Residential
-
May 28, 2025
ÃÛÌÒÊÓÆµ Energy Loan Rule An 'Unlawful Power Grab,' Suit Says
Lenders that finance clean energy home improvement projects on Wednesday challenged a Biden-era rule that applies standard mortgage protections to loans where homeowners pay for such projects through property tax bills, saying the rule is unlawful and threatens to kill their business.
-
May 28, 2025
Insurer Questions Coverage Of Ohio Tenant Harassment Case
An Ohio insurer filed a federal lawsuit arguing on Wednesday that it is not obligated to defend or indemnify Athens County, Ohio, landlords accused in a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit of allowing sex discrimination and harassment against female tenants at at least one rental property for years.
-
May 28, 2025
NY Judge Orders $72M Payment Over Multifamily Foreclosures
A New York federal judge ruled that several borrowers must pay more than $72.4 million to Fannie Mae, which accused the borrowers of defaulting on multifamily loans associated with 12 New York City apartment buildings.
-
May 28, 2025
Texas Voters To Decide On Raising Homestead Tax Exemption
Texas voters will decide if the state should amend its constitution to increase the state's homestead property tax exemption from $100,000 to $140,000 under a Senate joint resolution approved by state lawmakers and filed with the Texas secretary of state.
-
May 28, 2025
Fannie Mae Taps Palantir To Combat Mortgage Fraud
Leaders of Fannie Mae, a government-sponsored enterprise that backs a fifth of the rental market, and tech company Palantir announced a partnership Wednesday to combat multifamily mortgage fraud.
-
May 28, 2025
Bankers' Group Says Redlining Enforcement Goes Too Far
A K&L Gates LLP partner warned that the U.S. Department of Justice's recent Fair Housing Act and Equal Credit Opportunity Act cases have dramatically expanded what lender behavior qualifies as "redlining," in a report prepared on behalf of the American Bankers Association.
-
May 28, 2025
A Niche Property Strategy Sprouts A Growing BigLaw Practice
Lofty land prices and nationwide housing shortages have made the legal work in guiding sales of primed-up dirt to homebuilders more essential — and fruitful — than ever, according to a practice leader at Holland & Knight LLP.
-
May 28, 2025
Nev. Extends Property Tax In Las Vegas, County To 2057
Nevada extended by 30 years the imposition of a property tax in the city of Las Vegas and unincorporated areas of Clark County, with revenue allocated for employing police officers, under a bill signed by the governor.
-
May 28, 2025
Insurance Atty Talks FEMA Cuts As Storm, Fire Seasons Near
As hurricane and wildfire seasons approach, Anthony Lopez, founder of the law firm Your Insurance Attorney, told Law360 Real Estate Authority that with natural disasters intensifying, the Trump administration's cuts to FEMA are likely to put more pressure on states and property owners in an already challenging insurance environment.
-
May 27, 2025
Trump To Pardon 'Chrisley' Stars Convicted Of Tax Evasion
President Donald Trump is planning to pardon reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, the Georgia duo sentenced to prison after being convicted of running a yearslong bank fraud scheme and dodging federal taxes, according to a post Tuesday on X by Trump's communications adviser.
-
May 27, 2025
NYC Real Estate Week In Review
Mayer Brown and Nixon Peabody are among the law firms that landed work on the largest New York City real estate deals to hit public records last week, with matters in Manhattan and Bronx atop the list.
-
May 27, 2025
6 Firms Hammer Out $4B Canadian Resi REIT Deal
A Singapore sovereign wealth fund and a Canadian multifamily landlord have purchased a residential real estate investment trust for $4 billion, the REIT announced Tuesday.
-
May 27, 2025
Rental Co. Signs Deal With Pa. AG Over AI-Related Delays
The Pennsylvania arm of a Las Vegas-based rental management company will pay the state $45,000 — including $30,000 in refunds for tenants — to settle allegations that its artificial intelligence platform contributed to delays in repairs and rentals of unsafe housing, the Pennsylvania attorney general's office announced Tuesday.
-
May 27, 2025
Property Co. Not Covered In Condo Fire Suits, Insurer Says
A property management company isn't covered for suits claiming it hired an unlicensed contractor whose work caused a fire at a condo complex, an insurer told a Florida federal court, saying coverage isn't available under a commercial general liability policy and is limited under a professional liability policy.
-
May 27, 2025
NC Justices Say Insured's Failure To Read Doesn't Bar Claim
North Carolina's highest court found a homeowner isn't barred from suing an insurance agency for negligence over false answers on a property insurance application even though he never read the document, saying context bears on his culpability.
-
May 27, 2025
LA County, Pasadena Shirking Eaton Fire Inspections, Suits Say
Two groups of California renters took to state court to sue Los Angeles County and the city of Pasadena for failing to properly inspect their homes after the Eaton Fire and for not making property owners decontaminate them.
-
May 27, 2025
Paul Hastings Lands 5-Atty LA Real Estate Team From Latham
Paul Hastings LLP's real estate practice is adding an experienced five-partner land use team from Latham & Watkins LLP in Los Angeles, the firm announced Tuesday.
-
May 23, 2025
Law360 Reveals Titans Of The Plaintiffs Bar
This past year, a handful of attorneys secured billions of dollars in settlements and judgments for both classes and individual plaintiffs against massive companies and organizations like Facebook, Dell, the National Association of Realtors, Johnson & Johnson, UFC and Credit Suisse, earning them recognition as Law360's Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar for 2025.
-
May 23, 2025
Report By Law Prof Filed In Ex-Atty's Bid To Win Back House
A Florida law professor's report filed this week with the state Supreme Court calls a Tampa judge's order taking away an attorney's home "manifestly erroneous," asserting the ruling handed down more than eight years ago was made without determining whether the property had state constitutional protection from creditors.
-
May 23, 2025
9th Circ. Upholds Ch. 13 Plan Against Debt Bifurcation Appeal
The Ninth Circuit rejected a mortgage lender's bid to overturn a California couple's bankruptcy plan, ruling their recalculated home value qualified them for Chapter 13 despite initial estimates exceeding the unsecured debt limit.
-
May 23, 2025
Ga. Bar OKs Real Estate Deals Via Video
The State Bar of Georgia has adopted a formal ethics opinion allowing attorneys to close real estate deals via video conference, finding that the remote appearances satisfy lawyers' duty to be "present" at closings.
-
May 23, 2025
Guggenheim-Backed Housing Proposal Upheld In SC
A South Carolina federal judge upheld a 9,000-unit housing plan brought in part by heirs of the Guggenheim family on the Cainhoy Peninsula near Charleston, finding federal authorities properly considered environmental effects of the development.
-
May 23, 2025
Va. Contractor Denied Real Property Sales Tax Break For Sand
Sand purchased by a Virginia homebuilder is tangible personal property subject to use tax and not real property, the state tax commissioner said, rejecting the builder's argument that the sand was part of the land at its previous location.
-
May 22, 2025
Wash. Justices Undo Landlord Win In Eviction Answer Dispute
Washington's highest court overturned a Seattle-area landlord's eviction victory on Thursday, saying any tenant who responds to a summons with a written "notice of appearance" can't be hit with a default judgment for failing to file an answer in an unlawful detainer action.
-
May 22, 2025
Trump Admin Ends Early Biden-Era Memphis Redlining Deal
A Tennessee federal judge on Wednesday approved a Trump administration request to terminate a redlining consent order with Trustmark National Bank, closing out the settlement that kicked off a Biden-era crackdown on mortgage lending discrimination.
Expert Analysis
-
A View Of The Shifting Insurance Regulatory Landscape
Attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland explore how the Federal Insurance Office's climate report, the new presidential administration and the California wildfires might affect the insurance regulatory landscape.
-
The Tides Are Changing For Fair Access Banking Laws
The landscape of fair access banking laws, which seek to prevent banks from denying services based on individuals' ideological beliefs, has shifted in the last few years, but a new presidential administration provides renewed momentum for advancing such legislation against the backdrop of state efforts, say attorneys at Latham.
-
How Congress Can Stem Consumer Finance Law Uncertainty
In the face of rising uncertainty about consumer finance laws that are based largely on fluctuating administrative rules, Congress should cement certain existing laws into statute and clarify federal agencies' delegations of authority, say attorneys at Bradley Arant.
-
Illuminating The Trend Of Florida's Unpaid Hurricane Claims
The sheer number of insurance claims closed without payment for damage caused by Hurricanes Milton and Helene reveals a systemic problem within Florida's insurance industry exacerbated by complex issues, including climate change and state regulators' resource limitations, say attorneys at Farah & Farah.
-
Insurance Considerations For LA Wildfire Recovery
Businesses and homeowners affected by the destructive Southern California wildfires must act swiftly and strategically to navigate the complexities of the insurance recovery process, including by identifying all applicable policies, documenting damage thoroughly and keeping abreast of relevant state law, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
-
LA Wildfires' Effect On Calif. Insurer Of Last Resort
Attorneys at Willkie discuss the background of California's insurer of last resort — known as the Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan — and examine the process of assessing member insurers and relevant recent property insurance market developments in light of the destruction from the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires.
-
Algorithm Price-Fixing Ruling May Lower Antitrust Claims Bar
A Washington federal court's refusal to dismiss Duffy v. Yardi Systems, an antitrust case over rent prices allegedly inflated by revenue management software, creates an apparent split in the lower courts over how to assess such claims, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
-
California's New Homeowner Law Could Hamper Foreclosures
While A.B. 2424, which took effect this month in California, gives homeowners in default additional protections, it also provides loopholes that can be used to delay foreclosure auctions, and the cost of these delays will likely be passed on to the borrower, says Stephen Britt at Severson & Werson.
-
Small Biz Caught In Corporate Transparency Act Crossfire
Despite compliance being put on hold due to a nationwide preliminary injunction, small businesses have been caught in the middle of the legal battle over the Corporate Transparency Act — and confusion over the law's requirements could result in major penalties, say attorneys at Snell & Wilmer.
-
What's Ahead As Transparency Act Comes To A Crossroads
Synthesizing the contrasting federal district and appellate court rulings on the Corporate Transparency Act’s validity reveals several main areas of debate that will likely remain at issue as challenges to the law continue winding through the courts, say attorneys at Farella Braun.
-
Ohio Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4
Ohio's banking and financial services sector saw several significant developments in the fourth quarter of 2024, including a landmark Uniform Commercial Code ruling, adjustments to the state's Homebuyer Plus Program and the launch of the state's first women-led bank, says attorney Alex Durst.
-
In The ÃÛÌÒÊÓÆµ Playbook: A Sprint To The Finish Line
The fourth quarter of 2024 was an impressive demonstration of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's ability to regulate, enforce and supervise, even on borrowed time following the election results, and we should expect the current bureau to run nonstop until Jan. 20, say attorneys at Covington.
-
The 6 Most Significant FCRA Litigation Developments Of 2024
From a key sovereign immunity decision at the U.S. Supreme Court to a ruling on creditworthiness out of the Seventh Circuit, several important Fair Credit Reporting Act cases wound their way through the courts in 2024, each offering takeaways for both plaintiffs and defendants, say attorneys at Shipkevich.