Title Insurance and Your Transaction
On March 8, 2024, the CFPB issued a blog post signaling a new front in its focus on “junk fees”—mortgage closing costs. Notably, the CFPB suggests that title insurance, credit report and appraisal, origination, and other...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
In This Issue. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve), in response to an increased number of inquiries and access requests from companies with fintech and other narrow purpose charters, invited...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Surviving Lien: Lender’s lien on mobile home survived foreclosure sale of property where mobile home was located; mobile home remained personal property outside scope of foreclosure –...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
Financial Services Update- TCPA / Standing / Text Messages: Plaintiff failed to establish standing to bring TCPA claim because plaintiff had not shown he suffered an injury in fact where he received two text messages,...more
Real Property Update - Re-Foreclosure / Redemption: Trial court properly entered final judgment allowing re-foreclosure and allowing inferior lien holder right of redemption where inferior lien holder not named as party...more
In a case having broad implications for residential real estate transactions, title insurance companies, and the mortgage industry, the Rhode Island Supreme Court on May 29 addressed the issue of whether residential real...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 - Due Process: Trial court violated developer’s due process rights by considering and ruling upon developer’s motion to quash service of process, which was not set for hearing, despite developer’s...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Rehearing: Order denying rehearing on summary judgment motion and denying continuance affirmed where (1) affidavit in support of rehearing failed to disclose any genuine issue of...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Notice: Mail log sufficient evidence to establish mailing of notice to borrower of default and possibility of foreclosure – Stacknik v. U.S. Bank, N.A., No. 2D18-2156 (Fla. 2d DCA Nov....more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Statute of Limitations: default notice pursuant to paragraph 22 of subject mortgage may include amounts accrued outside five-year statute of limitations – U.S. Bank, Nat’l Ass’n v....more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Bankruptcy / Surrender: borrower cannot challenge judgment of foreclosure entered upon judicial notice of his statement of intention to surrender the property and order of discharge...more
Financial Services Update - Title Insurance Coverage: where an accurate survey would have shown that seller had abandoned access and parking easement, which had been built upon by a neighbor, title insurer had no duty to...more
Real Property Update - Construction Lien: a delinquency charge of 1.5 percent found in materialman's contract with general contractor is not a finance charge recoverable under the materialman lien statute, Florida Statutes...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Doc Stamps: failure to pay documentary stamp and intangible taxes on increased principal balance under loan modification rendered final foreclosure judgment unenforceable - Schroeder v....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
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Standing: owner of property subject to mortgage at the time the complaint and lis pendens were filed had standing to dispute legal sufficiency of proof of amount due where owner was...more
Real Property Update - Sanctions / Dismissal: trial court abused discretion in dismissing bank’s foreclosure action; record established bank complied with discovery orders on which the motion for dismissal/sanctions was...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Standing: bank cannot rely solely on its acquisition of prior lenderto prove standing where note was specially indorsed to prior lender - Certo v. The Bank of New York Mellon, No....more
Financial Services Update - FDCPA / definition of "debt collector": law firm carrying out a nonjudicial foreclosure action not a debt collector because the primary definition of a "debt collector" under sec. 1692a does not...more
Real Property Update - Trespass / Temporary Injunction: temporary injunction order premised upon a physical trespass onto property, which did not specify actions that constitute trespass, did not enjoin use of airspace over...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