Those who lost homes in massive Wash. mudslide may still owe mortgage payments

It appears that at least most of the dozens of homes destroyed in a Washington state mudslide a little over a week ago didn’t have the special landslide coverage required to insure against such damage. And even if they had, homeowners likely will not be permitted by government officials to…

Apr 2, 2014 9:05 PM CDT

Jury acquits 2 lawyers and developer in federal housing kickback case

A real estate developer and two lawyers who served as his partners were acquitted Tuesday by a federal jury in Brooklyn on charges that they had participated in a kickback scheme that involved a top New York City housing official. The former housing official testified he had received about $2.5…

Apr 2, 2014 5:25 PM CDT

Differing state and local regulations govern building in risky areas

After a natural disaster strikes, critics often question why the government allows building in risky areas. There are no easy answers, the New York Times reports. The United States Geological Survey provides information about geologic features and risks, but it has no authority to regulate building. And state and local…

Apr 1, 2014 10:45 AM CDT

Website raises legal questions about homeowners and tenants hosting travelers

Apr 1, 2014 9:00 AM CDT

See the video: Woman chases youth who grabs iPhone; such thefts are ‘epidemic,’ sometimes lethal

Following in the footsteps of a Washington, D.C., judge, a woman whose iPhone was snatched on a Metro platform on Saturday made a valiant effort to chase down the thief, falling and getting up to take up the pursuit again. A suspect was captured outside the station, the Washington Post’s…

Mar 25, 2014 10:15 PM CDT

IRS answers bitcoin tax questions, says virtual currency is property, not money

The virtual currency bitcoin is actually considered property, not money, for tax purposes, the Internal Revenue Service announced Tuesday. That means gains from buying low and selling high are taxed in the same way as gains on other property, the New York Times’ DealBook blog (reg. req.) reports. Initial value…

Mar 25, 2014 8:25 PM CDT

Tearful runaway real estate lawyer gets 5 years in $5.9M client theft

A Florida real estate lawyer who made international headlines when he suddenly disappeared last year, leading to the revelation of a massive client theft, faced the consequences Wednesday. Timothy McCabe, 56, was sentenced to five years in prison by a federal judge in West Palm Beach and ordered to pay…

Mar 19, 2014 9:40 PM CDT

Did Exxon put La. alligators on Miss. oil waste site? Neighbor sues over claimed infestation

Did ExxonMobil put Louisiana alligators on a Mississippi oil waste disposal site to help monitor the cleanliness of the land? Or did wild gators native to Mississippi simply spot a comfortable home and move in? That question could be key to an upcoming ruling by the Mississippi Supreme Court, which…

Mar 19, 2014 7:29 PM CDT

Stripped of Boy Scout leadership posts, 2 men avoid jail in case of toppled ancient rocks

Two former Boy Scout leaders have taken misdemeanor pleas and avoided jail in what was originally a felony case over the toppling of an ancient boulder in a Utah state park. Glenn Tuck Taylor, 45, and David Benjamin Hall, 42, got one year of probation Tuesday in the 7th District…

Mar 18, 2014 10:35 PM CDT

Widow of attorney gunned down in parking lot of shopping mall files wrongful death suit

The widow of a 30-year-old attorney gunned down last year in the parking lot of an upscale shopping mall has filed a wrongful death suit against the owners of the mall, contending that a security cutback led to the death of Dustin Friedland. The owners of the Mall at Short…

Mar 17, 2014 4:00 PM CDT

Indicted lawyer used client to impersonate his own mother in $100K loan fraud, authorities say

Arrested last week as he flew into New York from Istanbul, a 39-year-old suspended Missouri lawyer was charged with bank fraud and identity theft in a federal indictment that was unsealed after his apprehension. Authorities said at the time that Jeffrey Witt had gotten a female client to impersonate a…

Mar 13, 2014 9:53 PM CDT

Frequent filer keeps the legal system busy despite ‘vexatious litigant’ status

Raghvendra “Raj” Singh was placed on a California list of vexatious litigants in 2003. But the 51-year-old has found various alternatives that have allowed him not only to continue to file civil cases but to do so for free, KXTV reports. Singh receives tax bills for 24 properties owned in…

Mar 13, 2014 5:10 PM CDT

Man who once led gilded life has until Friday to remove hoarded items from upscale NYC home

As a baby, Kevin McCrary was on the cover of Look magazine, along with his mother, a radio and TV personality of the 1940s and 1950s. Photos show him and his family with famous politicians and actors, including Bob Hope. The photos, along with an almost unbelievable amount of other…

Mar 11, 2014 11:15 PM CDT

Supreme Court rules for landowner disputing US claim to bike-trail right of way

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled for a Wyoming property owner fighting the federal government’s effort to construct a bike trail on abandoned railroad tracks. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that the government did not retain a right of way when the railroad abandoned the tracks. Chief Justice John…

Mar 10, 2014 3:28 PM CDT

Want a backyard shooting range? Florida law makes it easy

To put an addition on your home or install an in-ground swimming pool in the Florida town of Sunrise requires cooperating with code enforcement and zoning officials. But those who want to set up a backyard shooting range there—or anywhere else in the state—can simply do so, Reuters reports. Under…

Mar 6, 2014 11:40 PM CST