Residential
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June 04, 2024
Simpson Reps Frontdoor On $585M Home Warranty Co. Buy
Simpson Thacher is representing Frontdoor Inc. on a newly inked deal to buy fellow home warranties provider 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty, guided by Ropes & Gray, for $585 million in cash, according to a statement Tuesday.
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June 04, 2024
11th Circ. Affirms Nix Of IRS Easement Disclosure Guidance
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Tuesday that an Internal Revenue Service notice imposing reporting requirements on potentially abusive conservation easements was invalid because the agency failed to solicit the public feedback required by administrative law.
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June 04, 2024
Colo. Orders Disclosure Of Info On Local Property Tax Levies
Local jurisdictions in Colorado will be required to provide certain information about their property tax levies under legislation signed into law by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis.
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June 03, 2024
PacifiCorp To Pay $178M To 400 Oregonians Over Fires
PacifiCorp has agreed to pay $178 million to more than 400 Oregon residents affected by a cluster of wildfires that burned more than a million acres of land on Labor Day 2020 amid dangerously dry and windy weather conditions, the utility announced Monday.
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June 03, 2024
Treasury Aims To Salvage Corp. Transparency Act At 11th Circ.
The Corporate Transparency Act is a valid exercise of congressional authority to curb money laundering under the commerce clause and the necessary and proper clause in the Constitution, the U.S. Treasury Department told the Eleventh Circuit on Monday in a bid to restore the law's reporting requirements.
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June 03, 2024
Corcoran Settles Nonprofit's Housing Voucher Bias Suit
A housing rights nonprofit has agreed to drop its housing voucher bias claims against real estate company Corcoran Group, which was accused in New York state court of discriminating against prospective tenants who use federal Housing Choice vouchers.
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June 03, 2024
Title Insurer Says Ga. Firm Must Repay $158K For Deed Error
A title insurance company said a Georgia law firm must reimburse it $158,000 for negligently issuing a title insurance policy on a real estate closing, telling a Georgia federal court that it is entitled to contractual and common law indemnity for its losses.
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June 03, 2024
'Luxury' Wasn't Part Of Mansion Deal, 3rd Circ. Told
An attorney for a luxury home-building company asked the Third Circuit on Monday to throw out a six-figure judgment against the company for allegedly falling short on its promise to construct a high-end house for two Western Pennsylvania homeowners, arguing the customers' suit was not based on promises made in the contract but on vague marketing statements.
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June 03, 2024
RI Panel OKs Providence Unrestricted Property Tax Rates
Rhode Island would allow the city of Providence to adopt a classification system that allows for unrestricted tax rates for the city's property classes under a bill moved to the Senate floor for consideration.
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June 03, 2024
NYC Real Estate Week In Review
Dylan Chan Law Firm and Kevin Kerveng Tung were among the law firms that guided the largest New York City real estate deals that hit public records last week, a period that saw six transactions above the $15 million mark become public.
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June 03, 2024
Conn. City Settles Suits Over Fatal Rooming House Fire
The city of New Haven, Connecticut, has settled lawsuits by the families of two tenants who died attempting to rescue others from a 2019 house fire after officials failed to inspect and vacate the two-story house where 20 people were living, the estates' attorneys have confirmed.
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June 03, 2024
Quarles & Brady Adds Real Estate Atty In Naples, Fla.
Quarles & Brady said it has added a senior counsel in its real estate practice group to its Naples office from Kilinski Van Wyk.
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June 03, 2024
Allen Matkins Lands 5-Atty Goodwin Real Estate Team In Calif.
Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP announced Monday that it has picked up a real estate transaction team from Goodwin Procter LLP in California with three partners, a senior counsel and an associate attorney.
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June 03, 2024
NYC Condo Board Blames Damages On Seyfarth Atty
The board of managers for a condominium building in Manhattan wants more than $1 million in damages from its former Seyfarth Shaw LLP attorney, who the board argues hurt it in litigation with the owner of a building unit by presenting "frivolous" and "bad faith" arguments.
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June 03, 2024
Conn. To Require Interest Waivers For Some Delinquent Taxes
Connecticut will require municipal tax collectors to waive interest on delinquent property taxes when the delinquency is determined to be due to a mistake by a tax collector or assessor and not the taxpayer's fault under a bill signed by the governor.
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June 03, 2024
Ohio Property Sale Price Not Timely Enough To Raise Value
An Ohio property made up of four lots was properly valued and should not have its value increased based on a 2017 sale, because the sale was not timely, the state Board of Tax Appeals ruled.
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June 03, 2024
Common Co-Living Company Files For Ch. 7 Liquidation
The co-living company Common, which aimed to modernize apartment rentals and merged with Germany's venture backed Habyt in January 2023, filed for Chapter 7 liquidation in Delaware, listing between $10 million and $50 million of liabilities.
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June 03, 2024
Minn. Tax Court Lowers Home Value Over Native Burial Mound
The valuation of a lakeside parcel including a legally protected Native American burial mound must be lowered because a split of the property as envisioned by assessors would have been unlikely to gain the needed approvals, the Minnesota Tax Court said.
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June 03, 2024
Nursing Home Co. LaVie Hits Ch. 11 In Ga. With $1.1B Debt
Nursing home operator LaVie Care Centers LLC hit Chapter 11 on Monday in Georgia with $1.1 billion in debt, saying it has not been able to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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May 31, 2024
Zillow Rival Tells 9th Circ. Listing Snub Not 'Optional'
Defunct brokerage platform REX-Real Estate Exchange Inc. urged the Ninth Circuit to revive its deceptive practices suit against Zillow, arguing a Washington federal judge wrongly let the property listing giant off the hook for relegating REX home sale listings to a secondary tab on its website.
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May 31, 2024
Judge Axes Class Claims In Navy Federal Discrimination Suit
A Virginia federal judge has cut claims and denied class certification in a suit accusing Navy Federal Credit Union of racial lending discrimination, saying the statistical evidence from media reports does not establish intentional discrimination.
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May 31, 2024
Colo. Establishes Middle-Income Housing Tax Credits
Colorado is creating a pilot program to provide a tax credit for developers of housing aimed at middle-income residents under a bill signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis.
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May 31, 2024
NYC Landlord Inks Deal To End Wage Theft Suit
A former maintenance worker has agreed in principle to settle his proposed wage theft collective action against a New York City landlord and its property manager, according to a letter filed Friday in New York federal court.
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May 31, 2024
IRS Can Seek Tax Beyond Bankruptcy Deal, 11th Circ. Affirms
A deal between the IRS and an Alabama real estate developer to settle his tax debt for $2 million during Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings wasn't final, and the agency can demand additional taxes from him, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed Friday.
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May 31, 2024
Race Bias Suit Against Ga. Housing Authority Trimmed
A Georgia federal judge has narrowed the scope of a civil rights lawsuit filed by a woman who said she was denied a senior position with a local housing authority after leaders found out she'd sued her prior employer, tossing several claims Friday against the ex-chairman of the authority's board.
Expert Analysis
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Wave Of Final Rules Reflects Race Against CRA Deadline
The flurry of final rules now leaping off the Federal Register press — some of which will affect entire industries and millions of Americans — shows President Joe Biden's determination to protect his regulatory legacy from reversal by the next Congress, given the impending statutory look-back period under the Congressional Review Act, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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A Deep Dive Into High Court's Permit Fee Ruling
David Robinson and Daniel Golub at Holland & Knight explore the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling that a local traffic impact fee charged to a California property owner may be a Fifth Amendment taking — and where it leaves localities and real estate developers.
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The Case For Overturning Florida Foreclosure Ruling
A Florida appellate court's recent decision in Desbrunes v. U.S. Bank National Association will potentially put foreclosure cases across the state in jeopardy, and unless it is reconsidered, foreclosing plaintiffs will need to choose between frustrating and uncertain options in the new legal landscape, say Sara Accardi and Paige Knight at Bradley.
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Bracing For The CFPB's War On Mortgage Fees
As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau homes in on the legality of certain residential mortgage fees, the industry should consult the bureau's steady stream of consumer lending guidance for hints on its priorities, say Nanci Weissgold and Melissa Malpass at Alston & Bird.
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DOJ Consent Orders Chart Road Map For Lending Compliance
Two recent consent orders issued by the U.S. Department of Justice as part of its efforts to fight mortgage lending discrimination highlight issues that pose fair lending compliance risks, and should be carefully studied by banks to avoid enforcement actions, says Memrie Fortenberry at Jones Walker.
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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.