Real Estate

  • September 26, 2024

    Cannabis REIT Beats Investor Class Action For Good

    A New Jersey federal judge has allowed a cannabis-focused real estate investment trust and certain executives to permanently escape a proposed class action brought by the company's shareholders, finding the lawsuit failed to allege the defendants did not conduct proper due diligence on a major tenant accused of engaging in fraud.

  • September 26, 2024

    Sen. Warren Presses OCC, Fed For Tighter Leash On NYCB

    Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., demanded Wednesday that federal regulators slap New York Community Bancorp with a higher minimum capital requirement, calling out what she alleges has been lax oversight of the bank.

  • September 26, 2024

    Oil Co. Can Escape Most Claims In Shell Fraud Suit

    A federal judge trimmed most of the claims from a lawsuit brought by a group of Western Pennsylvania landowners who say a Royal Dutch Shell PLC subsidiary fraudulently sold off $9.5 billion of its assets to avoid the possibility of being subject to a judgment in a separate lawsuit.

  • September 26, 2024

    Healthcare REIT Defeats Investor Suit For Good

    An Alabama federal judge on Thursday permanently tossed an investor suit against a healthcare-focused real estate investment trust, Medical Properties Trust Inc., that alleged the trust hid the poor performance of four acute care hospitals it owns in Pennsylvania, saying the plaintiff's asserted theory in the suit "is somewhat Jekyll and Hyde."

  • September 26, 2024

    Pa. Supreme Court Upholds Taxes On Like-Kind Exchanges

    A group of Pennsylvania real estate partners owe the state personal income tax assessed on their like-kind exchange, Pennsylvania's highest court ruled Thursday, with the majority upholding a lower court finding that the state Department of Revenue correctly issued the assessment.

  • 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

    Feds Send Message To Adams' City Hall: Buckle Up

    The seizure of another of New York City Mayor Eric Adams' phones ahead of his corruption indictment Thursday and a prosecutor's cryptic vow to "hold more people accountable" suggest the landmark case may only just be getting started, experts say.

  • September 26, 2024

    Judge Says DOI Didn't Satisfy Cherokee Accounting Duties

    A D.C. federal judge ruled that the U.S. government has not fulfilled its duty to provide the Cherokee Nation with a full accounting of its assets held in federal trust, handing a win to the Oklahoma-based tribe after five years of litigation.

  • 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

    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 26, 2024

    NJ Atty Rips AG For 'Grossly Distorted' Power Broker Case

    A New Jersey attorney charged in the state's sweeping indictment against power broker George E. Norcross III accused the Attorney General's Office on Thursday of "attempting to criminalize the routine practice of law" with its charges against him.

  • 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

    Basel Edits 'Encouraging' But Incomplete, Republicans Say

    House Republicans signaled at a Wednesday hearing that they want further softening of federal banking regulators' so-called Basel III endgame proposal for tougher big-bank capital requirements, casting recently floated potential changes as insufficient to ensure the plans won't pose an economic threat.

  • September 25, 2024

    Cherokee Nation Asks Court To Reject Descendant Rehearing

    The Cherokee Nation has asked a D.C. federal judge to deny a request by a descendant of persons of African descent, who were once enslaved by the tribe, for a rehearing after the court threw out her bid for $90 million in damages.

  • 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

    Pa. Panel Says Misspellings Don't Sink Service Of Tax Notice

    The misspelling of a landowner's name on a notice of an impending tax sale did not prevent the owner from understanding their property would be auctioned off to cover unpaid taxes, a Pennsylvania appellate court ruled Wednesday.

  • September 25, 2024

    10th Circ. To Hear Arguments In Utah Monument Row

    A Tenth Circuit panel will hear arguments on Thursday in a dispute over President Joe Biden's redesignation of 1.4 million acres of land in Utah that reclaimed the Bears Ears National Monument.

  • September 25, 2024

    Accountant Used Fake Tax Docs For Mortgage, Feds Say

    A managing director at consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal was charged in D.C. federal court with failing to file his personal tax returns for over a decade and falsifying tax documents as part of a mortgage application.

Expert Analysis

  • Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act

    Author Photo

    As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.

  • Decoding CFPB Priorities Amid Ramp-Up In Nonbank Actions

    Author Photo

    Based on recent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau enforcement actions and press releases about its supervisory activities, the agency appears poised to continue increasing its scrutiny over nonbank entities — particularly with respect to emerging financial products and services — into next year, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Shipping Containers As Building Elements Require Diligence

    Author Photo

    With the shipping container market projected to double between 2020 and 2028, repurposing containers as storage units, office spaces and housing may become more common, but developers must make sure they comply with requirements that can vary by intended use and location, says Steven Otto at Crosbie Gliner.

  • 7th Circ. Ruling Expands CFPB Power In Post-Chevron Era

    Author Photo

    The Seventh Circuit’s recent ruling in Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Townstone Financial interprets the Equal Credit Opportunity Act broadly, paving the way for increased CFPB enforcement and hinting at how federal courts may approach statutory interpretation in the post-Chevron world, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.

  • How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market

    Author Photo

    Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • Series

    Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.

  • NY Ruling Offers A Foreclosure Road Map For Lenders

    Author Photo

    A New York appellate court recently upheld a summary judgment ruling in favor of a commercial lender's foreclosure in U.S. Bank v. 1226 Evergreen Bapaz, illustrating the proofs lenders will need to prosecute a foreclosure action, especially where the plaintiff is an assignee of the originating lender, say attorneys at Sherman Atlas.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step

    Author Photo

    From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Tips For Lenders Offering Texas Home Equity Lines Of Credit

    Author Photo

    As interest in home equity lines of credit increases, lenders seeking to utilize such products in Texas must be aware of state-specific requirements and limitations that can make it challenging to originate open-end lines of credit on homestead property, says Tye McWhorter at Polunsky Beitel.

  • Kentucky Tax Talk: Appeals Court Revisits Leases' Tax Effects

    Author Photo

    With better facts and greater emphasis on the Kentucky Constitution, Walgreen Co. may succeed in its latest Kentucky Court of Appeals challenge to a tax assessor's method of valuing leaseholds on real property for purposes of determining ad valorem tax, say Mark Sommer and Elizabeth Ethington at Frost Brown Todd.

  • Series

    Being A Luthier Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    When I’m not working as an appellate lawyer, I spend my spare time building guitars — a craft known as luthiery — which has helped to enhance the discipline, patience and resilience needed to write better briefs, says Rob Carty at Nichols Brar.

  • Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity

    Author Photo

    The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: July Lessons

    Author Photo

    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy considers cases touching on pre- and post-conviction detainment conditions, communications with class representatives, when the American Pipe tolling doctrine stops applying to modified classes, and more.

  • Utilizing Liability Exemption When Calif. Cities Lease Property

    Author Photo

    With rising costs pushing California municipalities to lease real estate assets instead of purchasing them, municipalities should review the ample case law that supports certain exceptions to California Constitution Section 18(a) requirements, providing that certain long-term lease obligations are not considered to be liabilities, says Steven Otto at Crosbie Gliner.

  • Expect CFPB To Enforce Warning Against 'Coercive' Fine Print

    Author Photo

    The recent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warning against unenforceable terms "deceptively" slipped into the fine print of contracts will likely be challenged in court, but until then, companies should expect the agency to treat its guidance as law and must carefully scrutinize their consumer contracts, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Real Estate archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!