Residential
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
July 02, 2024
Colo. City Housing Authority Says Board Can't Be Fired At Will
A Colorado city's ordinance violates state law because it gives the mayor the power to replace the commissioners of the city's housing authority without just cause, the housing authority has claimed in Colorado state court.
-
July 02, 2024
Gov. Says Ky. Tower's Sale Didn't Cancel Ties To Laundering
Prosecutors and a pair of Miami businessmen have traded briefs over preserving the government's case in Florida federal court to seize $9.1 million from the sale of a Louisville, Kentucky, tower over alleged ties to a Ukrainian money laundering operation.
-
July 02, 2024
Kelley Kronenberg Launches Florida Homebuying Practice
Kelley Kronenberg announced Friday the launch of a resident real estate practice focused on providing financial services on behalf of prospective home buyers in Florida.
-
July 02, 2024
PE Firm Buys Texas Apartment Portfolio In 'Pricing Correction'
Real estate private equity firm Hamilton Point Investments said Tuesday it has acquired a portfolio of Houston apartment properties with a combined 1,174 units for $195 million as Texas undergoes a "significant multifamily pricing correction."
-
July 02, 2024
The Residential Real Estate Q&A's You Can't Miss
Check out Law360 Real Estate Authority's hottest residential real estate Q&A's from the first half of 2024.
-
July 01, 2024
W.Va. Homeowner's Depreciation Suit Survives Dismissal
A West Virginia federal court declined to toss a homeowner's lawsuit accusing an insurer, broker and loss adjuster of unlawfully depreciating the value of his home after a flood, determining that the homeowner met the pleading standards to defeat dismissal.
-
July 01, 2024
Ill. Tax Applies To Re-Renters Of Hotel Rooms, Dept. Says
Illinois will impose an occupation tax on people who re-rent hotel rooms in the state as part of recently enacted omnibus legislation, the state Department of Revenue said.
-
July 01, 2024
Morgan Properties Nabs 11 Apartment Properties In Pa.
Multifamily owner Morgan Properties announced Monday that it has bought 11 apartment developments across Pennsylvania from DePaul Management Co., adding that it has plans to renovate and upgrade the newly acquired properties.
-
July 01, 2024
Calif. Ballot Measure Seeks Nix Of Tax Hike Threshold Change
California would scrap part of a ballot initiative that would have reduced the threshold needed for local governments to pass special taxes for public infrastructure and affordable housing projects under another ballot measure passed by legislators.
-
July 01, 2024
Petersen Health Gets OK For $118M Initial Bid On Facilities
A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Monday gave bankrupt senior living chain Petersen Health Care permission to accept a $118 million bid as the floor for an auction of its 82 facilities to be held on Tuesday.
-
June 28, 2024
Chevron's End Is Just The Start For Energized Agency Foes
By knocking down a powerful precedent that has towered over administrative law for 40 years, the U.S. Supreme Court's right wing Friday gave a crowning achievement to anti-agency attorneys. But for those attorneys, the achievement is merely a means to an end, and experts expect a litigation blitzkrieg to materialize quickly in the aftermath.
-
June 28, 2024
In Chevron Case, Justices Trade One Unknown For Another
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overrule a decades-old judicial deference doctrine may cause the "eternal fog of uncertainty" surrounding federal agency actions to dissipate and level the playing field in challenges of government policies, but lawyers warn it raises new questions over what rules courts must follow and how judges will implement them.
-
June 28, 2024
Home Point Investor Attys Get $1.5M Fee As Judge OKs Deal
A Michigan federal judge on Friday granted final approval to a $5 million deal resolving investor allegations that mortgage lender Home Point exaggerated its ability to keep costs low ahead of its initial public offering, giving class counsel a $1.5 million cut of the deal.
-
June 28, 2024
Property Plays: Goldman, WaFD, The Alamo
Property Plays is a weekly roundup of the latest loans, leases, sales and projects around the country. Send your tips — all confidential — to realestate@law360.com.
-
June 28, 2024
NC Justices Revive Black Property Owners' Bias Suit
The North Carolina Supreme Court vacated a lower court's dismissal of discrimination claims brought by Black property owners against the city of Kinston alleging that the city targeted Black-owned buildings for condemnation while preserving white-owned buildings as historical, ruling Friday that the lower court applied the wrong legal standard.
-
June 28, 2024
Judge Rejects Collusion Claim In Contested Foreclosure Deal
A Michigan federal judge approved on Thursday a class settlement between 43 Michigan counties and people who lost their homes in tax foreclosure, putting to bed accusations of collusion between the settling lawyers.
-
June 28, 2024
Condo Seeks Bar On Enforcement Of Corp. Transparency Act
A Boston condominium association has asked a federal judge to shield it and other Massachusetts condo boards from enforcement of an anti-money laundering measure, saying the requirement to submit personal information to a government database creates an undue and unnecessary burden on volunteer organizations.
-
June 28, 2024
Colombia Fends Off Real Estate Project Seizure Claim
Colombia has claimed an "unprecedented" victory in an arbitration initiated by a group of U.S. investors seeking hundreds of millions of dollars after their real estate development project was seized over allegations that the project had connections with illegal activity.
-
June 28, 2024
NYC Realty Co. Defeats Most Of Building Super's Wage Claims
A New York realty group secured early wins on all but one of a building superintendent's wage claims, with a New York federal judge ruling Friday the worker had provided scant evidence in support, but the group must face claims related to wage deficits caused by a time clock malfunction.
Real Estate Attys Pore Over Housing Dollars In NYC Budget
The New York City Council approved a $112.4 billion budget Sunday afternoon, 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.
Tenants Say Omaha Housing Authority Flouted Appeal Rights
A proposed class of Omaha Housing Authority tenants have filed suit against the public housing entity, telling a Nebraska federal court the agency overcharged extremely low-income tenants and thwarted their right to appeal rent increases.
Homeless Advocates Balk As High Court OKs Anti-Camping Ban
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that an Oregon city's anti-camping ban doesn't amount to cruel and unusual punishment amid a challenge brought by a class of homeless residents, a move that residents' counsel says paves the way for municipalities to criminalize homelessness.
Expert Analysis
-
After Chevron: Opportunities For Change In FHFA Practices
The U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of the Chevron doctrine should lead to better cooperation between the Federal Housing Finance Agency and Congress, and may give the FHFA a chance to embrace transparency and innovation and promote sustainable housing practices, says Mehdi Sinaki at Michelman & Robinson.
-
NC Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2
After federal banking agencies last quarter released a supplemental final rule updating the Community Reinvestment Act, North Carolina banks involved in community development should consider how the new rule might open up opportunities for investment and services that can benefit underserved areas, says Adam Goldblatt at Michael Best.
-
Boxing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Boxing has influenced my legal work by enabling me to confidently hone the skills I've learned from the sport, like the ability to remain calm under pressure, evaluate an opponent's weaknesses and recognize when to seize an important opportunity, says Kirsten Soto at Clyde & Co.
-
What NYC's Green Fast Track Means For Affordable Housing
New York City's Green Fast Track for Housing initiative, which went into effect last month, aims to speed up the environmental review process for modest residential developments and could potentially pave the way for similar initiatives in other cities, say Vivien Krieger and Rachel Scall at Cozen O'Connor.
-
The Often Overlooked NY Foreclosure Notice Requirements
As multifamily real estate defaults mount, New York foreclosing parties should be aware of pitfalls and perils that can await the litigant who is not prepared to ensure adherence with tenant notice requirements under the Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law, say Christopher Gorman and John Muldoon at Rosenberg & Estis.
-
Skiing And Surfing Make Me A Better Lawyer
The skills I’ve learned while riding waves in the ocean and slopes in the mountains have translated to my legal career — developing strong mentor relationships, remaining calm in difficult situations, and being prepared and able to move to a backup plan when needed, says Brian Claassen at Knobbe Martens.
-
Zoning Reform May Alleviate The Affordable Housing Crisis
As America's affordable housing issues continue to worsen, zoning reform efforts can help to provide more affordable homes and mitigate racial and economic segregation, though opposition from residents and in courts could present challenges, say Evan Pritchard and Madeline Williams at Cozen O'Connor.
-
NJ Justices Clarify First-Party Indemnification Availability
In Boyle v. Huff, the New Jersey Supreme Court recently held that indemnification can be available in first-party claims, resolving an open question and setting up contracting parties for careful negotiations around indemnity clauses, says Todd Leon at Marshall Dennehey.
-
Fla. HOA Reforms Bring Major Wins For Homeowners
A recently signed law brings broad changes for homeowners associations in Florida, alleviating some pressure imposed by overly restrictive rules and potentially setting up litigation surrounding how HOAs enforce their governing documents, says Christopher Miller at Varnum.
-
Addressing Labor Shortages In The Construction Industry
As the construction industry's ongoing struggle with finding sufficient skilled workers continues, companies should consider a range of solutions including a commitment to in-house training and creative contracting protocols, say Brenda Radmacher and Allison Etkin at Akerman.
-
A Framework For Investigating Commercial Loan Fraud
As commercial loan transactions are increasingly subject to sophisticated fraud schemes, lenders must adopt dynamic strategies to detect, investigate and mitigate these schemes, say attorneys at Baker Donelson.
-
Glassblowing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
I never expected that glassblowing would strongly influence my work as an attorney, but it has taught me the importance of building a solid foundation for your work, learning from others and committing to a lifetime of practice, says Margaret House at Kalijarvi Chuzi.
-
How NY Co-Ops Can Minimize Sale Rejections Based On Price
New York co-op sales are regularly rejected for being below undisclosed price minimums, and co-op boards should address this problem by sharing information more transparently and allowing some flexibility for below-market sales, say Pierre Debbas and Seth Feldman at Romer Debbas.