Invasion of the House Snatchers: Some See Foreclosures as Key to Rent-Free Living

Jan 1, 2013 6:40 AM CST

Front Yard Gardener Gets Support from the Institute for Justice

As the sustainability movement grows in popularity, gardeners who choose to grow their own food in their front yards are facing objections from communities that regulate landscaping choices. In Orlando, for example, shrubs must be a minimum of 24 inches in height and spaced not more than 36 inches apart,…

Dec 21, 2012 4:00 PM CST

Federal Judge Gives La. Woman TRO re Home Rooftop Light Display Featuring Hand with Extended Finger

A federal judge in Louisiana has issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting a municipality from interfering with a resident’s holiday light display. It reportedly features at least one hand, with its middle finger extended. The court order follows two separate incidents in which Denham Springs police allegedly ordered Sarah Childs…

Dec 20, 2012 10:17 PM CST

Investors Sue Cozen and Blank Rome, Say Ex-Partner Conspired to ‘Dupe’ Them in $27M Real Estate Deal

A group of investors is suing Cozen O’Connor and Blank Rome, contending that a former partner of both law firms conspired with a landlord and his business partner to “dupe” them concerning the value of a real estate development project. The former partner, Charles Naselsky, is currently serving federal time…

Dec 20, 2012 5:01 PM CST

Top Md. Court to Review Ethics Case Against Lawyer Who Didn’t Personally Sign Foreclosure Affidavits

A Maryland judge has found that a Hunt Valley lawyer violated attorney ethics rules when he authorized employees to sign his name to foreclosure affidavits. Judge Justin King of Baltimore County found violations of three ethics rules by the lawyer, Thomas Dore of Covahey, Boozer, Devan & Dore, the Baltimore…

Dec 19, 2012 7:34 PM CST

Colo. Judge Tells County Gov’t to Fix Courthouse Elevator, Threatens Contempt Sanctions

A Colorado judge has ordered the Huerfano County board of commissioners to fix a nonworking elevator that makes the courthouse more or less inaccessible to the handicapped. If the elevator is not fixed by Jan. 2, 2013, or other measures are not taken by then to put the courthouse in…

Dec 17, 2012 10:21 PM CST

Ex-Partner of NJ Law Firm Admits $885K Theft, Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

A former real estate partner of an unidentified law firm in Freehold, N.J., pleaded guilty to wire fraud in federal court in Trenton on Wednesday, admitting that he embezzled $885,000 from its attorney trust and business accounts between 2004 and 2011. Timothy Provost, 57, wrote checks from the firm’s business…

Dec 13, 2012 5:47 PM CST

‘Festivus Pole’ Featuring Beer Cans Goes Up, with City’s OK, Next to Traditional Nativity Scene

When his efforts over the past five years to get the city of Deerfield Beach, Fla., to eliminate a nativity scene displayed next to a busy intersection on a city firehouse lawn weren’t successful, Chaz Stevens tried another approach. He applied for city permission to put up a “Festivus Pole”…

Dec 11, 2012 7:28 PM CST

Pro Bono Lawyer Who Exposed Robo-Signing Wins $100K ‘Purpose Prize’

A lawyer from Maine whose pro bono work helped uncover the robo-signing mortgage scandal is getting more than recognition for his efforts. Thomas Cox is one of five people receiving a $100,000 “Purpose Prize.” The awards program recognizes those 60 and over who have created fresh solutions to old problems.…

Dec 6, 2012 1:41 PM CST

Newbie Lawyer Becomes a ‘National Mini-Celebrity’ After Attempt to Seize Bank Furniture

Florida lawyer Todd Allen had been practicing law for only eight months when he showed up with a moving truck at a Bank of America branch, ready to seize furniture to pay a $2,500 judgment. Since then, the Ave Maria School of Law graduate has become a “national mini-celebrity,” the…

Dec 5, 2012 12:00 PM CST

Jury Convicts Attorney in Mortgage-Fraud Case, But Acquits on 20 Charges Despite Staff Testimony

A New York real estate lawyer charged in a mortgage-fraud case has been convicted on four counts by a federal jury in Syracuse. However, Michael G. Bouchard, 49, was acquitted on 20 additional charges Friday, despite the testimony of two cooperating paralegals who formerly worked for his law firm, reports…

Dec 4, 2012 7:54 PM CST

Supreme Court Rules Temporary Flooding May Be a Taking in ‘Baby Step’ Win for Property Advocates

The U.S. Supreme has ruled that temporary flooding by the government may result in liability under the takings clause. The PLF Liberty Blog calls the 8-0 ruling “a major property rights decision” while SCOTUSblog calls it “a good, but not overwhelming, win for property rights advocates.” The court ruled 8-0…

Dec 4, 2012 4:34 PM CST

Dubious Honor: Real Estate Leads the Practice Field for Malpractice Claims, Says ABA Report

Dec 1, 2012 7:50 AM CST

Architect Facing Manslaughter Case in Firefighter Death Tried to Rebuild Below Code, Prosecutor Says

An architect facing an unusual involuntary manslaughter case over the death of a Los Angeles firefighter as a result of a blaze allegedly caused by grossly substandard fireplace construction tried to rebuild his damaged $11 million mansion with the same defect, a prosecutor contends. In an email to the builder…

Nov 29, 2012 8:53 PM CST

Top Tax Court Judge in Minnesota Is Accused of Missing Deadlines, Evading Work

The chief judge of Minnesota’s tax court is accused in a judicial misconduct complaint of routinely missing the statutory three-month deadline to issue decisions and handling fewer cases than his colleagues. The Board on Judicial Standards filed the complaint (PDF) against Judge George Perez on Tuesday, report the St. Paul…

Nov 28, 2012 6:08 PM CST