabytes of data can be within the purview of a single discovery request, businesses small and large should take four document management steps to effectively minimize risks of litigation and discovery sanctions long before litigation ensues, says Kimbrilee Weber at Norris McLaughlin.