Residential
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November 08, 2024
NJ Appeals Panel Rejects Convicted Ex-Atty's Bid For Relief
The New Jersey Appellate Division turned down on Friday a former attorney's bid for review of her conviction on participating in an $873,000 mortgage fraud scheme, in which she claimed she was barred from the full range of cross-examination at trial that she should have had the right to.
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November 08, 2024
Opendoor Widely Cuts Costs Amid Tough Housing Market
Executives at Opendoor Technologies Inc. said the digital home-selling platform has turned to cost-cutting measures, including laying off 17% of its workforce, as the housing market continues to buckle under pressure in the third quarter of 2024.
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November 08, 2024
Nixon Peabody Helps Boston Supportive Housing Land $153M
A Boston housing development nonprofit, with guidance from Nixon Peabody LLP, obtained $153 million in financing to develop a 19-story, 126-unit supportive housing project in the city, the law firm announced.
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November 07, 2024
Trump Election Complicates Growing Insurance Climate Crisis
Donald Trump's election to a second term as president is a huge setback for global efforts to curb climate change, and his disregard for the environment will likely complicate efforts to better understand climate risks facing insurers and consumers, experts say.
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November 07, 2024
NC Contractor Says DR Horton Owes It Millions
A contractor claimed that homebuilding giant D.R. Horton Inc. stiffed it out of more than $5.5 million after it did site work for residential real estate projects in North and South Carolina.
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November 07, 2024
Fla. Counties Say Notice Was Insufficient In $5B Bond Deal
A group of Florida counties and tax collectors asked the Florida Supreme Court Thursday to reverse a decision that found they could not reopen a bond validation judgment issuing $5 billion in bonds for renewable energy and hurricane mitigation projects, arguing they were not given proper notice of the bond validation hearing.
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November 07, 2024
Minn. Court Nudges $50K Off Tax Value Of St. Paul Home
A Minnesota home was over-assessed and should have its valuation reduced by $50,000, according to the state's tax court, taking into consideration a comparable sales analysis presented by the owners.
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November 07, 2024
Ariz. OKs Property Tax Credits For Unattended Nuisances
Arizona property owners affected by public nuisances that local governments fail to address could qualify for tax refunds under Proposition 312, a ballot measure approved by state voters.
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November 07, 2024
Mass. Court Affirms Nix Of Property Tax Appeal Citing Blight
A Massachusetts homeowner's request for a property tax abatement because of local blight was properly rejected by a state tax board because the owner did not pay the tax at issue as required, the state appeals court ruled Tuesday.
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November 07, 2024
Property Co. Sues Insurer Over Late Coverage Rights Letter
A company providing management services to homeowners associations accused its insurer in North Carolina federal court of acting in bad faith after it said the insurer only sent it a reservation of rights letter a year into its defense of a fire damage lawsuit.
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November 07, 2024
Transparency Act Should Exclude Housing Co-Ops, Court Told
A group of housing cooperatives asked a Michigan federal judge to grant them an exemption from the "dragnet" Corporate Transparency Act, claiming the disclosure requirements will deter members from serving on boards that govern affordable housing developments.
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November 07, 2024
Canada's Competition Bureau Seeks Dye & Durham Docs
Canada's Competition Bureau announced Thursday that it obtained a court order to gather information and advance an ongoing investigation into alleged anti-competitive conduct by legal technology company Dye & Durham Ltd., which has been scrutinized over the past year by activist investors and other national regulatory bodies.
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November 07, 2024
JLL Adds $100M To Dry Powder Stock For Affiliate REIT
Commercial broker JLL said Nov. 7 that it put an additional $100 million into its own JLL Income Property Trust to support its investments at an "opportune" time in real estate market recovery.
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November 07, 2024
Indicted Power Broker Says Civil Suit Repeats Earlier Claims
Indicted Garden State power broker George E. Norcross III and his attorney brother have urged a New Jersey state judge to toss the civil racketeering suit brought against them by a Philadelphia developer, arguing that the developer's claims are time-barred and should have been filed in previously litigated and resolved actions.
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November 06, 2024
Venue For Fla. County Suit Against Funder Getting New Look
A Florida appellate court ruled Wednesday that Palm Beach County can't use the "sword-wielder" exception to deny a funding agency's choice of court in a lawsuit over the authority to levy property taxes, saying the agency has proved it's a governmental entity entitled to a home venue privilege.
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November 06, 2024
What Trump's Victory Portends For Commercial Real Estate
President-elect Donald Trump's victory could clear up uncertainty for investors who had been waiting out the election, but the commercial real estate industry may see challenges ahead from some of his proposed "protectionist" policies, attorneys and experts said Wednesday.
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November 06, 2024
Developer Raises $171M For Affordable Housing Projects
The Richman Group Affordable Housing Corp. announced that it has raised $171.5 million in equity, which will allow the company to acquire, rehabilitate and construct 15 affordable housing properties in as many states.
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November 06, 2024
JV Nabs $110M Refinancing For NYC Multifamily Portfolio
A joint venture between Davean Holdings and Meadow Partners landed a $110 million refinancing of a New York City multifamily portfolio from Hudson Bay Capital, according to Walker & Dunlop, which facilitated the refinancing.
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November 06, 2024
Capital Markets Bounce Back For Big Four Brokers In Q3
After predicting a return of capital markets activity in the second half of 2024, commercial real estate's big four brokers reported that buyers and sellers are finally returning to the market in announcing third quarter results recently.
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November 06, 2024
Ga. Judge Trims Insurer's Shooting Coverage Claims
A Georgia federal judge Wednesday threw out as premature AMCO Insurance Co.'s claim asserting it has no duty to indemnify an apartment complex facing litigation after a resident was struck by multiple bullets while sleeping, but left in place its claim it has no duty to defend the complex.
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November 06, 2024
FINRA Fines Firm Over Lax Real Estate Investment Diligence
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ordered broker-dealer XP to pay $800,000 in restitution and penalties to settle claims that, among other things, it recommended investments in a series of real estate-focused private placements without conducting proper due diligence on them, leading to investor losses when the offerings flopped.
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November 06, 2024
NJ Authorizes Sharing Property Tax Info To Calculate Credits
New Jersey authorized the sharing of taxpayers' unredacted property tax information to calculate tax credits as part of a property tax relief program under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.
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November 06, 2024
MVP: Cadwalader's Holly Chamberlain
Holly Chamberlain led teams from Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP in advising major lenders on several significant deals this year, including the origination of three mortgage loans worth a combined $3.1 billion as part of Blackstone's $10 billion take-private transaction of multifamily owner AIR Communities, earning her a spot as one of the 2024 Law360 Real Estate MVPs.
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November 06, 2024
Calif. Voters Won't Rethink City Borrowing Tool For Housing
California voters on Tuesday rejected Proposition 5, a ballot initiative that would have amended the state's constitution to make it easier for municipalities to borrow the money needed to fund affordable housing and infrastructure work.
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November 05, 2024
An Early Look At Trump's Supreme Court Shortlist
With former President Donald Trump projected to win the 2024 presidential election and the Republicans' success in securing the U.S. Senate majority, Trump may now get the chance to appoint two more justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, cementing the court's conservative tilt for decades to come.
Expert Analysis
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AI Isn't The Wild West, So Prepare Now For Bias Risks
In addition to President Joe Biden's recent historic executive order on safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence, there are existing federal and state laws prohibiting fraud, defamation and even discrimination, so companies considering using or developing AI should take steps to minimize legal and business risks, says civil rights attorney Farhana Khera.
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AI's Baked-In Bias: What To Watch Out For
The federal AI executive order is a direct acknowledgment of the perils of inherent bias in artificial intelligence systems, and highlights the need for legal professionals to thoroughly vet AI systems, including data and sources, algorithms and AI training methods, and more, say Jonathan Hummel and Jonathan Talcott at Ballard Spahr.
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Calif. Ruling May Open Bankruptcy Trustees To Tort Liability
In Martin v. Gladstone, a recent California appellate court decision, the application of tort concepts to bankruptcy trustees could pose a new concern for trustees and federal receivers when controlling and maintaining commercial property, says Jarrett Osborne-Revis at Buchalter.
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5th Circ. Ruling May Beget Fraud Jury Instruction Appeals
The Fifth Circuit’s recent U.S. v. Greenlaw decision, disapproving disjunctive fraudulent-intent jury instructions, will likely spawn appeals in mail, wire and securities fraud cases, but defendants must show that their deception furthered ends other than taking the victim's property, says Charles Fowler at McKool Smith.
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Considerations For Navigating Mixed-Use Developments
As mixed-use developments continue to rise in popularity, developers considering this approach to urban planning must be aware of key considerations ranging from title and zoning laws to proper engagement with stakeholders, says Mehdi Sinaki at Michelman & Robinson.
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1st Tax Easement Convictions Will Likely Embolden DOJ, IRS
After recent convictions in the first criminal tax fraud trial over allegedly abusive syndicated conservation easements, the IRS and U.S. Department of Justice will likely pursue other promoters for similar alleged conspiracies — though one acquittal may help attorneys better evaluate their clients' exposure, say Bill Curtis and Lauren DeSantis-Then at Polsinelli.
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How CRE Loans Would Shift Under New Bank Capital Rules
Attorneys at MoFo discuss how commercial real estate loans would fare under federal banking agencies' proposed changes to how large banks risk-weight loans, particularly how CRE loans are weighed based on the current standardized framework versus the proposed expanded approach.
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Proactive Measures While NY Foreclosure Law Is In Limbo
While questions about the scope and constitutionality of New York's Foreclosure Abuse Prevention Act might not be resolved by courts for years, lenders, borrowers and other interested parties can take action to protect their rights and potentially expedite appellate review, say Allison Schoenthal and Andrew Kim at Goodwin.
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EB-5 Investment Period Clarification Raises More Questions
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' recent clarifying guidance for EB-5 investors, specifying that the statutory investment period begins two years from the date of investment, raises as many questions as it answers given related agency requirements and investors' potential contractual obligations, says Daniel Lundy at Klasko Immigration Law Partners.
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How NY Residential Property Condition Disclosure Is Shifting
New York's recent significant amendments to the Property Condition Disclosure Act provide a new focus on the risk and damage from flooding, and the changes will affect the duties and standard of practice for real estate brokers, as well as liability and compliance for sellers and landlords, says Steven Ebert at Cassin & Cassin.
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Conn. Banking Brief: The Notable Compliance Updates In Q3
The most notable legal changes affecting Connecticut financial institutions in the third quarter of 2023 included increased regulatory protections for consumers, an expansion of state financial assistance for underserved communities, and a panoply of tweaks to existing laws, says Brian Rich at Barclay Damon.
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Mass. Banking Brief: The Notable Compliance Updates In Q3
Among the most significant developments in the financial services space in the third quarter of the year, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court handed down a stunning endorsement of the state's fiduciary duty rule, and banking regulators continued their multiyear crackdown on unregistered entities, say attorneys at Mintz.
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Insurance Rulings Continue Expansion Of Appraisal's Ambit
Two recent Illinois insurance cases allowing property damage appraisers to determine causation — Wysoczan v. Cambridge in federal court and Shelter v. Morrow in state appellate court — perpetuate a judicial trend that will result in a slower, more expensive and cumbersome appraisal process that resembles litigation, says Matthew Fortin at BatesCarey.