Residential

  • September 27, 2024

    Constitution Permits Blocked Anti-Laundering Law, Panel Told

    The U.S. government urged the Eleventh Circuit on Friday to reinstate the Corporate Transparency Act passed in 2021, arguing that the anti-money laundering law is within Congress' powers to regulate economic activity and necessary to have businesses report beneficial ownership to combat crimes like tax evasion and terrorist financing.

  • September 27, 2024

    RealPage Wants DOJ Antitrust Case Moved To Tennessee

    RealPage has asked a North Carolina federal court to transfer the government's antitrust case against it to Tennessee, where private litigation has been playing out over claims the software company helps residential landlords fix rental prices.

  • September 27, 2024

    Hurricane Helene Losses Could Exceed $5B: Market Analyst

    The losses from Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm that slammed into Florida's panhandle Thursday evening, could exceed $5 billion and challenge insurers dealing with high reinsurance costs, according to an early estimate from the insurer credit rating company AM Best.

  • September 27, 2024

    Homebuilder Says NC Developer Reneged On $62M Land Deal

    Homebuilder Meritage Homes of the Carolinas Inc. accused a North Carolina developer on Friday of defaulting on a more than $61 million land development deal by failing to subdivide nearly 200 acres of land into a residential community with 785 lots.

  • September 27, 2024

    Property Plays: Gencom, A. Walker & Co., Capital Square

    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.

  • September 27, 2024

    NYC Mayor's Zoning Reform Goes Forward Amid Indictment

    A zoning reform proposal spearheaded by New York City Mayor Eric Adams was approved Sept. 25 by the City Planning Commission, with the City Council set to consider it next, a development that was marred by an indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court the following morning accusing Adams of corruption and fraud.

  • September 27, 2024

    Seward & Kissel Adds Ex-A&O Shearman Counsel In NY

    Seward & Kissel LLP announced on Thursday the hiring of a former attorney at Allen Overy Shearman Sterling as special counsel in its real estate group out of New York.

  • September 26, 2024

    Round Up: Insurance Highlights At Climate Week NYC

    The value of insurer climate risk disclosures, strengthening infrastructure and communicating climate risks were among the top issues that insurance industry officials, elected officials, and regulators highlighted at this year's edition of Climate Week in New York City.

  • September 26, 2024

    Colo. Property Tax Deferral Program Could Balloon, Panel Told

    Use of a property tax deferral program in Colorado is expected to rise under a recent legislative change opening it to nearly all property owners, the state's treasurer told a legislative commission Thursday, calling the extent of the program's growth difficult to predict.

  • September 26, 2024

    Few Investors Say They Factor ESG In Real Estate Strategies

    About a quarter of surveyed fund managers and investment professionals said they considered environmental, social and corporate governance standards in real estate investments, a smaller portion than those who factor ESG in private equity strategies, a new study found.

  • September 26, 2024

    Multifamily Investor Nabs $137M Loan For Boston Apartments

    Carmel Partners, a multifamily-focused investment firm, secured $137 million in acquisition financing to buy a 30-story apartment building in Boston, according to a Wednesday announcement by brokerage firm Walker & Dunlop Inc.

  • September 26, 2024

    Pa. Justices Reject New Tax Hearing For Charter School

    The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court erred in sending a charter school's retroactive property tax appeal back to a county board, because the charter school had failed to exhaust statutory remedies, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

  • September 26, 2024

    Ga. Judge Halts Election Over Sapelo Island Zoning Change

    A Georgia state judge pulled the plug on a special election Gullah Geechee residents of Sapelo Island initiated to try to overturn a McIntosh County zoning change that more than doubled the size of dwellings allowed in their Hogg Hummock community.

  • September 26, 2024

    US Census, Osage Nation Sign Info Sharing Agreement

    The U.S. Census Bureau and the Osage Nation signed an agreement to share the federally recognized Oklahoma tribe's aggregated administrative data in an effort to provide a more accurate picture of Indian Country and its needs.

  • September 26, 2024

    A. Walker & Co. Raises $50M For Affordable Multifamily

    Minority-owned and operated investment manager A. Walker & Co. said it has raised $50 million through its first fund focusing on multifamily deals with an affordable housing component, in a vehicle with an option to raise another $25 million.

  • September 26, 2024

    4th Circ. Hints Rocket Mortgage Class Cert. Is On Shaky Ground

    The Fourth Circuit on Thursday seemed skeptical that all potential class members who accused Rocket Mortgage of inflating their home values could prove they were injured under the U.S. Supreme Court's heightened pleading standard in TransUnion, putting the lower court's certification order on rocky footing.

  • September 26, 2024

    Conn. Atty's Suit Against Willkie Partner Tossed

    A Connecticut state court has dismissed a solo practitioner's lawsuit that alleged a partner at Willkie and his wife abused the court process by suing him over his contribution to an unflattering New York Post story about the couple.

  • September 25, 2024

    Developer's NorCal Spree Ends With Fraud Claims In Ch. 11

    Northern California real estate company LeFever Mattson stockpiled more than $400 million in real estate, including several local landmarks in a small town north of San Francisco. The firm now seeks bankruptcy protection amid claims following an alleged scheme by one executive to pocket millions by selling bunk equity stakes to investors.

  • September 25, 2024

    3 NJ Attys Charged With Bank Fraud In Short-Sale Scheme

    A trio of attorneys and a real estate agent have been criminally indicted on bank fraud charges on allegations they participated in a yearslong scheme to defraud financial institutions in connection with short-sale transactions of residential properties in New Jersey, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey announced Wednesday.

  • September 25, 2024

    Suit Over Fla. Law Restricting Foreign Land Buys Paused

    A Florida federal judge on Wednesday paused a challenge to a Florida law that restricts land purchases of Chinese citizens and others, saying it was prudent to wait to see what the Eleventh Circuit does with a similar challenge that has already been argued before the appeals court.

  • September 25, 2024

    Navajo Nation Inks $31M Deal With Bitco For Veteran Housing

    The Navajo Nation said it has signed a $31 million contract with tribally owned Bitco Corp. to build 95 homes for Navajo veterans, using funds provided by President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan Act.

  • September 25, 2024

    Developer Says Minn. City Made Rule To Block Mosque

    A developer and its Muslim founders claimed in federal court that Islamophobia motivated Lino Lakes, Minnesota, and several of its lawmakers to approve a moratorium that blocked the construction of a mixed-use development project that featured a mosque.

  • September 25, 2024

    Fla. Condo's Irma Suit Dismissed After Settlement With Insurer

    A Florida federal court on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit brought by a Fort Myers Beach condominium association after it settled with an insurance company for an appraisal award that was allegedly owed for damage caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017.

  • September 25, 2024

    Not Dying After All: Tips For Maneuvering Mall Overhauls

    Real estate companies are spending millions to rejuvenate indoor shopping centers in suburban cities across the U.S., but some developers may not know that revamping a mall comes with unique legal challenges.

  • September 25, 2024

    Fla., Calif. Seek Insurance Cures On Climate Crisis Frontlines

    California and Florida may be on opposite coasts, and opposite ends of the political spectrum, but they're facing a common dilemma: how to address the stress that mounting climate risks have imposed on property insurance and real estate within their borders.

Expert Analysis

  • Climate Disclosure Mandates Demand A Big-Picture Approach

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    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.

  • Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    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.

  • Illinois EV Charging Act Sparks Developer Concerns

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    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.

  • What NAR Settlement Means For Agent Commission Rates

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    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.

  • Calif. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q1

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    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.

  • 2nd Circ. Ruling Clarifies When Demand Letters Are Claims

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    The Second Circuit’s decision last week in Pine Management v. Colony Insurance, affirming that an insurer had no obligation to defend an insured for claims made before the policy period, provides clarity on when presuit demands for relief constitute claims — an important issue that may be dispositive of coverage, says Bonnie Thompson at Lavin Rindner.

  • Serving As A Sheriff's Deputy Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    Skills developed during my work as a reserve deputy — where there was a need to always be prepared, decisive and articulate — transferred to my practice as an intellectual property litigator, and my experience taught me that clients often appreciate and relate to the desire to participate in extracurricular activities, says Michael Friedland at Friedland Cianfrani.

  • Preparing For Possible Calif. Criminal Antitrust Enforcement

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    Though a recent announcement that the California Attorney General's Office will resume criminal prosecutions in support of its antitrust enforcement may be mere saber-rattling, companies and their counsel should nevertheless be prepared for interactions with the California AG's Antitrust Section that are not limited to civil liability issues, say Dylan Ballard and Lillian Sun at V&E.

  • Conn. Loan Law Tweaks May Have 3 Major Effects On Lenders

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    Recently proposed minor amendments to Connecticut’s consumer protection laws could nonetheless mean major and unexpected changes to state consumer financial services regulations that dictate how lenders and their customer-facing service providers handle fee payments, mortgage servicer licensing and private student loans, says Jonathan Joshua at Joshua Law Firm.

  • Document Retention Best Practices To Lower Litigation Risks

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    As new technologies emerge and terabytes of data can be within the purview of a single discovery request, businesses small and large should take four document management steps to effectively minimize risks of litigation and discovery sanctions long before litigation ensues, says Kimbrilee Weber at Norris McLaughlin.

  • Riding My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Using the Peloton platform for cycling, running, rowing and more taught me that fostering a mind-body connection will not only benefit you physically and emotionally, but also inspire stamina, focus, discipline and empathy in your legal career, says Christopher Ward at Polsinelli.

  • The Challenges SEC's Climate Disclosure Rule May Face

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    Attorneys at Debevoise examine potential legal challenges to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new climate-related disclosure rule — against which nine suits have already been filed — including arguments under the Administrative Procedure Act, the major questions doctrine, the First Amendment and the nondelegation doctrine.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: March Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses four notable circuit court decisions on topics from consumer fraud to employment — and provides key takeaways for counsel on issues including coercive communications with putative class members and Article III standing at the class certification stage.