Residential
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June 11, 2024
Vt. Short-Term Rental Tax Proposal Vetoed
A Vermont bill that would have imposed a 3% surcharge on short-term rentals was vetoed by the governor.
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June 10, 2024
Home Flooding Was Unavoidable, Agency Tells Appeals Court
A Texas river management agency has told a state appeals court that a group of Houston residents' properties would have flooded regardless of its actions to mitigate Hurricane Harvey's effects, urging the appellate court to overturn a trial court order denying its bid for release from the residents' suit.
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June 10, 2024
Judge Sides With Tenants In Legionnaires' Coverage Dispute
A Kentucky federal court declined to exercise jurisdiction in an insurer's attempt to secure a ruling that coverage isn't available to its landlord-insureds in a $4.5 million underlying state court action in which a tenant alleged that the landlords' negligence caused her to contract Legionnaires' disease.
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June 10, 2024
Mass. House Omits Local-Option Tax From $6B Housing Bill
A proposal by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey to allow local-option transfer fees on high-value real estate sales was left out of a housing package worth more than $6 billion passed by the state House of Representatives.
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June 10, 2024
Insurer Off Hook For HOA's $7.6M Roof Damage Replacement
An insurer didn't act in bad faith or partake in deceptive trade practices when investigating and issuing payment for storm damage that a homeowners association suffered, a federal judge ruled, finding the insurer never accepted the HOA's nearly $8 million estimate as valid and did not agree to pay that amount.
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June 10, 2024
Gibson Dunn Advises $270M Financing For NYC Complex Plan
A Douglaston Development affiliate has closed on $270 million in financing for a project to replace an existing Manhattan apartment building with a 39-story complex in a deal advised by Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP.
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June 07, 2024
From Delaware To Georgia: Why LaVie Is Taking Ch. 11 South
Three years ago, LaVie Care Centers units filed for Chapter 11 protection in the common corporate venue of Delaware, but its new filing in its home state of Georgia challenges traditional norms in the practice and highlights not only local convenience, but the quality of Peach State bankruptcy bar.
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June 07, 2024
Tetra Tech Says Gov't On 'Fishing Expedition' In FCA Suit
Tetra Tech and a subsidiary accused the federal government and a housing developer of a "fishing expedition" after they sought access to electronic media long after discovery closed in cases accusing the subsidiary of fraud under Navy environmental contracts.
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June 07, 2024
LIHTC Developer Asks 11th Circ. To Undo Investor Takeover
A developer told the Eleventh Circuit on Friday it is a victim of a scheme by investors using a lower court ruling to complete a takeover of two Tampa, Florida, senior housing complexes developed with federal low-income housing tax credits.
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June 07, 2024
11th Circ. Urged To Undo Exclusion Of $80M Asset Valuation
A trustee for creditors of ATIF Inc. told the Eleventh Circuit on Friday that a trial judge erred in excluding an expert's $80 million valuation of the bankrupt title insurance underwriter's 2015 transfer of assets to Old Republic National Title Insurance Co.
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June 07, 2024
Lumbee Tribe Family Says Bias Sunk Home Rental Application
A family of Lumbee Native American tribe members has alleged that a national real estate rental company violated the Fair Housing Act's anti-discrimination provisions by denying their housing application based on the father's single criminal conviction without giving him a chance to appeal.
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June 07, 2024
Real Estate Co. Will Begin $170M Houston Tower Project
A Tennessee-based real estate company is set to begin construction on a $170 million, 37-story, mixed-use, Class A tower project in Houston, Texas, in October, according to a filing with Texas' Department of Licensing and Regulation.
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June 07, 2024
Texas Top Court Denies Roofer's Challenge To Adjuster Laws
The Supreme Court of Texas tossed on Friday a roofing company's challenge to the state's public adjuster licensing laws, saying that requiring a license or preventing certain conduct didn't violate the roofer's free speech rights.
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June 07, 2024
Miami Official Can't Shake Zoning Abuse Claims
A Miami commissioner can't escape allegations that he and other city officials conspired to sabotage local businesses with zoning and safety laws after a pair of business owners backed the commissioner's opponent in a 2017 election, a Florida federal judge ruled.
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June 07, 2024
6th Circ. Finds Ethical Lapses Justify Bar On Firm's Outreach
The Sixth Circuit said Thursday a Michigan federal judge shouldn't have faulted a law firm for attacking a proposed tax foreclosure class-action settlement in solicitation letters, but nevertheless upheld the judge's order barring contact with certain class members because of the firm's actual ethical lapses.
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June 07, 2024
Calif. Developer Seeks $5M Excess Coverage For Defect Suits
A California developer is seeking coverage under a $5 million excess policy for an underlying settlement stemming from construction defect claims, telling a federal court that its excess insurer wrongfully refused to cooperate in the dispute resolution and that the policy expressly provided coverage.
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June 06, 2024
Calif. Justices OK UC Berkeley People's Park Housing Plan
The University of California, Berkeley, can move ahead with its plans to build a housing project in the historic People's Park, the California Supreme Court ruled Thursday, saying a new state law wipes out opponents' claims that the university's environmental impact study failed to look at potential student noise pollution.
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June 06, 2024
Insurers' Climate Exposure Poses Risk To US Housing Market
Climate risks to already strained insurance markets could significantly disrupt the U.S. housing market and the broader financial system, according to insurance, banking and housing experts, as well as a growing body of academic research leveraging new risk data.
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June 06, 2024
Fintech Lender Ran 'Bait & Switch' With Borrowers, Suit Says
Fintech company Figure Lending LLC faces a proposed class action alleging its home equity lines of credit are actually intentionally mislabeled home equity loans with higher interest rates and fees.
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June 06, 2024
NYC Passes Economic Opportunity Rezoning, With Tweaks
The New York City Council voted June 6 to approve a slate of zoning reforms intended to promote small business growth and update decades-old regulations, after making several tweaks to the plan in response to community concerns.
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June 06, 2024
Colorado To Study Simplification Of Local Lodging Taxes
Colorado will expand the scope of a task force responsible for simplifying the state's sales and use tax regime to improve the local lodging tax system as part of a bill signed into law by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis.
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June 06, 2024
Jeffrey Zwick Advises On $147M NYC Portfolio Refinancing
A Namdar Realty Group affiliate has closed on a $147.1 million refinancing of a group of 18 New York City apartment buildings and commercial properties in a transaction advised by Jeffrey Zwick & Associates.
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June 06, 2024
Mass. AG Asks State High Court To Affirm Housing Law
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell told the state's highest court this week that her office has the authority to seek enforcement of what she says is a mandatory state housing initiative requiring more than half the state's communities to allow multifamily housing development.
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June 06, 2024
Hinshaw Adds Financial Services Partner In NY
Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP has added a consumer financial services partner in its New York City office from creditors rights firm LOGS Legal Group.
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June 06, 2024
Ex-Real Estate Firm GC Joins Federman Steifman As Partner
Federman Steifman LLP hired the former general counsel of real estate investment and development firm SomeraRoad as a partner for its New York City office, the law firm announced.
Expert Analysis
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Texas Insurance Ruling Could Restore Finality To Appraisal
The Texas Supreme Court's decision in Rodriguez v. Safeco, determining that full payment of an appraisal award precludes recovery of attorney fees, indicates a potential return to an era in which timely payment undoubtedly disposes of all possible policyholder claims, says Karl Schulz at Cozen O'Connor.
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Contractors Need Protection From NJ Homeowner Protections
A recently passed New Jersey law, combined with the state's Consumer Fraud Act, is intended to protect innocent homeowners, but legislative action must be taken to prevent homeowners from abusing the law to avoid paying hardworking contractors, say Gary Strong and Madison Calkins at Gfeller Laurie.
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NY Shouldn't Pair 421-a Restoration And Good Cause Eviction
The good cause eviction system of rent control should not be imposed in New York, nor should its legislation be tied to renewal of the 421-a tax abatement program, which New York City desperately needs, says Alexander Lycoyannis at Holland & Knight.
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Setting The Stage For High Court BofA Escrow Interest Case
Dori Bailey and Curtis Johnson at Bond Schoeneck examine relevant legislation and case law dating back 200 years ahead of oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday in Cantero v. Bank of America, the outcome of which will determine whether state laws governing mortgage escrow accounts can be enforced against national banks.
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DC's Housing Tax Break Proposal: What's In It, What's Missing
Proposed Washington, D.C., rules implementing the Housing in Downtown Tax Abatement program — for commercial property owners who convert properties into residential housing — thoroughly explain the process for submitting an application, but do not provide sufficient detail regarding the actual dollar value of the abatements, says Daniel Miktus at Akerman.
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Assessing The Future Of Colorado's Economic Loss Rule
The Colorado Supreme Court's decision to review a state appellate court's ruling in Mid-Century Insurance Co. v. HIVE Construction will significantly influence the future of Colorado's economic loss rule, with high stakes for the cost of doing business in the state, says David Holman at Crisham & Holman.
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How Recent Laws Affect Foreign Purchase Of US Real Estate
Early diligence is imperative for U.S. real estate transactions involving foreign actors, including analysis of federal and state foreign investment laws implicated by the transaction, depending on the property's nature and location, the parties' citizenship, and the transaction's structure, say Massimo D’Angelo and Anthony Rapa at Blank Rome.
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What Shareholder Approval Rule Changes Mean For Cos.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recently approved proposed rule changes to shareholder requirements by the New York Stock Exchange, an approval that will benefit listed companies in many ways, including by making it easier to raise capital from passive investors, say attorneys at Baker Botts.
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High Court Case Could Reshape Local Development Fees
If last month's oral arguments are any indication of how the U.S. Supreme Court will rule in Sheetz v. County of El Dorado, it's unlikely the justices will hold that the essential nexus and rough proportionality tests under the cases of Nollan, Dolan and Koontz apply to legislative exactions, but a sweeping decision would still be the natural progression in the line of cases giving property owners takings claims, says Phillip Babich at Reed Smith.
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White Collar Plea Deals Are Rarely 'Knowing' And 'Voluntary'
Because prosecutors are not required to disclose exculpatory evidence during plea negotiations, white collar defendants often enter into plea deals that don’t meet the U.S. Supreme Court’s “knowing” and “voluntary” standard for trials — but individual courts and solutions judges could rectify the issue, says Sara Kropf at Kropf Moseley.
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How 2 CFPB Advisory Opinions Affect Reporting Agencies
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued two advisory opinions last month that demonstrate a continued commitment to address inaccuracies in background check reports and consumer file disclosures through broad interpretation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, expanding on a coordinated federal agency effort, say attorneys at Cooley.
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Algorithmic Pricing Programs Caught In Antitrust Crosshairs
The Justice Department's investigation into software company RealPage follows a host of federal antitrust cases alleging that property owners and casino hotel operators use the same proprietary software programs to fix and maintain pricing, which means algorithmic pricing programs are considered a key price-fixing tool in the digital age, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.
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A Welcome Turning Of The Page For Residential Real Estate
After one of the most challenging years on record for residential real estate, 2024 will likely be a time of transition to a stabler business climate, as sellers lose some of their excess bargaining power and the pace of sales picks up, says Marty Green at Polunsky Beitel.