Title Insurance and Your Transaction
This newsletter explores the emerging legal topics and issues affecting the condominium and cooperative services industry. Thought-leading attorneys from Moritt Hock & Hamroff’s Condominium and Cooperative Services Practice...more
Real Property Update - Bert Harris Act: Certifying question whether the 2021 amendment to the Bert J. Harris Jr. Private Property Rights Protection Act clarifies the existing law so that plaintiff may maintain an action...more
Real Property Update - Condominium / Release: condominium unit owner's claims against condominium association and board were barred by subject release; claims were based on water intrusion resulting from damaged roof that...more
Real Property Update - Condo Termination / Mandatory Arbitration: Unit owner could not pursue claims relating to condo termination for failure to comply with Florida Statutes section 718.117(16), which required unit...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Condition Precedent: Borrower who raises an affirmative defense, such as failure of conditions precedent, bears the burden of proving that affirmative defense even if lender's complaint...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Note: Trial court could not challenge authenticity of note as copy where borrower had not pleaded defenses and lender was not afforded advanced notice of dispositive issue to be tried -...more
Real Property Update - Fraudulent Transfer: Real property that was worth less than mortgage encumbering it was not an asset per the plain language of section 726.102(2) and, therefore, could not support fraudulent transfer...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Condo Assessments: under section 718.116(1)(a), Florida Statutes, present condo owner is jointly and severally liable with the previous owner for unpaid assessments and related expenses...more
Title insurance is issued using standardized forms of policies and endorsements. The most commonly used forms for commercial properties are those promulgated by the American Land Title Association (ALTA), a nationwide title...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Foreclosure/Loan Modification: foreclosing plaintiff was required to allege and prove default of loan modification agreement after trial court found the loan modification to be the operative...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - - Equitable Lien/Foreclosure: lender entitled to an equitable lien, but not entitled to foreclose on that lien where was no showing of default on mortgage from which the lien arose - Rozanski v....more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Summary Judgment: incorporation of an affirmative defense by referencing “previously filed pleadings” does not obviate movant’s obligation to comply with particularity requirements mandated by rule...more
Foreclosure / Amendments to Conform to Evidence: trial court erred in allowing Wells Fargo to amend its complaint during trial to conform to evidence presented of two unpled modification agreements – Tracey v. Wells Fargo...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE FINANCIAL SERVICES UPDATE TITLE INSURANCE UPDATE - Misrepresentation: developer entitled to directed verdict on claims of fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation asserted by condominium association...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE FINANCIAL SERVICES UPDATE TITLE INSURANCE UPDATE - Foreclosure: witness may testify as to business records of another company so long as that witness can lay proper foundation of personal knowledge...more
Foreclosure: debtor that agreed to “surrender” property in bankruptcy was required to surrender the property to the bankruptcy trustee and secured creditor, and lost right to defend secured creditor’s foreclosure action...more
Real Property Update: - Lis Pendens/Subsequent Liens: lis pendens statute only serves to discharge liens that exist or arise prior to entry of foreclosure judgment but does not affect liens that arise after entry of...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - - Foreclosure/Standing: although bank established it had possession of note prior to commencement of action, bank did not demonstrate when blank endorsement was placed on note, nor did it prove it...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Default Judgment/Voidable: because default judgment was merely voidable, rather than void, where complaint upon which judgment was based failed to state a cause of action, Rule 1.540(b) was not...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Eviction/Summary Judgment: Error to grant summary judgment where plaintiff failed to refute multiple affirmative defenses including an assertion that the eviction would cause an inequitable...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - - Condominium Association/Injunction: tenants’ act of moving out of condominium unit after condominium association filed action against them for injunctive relief, eviction, and ejectment did...more
Neutral Evaluation/Sinkhole Litigation: trial court erred in sustaining objection to insurer’s notice of stay to invoke neutral evaluation process in lawsuit for breach of contract and damages for sinkhole losses to property...more
In 2007, the condominium termination statute (Section 718.117 of Florida Statutes) was completely rewritten to address problems with an aging condominium inventory and declarations that typically required 100 percent of unit...more
I. FLORIDA STATE CASES – JOURDAN HAYNES - - Condominiums: given ambiguity in Condominium Act’s escrow requirements (Fla. Stat. § 718.202) and fact that willful violation of same by developer carried criminal penalties,...more
I. FLORIDA STATE CASES – JOURDAN HAYNES & CHRIS SMART - MRTA: marketable record title act represents codified limitation on title insurer’s obligation to research public records in connection with issuance of title...more