Real Estate Law

Unlike a laptop or a bag, it’s pretty hard to imagine someone simply taking a home, a hunting cabin or a plot of land and claiming it as their own — but it can actually happen. Generally […]

Introduction: The Texas Department of Insurance (“TDI”) has adopted rules amending the Consumer Bill of Rights for personal automobile and homeowners’ insurance.1 See 28 TAC §5.9971(b). […]

When considering options for commercial spaces that suit your business needs, it is also important to contemplate possible complications. It is preferable to uncover any potential problems before […]

Our Bay Area COVID-19 Rules Tracker summarizes the face-masking requirements currently in effect around the San Francisco Bay Area that apply to business and office settings. Though many of the Bay […]

Insurance companies are hardly easy to work with, but one sure-fire way to make it harder is to hinder your own credibility and try to take advantage of technicalities in an insurance policy to […]

Laura LoBue, a Litigation partner in Pillsbury’s Construction Counseling & Dispute Resolution practice, was featured in Building for Good (B4G)’s attorney spotlight series ‘Spotlight for […]

There are 4 big changes to the new contract form and several other changes that can have big impacts. Please familiarize yourself with all the changes outlined below. The post Nov. 1, 2021 FL FAR/BAR […]

Banks seem to have a hard time understanding that when they obtain title to property through a foreclosure sale that they not only own the property but have taken on themselves all the obligations […]

The final answer to these questions was teed up before the Florida Supreme Court. After briefs and oral argument, this is what the judges said on Monday: We initially accepted jurisdiction to review […]

Partner Caroline Harcourt recently moderated Bisnow’s panel, “High Risk, High Reward: Finding Investment Opportunities in Pandemic-Challenged Sectors” panel on Tuesday, October 5. Topics […]

The Louisiana Department of Insurance established a voluntary mediation program for residential claims less than $50,000 in dispute that went into effect yesterday. The bulletin announcing this […]

Environmental Justice, as an urgent policy priority of the Federal Government, dates back to 1994, and President Clinton’s issuance of Executive Order 12898. This order directed federal agencies to […]

While most of us have yet to be formally introduced to the term “Metaverse” that will change shortly as Facebook plans on changing its corporate name to embody the Metaverse world. With the […]

The quick answer to this post is to “hire a really good and experienced property insurance bad faith attorney and file a proper Civll Remedy Notice.” It is clearly not business as we used to do […]

United Policyholders provides a forum to help advocate for and educate about the need for policyholder rights. As a result of United Policyholders, I and others with Merlin Law Group have been able […]

During the First Party Claims Conference last week, New York attorney Jonathan Lerner and I discussed the new public adjuster regulations that had just come into effect in New York on October 8. The […]

The Rocky Mountain Public Insurance Adjuster Association (RMAPIA) will hold its Fall Meeting starting on Wednesday, November 3, in Denver. Yours truly will have two special Merlin Law Group […]

Many individuals have heard of the real estate concept of adverse possession, yet they don’t have a clear understanding of what it entails. This terminology is often used interchangeably with […]

The Colorado Division of Insurance (DORA) has requested comments1 on a proposed bulletin about timelines that insurance companies impose upon policyholders to complete repairs and replace damaged […]

Selected federal regulatory actions taken or proposed by several federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency: EPA Actions. On September 15, 2021, EPA’s Water Office issued a […]

Leasing out commercial premises can bring in good money. Yet, if your lease agreement is not up to scratch, the cost to your tranquility and finances can leave you wishing you had never bothered. […]

Partner Rachel Horsch recently moderated Bisnow’s panel, “Recovery of the Bay Area’s Office Market“. Topics covered how office spaces are evolving to accommodate for changing workforce needs, […]

A lawsuit by Olympus Insurance Company challenges Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation about issues of paying for property that matches following a repair. The lawsuit also challenges whether […]

In July, several U.S. Senators introduced the Revitalizing Downtowns Act to Congress. In our previous post, we discuss how the bill is modeled after the federal historic rehabilitation tax credit, […]

We’re proud of all our Real Estate practice team members and know that their dedication to quality service is what elevates Becker above the competition. Take a moment to get to know the talent […]

Anthony Cavender, a Houston-based Environmental & Natural Resources senior counsel was featured in an exclusive Q&A with AmLaw’s Texas Lawyer. Cavender is one of Pillsbury’s longstanding […]

Information for Buyers In some situations sellers will have several competing purchase offers to consider. Sellers have several ways to deal with multiple offers. Sellers can The post A Buyers’ […]

Electronic signatures are commonly used in California, especially with real estate contract documents, and are accepted by real estate brokers and escrow officers. But what happens when there is a […]

There are times when a property may have an easement attached. This often occurs when there’s a need for someone else to use a part of your property. Utility companies may need access to lines or […]

As an employer, you entrust you employees with critical information regarding the business, such as private business processes, your client base and trade secrets. But what if a critical employee is […]

Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills into law that are aimed at providing more housing in some areas in a state where demand often exceeds supply – by as much as 3.5 million units […]

On September 30, 2021, the United States Senate confirmed Rohit Chopra as Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Mr. Chopra helped establish the CFPB following its creation […]

Real estate tokenization and smart home technology continue to grow, negotiations surrounding the bipartisan infrastructure bill stall its passing, artificial intelligence is poised to transform the […]

Q: Will the courts enforce the liquidated damages provision in my listing agreement? A: That depends on a few things. A liquidated damages provision in a listing agreement sets forth the amount of […]

Have a building or home in Palm Beach County with a code violation fine that resulted in a lien? It can be reduced to zero and released if you act fast. Yes, even if it’s for hundreds of thousands […]

You want to go into business by investing in real estate projects. Perhaps you’re looking to buy empty lots or old buildings and then develop them. You know there is a lot of money to be made, but […]

The number of homes sold last month decreased for the first time in a year, while prices remained stable. Closings in Palm Beach were down 10.0%, Broward 2.8%, and 3.5% in August as compared with […]

Homeowners are frequently warned to carefully research their prospective contractors before they hire one. If only contractors could do the same before they agree to work with a prospective client! […]

Lending is a very competitive market today. When a lender presents a term sheet, it is very important to scrutinize all of the salient terms. How reserves are to be funded and held can change the […]

Juliet Moringiello (Widener-Commonwealth) and Chris Odinet (Iowa) have posted The Property Law of Tokens (Florida Law Review) on SSRN. Here’s the abstract: Non-fungible tokens—or NFTs, as they are […]

A lot of boundary disputes involve fences. For instance, you may believe that the new fence that the business owner who owns the property next to yours just put up is actually on the wrong lot. You […]

In most county and city governments, the land use process is one that will allow for some basic decisions to be made at staff levels, with higher levels of review in the form of public hearings […]

In a perfect world, all residential tenants would be responsible people who take care of their apartment as if they owned it, would cause no careless damage beyond the ordinary “wear and tear,” […]

Florida attorney Jim Brown answers the frequent question asked by realtors, “My homeowner wants to rent their property, when will their homestead benefit go away?” The post Renting – When Do […]

Tobacco consumption is not as common as it was just a few decades ago. An increase in public awareness about the risks of smoking combined with the increased cost of tobacco products has led to a […]

Do you have a decent size garage? Are you looking for extra rental income? Well, look no more! There is a growing trend to convert garages into an accessory dwelling unit (or “ADUs”) to rent. […]

As brokers, you are constantly looking at ways to maximize value for your clients. Whether you represent sellers or buyers, you may be missing out on huge opportunities by not engaging in land use […]

Quiet title is a claim under Florida law to remove a cloud on title to real property. It is established in and regulated by Chapter 65 The post What You Need to Know About Real Property […]

Contractors in the Austin region of Texas rely on contracts to ensure their protection throughout a construction project. Unfortunately, a dispute can still arise despite a clear contract. Some […]

A potential disruptor in home construction is the advent of 3-D printed homes. Not only does the use of 3-D printing obviate the current labor and supply shortages, causing an undersupply of […]