Creative Reuse: The Opportunities and Challenges of Converting Office Space to Residential
In Allegheny County, the tax appeal season will begin shortly for 2026. For every tax year, County property owners can file an assessment appeal. But allegedly, to continue providing certainty to taxpayers and taxing bodies...more
Case 1: Brown v Ridley and Another - The Supreme Court has clarified that a reasonable belief of ownership for any 10 year period is sufficient to claim adverse possession....more
The Court of Appeal for Ontario recently reaffirmed in Ross v. Luypaert 2025 ONCA 236 that a co-owner of a jointly owned property located in Ontario may bring an application for a partition or sale under Section 3 of the...more
In a case of significant interest to the legal community and especially to Nantucket property owners, the Land Court recently issued its long-awaited decision in Ward v. Town of Nantucket (pdf) (Ward II), concerning the...more
A recent Eleventh District Ohio Court of Appeals decision (Bockelman v. Griffin) reminds us that: 1) fraudulent concealment/non-disclosure is an exception to the general real estate principle of “Caveat Emptor” (Let the Buyer...more
For most Towns and Cities throughout the State of New York, May 1st ushers in new assessment rolls and equalized market values for commercial and residential properties. As detailed in an earlier tax tracker (see: Assessment...more
What constitutes undue influence sufficient to invalidate a deed? In Erikson v. Erikson, 105 Mass. App. Ct. 1115 (February 24, 2025), the Appeals Court of Massachusetts affirmed the Land Court’s invalidation of a deed on the...more
California’s beauty is undeniable, but its vulnerability to wildfires is a harsh reality. If you’re a homeowner in the Golden State, the aftermath of a wildfire can be devastating, both personally and financially. Navigating...more
On Tuesday, the Court of Appeals of Virginia issued a significant decision concerning easements in Barr, et al. v. Garten Development, LLC. The Court held that where a deed that released “easements” conveyed by a previous...more
Colorado’s Homeowner Protection Act (“HPA”), C.R.S. § 13-20-806(7)(a), renders void as against public policy a contract’s limitation or waiver of a “residential property owner’s” rights and remedies provided under Colorado’s...more
The Governor of Ohio signed amended House Bill 126 into law on April 21, 2022, greatly restricting the ability of Ohio’s public school districts to challenge property tax valuations. Once the law goes into effect on July...more
In a recent case, the Florida Supreme Court held that an arbitration covenant contained in a developer’s original deed also bound the second owner. The case serves as a good reminder that, although a subsequent owner of...more
On August 11, 2021, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins signed an emergency executive order, taking effect at 11:59 p.m. that same day, requiring “all child care centers and Pre-K through 12 Public Schools operating in Dallas...more
Multiple applications for a development project are not required where the first permit denial makes clear that no development of the property would be allowed under any circumstance. Felkay v. City of Santa Barbara, No....more
As discussed in a prior blog post, U.S. District Judge John Barker issued a February 25 decision, ruling that the CDC's Order temporarily halting certain evictions was unconstitutional, as it exceeded the federal government's...more
The New York Court of Appeals’ decision last week, Freedom Mortgage Corp v. Engel, contains two “reliable and objective rules permitting consistent application of the statute of limitations.” What are those rules? ...more
When the loan documents provide for confession of judgment and the collateral encumbered by the mortgage securing the loan is commercial real property, the foreclosure process in Pennsylvania is straightforward. The lender...more
Can a California real property owner challenge a lender’s authority to foreclose before a foreclosure sale has occurred? It’s looking less likely with each new appellate opinion....more
In SEQRA litigation, there is an oft-quoted proposition that the Lead Agency may not abdicate or defer its responsibilities under SEQRA to another agency. See Riverkeeper, Inc. v. Planning Bd. of Town of Se., 9 N.Y.3d 219,...more
It is widely understood in California that inherited assets, unlike assets earned from labor, are the separate property of the receiving spouse. But what if the assets do not come directly from a parent and instead pass from...more
Last month, the Iowa Court of Appeals issued an opinion in the case of Robinson v. Welp, which serves as an important reminder to sellers to disclose all known problems affecting a home or face the potentially expensive...more
Under California’s Proposition 60, which became enacted in 1986 as Revenue and Taxation Code section 69.5, any “person” over the age of 55 years may transfer the base year value of his or her residential property to any...more
The Tennessee Court of Appeals (“Court”) addressed in a April 4th Opinion a question involving stormwater issue regulations that utilize water quality buffers. See Precision Homes, INC. v. The Metropolitan Government of...more
The Appellate Court of Connecticut “(“Court”) addressed in an April 16th opinion whether unauthorized electricity submetering had occurred. See PMC Property Group, Inc., et al. v. Public Utilities Regulatory Authority et al.,...more
In Berkeley Hills Watershed Coalition v. City of Berkeley (2019) 31 Cal.App.5th 880 [certified for partial publication], the Court of the Appeal for the First District affirmed that the construction of three new single-family...more