Residential
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August 07, 2025
Smoke Taint Evidence Complicates Recovery For Wineries
Recent widespread fires in and around California's wine-producing regions, which produce a vast majority of the nation's wine, have spurred concern from policyholders and public officials over how wineries can seek coverage for smoke tainting their products. Victor Jacobellis, an insurance recovery attorney at Merlin Law Group, spoke to Law360 about the implications of smoke taint as well as a Senate bill that could provide a baseline standard for measuring it.
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August 07, 2025
Trump Greenlights Private Equity, Crypto 401(k) Investing
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that aims to make it easier for retirement plans to invest in a wider range of assets, including cryptocurrency, private equity and real estate.
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August 07, 2025
Housing Advocates Say Opponents Stole Name For PAC
A housing advocacy nonprofit in the Boston suburb of Newton say that opponents of a zoning measure appropriated its name, "Newton for Everyone," for a political action committee to fund candidates opposing the plan, violating its trademark rights and other laws.
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August 07, 2025
Texas Bill Seeks Two-Thirds Vote To Exceed Max Tax Rate
Texas would require two-thirds approval from voters to allow local taxing entities to increase property taxes beyond a maximum rate permitted by law without a vote under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.
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August 07, 2025
NY AG Says Landlord Overcharged City Subsidized Tenants
The New York Attorney General's Office has filed a lawsuit in state court against a New York City landlord who it says overcharged rent-stabilized tenants receiving subsidies and then sued some of the tenants for nonpayment.
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August 07, 2025
Former LVMH Atty Joins Realtors Association's Legal Team
The National Association of Realtors announced Aug. 7 it has appointed as its vice president of litigation and associate general counsel the former vice president of legal affairs and head of litigation at LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton Inc.
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August 07, 2025
NC Biz Court Bulletin: Divorce Dust-Ups And Judicial Rebukes
Litigation in the North Carolina Business Court is heating up this summer with new complaints centered on fears a former state politician's divorce proceedings will impede his companies' operations and accusations that a climate technology company has failed to pay out a former engineer's ownership interest.
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August 06, 2025
Under Pressure, Higher Ed Leans On Real Estate
As institutions of higher education contend with declining enrollment and federal funding cuts, some are finding creative ways to monetize their real estate, which comes with important legal considerations, according to attorneys.
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August 06, 2025
Aimco Agrees To $740M New England Portfolio Sale
Real estate investment trust Apartment Investment and Management Co. will get paid $740 million for selling off a 2,719-unit portfolio of five New England apartment properties to an affiliate of real estate investor and manager Harbor Group International LLC, Aimco announced Wednesday.
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August 06, 2025
Ex-Homeowners Seek OK On Tax Foreclosure Suit Deal
A proposed class of former property owners asked a Michigan federal judge Tuesday to give initial support to a settlement with several counties that would allow the ex-homeowners to receive the surplus profits they allege the county treasurers made selling their tax-delinquent properties.
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August 06, 2025
Wells Fargo Beats Cert. Bid In Mortgage Racial Bias Suit
Mortgage applicants accusing Wells Fargo of discriminating against borrowers from racial minorities by charging them higher interest rates have been denied class certification, with a California federal court ruling they have failed to show sufficient commonality among their claims.
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August 06, 2025
Colo. Justices Asked To Rule On Pro Se Appeal Authority
A plumbing company and two Colorado homeowners asked the state's Supreme Court on Tuesday to clarify that the Colorado Court of Appeals has jurisdiction to prevent litigants from making "frivolous" pro se filings, contrary to a prior ruling from the court.
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August 06, 2025
Big CRE Brokers Report Stubborn Optimism In Q2 Results
With most of commercial real estate's major brokers posting leasing gains and capital markets closings, executives said recently in announcing second-quarter earnings that they expect activity to continue as clients grow jaded to drama from recent trade disputes.
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August 06, 2025
AmeriFirst Financial Floats Global Deal In Ch. 11 Case
Bankrupt mortgage service provider AmeriFirst Financial Inc. proposed a global settlement of disputes in its Chapter 11 case that will break a months-long roadblock to resolution of its bankruptcy proceedings.
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August 06, 2025
NYC Council Approves Manhattan Mixed-Use Rezoning Plan
A rezoning plan that aims to build more than 9,500 homes in midtown Manhattan was approved Wednesday by the New York City Council's Committee on Land Use and a related subcommittee.
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August 06, 2025
Rising Star: DLA Piper's Katherine Jahnke Dale
Katherine Jahnke Dale of DLA Piper has been a key adviser on a transformation of Chicago's Fulton Market neighborhood, along with projects that include a $7 billion redevelopment near the United Center and a purchase agreement for a former steel plant now envisioned as a technology hub, earning her a spot among the real estate law practitioners under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.
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August 06, 2025
Inland Empire Calif. Multifamily Complex Sells For $148M
Broker Marcus & Millichap said it has arranged the $148.4 million sale of a 328-unit multifamily property in Southern California's Inland Empire area from its developer to a New York real estate firm.
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August 05, 2025
New Developer To Build $1.5B Resi Towers In Jersey City
A new real estate developer stacked with former Brookfield Properties and Croesus Group executives unveiled the company's inaugural project on Tuesday — a $1.5 billion mixed-use project slated for construction in Jersey City, New Jersey.
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August 05, 2025
FHFA Doubles Freddie, Fannie LIHTC Investment Caps
The Federal Housing Finance Agency will raise Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae's investment caps for Low Income Housing Tax Credit-qualifying properties from $1 billion for each government-sponsored enterprise to $2 billion annually, the agency announced on Tuesday.
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August 05, 2025
Court Trims Most Of Contractors' Suit Against NJ Prosecutors
A New Jersey federal judge has trimmed the majority of claims brought against the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office by two contractors alleging they were illegally targeted in a criminal investigation over a business rivalry with an assistant prosecutor, ruling that the agency is protected by sovereign immunity.
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August 05, 2025
Pa. Bill Seeks 5-Year Reassessment Cycle For Property Taxes
Pennsylvania would establish a schedule that would require counties to reassess property for tax purposes every five years under a bill introduced in the state Senate.
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August 05, 2025
Housing Builder Boxabl Goes Public Via $3.5B SPAC Deal
Housing solutions company Boxabl Inc., advised by Winston & Strawn LLP, announced plans on Tuesday to go public via a merger with Loeb & Loeb LLP-led special purpose acquisition company FG Merger II Corp. in a deal that values the business at $3.5 billion.
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August 04, 2025
Rocket Cos. Investor Drops Mich. Derivative Suit
An investor in the parent company of online mortgage lender Rocket Mortgage has dropped derivative allegations that the company's brass concealed a loan demand downturn a week after a proposed shareholder class action making similar claims was voluntarily tossed.
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August 04, 2025
Ex-Yankee Strikes $729K Deal With Moldy Mansion's Landlord
Former Major League Baseball player Joshua Donaldson will receive around $729,000 from the landlord of a Connecticut mansion that suffered a mold problem after they reached a post-verdict deal to end their federal contract dispute.
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August 04, 2025
DC Circ. Backs FBI Agent's Bribery Sentence
The D.C. Circuit Court has affirmed a former FBI special agent's two-year sentence for taking a bribe in connection with a property-buying scheme, finding that he accepted at least $6,500 from a real estate developer in exchange for illegally sharing information from a protected database to which the FBI subscribed.
Expert Analysis
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Do Not Overstate Fla. Condo Termination Ruling's Impact
A close look at the unique language at issue in Avila v. Biscayne, in which a Florida appellate court deemed a condo termination to be invalid, shows that the case is unlikely to significantly affect other potential terminations, say Barry Lapides and Edward Baker at Berger Singerman.
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Takeaways From FDIC's Spring Supervisory Highlights
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s spring 2024 consumer compliance supervisory report found that relatively few institutions had significant consumer compliance issues last year, but the common thread among those that did were inadequacies or failures in disclosures to consumers, says Matthew Hanaghan at Nutter.
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What Calif. Eviction Ruling Means For Defaulting Borrowers
A California appellate court's recent decision in Homeward Opportunities v. Taptelis found that a defaulting borrower could not delay foreclosure with an improperly served notice of pendency of action, but leaves open a possibility for borrowers to delay eviction proceedings merely by filing lawsuits, say Anne Beehler and Krystal Anderson at Holland & Knight.
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How 3D Printing And Prefab Are Changing Construction
The growing popularity of trends like 3D printing technology and prefabrication in the construction industry have positive ramifications ranging from reducing risks at project sites to streamlining construction schedules, say Josephine Bahn and Jeffery Mullen at Cozen O'Connor.
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Wave Of Final Rules Reflects Race Against CRA Deadline
The flurry of final rules now leaping off the Federal Register press — some of which will affect entire industries and millions of Americans — shows President Joe Biden's determination to protect his regulatory legacy from reversal by the next Congress, given the impending statutory look-back period under the Congressional Review Act, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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A Deep Dive Into High Court's Permit Fee Ruling
David Robinson and Daniel Golub at Holland & Knight explore the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling that a local traffic impact fee charged to a California property owner may be a Fifth Amendment taking — and where it leaves localities and real estate developers.
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The Case For Overturning Florida Foreclosure Ruling
A Florida appellate court's recent decision in Desbrunes v. U.S. Bank National Association will potentially put foreclosure cases across the state in jeopardy, and unless it is reconsidered, foreclosing plaintiffs will need to choose between frustrating and uncertain options in the new legal landscape, say Sara Accardi and Paige Knight at Bradley.
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Bracing For The ÃÛÌÒÊÓÆµ's War On Mortgage Fees
As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau homes in on the legality of certain residential mortgage fees, the industry should consult the bureau's steady stream of consumer lending guidance for hints on its priorities, say Nanci Weissgold and Melissa Malpass at Alston & Bird.
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DOJ Consent Orders Chart Road Map For Lending Compliance
Two recent consent orders issued by the U.S. Department of Justice as part of its efforts to fight mortgage lending discrimination highlight issues that pose fair lending compliance risks, and should be carefully studied by banks to avoid enforcement actions, says Memrie Fortenberry at Jones Walker.
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Reverse Veil-Piercing Ruling Will Help Judgment Creditors
A New York federal court’s recent decision in Citibank v. Aralpa Holdings, finding two corporate entities liable for a judgment issued against a Mexican businessman, shows the value of reverse veil piercing as a remedy for judgment creditors to go after sophisticated debtors who squirrel away assets, says Gabe Bluestone at Omni Bridgeway.
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Calif. Housing Overhaul May Increase Pressure On Landlords
Two recently enacted California laws signal new protections and legal benefits for tenants, but also elevate landlords' financial exposure at a time when they are already facing multiple other hardships, says Laya Dogmetchi at Much Shelist.
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New Proposal Signals Sharper Enforcement Focus At CFIUS
Last week's proposed rule aimed at broadening the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States' enforcement authority over foreign investments and increasing penalties for violations signals that CFIUS intends to continue expanding its aggressive monitoring of national security issues, say attorneys at Kirkland.
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Climate Disclosure Mandates Demand A Big-Picture Approach
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.