Residential
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May 06, 2024
NJ Subdivision Assessment Spike Should Remain, Court Says
The property value of a city block bought and developed in New Jersey increased correctly based on the subdivision, the state Tax Court ruled, rejecting the property owner's argument that the assessment was wrong because the city forgot to set the new property lines.
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May 06, 2024
Redfin To Pay $9.2M To Exit Broker Fee Class Action
Redfin disclosed to regulators on Monday that it will pay $9.25 million to end claims that it caused home sellers to pay inflated commissions under rules set by the National Association of Realtors, allowing the company to exit a class action that ensnared several brokerage firms.
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May 06, 2024
Data Privacy Co. Wants Personal Info Suits In NJ State Court
Most of the recently moved lawsuits alleging violations of a New Jersey judicial privacy law should be moved back to state court since the plaintiffs and defendants reside in the Garden State, the data privacy company behind the first-of-their-kind cases has told a New Jersey federal judge.
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May 03, 2024
Freddie Mac, Insurer Settle $32M SEC Probe Coverage Dispute
Government-backed lender Freddie Mac told a Washington, D.C., federal court Friday that it has settled with an insurer in a $32 million coverage suit stemming from civil actions and federal probes around its collapse during the 2008 global financial crisis.
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May 03, 2024
Opendoor Says NAR Settlement Should Aid Growth Efforts
Leadership for Opendoor Technologies Inc. said they expect the online home-selling platform will benefit from the recent proposed legal settlement involving the National Association of Realtors as they expressed confidence in plans to "rescale" their business this year, while discussing the release of its first-quarter earnings.
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May 03, 2024
Realtors Set Aug. Launch Of Broker Fee Changes After Verdict
The National Association of Realtors on Friday said it has adopted a series of policy changes that go into effect Aug. 17 under a settlement to avoid a jury verdict finding the trade group's rules compelled home sellers to pay inflated commissions.
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May 03, 2024
Judge Says Lender Can't Escape CFPB's Loan Data Suit
A Florida federal judge has refused to dismiss the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's suit accusing mortgage servicer and lender Freedom Mortgage Corp. of violating federal law by submitting inaccurate government mortgage loan data.
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May 03, 2024
Brothers Accuse Cos. Of Mishandling $1.1M EB-5 Investments
Two brothers from India sued companies behind a combination residential-resort project they invested in under the EB-5 investor visa program, telling a Florida federal court that their green card petitions were denied because the companies mishandled their $1.1 million investment.
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May 03, 2024
Akerman Hires Miami-Dade Atty As Chair Of Land Use Team
Akerman LLP hired Dennis A. Kerbel, a veteran Miami-Dade County, Florida, government attorney, as the new chair of its land use and entitlements team in its Miami office, the firm announced.
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May 03, 2024
Stockbridge Real Estate Fund Raises $709M
San Francisco-based Stockbridge Capital Group said Friday that it had closed on a real estate investment fund with $709 million in commitments last month, the largest in its history.
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May 02, 2024
USAA Wrongly Denied Fire Damage Claim, Wash. Couple Says
A Washington couple accused their homeowners insurer of unreasonably denying their fire damage claim despite their timely response to all of the insurer's claim inquiries and requests, further accusing the insurer of violating Washington's Consumer Protection Act and Insurance Fair Conduct Act.
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May 02, 2024
Kushner-Owned Co. Owes $15M For Scrapped Apartment Deal
A New Jersey appeals panel has ordered a company owned by Kushner Cos. LLC to pay $15 million to real estate sellers in a $186 million deal that fell apart during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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May 02, 2024
Split Conn. Supreme Court Says No To 'Ratio' Utility Bills
In a rare 4-3 opinion, the Connecticut Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that a corporate landlord cannot use a ratio utility billing system to divide monthly costs among units not equipped with precise individual meters, stressing a legislative policy of protecting tenants from fluctuating fees beyond their immediate control.
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May 02, 2024
Simpson Thacher Adds Real Estate Partner In NY
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP said on May 2 that it has hired Aron M. Zuckerman, an attorney with experience advising lenders in financing real estate projects, as a partner in its New York office.
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May 02, 2024
GTIS Expands JV With Homebuilder To $6B Worth Of Housing
GTIS Partners has grown its partnership with homebuilder Hovnanian Enterprises to now build $6 billion worth of homes, including new construction in Florida and New Jersey, the companies announced May 2.
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May 02, 2024
Eckert Seamans Sues For Inclusive Zoning Fight Fees
Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott says a group representing Pittsburgh-area developers still owes nearly $76,000 in legal fees for the firm's work on a federal suit challenging an "inclusive zoning" ordinance, according to a complaint filed in Pennsylvania state court Thursday.
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May 02, 2024
Nixon Peabody Adds Two Community Finance Attys In DC
Nixon Peabody LLP has hired two partners, who will focus their practices on helping nonprofits and other clients understand and obtain tax credits for a range of community development projects, to its community development finance practice in Washington, D.C., the firm announced Thursday.
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May 01, 2024
Ex-State Dept. Adviser To Co-Lead Klasko's Investor Visa Team
A former U.S. Department of State attorney-adviser has left government service to co-lead Klasko Immigration Law Partners' EB-5 regional center and developer practice, the firm recently announced.
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May 01, 2024
Judges Say Homeowners' Fight Over Airport Not Grounded Yet
A Washington couple violated their homeowners' association covenants by running a wing-walking flight school out of their home, but it is unclear if they ran afoul of community rules by using an association-owned airstrip for their business, according to a state appeals court opinion reversing a restriction on the couple's use of the airstrip.
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May 01, 2024
Colo. House OKs Tax Credits For Middle-Income Housing
The Colorado House approved a pilot program Wednesday to provide a tax credit to developers of housing aimed at middle-income residents
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May 01, 2024
NY Man Charged With $43M Hospitality Ponzi Scheme
A Manhattan resident was charged Wednesday with soliciting $43 million in investments through a Ponzi scheme that peddled false claims about his company's business interests in cryptocurrency, Las Vegas sports stadiums and hospitality.
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May 01, 2024
Nationstar Beats COVID-Related Loan Aid Suit For Now
Nationstar Mortgage temporarily dodged a Pennsylvania federal lawsuit alleging the loan servicer wrongly denied COVID-19 loss mitigation assistance for delinquent mortgages, but the proposed class can refile their claims.
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May 01, 2024
Family Trust Asks Justices To Review $16.2M Tax Row
A family trust established by grandparents for their five grandchildren asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Third Circuit ruling finding the trust was the nominee of an adult son with $16.2 million in tax liabilities, saying the decision stands to upset estate planning norms.
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May 01, 2024
Colo. House OKs Boost To Affordable Housing Tax Credit
Colorado would increase the funds available for the state's affordable housing tax credits for six years under legislation approved Wednesday by the state House of Representatives.
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May 01, 2024
Construction Spending Down In March, Census Bureau Says
National construction spending was down slightly between February and March, falling 0.2% to just more than $2.083 billion, which is still nearly 9.6% higher than this time last year, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Wednesday.
Expert Analysis
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A Breakdown Of Freddie Mac's New Servicer Custody Rules
Freddie Mac's new custodial account requirements are mostly straightforward, but even full compliance with those obligations can't eliminate the risk of unexpected bank failures, so servicers should review the ratings of their depositories and create procedures for evaluating them, says Eric Edwardson at Mayer Brown.
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Ghosting In BigLaw: Why Better Feedback Habits Are Needed
Not giving assignments or constructive criticism to junior associates can significantly affect their performance and hours, potentially leading them to leave the firm, but partners can prevent this by asking the right questions and creating a culture of feedback, says Rachel Patterson at Orrick.
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Law Needs A Balance Between Humanism And Formalism
A recent Law360 guest article rightly questions the pretextual pseudo-originalism that permits ideology to masquerade as judicial philosophy, but the cure would kill the patient because directness, simplicity and humanness are achievable without renouncing form or sacrificing stare decisis, says Vanessa Kubota at the Arizona Court of Appeals.
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Short Message Data Challenges In E-Discovery
As short message platforms increasingly dominate work environments, lawyers face multiple programs, different communication styles and emoji in e-discovery, so they must consider new strategies to adapt their processes, says Cristin Traylor at Relativity.
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Ambiguity In 'Buy America' Implementation May Slow Projects
The White House Office of Management and Budget's most recent guidance, which builds on a complex patchwork of Buy America restrictions that vary by federal agency, would perpetuate government contractors' uncertainty regarding product and material classification and could delay infrastructure projects, say attorneys at Miles & Stockbridge.
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Thomas Report Is Final Straw — High Court Needs Ethics Code
As a recent report on Justice Clarence Thomas' ongoing conflicts of interest makes evident, Supreme Court justices should be subject to an enforceable and binding code of ethics — like all other federal judges — to maintain the credibility of the institution, says Erica Salmon Byrne at Ethisphere.
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La. Suit Could Set New Enviro Justice Litigation Paradigm
Inclusive Louisiana v. St. James Parish, a lawsuit filed recently in Louisiana federal court that makes wide-ranging and novel constitutional and statutory claims of environmental racism based on centuries of local history, could become a new template for environmental justice litigation against governments and businesses, say attorneys at King & Spalding.
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Lawyer Discernment Is Critical In The World Of AI
In light of growing practical concerns about risks and challenges posed by artificial intelligence, lawyers' experience with the skill of discernment will position them to help address new ethical and moral dilemmas and ensure that AI is developed and deployed in a way that benefits society as a whole, says Jennifer Gibbs at Zelle.
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Don't Forget Alumni Engagement When Merging Law Firms
Neglecting law firm alumni programs after a merger can sever the deep connections attorneys have with their former firms, but by combining good data management and creating new opportunities to reconnect, firms can make every member in their expanded network of colleagues feel valued, say Clare Roath and Erin Warner at Troutman Pepper.
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Every Lawyer Can Act To Prevent Peer Suicide
Members of the legal industry can help prevent suicide among their colleagues, and better protect their own mental health, by learning the predictors and symptoms of depression among attorneys and knowing when and how to get practical aid to peers in crisis, says Joan Bibelhausen at Minnesota Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers.
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Issues For Housing Credit Investors Following Bank Failures
Amid the uncertainty caused by the bank failures last month, low-income housing tax credit investors may want to revisit underwriting criteria for their equity guarantors and certain provisions under their partnership agreements, say Brad Butler and Maci Followell at Frost Brown.
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10th Circ. Ruling Could Gut Homeowners' Ch. 13 Safety Net
The Tenth Circuit’s recent ruling in Doll v. Goodman could spell the end of Chapter 13 protection for consumers in a number of states, and if the decision is replicated in other circuits, homeowners across the country could lose their homes for lack of a viable bankruptcy administration, says former U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Catherine Bauer, now at Signature Resolution.
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FTC Proposal Greatly Widens Auto-Renewal Regulation
The Federal Trade Commission's proposed rule on automatic renewal subscriptions would impose significant new obligations on sellers of negative option plans and expand the agency's enforcement powers, likely requiring companies to examine and change their practices, say attorneys at Squire Patton.