Real Estate & Property Law

Anderson Kill adds 10-attorney firm known for representation of HOA boards

Anderson Kill has added to its ranks a 10-attorney New York corporate firm known for its real estate work, as well as the representation of the boards and management companies of condominiums, cooperatives and homeowner associations. The New York-based Anderson Kill, announced the acquisition in a Wednesday news release, which…

Jun 2, 2016 11:15 AM CDT

Telling tenants to ‘friend’ landlord Facebook page in 5 days or lose lease was mistake, lawyer says

When tenants in a Salt Lake City apartment building discovered an unusual lease addendum taped to their doors last week, a number were irked. It said they had to “friend” the landlord’s Facebook page within 5 days, reports KSL, or be found in breach of the rental agreement with City…

Jun 1, 2016 3:35 PM CDT

Contentious battles between couples over frozen embryos raise legal and ethical dilemmas

When Risa Levine, a real estate attorney in New York City, got married, she wanted nothing more than to have a baby. Her husband at the time also wanted a child, but they weren't able to do so on their own. So they went to a fertility clinic together.

Jun 1, 2016 4:10 AM CDT

Longtime lawyer pleads guilty in $33.6M real-estate fraud involving bogus court filings

In recent years, a number of real estate lawyers have been embroiled in mortgage fraud cases. But Arizona attorney Jeffrey Greenberg went farther than most, federal prosecutors say: He not only used his legal expertise to help co-conspirators get dubious loans on multi-million dollar Southern California homes but also to…

May 27, 2016 11:45 AM CDT

Lawyer is charged with stealing $587K from estate of deceased ‘kung fu’ judge

A Queens lawyer has been charged with grand larceny for allegedly siphoning $587,000 in Brooklyn real estate sale proceeds from the estate of a deceased New York judge. Bail was set Wednesday at $250,000 for attorney Frank Racano, as he entered a not-guilty plea in criminal court in Brooklyn. He…

May 26, 2016 10:30 AM CDT

Suit claims timeshare sales by Marriott Vacation Club are a racketeering scheme

A would-be class action claims the Marriott Vacation Club’s timeshare program is a racketeering scheme that sells “illusory” interests in real property. The suit (PDF), filed last Friday in federal court in Orlando, alleges that timeshare buyers in Marriott’s points program pay closing costs, recording fees, title policy premiums and…

May 25, 2016 10:50 AM CDT

New Mexico sues EPA, seeking cleanup of toxic mine spill and damages

Ordinarily, when there’s a dispute about claimed environmental damage due to corporate operations, it’s the Environmental Protection Agency that sues to get it cleaned up. But a lawsuit filed Monday by the state of New Mexico in federal court in Albuquerque names the EPA as a defendant, along with an…

May 24, 2016 1:00 PM CDT

No liability for movie theater owner in Colorado movie massacre, jury decides

A Colorado jury on Thursday found no liability on the part of a movie theater owner in a lawsuit over a shooting massacre at an Aurora premiere of the Batman film The Dark Knight Rises in 2012. Jurors deliberated only three or four hours before rejecting claims that more security…

May 19, 2016 5:00 PM CDT

Lewis Brisbois sues developer of building destroyed by arson, seeks damages for forced office move

It isn’t just the city of Los Angeles that’s suing the developer of an apartment building that burned to the ground in a massive 2014 fire. Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, which was forced to relocate its nearby 275-attorney LA office, filed suit Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court against…

May 17, 2016 4:30 PM CDT

Second Amendment includes right to buy and sell arms, 9th Circuit says in zoning case

The Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms includes a right to buy and sell guns, a federal appeals court ruled on Monday. The 2-1 decision by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated a lawsuit challenging a zoning law regulating the location of gun stores,…

May 17, 2016 8:12 AM CDT

These states have the best and worst civil access to justice

Washington, D.C., provides the best civil access to justice while Mississippi provides the worst, according to new findings by the National Center for Access to Justice. The “Justice Index” findings are based on access regardless of income, language ability, or physical or mental challenges, according to a press release (PDF)…

May 12, 2016 6:15 AM CDT

Lawyer admits role in ‘judicial subpoena’ for witness questionnaires, pleads guilty to misdemeanor

Corrected: A New York City lawyer has admitted a role in helping to create an apparent court subpoena compelling witnesses in a client’s mortgage-fraud case to fill out a questionnaire. The subpoena was intended to discredit earlier sworn testimony by witnesses by pressuring them to complete the questionnaire, prosecutors said.…

May 11, 2016 5:00 PM CDT

First trial of movie theater owner over mass shooting at Batman premiere begins in Colorado

Two months before James Holmes killed 12 people and wounded dozens more in a shooting massacre at a premiere of the Batman film The Dark Knight Rises in suburban Denver, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a warning about the potential for such attacks. But the jury selected this…

May 10, 2016 12:25 PM CDT

Top Boies Schiller litigator sues his mother for defamation

A top litigator for Boies, Schiller & Flexner has filed two lawsuits against his own mother. Joined by two siblings, Nicholas Gravante Jr. filed a federal lawsuit in Fort Myers, Florida, in March seeking a declaratory judgment concerning their rights in property of their father, Nicholas Gravante Sr., a successful…

May 4, 2016 12:45 PM CDT

23 Seattle landlords charged with discriminating against tenants with rent vouchers, disabilities

After an undercover investigation by the Seattle Office for Civil Rights, 23 landlords there face discrimination charges from the agency. The largest number of charges involve Section 8 vouchers, according to the Seattle Times. Discrimination related to Section 8 vouchers is prohibited in Seattle. Out of 97 tests, 13 resulted…

May 3, 2016 1:30 PM CDT