Residential
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July 08, 2024
Feds Aim To Expand Military Site List For Land Deal Reviews
The U.S. Department of the Treasury on Monday proposed putting 59 more military sites on its radar when it reviews real estate deals for national security issues, a move that comes on the heels of the White House's crackdown on a Chinese-owned cryptocurrency mine near a Wyoming air base.
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July 08, 2024
Frost Brown Adds Former Solo Land Use Atty In Calif.
Frost Brown Todd LLP has brought on a former solo practitioner and veteran California attorney with expertise in the state's environmental quality act in the firm's San Francisco office, the firm announced Monday.
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July 08, 2024
Calif. Realtor Sued Over Use Of Kanye West's Ranch Photos
A real estate photographer has accused a property listings site in California federal court of stealing his photos of a Hidden Hills, California, ranch home that used to be owned by controversial rap artist Kanye West.
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July 08, 2024
Feds Say Petersen Bid Won't Cover HUD-Backed Loans
The federal government Monday filed an objection to Petersen Health Care's proposed facilities sale, saying the $136 million in bids received by the company is insufficient to cover the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-backed mortgages on the properties.
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July 05, 2024
How Reshaped Circuit Courts Are Faring At The High Court
Seminal rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court's latest term will reshape many facets of American society in the coming years. Already, however, the rulings offer glimpses of how the justices view specific circuit courts, which have themselves been reshaped by an abundance of new judges.
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July 05, 2024
Breaking Down The Vote: The High Court Term In Review
The U.S. Supreme Court's lethargic pace of decision-making this term left the justices to issue a slew of highly anticipated and controversial rulings during the term's final week — rulings that put the court's ideological divisions on vivid display. Here, Law360 takes a data dive into the numbers behind this court term.
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July 05, 2024
High Court Flexes Muscle To Limit Administrative State
The U.S. Supreme Court's dismantling of a 40-year-old judicial deference doctrine, coupled with rulings stripping federal agencies of certain enforcement powers and exposing them to additional litigation, has established the October 2023 term as likely the most consequential in administrative law history.
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July 05, 2024
The Sharpest Dissents From The Supreme Court Term
The U.S. Supreme Court's session ended with a series of blockbuster cases that granted the president broad immunity, changed federal gun policy and kneecapped administrative agencies. And many of the biggest decisions fell along partisan lines.
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July 05, 2024
5 Moments That Shaped The Supreme Court's Jan. 6 Decision
When the high court limited the scope of a federal obstruction statute used to charge hundreds of rioters who stormed the Capitol, the justices did not vote along ideological lines. In a year marked by 6-3 splits, what accounts for the departure? Here are some moments from oral arguments that may have swayed the justices.
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July 05, 2024
The Funniest Moments Of The Supreme Court's Term
In a U.S. Supreme Court term teeming with serious showdowns, the august air at oral arguments filled with laughter after an attorney mentioned her plastic surgeon and a justice seemed to diss his colleagues, to cite just two of the term's mirthful moments. Here, we look at the funniest moments of the term.
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July 05, 2024
Trade Groups Sue Denver Over Gas Stove Ban
A coalition of trade groups representing the restaurant, home construction, rental housing and propane gas industries have claimed in Colorado federal court that two Denver ordinances that restrict the use of gas appliances can't be enforced because they're preempted by federal law.
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July 05, 2024
NC Construction Co. Says Subcontractor Pocketed Payments
A construction company was duped into offering a lighting firm at least eight contracts for electrical work on projects in the Carolinas valued at over $13 million only for the firm to abruptly fold before the work was finished, according to a newly filed state court complaint.
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July 05, 2024
Landfill Cos., La. Parish Score Partial Win In Landfill Suit
The operators of a Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, landfill and the parish itself have partially defeated claims filed in Louisiana federal court by local residents who say the landfill's "harmful and toxic odors and chemicals" caused them breathing problems, nausea and poor quality of life.
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July 05, 2024
Real Estate Co. Hits Security Deposit Insurer With $5M Suit
A Texas property management company is suing its insurer for allegedly withholding claim payments partly meant to cover unpaid rent, saying the carrier improperly conditioned the payments on the property manager starting eviction proceedings.
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July 05, 2024
Ex-Law Firm Exec Accused Of Theft Wants 'Malicious' Claim
A former executive at McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney & Carpenter LLP has asked a New Jersey state court to let her pursue a malicious prosecution counterclaim against the firm over its theft allegations against her, alleging that she didn't engage in any financial fraud.
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July 05, 2024
The Firms That Won Big At The Supreme Court
This U.S. Supreme Court term featured high-stakes oral arguments on issues including gerrymandering, abortion and federal agency authority, and a hot bench ever more willing to engage in a lengthy back-and-forth with advocates. Here's a look at the law firms that argued the most cases and how they fared.
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July 03, 2024
Petersen Health Lands $136M In Winning Asset Bids
Petersen Health Care told a Delaware bankruptcy court Wednesday it selected four successful bids, totaling roughly $135.8 million, for the company's skilled nursing facilities, including an offer worth $116.2 million from a stalking-horse bidder.
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July 03, 2024
Wash. Justices Say City RV Camping Ban Is Constitutional
The Washington Supreme Court upheld a city ordinance on Wednesday banning recreational vehicles and trailers from parking on municipal streets for more than four hours, rejecting a man's argument that the law violated his constitutional travel rights by barring him from living indefinitely in his 23-foot trailer on city property.
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July 03, 2024
Deal Reached In Del. Suit Targeting Gores-Backed UWM SPAC
Architects of a $16 billion special purpose acquisition company merger that took United Wholesale Mortgage public have reportedly agreed to settle a Delaware Chancery Court stockholder suit accusing private equity billionaire Alec Gores and others of misleading investors.
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July 03, 2024
NY Extends Tax Breaks For Green Roofs On City Buildings
New York is extending for another three years a property tax abatement program that encourages residential and commercial buildings in New York City as part of a bill signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
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July 02, 2024
Akin Guides $50M Investment Deal In Douglas Elliman
Douglas Elliman Inc. will provide senior secured convertible notes worth $50 million to funds guided by alternative asset management firm Kennedy Lewis Investment Management LLC in a deal advised by Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, according to a Tuesday announcement.
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July 02, 2024
Real Estate Policy Areas To Watch In Chevron's Wake
Housing rules, permitting practices and climate goals stand to be challenged by an anticipated wave of litigation spurred by back-to-back U.S. Supreme Court opinions that alter how and when judges can interpret ambiguous legislation.
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July 02, 2024
Real Estate Attys Pore Over Housing Dollars In NYC Budget
The New York City Council approved a $112.4 billion budget on June 30, just one day before the deadline, and while the full budget breakdown has not yet been made public, counsel for real estate developers say the funds could help alleviate the housing development backlog, if used well.
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July 02, 2024
Mass. Mobile Parks Residents Say Co. Overcharged Rents
A manufactured housing company took advantage of its Massachusetts mobile home park tenants "for illicit financial gain" by charging them illegally excessive rents, not providing renewing residents with required five-year lease proposals and lying about lease offers, a putative class claimed Tuesday in Massachusetts state court.
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July 02, 2024
Distress Darkens Conversion Plans At Brookfield Malls
Financial challenges have shaken some of Brookfield's plans to redevelop a batch of malls it acquired six years ago into mixed-use centers, and two of the real estate company's indoor shopping complexes slumped into loan distress last month, KBRA said on Tuesday.
Expert Analysis
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Insurance Rulings Continue Expansion Of Appraisal's Ambit
Two recent Illinois insurance cases allowing property damage appraisers to determine causation — Wysoczan v. Cambridge in federal court and Shelter v. Morrow in state appellate court — perpetuate a judicial trend that will result in a slower, more expensive and cumbersome appraisal process that resembles litigation, says Matthew Fortin at BatesCarey.
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In The CFPB Playbook: The Bureau In The Courts
From defending the constitutionality of its funding and the scope of its rulemaking authority in the courts to releasing more nonbinding guidance, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau had a busy summer. Orrick's John Coleman discusses all this and more in the second installment of quarterly bureau activity recaps by former CFPB personnel.
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Fintech Cos. Should Consider Asset-Based Financing For RE
Fintech companies that own or plan to acquire real property may be able to utilize asset-based financings to access more efficient and cost-effective forms of capital beyond traditional venture capital sources, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.
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What To Consider When Converting Calif. Offices To Housing
In light of California legislators' recent efforts to expedite the process for converting offices into residential buildings, developers should evaluate both the societal upsides, and the significant economic and legal hurdles, of such conversions, says Steven Otto at Crosbie Gliner.
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How New Lawyers Can Leverage Feedback For Growth
Embracing constructive criticism as a tool for success can help new lawyers accelerate their professional growth and law firms build a culture of continuous improvement, says Katie Aldrich at Fringe Professional Development.
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9 Consumer Finance Issues To Note From CFPB Report
A recent report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau highlights abusive consumer finance tactics that the agency uncovered during supervisory examinations over the last year — among the most significant issues identified: deceptive practices in automotive loan servicing, and consumer reporting and debt collection compliance failures, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
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Twitter Legal Fees Suit Offers Crash Course In Billing Ethics
X Corp.'s suit alleging that Wachtell grossly inflated its fees in the final days of Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition provides a case study in how firms should protect their reputations by hewing to ethical billing practices and the high standards for professional conduct that govern attorney-client relationships, says Lourdes Fuentes at Karta Legal.
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Transaction Risks In Residential Mortgage M&A Due Diligence
As the residential mortgage market continues to consolidate due to interest rate increases and low housing volume, buyers and sellers should pay attention to a number of compliance considerations ranging from fair lending laws to employee classification, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.
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Ore. Warranty Ruling Complicates Insurance Classification
The Oregon Court of Appeals' recent TruNorth v. Department of Consumer and Business Services holding that a service contract — commonly referred to as an extended warranty — covering commercial property is subject to the state's consumer service contract laws raises regulatory questions for contract obligors, sellers and administrators, say attorneys at Locke Lord.
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ABA's Money-Laundering Resolution Is A Balancing Act
While the American Bar Association’s recently passed resolution recognizes a lawyer's duty to discontinue representation that could facilitate money laundering and other fraudulent activity, it preserves, at least for now, the delicate balance of judicial, state-based regulation of the legal profession and the sanctity of the attorney-client relationship, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.
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FCRA Legislation To Watch For The Remainder Of 2023
If enacted, pending federal and state legislation may result in significant changes for the Fair Credit Reporting Act landscape and thus require regulated entities and practitioners to pivot their compliance strategies, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
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Regulators Must Get Creative To Keep Groundwater Flowing
Even as populations have boomed in Sun Belt states like Arizona, California and Texas, groundwater levels have diminished due to drought and overuse — so regulators must explore options including pumping limits, groundwater replenishment and wastewater reuse to ensure future supplies for residential and commercial needs, says Jeffrey Davis at Integral Consulting.
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Law Firm Professional Development Steps To Thrive In AI Era
As generative artificial intelligence tools rapidly evolve, professional development leaders are instrumental in preparing law firms for the paradigm shifts ahead, and should consider three strategies to help empower legal talent with the skills required to succeed in an increasingly complex technological landscape, say Steve Gluckman and Anusia Gillespie at SkillBurst Interactive.