Residential
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August 14, 2024
SEC Says Ga. Firm's Ponzi Scheme Fueled 'Lavish' Lifestyle
An Atlanta-area firm that promised investors lucrative returns on real estate deals was in reality running a "classic Ponzi scheme" by funneling portions of the $300 million it received into buying a yacht and a luxury condo for its founder, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said Wednesday.
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August 13, 2024
CFPB Says Predatory Lenders Targeting Muslim Homebuyers
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Tuesday it found that an often predatory form of home financing, known as contracts for deed, has become increasingly prevalent in Muslim communities.
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August 13, 2024
NYC Developer Lands $72M For Luxury Condo Project
The developer behind a 117-unit luxury condominium development under construction in Queens, New York, secured $72 million in construction financing from Naftali Credit Partners and Axos Bank.
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August 13, 2024
New Realtor Complaint Challenges NAR's Membership Rule
The National Association of Realtors is facing a new proposed class action, this time from Michigan real estate brokers and agents challenging state and local requirements that they be members of local and national Realtor organizations to use the association's multiple listing services.
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August 13, 2024
Fried Frank Guides Howard Hughes' $40M Air Rights Deal
Howard Hughes Corp. has purchased $40 million worth of air rights from New York City for two Manhattan properties in a deal guided by Fried Frank, as the real estate company presses forward with the redevelopment of a Seaport lot.
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August 13, 2024
Goetz Fitzpatrick Adds New Partner To Roster Ahead Of Merger
As it prepares to merge with a Northeastern law firm at the start of next year, New York-based construction and real estate firm Goetz Fitzpatrick LLP announced the addition of a name partner from another Empire State firm Sahn Ward Braff Koblenz Coschignano PLLC.
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August 13, 2024
SCALE Lending Inks $75M Loan For NJ Multifamily Project
A New Jersey developer will wrap up construction of a 294-unit apartment community and begin leasing after SCALE Lending provided $75 million in bridge financing, refinancing its earlier construction loan, the lender has announced.
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August 13, 2024
Connecticut Justices Restore City's Lien On Burned Building
The city of Hartford can place a lien on an apartment building that was heavily damaged in an arson fire to make sure that it recoups the funds that paid for 39 families to relocate, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled in overturning a trial court's decision to discharge the lien.
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August 12, 2024
New York Appeals Court Revives NYU's Zoning Suit
A New York appeals court revived and remanded New York University's suit against the city over an amended zoning law that the university claimed would wrongfully restrict it from building dorms and classrooms in a rezoned area of Manhattan.
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August 12, 2024
Claims Trimmed In Goldman Family's NYC Property Battle
A New York state judge has tossed several claims that inheritors of the late Sol Goldman's real estate empire filed in a dispute over control of the family business, while keeping mismanagement claims against the deceased billionaire's daughter alive.
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August 12, 2024
Construction Co. Says Tribe Can't Escape $1.9M Wage Suit
A New York construction company is fighting a bid by an entity created by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe to dismiss a $1.9 million wage dispute for work done on an $11.75 million Cape Cod, Massachusetts, housing project, arguing that sovereign immunity can't protect it from the litigation.
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August 12, 2024
Co. Says Title Insurer Acted In Bad Faith Over Deed Dispute
An owner of two adjacent parcels of land in Philadelphia accused its title insurer in Pennsylvania state court of ignoring its repeated requests to settle an underlying deed dispute and basing its coverage position on an "obviously nonsensical and unsupportable" appraisal.
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August 12, 2024
2nd Circ. Nixes 'Excessive' $5M Award For Housing Nonprofit
The Second Circuit on Monday overturned a $5 million award to a nonprofit that faced pushback from a Connecticut town while trying to open a group home for individuals with disabilities, finding that it was unconstitutionally excessive, but at the same time castigated the municipality's officials for "highly reprehensible" conduct.
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August 12, 2024
Ind. Tax Board Reverses Valuation Of Rental Property
An Indiana tax board must reconsider the use of a single-family property that is rented out by its corporate owner, since the local assessor valued the home like an owner-occupied residence, the state's tax court said.
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August 12, 2024
'Survivor' Winner Is True Owner In Property Dispute, US Says
The winner of the first "Survivor" television season is the true owner of disputed property that should be sold to pay down his $3.3 million in tax liabilities, the government told a Rhode Island federal court, rejecting claims that his sister is the owner.
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August 12, 2024
Trump Co.'s Condo Tower Project Advances In Florida
Doral, Florida, officials on Wednesday advanced a revised request from a company owned by former President Donald Trump to build a series of condo towers with high-end retail after the city signed off on a zoning change for the project last year.
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August 09, 2024
Fed. Circ.'s Eviction Ban Ruling A Big Win For Landlords
Attorneys believe the Federal Circuit's Aug. 7 decision to reverse a ruling on the COVID-19 federal eviction moratorium is part of a growing trend to consider whether landlord-tenant regulations are a physical taking, and it could change the way federal agencies weigh new programs.
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August 09, 2024
Cos. Say Insurer Owes Coverage For Penn. Building Collapse
A Philadelphia residential building owner and its affiliate accused Trisura Specialty Insurance Co. on Friday of wrongfully denying coverage after part of the property collapsed in September 2022.
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August 09, 2024
Home Sellers Get Approved For $250M HomeServices Deal
A Missouri federal judge granted preliminary approval for a $250 million class action settlement to end an antitrust suit filed by home sellers who accused the National Association of Realtors, HomeServices of America Inc. and other companies of conspiring to artificially inflate broker commission fees.
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August 09, 2024
Restoration Worker Can't Shake Employment Deal Claims
North Carolina's Business Court has pared down a lawsuit between a restoration company and a former employee centered on allegations of breaking employment agreements and misusing licenses, with the court ruling most of the worker's claims had to be tossed, while some of the company's accusations can head toward trial.
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August 09, 2024
Colony Ridge Mortgage Co. Says It Was 'Office Geek' For Site
A Texas mortgage company pushed Friday to be released from a lawsuit accusing a Houston-area real estate developer and lender of predatory lending practices, telling a federal judge that it never met with the Hispanic consumers allegedly preyed on through the scheme and that the company was "just doing paperwork."
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August 09, 2024
Property Plays: Blackstone, Stack Infrastructure, Vornado
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.
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August 09, 2024
Colo. Judge Rejects Hedge Fund's Bid To Toss Developer Suit
A Colorado state judge has denied a hedge fund owner's attempt to toss claims in a lawsuit accusing it and related entities of violating a term sheet for a commercial housing project, finding a real estate development company's breach of contract and fraud claims were specific enough to survive dismissal.
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August 09, 2024
Phillips Lytle Adds Ex-Benderson Development In-House Atty
An attorney who started his career at Phillips Lytle LLP has returned to the firm as special counsel on its real estate industry team in New York state after five years as in-house counsel at Benderson Development.
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August 08, 2024
Judge OKs $18.2M Settlement For Assisted Living Residents
A California federal judge preliminarily approved an $18.2 million class action settlement for a suit that accused two assisted living companies of defrauding current and former residents and their relatives by misleading them about promised care services.
Expert Analysis
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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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Walking With My Dog Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Thanks to my dog Birdie, I've learned that carving out an activity different from the practice of law — like daily outdoor walks that allow you to interact with new people — can contribute to professional success by boosting creativity and mental acuity, as well as expanding your social network, says Sarah Petrie at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.
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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 CFPB'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.