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The Arizona Supreme Court Confirms that Judgment Liens Attach to Homestead Property

By: Ben Reeves The Arizona Supreme Court recently clarified that a judgment lien does, in fact, attach to the proceeds of the sale of a homestead property. See In re McLauchlan. In sum, if the sale of a home produces more than the homestead exemption amount, then a judgment creditor can collect from those excess […]

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Can I Record a Lis Pendens in Arizona if the Lawsuit is filed Another Jurisdiction?

By: Ben Reeves Recent research I did on a case led me to the conclusion that Arizona law recognizes foreign litigation (i.e., a lawsuit filed outside of Arizona) as a justification for the recording of a lis pendens against real property located within Arizona. See TWE Retirement Fund Trust v. Ream, 198 Ariz. 268 (Ct. […]

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HOA Foreclosure Excess Sale Proceeds Go to Owner

By: Ben Reeves Over the last few years, the Arizona Court of Appeals wrestled with the question of who should receive the excess proceeds from a foreclosure sale.  We’ve blogged about some these past unreported decisions here and here.  Those decisions, somewhat inexplicably, required excess sale proceeds to be paid to senior creditors.  As we […]

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Can a Receiver Prime and Strip Liens Against Real Property?

By:  Ben Reeves Courts overseeing receivers generally enjoy broad discretion in directing and approving a receiver’s proposed actions.  But does that authority extend to a receiver not only granting a super-priority lien ahead of existing liens, but also selling the real property free and clear of all liens?  In County of Sonoma v. Quail, 56 […]

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If You Purchase a House at an HOA Lien Foreclosure, Are You Entitled to Excess Sale Proceeds?

By: Ben Reeves That pesky excess sale proceeds statute, A.R.S. § 33-727, is making waves again. We previously blogged about this statute here. In the prior post, we explained that excess sale proceeds (i.e., a foreclosure sale price greater than the lien being foreclosed) must be used to pay other lien creditors, in full, before […]

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Is a Bankruptcy Plan that Violates Federal Criminal Law Proposed in Bad Faith?

By: Ben Reeves Although legal in many states, marijuana remains illegal under federal criminal law. See 21 U.S.C. § 856(a)(1). One would think that engaging in illegal activity under federal criminal law would preclude relief under federal bankruptcy law. And, in fact, several bankruptcy courts have reached that exact conclusion. See, e.g., In re Rent-Rite […]

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Not so Fast! How Does Revoking Acceleration of a Note Impact the Statute of Limitations?

By: Ben Reeves Introduction Lenders routinely accelerate notes after a default occurs, calling the entire loan due immediately. Less regularly, a lender may change its mind and unilaterally revoke the acceleration.  Rarely, however, does a lender fail to foreclose on its real property collateral before the statute of limitations expires.  In Andra R. Miller Designs, […]

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What Types of “Damages Claims” Survive a Trustee’s Sale?

By: Ben Reeves Introduction Arizona’s trustee’s sale statutory scheme provides for the waiver of all defenses and objections to a trustee’s sale that: (i) are not raised prior to the sale, and (ii) do not result in an injunction against the sale going forward.  See A.R.S. § 33-811(C).  In other words, if you have an […]

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Oregon and Nevada Adopt the Uniform Commercial Real Estate Receivership Act

By:  Ben Reeves Nevada and Oregon join Utah in adopting the Uniform Commercial Real Estate Receivership Act (the “Act”) promulgated by the Uniform Law Commission.  We have been following the development of the Act since its drafting stages.  If you want more information about the Act, check out our prior posts about the drafting process, what the […]

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The Contributors to This Blog Are Pleased to Announce That….

Snell & Wilmer’s Real Estate Litigation Group, which provides the content for The Real Estate Litigation Blog, is pleased to announce that it has been recognized in both the national and metropolitan rankings by U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers for the 2018 edition of “Best Law Firms.”  We achieved the following rankings:  •            National […]

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Arizona Supreme Court Clarifies Area Variance Standard; Property Owners May Obtain an Area Variance When Special Circumstances Existed at Purchase

By:  Nick Wood, Adam Lang, Noel Griemsmann, and Brianna Long In Pawn 1st v. City of Phoenix, the Arizona Supreme Court rejected a Court of Appeals rule that would have unduly restrained alienation of property in Arizona. The Court of Appeals found that the City of Phoenix Board of Adjustment acted beyond its authority when it […]

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What Happens When a Secured Creditor Files a Late Claim in an Equity Receivership?

By: Ben Reeves Pitting a receivership court’s inherent equitable powers against pre-existing property rights can lead to some pretty interesting questions.  In SEC v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 848 F.3d 1339, 1343-44 (11th Cir. 2017), the Eleventh Circuit recently examined whether a district court’s inherent authority to establish a claims submission process allowed the court […]

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RICO Madness: The Nuisance of Owning and Operating a Marijuana Facility

By:  Bob Henry On June 7, 2017, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its opinion in Safe Streets Alliance, et al. v. Hickenlooper, et al., (No. 16-1048), an opinion that could open the doors to property use litigation involving marijuana facilities.   One of the issues in Safe Streets was whether a property owner can […]

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Conflicts of Laws, Deficiency Actions, and Statutes of Limitations – Oh My!

By: Ben Reeves What law governs a deficiency action if the choice-of-law provisions in the note and deed of trust conflict? The Arizona Court of Appeals answered that very question in ZB, N.A. v. Hoeller, No. 1 CA-CV 16-0071 (Ct. App. April 15, 2017).  It turns out, the note controls. The Facts In ZB, ZB, […]

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What is the Effect of an Untimely Challenge to the Timeliness of a Trustee’s Sale?

By: Ben Reeves Ever wonder what happens if a person challenges the timeliness of a trustee’s sale after the sale already occurred? Waiver of the argument of course!  And, in the case of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v. Waltner, the affirmance of an eviction judgment. In the Waltner case, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as Trustee […]

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Utah Becomes First State to Enact the Uniform Commercial Real Estate Receivership Act

By:  David Leta On March 25, Utah became the first state to enact the Uniform Commercial Real Estate Receivership Act (“UCRERA”) which was drafted by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (the “Conference”) and adopted by the Conference at its annual meeting in July 2015. The Utah Uniform Commercial Real Estate Receivership […]

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Washington Answers the Question of Whether Title Companies Owe a Duty of Care to Third Parties…

By: Ben Reeves Last year (as we blogged about here and wrote a more in depth Law360 article about here), the Ninth Circuit certified to the Washington Supreme Court the question of whether title companies owe a duty of care to third parties when they record legal instruments. We finally have an answer… “We answer […]

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Guarantors’ “Lost Profits” Completely Offset Lender’s Deficiency Claim

By: Ben Reeves Believe it or not, lenders can breach loan agreements too…and when they do, there can be significant consequences. In Great Western Bank v. LJC Dev., LLC, 726 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 21 (Ariz. Ct. App. Nov. 10, 2015), the Court of Appeals affirmed that guarantors’ “lost profits” resulting from the lender’s breach of […]

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The Uniform Law Commission Approves the Uniform Commercial Real Estate Receivership Act

By: Ben Reeves As we previously reported here, several years ago the Uniform Law Commission (the “ULC”) (the organization that drafted such favorites as the Uniform Commercial Code and the Uniform Arbitration Act) determined that states would benefit from a model act that would govern the powers, rights, and duties of receivers appointed over commercial […]

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It just got a little bit easier to enforce judgment liens

By:  Ben Reeves Last year, we posted It just got a little bit harder to enforce judgment liens, which analyzed a Court of Appeals decision that invalidated a judgment lien against third-party purchasers due to the judgment creditors’ failure to record an information statement along with the judgment.  Lewis v. Debord, 236 Ariz. 57, 335 […]

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Does a title company owe a duty of care to third parties in the recording of legal instruments?

By: Ben Reeves This is precisely the question that the Ninth Circuit recently certified to the Washington Supreme Court in Centurion Properties III, LLC v. Chicago Title Ins. Co. Facts of the Case In this case, Centurion Properties III, LLC (the “Borrower”) purchased a tract of real property in Washington with a loan from General […]

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HOA Super Priority Legal Battles Continue in the Silver State: What Senate Bill 306 Means for Nevada HOAs, Lenders and Homeowners

By:  Aaron D. Ford and Karl O. Riley In 1991, the Nevada Legislature enacted the Uniform Common-Interest Ownership Act (UCIOA) which had been promulgated by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL) (the Statute).[1] This law provides that a homeowners association (HOA) may record a lien on each home in the community […]

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Are Short-Term Vacation Rentals Legal?

By: Ben Reeves The recent explosion in popularity of short-term vacation rentals through services such as Airbnb.com and VRBO.com not only provides terrifying horror stories about problem renters (google it if you’re interested), but also raises serious questions about the legality of the practice. Many cities are currently struggling with this very issue. Opponents to […]

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Guarantors Can Waive Anti-Deficiency Protections

By:  Richard H. Herold and Ben Reeves In Arizona, guarantors can now be held liable for deficiencies even where borrowers avoid liability due to Arizona’s anti-deficiency statute. Arizona courts have been active in the last few years in addressing the law governing post-trustee’s sale deficiencies under Arizona’s anti-deficiency statute, A.R.S. §33-814(G), which provides that no […]

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If Receiver’s Sales Aren’t Foreclosures, What Are They?

By:  Ben Reeves & Bob Olson When no statute specifically authorizes a court-appointed receiver to sell real property, what type of sale is it?  The Supreme Court of Nevada recently addressed this question, holding that “a receiver sale of real property that secures a loan is a form of judicial foreclosure.”  U.S. Bank v. Palmilla […]

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Are Vacant Lots Protected Under Arizona’s Anti-deficiency Statutes?

By:  Ben Reeves No, of course not.  Arizona’s anti-deficiency statutes only prohibit deficiency judgments after a trustee’s sale of a “dwelling”.[1]  Under no definition can a vacant lot constitute a “dwelling”.  This was the Arizona Supreme Court’s holding in BMO v. Wildwood Creek Ranch, LLC. In BMO, Shawn and Kristina Rudgear (through their company Wildwood […]

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Can an Unsigned Minute Entry Create a Judgment Lien?

By:  Ben Reeves It appears that 2014 was a banner year for Arizona law on judgment liens.  Indeed, we recently posted about the Lewis v. DeBord decision, which invalidates judgment liens vis-à-vis third-party purchasers if the judgment creditor fails to record an “information statement” with the judgment.  The Court of Appeals has again tackled the […]

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Update – Prospective Waivers of “Fair Market Value” Hearings are Definitely Void.

By:  Ben Reeves In 2013, we blogged about the Arizona Court of Appeals’ determination that prospective contractual waivers of “fair market value” hearings are unenforceable as a matter of public policy.  The link to our prior blog post is here.  Although we noted some deficiencies in the Court of Appeals’ reasoning, we recognized that the […]

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It just got a little bit harder to enforce judgment liens

By:  Ben Reeves Introduction As everyone knows, the enactment of the Statute of Westminster II in 1285 ushered the concept of a “judgment lien” into English law.  The statute – for the first time in English legal history – authorized a judgment creditor to obtain a writ of elegit (as opposed to a writ of […]

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Vendees’ Liens—Construction Lenders Beware!

By:  David A. Sprentall A recent Arizona Court of Appeals decision highlights a lien priority risk for secured construction lenders when the financed project fails. The problem—known as a “vendee lien”—is most likely to arise when up-front deposits are paid by buyers of units in condominiums or similar projects. The case, Rigoli v. 44 Monroe Marketing, […]

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Lenders Beware: the Nevada Supreme Court Holds That Foreclosures of Homeowners’ Association Liens May Extinguish First Priority Deeds of Trust

By:  Bob L. Olson Nevada has adopted the Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act of 1982 (the “Act”) which governs homeowners’ associations (“HOA”). One particular provision of that Act, enacted by Nevada in 1991 and later amended, and codified as NRS 116.3116 (the “Statute”), states that HOA liens are “prior to all other liens and encumbrances […]

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A Subsequent Developer has no Ability to Force a Public Body to Call an Abandoning Developer’s Performance Bonds for Infrastructure Improvements.

The Arizona Court of Appeals decided on July 22, 2014 that a developer cannot compel a public entity to call its performance bonds to complete infrastructure improvements on a construction project that a prior developer abandoned due to bankruptcy.  Ponderosa Fire Dist. et al. v. Coconino County et al., 1 CA-CV 13-0545. – See more […]

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Guarantors Remain Liable for “Carve-out” Obligations, Despite Non-recourse Loan

By:  Ben Reeves Introduction Believe it or not, guaranty contracts mean what they say.  If a guarantor agrees to reimburse a lender for misappropriated security deposits, unpaid taxes, and the cost of enforcement, then – not surprisingly – courts will hold the guarantors liable for these expenses. In Investors Warranty of America, Inc. v. Arrowhead […]

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Unmitigated Waivers: Guarantors Remain Liable Despite 4-Year Delay in Foreclosure Sale

By:  Ben Reeves If a lender delays foreclosure allowing years of default interest to accrue such that a guarantor’s obligation increases from $6 million to $12 million, should the guarantor remain on the hook for the full $12 million?  In Pi’ikea, LLC v. Williamson, 683 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 32 (Ct. App. 2014), the Arizona Court […]

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Amendments to Arizona’s Anti-deficiency Statute Exclude Homebuilders from Anti-Deficiency Protection

By:  Ben Reeves Last Tuesday, April 20, 2014, Arizona’s Governor, Jan Brewer, signed HB 2018 into law.  This bill closes a long-standing loophole that allowed commercial homebuilders to take advantage of Arizona’s anti-deficiency statute, even though the statute was originally enacted to protect only homeowners.  In sum, for loans secured by residences that are originated […]

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Not All Property Acquired Post-Petition is Safe from Creditors

By:  Ben Reeves Although property obtained by a debtor after filing for bankruptcy is usually safe from creditors, a recent case from the Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel allowed a Chapter 7 Trustee to sell real property obtained by the debtors post-petition. In In re Jones, a debtor’s grandmother signed and recorded a “Beneficiary Deed” […]

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Mortgage Lenders Can’t Jump Ahead of Mechanic’s Liens

By:  Ben Reeves In Weitz Co., LLC v. Heth, 223 Ariz. 442, 314 P.3d 569 (Ct. App. Nov. 26 2013), the Arizona Court of Appeals held that the plain language of Arizona’s mechanic lien statute, A.R.S. § 33-992(A), does not allow a lender to jump ahead of a mechanic’s lien under the doctrine of “equitable […]

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The EPA Approves New Environmental Due Diligence Standard

By:  Patrick Paul On December 30, 2013, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its final rulemaking recognizing the newly amended ASTM standard practice for Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments, E 1527-13 as satisfying the agency’s All Appropriate Inquiries (AAI) rule at 40 C.F.R. Part 312.  Curiously, EPA did not remove the existing reference to the […]

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California Amends its Anti-Deficiency Statute

By:  Ben Reeves As of January 1, 2014, California amended its anti-deficiency statute to stop mortgage lenders from “collecting” from homeowners on post-foreclosure debts.  Although the amendments were designed to tackle a purely consumer / residential real estate issue, only time will tell if the changes have unintended consequences beyond the consumer / residential realm. […]

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Guarantors Beware! A.R.S. § 33-814 May Not Save You from a Deficiency Judgment

By:  Ben Reeves In First Credit Union v. Courtney, 309 P.3d 929, 669 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 18 (Ct. App. 2013), the Arizona Court of Appeals rejected three creative arguments that A.R.S. § 33-814 protected the guarantors from paying on their guaranty.  The opinion provides a stark reminder that Arizona courts will usually enforce a guarantor’s contractual […]

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The Uniform Law Commission Makes Progress Drafting a Model Act on the Appointment and Powers of Real Estate Receivers

By:  Ben Reeves If all goes as planned, the Uniform Law Commission will finalize and promulgate a model act dealing with the appointment and powers of commercial real estate receivers at some point in 2015.  Last month, the Drafting Committee for this model act met in Minneapolis, MN to discuss and revise the latest draft.  […]

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Can You Waive the Right to a “Fair Market Value” Hearing?

By:  Ben Reeves We finally have an answer to the question of whether parties can contractually waive the right to a “fair market value” hearing under Arizona law – and the answer, according to the Court of Appeals – is “no.” In CSA 13-101 Loop, LLC v. Loop 101, LLC et al., No. 1CA-CV 12-0167 […]

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A Non-Purchase Money Second Deed of Trust is Not Protected by Arizona’s Anti-deficiency Statute

By:  Ben Reeves & Julie Maurer Arizona anti-deficiency laws do not prohibit a non-purchase money lender from suing on its note after foreclosure by a senior lender.  In Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v. Brewer, No. 1CA-CV 12-0383 (Ariz. Ct. App. May 21, 2013 unpublished), the Arizona Court of Appeals held that Arizona’s anti-deficiency statute, A.R.S. […]

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A Lender Holding Two Liens Can Foreclose on the Senior Lien and Sue on the Junior Lien

By:  Ben Reeves In Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v. Riggio, No. 1CA-CV-12-0430 (Ariz. Ct. App. June 4, 2013), the Arizona Court of Appeals held:  (i) that the “merger of rights” doctrine does not “merge” a lender’s first and second lien into a single unitary interest upon the foreclosure of the first lien, and (ii) A.R.S. […]

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Arizona’s Anti-deficiency Statute, A.R.S. 33-814(G), Cannot be Prospectively Waived Says the Court of Appeals

By:  Ben Reeves In Parkway Bank & Trust Co. v. Zivkovic, 662 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 26 (Ct. App. 2013), the Arizona Court of Appeals held that provisions in loan documents purporting to waive the applicability of A.R.S. § 33-814(G) violate Arizona public policy and, therefore, are not enforceable under Arizona law. A.R.S. § 33-814(G) provides that […]

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A Person Owning a Fractional Interest in a Vacation Home is Protected by Arizona’s Anti-deficiency Statute

By:  Ben Reeves In Independent Mortgage v. Alaburda, the Arizona Court of Appeals held that Arizona’s anti-deficiency statute, A.R.S. § 33-814(G), precluded a lender from suing its borrowers for a deficiency after foreclosing on the borrowers’ fractional interest in a vacation home.  230 Ariz. 181, 281 P.3d 1049 (Ct. App. 2012). If a lender conducts […]

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Green construction sounds great, but…

It isn’t always easy being green. Snell & Wilmer partner Marc Erpenbeck talks about emerging litigation issues generated by the proliferation of green construction projects in this informative article entitled “Understanding LEEDigation, The fast-growing trend of GREEN building spurs new issues for the commercial real estate industry” published in the May/June issue of AZRE Magazine. […]

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A.R.S. § 33-814(A) and Bankruptcy Proofs of Claim: To File or Not to File…Conflicting Cases Leave Creditors With No Clear Answer

By: Ben Reeves Under Arizona law, does a secured creditor need to file a deficiency action within 90 days after a trustee’s sale to preserve the unsecured portion of its claim in a bankruptcy case? Or is filing (or amending) a proof of claim sufficient? Two recent cases out of Arizona provide conflicting answers. The […]

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Arizona Residential Landlords in Foreclosure – Expanding the Duty to Notify Tenants

By: Bob Henry The Arizona Residential Landlord Tenant Act, A.R.S. § 33-1301 et seq., already requires landlords to provide written notice (with specific language) to tenants of a “potential foreclosure” on the property if a “foreclosure action” has been “initiated” at the time the parties enter into the rental agreement. A.R.S. § 33-1331. This obligation […]

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Introducing the Snell & Wilmer Real Estate Litigation Blog

The Snell & Wilmer Real Estate Litigation Group is proud to announce the launch of its new blog.  After decades of handling commercial disputes and trials involving real estate, the Group was officially formed in 2008.  The firm’s real estate litigation and trial attorneys formed the Group to maximize expertise, efficiency and results for the […]

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