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About This Blog
Welcome to the Snell & Wilmer real estate litigation blog. Check back here often for useful news and information about current topics involving real estate litigation. We hope that you will find the blog both timely and helpful, and we invite you to join the discussion by posting comments about the articles and contacting the authors with your thoughts about the posts.
Real Estate Litigation Group Members and Blog Contributors
- Bob Henry
- Kevin Parker
- Matt Fischer
- Adam Lang
- Cory Braddock
- Benjamin Reeves
- Erica Stutman
- Patrick Paul
- Rick Erickson
- Ginny Olmstead
- Neal McConomy
- Michael E. Lindsay
- Bob L. Olson
- Nathan G. Kanute
- Sean M. Sherlock
- Lyndsey Torp
- Anthony Carucci
- Luke Mecklenburg
- Jon Frank
- Kevin Walton
- Lauren Munsell
- Lauren Podgorski
- Addy Colton
- John Sarager
- Ian Douglas
- David Rao
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Recent Posts
- More Help For Arizona’s Restaurant & Hospitality Industry On the Way
- Married Couple’s Acquisition of Title as Joint Tenants Does Not Rebut the Presumption of Community Property
- Woodbridge II and the Nuanced Meaning of “Adverse Use” in Hostile Property Rights Cases in Colorado
- Statute of Limitations Bars Lender’s Subsequent Action to Quiet Title Against Junior Lienholder Mistakenly Omitted from Initial Judicial Foreclosure Action
- A Landlord’s Guide to the Center for Disease Control’s Eviction Moratorium
Topics
- Anti-deficiency Statute
- Bankruptcy
- Commercial Real Estate Industry
- Construction and Development
- Environmental
- Evictions
- Foreclosures
- Guaranty Contracts
- Judgment Liens
- Medical Marijuana
- Real Estate and Bankruptcy
- Real Estate Appraiser Litigation
- Real Estate Broker Litigation
- Real Estate Purchase/Sale Transaction Litigation
- Real Estate Receivers
- Statutes Affecting Real Estate
- Title Insurance
- Uncategorized
- Zoning
Married Couple’s Acquisition of Title as Joint Tenants Does Not Rebut the Presumption of Community Property
By: Kevin J. Parker
https://www.swlaw.com/people/kevin_parker
In re Brace, 470 P.3d 15 (Cal. 2020), a California married couple acquired real property with community funds, and took title as “husband and wife as joint tenants.” When the husband filed a chapter 7 petition in bankruptcy, the bankruptcy trustee sought to include the property in the debtor’s estate. The Bankruptcy Code provides that community property is part of the bankruptcy estate. The bankruptcy court found that the couple acquired the property with community assets and thus the property was presumptively community property. The couple objected and appealed to the Ninth Circuit, which certified questions to the California supreme court. … Read More »
Author:
Kevin Parker
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Tagged community property, joint tenancy, real estate litigation
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Does a Broker Forfeit His or Her Commission for Technical Non-Compliance with Department of Real Estate Statutory Requirements?
By: Kevin J. Parker
In a recent Arizona Court of Appeals case, CK Revocable Trust v. My Home Group Real Estate LLC, 2020 WL 4306183 (7/28/2020), the Court of Appeals addressed the distinction between “substantive” and “technical” statutory requirements for real estate broker commission agreements.
The Court explained that failure to comply with a substantive requirement would preclude the broker from recovering a commission, but failure to comply with a technical requirement would not. As examples of such substantive requirements, the Court identified the statutory requirement that the broker be licensed at the time the claim for commission arose, and the statutory requirement that the listing agreement be signed by both the broker and the client.… Read More »
Author:
Kevin Parker
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Tagged brokerage agreements, forfeiture of commission, real estate litigation, violation of Department of Real Estate regulations
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Arizona Governor Ducey’s Executive Order on Residential Eviction Actions
By: Bob Henry
As part of the State of Arizona’s response to the current public health crisis, on March 24, 2020, Arizona Governor Ducey issued Executive Order 2020-14, titled “Postponement of Eviction Actions.” A copy of the Executive Order is linked here: https://azgovernor.gov/executive-orders Residential landlords considering taking any action against tenants, including evictions, should be aware of this Order before proceeding.
In summary, the Order effectively requires all Arizona law enforcement officers who are typically charged with enforcing “eviction action orders” (from Arizona courts) to “temporarily delay enforcement” of such orders in various circumstances, including for tenants who are quarantined, or who are residing with others who are quarantined, because of COVID-19 (including self-quarantines pursuant to orders from licensed medical providers) or for tenants who have a health condition that “makes them more at risk for COVID-19 than the average person.” The Order also requires such actions to be delayed if the tenant has “suffered a substantial loss of income resulting from COVID-19” due to job loss, reduction in compensation, and similar economic problems arising out of the pandemic. … Read More »
Author:
Bob Henry
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Tagged Arizona residential evictions. Executive Order 2020-14
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Airbnb Declares End to Party!
By Patrick Paul
As municipalities around the country evaluate changes to their respective codes in an effort to exert greater control over bad actors in the vacation rental market, Airbnb announced on November 2nd that it is banning party houses. The move comes in response to the shooting deaths of five people at a Halloween party hosted at an Airbnb rental house in Orinda, CA. CEO Brian Chesky announced on Twitter that starting November 2, Airbnb would ban “party houses” and redouble the company’s efforts to “combat unauthorized parties and get rid of abusive host and guest conduct.” twitter.com/bchesky
The four-bedroom rental reportedly had been rented on Airbnb by a woman who advised the owner her family members had asthma and needed to escape smoke from a wildfire burning in Sonoma County about 60 miles north of Orinda earlier in the week. … Read More »
Author:
Patrick J. Paul
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Tagged Airbnb, mansion party, nuisance party, party house
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Short-Term Rental Legislation & Litigation On the Way!
The advent of the shared economy in the real estate context has provided homeowners and investors alike with expanded opportunities to generate revenue from the use of their real estate. Airbnb and VRBO are two of the most popular companies facilitating short-term rental availability. The rapid growth in this shared real estate economy has served as a disruptor of sorts to the traditional hotel and hospitality industry, causing that industry to revisit its own models in order to better compete.
The popularity of short-term rental use, however, has created a whole new set of problems about which property owners, state and local governments, renters, and those impacted by the explosion of short-term rentals should be aware.… Read More »
Author:
Patrick J. Paul
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Tagged #2672, #partyhouse, #scottsdale, #shorttermrental
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CCP 998 Does Not Confer an Independent Right to Attorneys’ Fees
By: Tony Carucci
A so-called “offer to compromise” under California Code of Civil Procedure section 998 can reverse the parties’ entitlement to costs after the date of the offer, depending on the outcome of the litigation. Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 998. When making a 998 offer, parties may designate the plaintiff as the prevailing party and provide that the plaintiff may seek attorneys’ fees allowed by law, or expressly include the plaintiff’s attorneys’ fees within the amount of the offer. But does an offer that simply provides that the plaintiff may seek attorneys’ fees “allowed by law” provide the plaintiff with an independent right to attorneys’ fees?… Read More »
Author:
acarucci
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Tagged commercial real estate, construction, contractor, real estate, real estate litigation, Snell & Wilmer
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That’s Common Knowledge! Failure to Designate an Expert Witness in a Professional Negligence Case is Not Fatal Where “Common Knowledge” Exception Applies
By: Lyndsey Torp
In reversing summary judgment for defendants, the California Fourth District Court of Appeal recently held that homeowners suing their real estate broker for negligence did not need an expert witness to establish the elements of their causes of action. Ryan v. Real Estate of the Pacific, Inc. (2019) 32 Cal. App. 5th 637. Typically, expert witnesses are required to establish the standard of care in professional negligence cases. But in Ryan, the court of appeal held that the “common knowledge” exception applied despite this general rule, because the conduct required by the particular circumstance of the case was within the common knowledge of a layman.… Read More »
Author:
Lyndsey Torp
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Tagged brokers, common knowledge, experts, professional negligence, real estate litigation, summary judgment
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Land Banking. Why Consider It?
For homebuilders, financing a real estate transaction, oftentimes via an institutional lender, is common place in the industry. But what is land banking and why should it be considered by homebuilders?
Land banking is an off-balance sheet financing structure whereby the land banker purchases fee title to the homebuilder’s desired lots – instead of the homebuilder. Simultaneously, the homebuilder enters into an option agreement with the land banker wherein the homebuilder obtains an option to purchase the desired lots from the land banker. Such option is generally secured by a non-refundable option fee paid by the homebuilder to the land banker.… Read More »
What If Your CCP 998 Offer is Silent on Costs?
By: Tony Carucci
In California, the “prevailing party” in litigation is generally entitled to recover its costs as a matter of law. See Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1032. But under California Code of Civil Procedure section 998, a party may make a so-called “offer to compromise,” which can reverse the parties’ entitlement to costs after the date of the offer, depending on the outcome of the litigation. Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 998. The potential payoff of a 998 offer is that “If an offer made by a defendant is not accepted and the plaintiff fails to obtain a more favorable judgment or award, the plaintiff shall not recover his or her postoffer costs and shall pay the defendant’s costs from the time of the offer.” Cal.… Read More »
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acarucci
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Tagged commercial real estate, construction, contractor, developer, foreclosure, Guarantor, guaranty, real estate, real estate litigation
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Homie Can’t Do That
By: Patrick J. Paul
The Arizona Attorney General recently reached an agreement with Utah-based real estate company Homie which made a splash in the Phoenix market during the fall election with candidate-type signage posted throughout the community urging a “Vote for Homie” as significant change and assured that such change would be “coming to your pocket.” The problem? Confusion to the voter, improper collection of personal data.
Homie first entered the Phoenix market in January 2018 with a softer digitally-based advertising splash. Homie suggested that customers could save an average of $10,000 in home sales transactions by utilizing its technology and licensed real agents and directed further inquiry to its website http://homieforsenate.com/. … Read More »
Author:
Patrick J. Paul
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Tagged Arizona Attorney General, Assurance of Discontinuance, election, Homie, real estate broker
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Arizona Court Determines Statute of Limitations Applicable to a Claim for Reformation of a Deed of Trust (and a Related Claim for Declaratory Judgment)
By: Kevin J. Parker
In a recent Arizona Court of Appeals case, Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. v. Pheasant Grove LLC, 798 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 15 (August 23, 2018), the Court of Appeals addressed the question of what statute of limitations was applicable to a declaratory judgment claim. In that case, a bank’s deed of trust inadvertently omitted one of the lots that was supposed to secure that bank’s loan. The deed of trust should have covered lots 8 and 9, but by its terms covered only lot 8. A different bank subsequently recorded a deed of trust that encumbered lot 9. … Read More »
Author:
Kevin Parker
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Tagged declaratory judgment, equitable subrogation, real estate litigation, reformation, replacement mortgage, Statute of Limitations
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Ten Years After Colorado’s Adverse Possession Amendment: a brief look backwards and forwards
In response to national outrage over an infamous adverse possession case in Boulder, Colorado, in which a lawyer and a judge intentionally took their neighbors’ undeveloped land through adverse possession, the Colorado legislature amended the state’s adverse possession statute (C.R.S. § 38-41-101) to make the claim significantly harder to prove. It did this because it believed “there were insufficient ‘obstacles’ to establishing a claim for adverse possession under the existing law.”[1] Effective July 1, 2008, the amendment created a heightened burden of proof, additional element requirements, and the possibility of a losing defendant recovering money from successful plaintiffs for the value of the land they took and the taxes the defendant had paid on that land.… Read More »
Author:
Luke Mecklenburg
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Tagged adverse possession, colorado real property, CRS 38-41-101, real estate, real estate litigation, real property, residential, Snell & Wilmer
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Wait, You Want An HOA?! Restricting Implied Common-Interest Communities
By: Neal McConomy
While the butt of many jokes and a thorn in the side of some property owners, homeowners associations (“HOAs”) serve the vital function of collecting and disbursing funds to care for and maintain common areas of residential developments. Without HOAs, neighborhood open spaces, parks, and other amenities risk falling into disrepair through a type of tragedy of the commons, wherein residents use such amenities but refuse to subsidize care and maintenance for these common areas believing someone else will pony-up the funds. HOAs, when properly organized and managed, avoid this problem by ensuring everyone pays their fair shares for the common areas.… Read More »
Author:
nmcconomy
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Tagged CCIOA, common-interest communities, HOA, homeowner, homeowners association, homeowners' associations, real estate, real estate litigation, real property, residential, residential construction, residential real estate development
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California Supreme Court Clarifies Deadline to File Anti-SLAPP Motions in Light of Amended Pleadings
By: Tony Carucci
California’s “anti-SLAPP” (“SLAPP” is an acronym for strategic lawsuit against public participation) statute—codified at California Code of Civil Procedure section 425.16 et seq.—is the primary vehicle for defending against any action involving petitioning or free speech. The statute was designed to provide an early and fast summary judgment-like procedure to allow defendants and cross-defendants to file a motion to dismiss either an entire complaint, specific causes of action, or even just portions of a cause of action, and to require the plaintiff to respond before conducting discovery. By facilitating an early challenge to a plaintiff or cross-complainant’s claims, the anti-SLAPP statute allows the responding party to avoid the costs and delay that chill the exercise of constitutionally protected rights.… Read More »
Author:
acarucci
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Tagged commercial real estate, construction, developer, eminent domain, real estate litigation, real property
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“But I didn’t know what I was signing….”
In real estate cases—which frequently involve long purchase agreements, loan documents, personal guarantees, deeds of trust, etc.—we’ve likely all had a client or opposing party who trots out the line that they didn’t know what they were signing, or they didn’t read or understand what they were signing, so the document shouldn’t be enforced according to its terms.
Most of us instinctively believe the claim is a loser: You signed the document, you’re bound by it.
But is this actually right? … Read More »
Author:
Bobby Kethcart
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Developers Celebrate Arizona’s Opportunity Zones
By: Patrick J. Paul
President Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed by Congress in December included a new community development program designed to promote investment in low income urban and rural communities. These “Opportunity Zones” provide that every Governor may nominate up to 25% of qualifying low-income Census tracts for consideration in the program which provides substantial reductions on capital gains taxes with the greatest benefits to those holding their investments for a period of at least 10 years.
States were required by March 21st to submit nominations or request a 30 day extension to subsequently submit. The Treasury Department in turn has 30 days from the date of submission to designate the nominated zones. … Read More »
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Patrick J. Paul
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Tagged Arizona Commerce Authority, IRS, Opportunity Zones, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Treasury Department
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Withdrawal of an Admission in California May Shift Costs—Including Attorneys’ Fees—Incurred in Connection with the Withdrawal
By: Tony Carucci
Under California Code of Civil Procedure section 2033.300, a court may permit a party to withdraw an admission made in response to a request for admission upon noticed motion. The court may only do so, however, “if it determines that the admission was the result of mistake, inadvertence, or excusable neglect, and that the party who obtained the admission will not be substantially prejudiced in maintaining that party’s action or defense on the merits.” Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 2033.300(b). The court may also “impose conditions on the granting of the motion that are just, including, but not limited to .… Read More »
Specific Performance of an Option Contract to Purchase Real Property is Barred Absent Agreement on All Material Terms
On November 14, 2017, the Court of Appeals (Division 1), in Offerman v. Granada, LLC, 2017 WL 5352664, reversed a trial court order directing specific performance of an alleged option to purchase real property, holding that the alleged option was too indefinite to be specifically performed because the parties did not agree to all of the material terms of the option.
Tenant-Purchaser Offerman executed a two-year lease with Landlord-Seller Granada, which granted Offerman “the option to purchase [the] property…for a sales price to be determined at that time by an independent appraiser acceptable to both Tenant and Landlord.… Read More »
California Mediation Confidentiality May Apply to Third Party “Participants” Retained to Provide Analysis
By: Tony Carucci
California Evidence Code section 1119 governs the general admissibility of oral and written communications generated during the mediation process. Section 1119(a) provides that “[n]o evidence of anything said or any admission made for the purpose of, in the course of, or pursuant to, a mediation . . . is admissible or subject to discovery, and disclosure of the evidence shall not be compelled, in any . . . civil action . . . .” Cal. Evid. Code § 1119(a) (emphasis added). Similarly, section 1119(b) bars discovery or admission in evidence of any “writing . . . prepared for the purpose of, in the course of, or pursuant to, a mediation .… Read More »
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acarucci
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Tagged commercial real estate, eminent domain, foreclosure, foreclosures, real estate litigation
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The “Ugly” Property Next Door is Ruining My Property Value
By: Kevin J. Parker
Traditional bases for private nuisance claims include circumstances where noise, light, vibration, or odor emanating from a neighboring property harm the value of your property. Such bases can be objectively verified and quantified. Courts in various states depart, however, on the issue of whether pure unsightliness of a neighboring property, which diminishes the value of your property, supports a cognizable damages claim against the neighboring property owner under the law of nuisance.
As explained by the Vermont Supreme Court in the recent case of Myrick v. Peck Electric Co., 2017 WL 129041 (January 13, 2017), state laws vary on the viability of a claim for aesthetic nuisance. … Read More »
Erasing Any Doubt: Arizona FED Actions Do Not Accrue Until Formal Demand for Possession is Tendered
By: Bob Henry
Clearing up any lingering confusion, in Carrington Mortgage Services, LLC v. Woods, 767 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 4 (June 22, 2017), the Arizona Court of Appeals confirmed that residential forcible entry and detainer actions in Arizona accrue for statute of limitations purposes when a party entitled to possession makes a formal demand for return of possession not when the party could have made a demand for return of possession.
In Carrington, the borrowers (the Woodses) remained in property that they had acquired in 2008 but then lost to foreclosure several years later. The original lender obtained title to the property at a trustee’s sale on February 16, 2010, but did not take any action to remove the Woodses at that time. … Read More »
Does Your 998 Offer to Compromise Include Attorneys’ Fees and Costs?
In California, the “prevailing party” in litigation is generally entitled to recover its costs as a matter of law. See Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1032. But under California Code of Civil Procedure section 998, a party may make a so-called “offer to compromise,” which can reverse the parties’ entitlement to costs after the date of the offer, depending on the outcome of the litigation. Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 998. The potential payoff of a 998 offer to compromise is explained in section 998(c)(1):
… Read More »If an offer made by a defendant is not accepted and the plaintiff fails to obtain a more favorable judgment or award, the plaintiff shall not recover his or her postoffer costs and shall pay the defendant’s costs from the time of the offer.
Author:
acarucci
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Tagged commercial real estate, real estate litigation
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Arizona Supreme Court Holds a Credit Bid at a Trustee’s Sale Should Not be Credited to a Title Insurer Under a Standard Lender’s Title Policy To the Extent the Bid Exceeds the Collateral’s Fair Market Value
The Arizona Supreme Court recently addressed what impact, if any, a lender’s credit bid at an Arizona trustee’s sale has on an insurer’s liability under Sections 2, 7 and 9 of the standard’s lender’s title policy (“Policy”), holding in Equity Income Partners, LP v. Chicago Title Insurance Company, 241 Ariz. 334, 387 P.3d 1263 (February 7, 2017) as follows:
- Section 2 of the Policy, entitled “Continuation of Insurance,” not Section 9, entitled “Reduction of Insurance; Reduction or Termination of Liability,” applies when a lender acquires property at a trustee sale by “either a full- or partial-credit bid” since Section 2 directly addresses the existence and amount of coverage in such circumstances.
Author:
Richard Herold
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Tagged credit bid, Lender's title insurance, trustee's sale
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Green Energy Can Complicate Real Estate Foreclosures
A quick drive through almost any newer residential community in the Southwest will show that a lot of residents are embracing “Green Energy” or renewable energy by placing solar panels on their properties. While most people would agree that increasing the use of alternative energy is socially responsible, there are a number of real estate investors that may view it as an opportunity to make additional profits by purchasing distressed properties with solar panels and then reselling those properties for more than they would be worth without solar panels. The theory is relatively straight forward as many believe that foreclosure of a deed of trust that was recorded before the solar panels were installed would extinguish any liens in favor of the vendor that sold or financed the sale of the solar panels. … Read More »
Author:
Bob L. Olson
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Tagged alternative energy, fixture, foreclosure, green energy, lease, renewable energy, solar
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Avoiding Lender Liability for Credit-Related Actions in California
Aside from general statutory prohibitions on lender discrimination, there are certain circumstances under California law in which lenders may be held liable for credit-related actions, such as negotiating or denying credit. See generally 11 Cal. Real Est. § 35:3 (explaining that the business of lending money is subject to the Unruh Civil Rights Act, Cal. Civ. Code § 51 et seq., the Fair Employment and Housing Act, Cal. Gov. Code § 12900 et seq., the Federal Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq., and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1691, et seq.… Read More »
Author:
acarucci
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Tagged commercial real estate, foreclosure, foreclosures, real estate, real estate litigation, real property
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Developer Awarded Cost of Preparing Administrative Record in CEQA Lawsuit
Lawsuits under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) typically proceed as petitions for administrative mandamus. This means the petitioner is asking the court to review an agency’s decision and ultimately issue a mandate directing the agency to set aside its decision. In this respect the court acts like an appellate court, reviewing the agency’s decision. There are no witnesses or trial exhibits or jurors or opening statements. The court reads the parties’ briefs, hears their arguments, and makes its decision based on the evidence in the administrative record of proceedings.
The administrative record is often voluminous. It includes not only the environmental reports, but also all project application materials, staff reports and related documents, public notices, written comments and responses, all evidence or correspondence submitted to or relied upon by the agency, hearing transcripts, written findings, and more. … Read More »
Author:
Sean M. Sherlock
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Tagged administrative record, CEQA, costs of suit
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Equitable Subrogation Part Deux: Mechanic’s Lien vs. Later Bank Deed of Trust
https://www.swlaw.com/people/kevin_parker
This post follows, almost two years to the day, Rick Erickson’s post of August 29, 2014. As noted by Rick Erickson in his August 29, 2014 post, the Arizona Supreme Court in the Weitz case (2014) had determined that equitable subrogation principles were applicable to enable an earlier-recorded mechanic’s lien to be trumped by a later-recorded bank deed of trust, if the loan secured by the later deed of trust paid off a lien that had been ahead of the mechanic’s lien. In a decision filed August 9, 2016, the Arizona Court of Appeals further clarified the scope of such equitable subrogation.… Read More »
Author:
Kevin Parker
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Tagged equitable subrogation, mechanic's lien, real estate litigation
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Applying New California Rules to Your Real Estate Litigation Practice
By: Lyndsey Torp
Several new California procedural rules went into effect on January 1, 2016. While we are several months into the new year, litigators may need a reminder of these new rules. The list below summarizes several of the notable new rules.
- Pleading Stage
- New California Code of Procedure section 430.41(a)(2) mandates that the parties meet and confer at least five days before filing a demurrer (California’s motion to dismiss). If the parties fail to meet and confer, the demurring party may submit a declaration to the court explaining why the meet and confer did not happen, and the demurring party is granted an automatic 30-day extension.
Author:
Lyndsey Torp
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Tagged 2016 California Code of Civil Procedure, 2016 California rule changes
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Nevada Supreme Court Holds that Foreclosure Of HOA Lien Extinguishes Equal Priority HOA Lien.
By: Bob L. Olson
In Nevada’s master-planned communities it is common for one home to be in multiple homeowners’ associations. In such cases there is generally a master association for the master-planned community and then sub-associations for specific developments within the master-planned community. The liens of the master association and the sub-association have equal priority unless their declarations provide otherwise. See NRS 116.3116(8) (formerly NRS 116.3116(4)). Earlier this year in Southern Highlands Community Association v. San Florentine Avenue Trust, 132 Nev. Adv. Op. 3 (Jan. 14, 2016), the Nevada Supreme Court (the “Court”) had the opportunity to discuss the effect of the foreclosure by one association on the other association’s lien of equal priority.… Read More »
Author:
Bob L. Olson
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Tagged foreclosure, Homeonwers Associations, lien priority, NRS 116.3116, San Florentine, Southern Highlands
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Eminent Domain: Be Careful What You Ask For
By: Richard Herold and Patrick Paul
The condemnation[1] of property for public works may not always be as clean and easy as the government would like. Although local governments are often critical players in the cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated properties, contaminated property can: (1) trigger disclosure requirements; (2) lead to environmental liability, for example, under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA” or “Superfund”) (42 U.S.C. §9601, et seq.) or an analogous state statute;[2] and/or (3) impact the ultimate valuation of the property.
Local governments can be liable under CERCLA as any one of the following:
- A current owner or operator of the contaminated property
- An owner or operator of the property at the time of contamination
- A party who arranged for the disposal of contamination
- One who transported the hazardous substances to the property
Condemning authorities can, however, avail of Superfund’s bona fide prospective purchaser defense by engaging in all appropriate inquiry in advance of condemnation and/or taking reasonable post condemnation steps with respect to any known or discovered contamination.… Read More »
Author:
Richard Herold
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Tagged condemn, condemnation, eminent domain, environmental liability, real estate, real estate litigation, real property, seller disclosures, valuation
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Property Taxes: A Shopping Center May Not Always be a Shopping Center
By: Rick Herold, Craig McPike & Ben Reeves
In the world of real property taxes, Valuation + Classification = Assessed Valuation. Sounds simple, right? The County Assessor determines the first factor, valuation (subject to certain guidelines under applicable Arizona law). The Arizona State Legislature determines the second factor, the property’s legal classification and corresponding assessment ratio (i.e., tax rate). Given the wide disparity in assessment ratios, classification can be a major issue for taxpayers.
Recently, the Court of Appeals confirmed that a shopping center for valuation purposes may not be a shopping center for classification purposes. Scottsdale/101 Associates LLC v.… Read More »
Author:
Richard Herold
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Tagged movie theater, real estate, shopping center, tax appeal, valuation, zoning
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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 P.3d 1136 (Ct. App. 2014). In that case, even though the Court of Appeals found that the judgment lien remained valid, the opinion concluded that the failure to record the information statement affected the “priority” of the judgment lien and rendered the third-party purchasers’ ownership interest superior to the judgment creditors’ lien interest. … Read More »
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Ben Reeves
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Tagged judgment lien, Lewis v. DeBord, real estate litigation
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Homebuilders Welcome Recent Court Decisions
By: Patrick Paul
Arizona homebuilders will welcome with open arms two recent legal rulings of substantial impact to their industry. In the first decision, on July 28, 2015, in Sullivan v. Pulte Home Corp., No. 1 CA-CV 14-0199, the Arizona Court of Appeals held that homebuilders do not owe a duty of care to subsequent (non-original homeowners) for economic losses arising from latent construction defects unaccompanied by physical injury to persons or other property.
The fairly simple fact scenario follows. In 2000, Pulte Home Corporation sold the home at issue to the original homeowners, who, in 2003, sold the property to the Sullivan Plaintiffs. … Read More »
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Patrick J. Paul
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Tagged Clean Water Act, economic loss rule, homebuilder, Water of the United States
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Nevada Supreme Court holds that Voluntary Payment Doctrine Prohibits a Party from Recovering Amounts Wrongly Paid to Homeowner’s Association in Order to Prevent Foreclosure
By: Bob L. Olson
On September 30,2014, we posted “Lenders Beware: the Nevada Supreme Court Holds that Foreclosures of Homeowner’s Association Liens May Extinguish First Priority Deeds of Trust” which discussed the recent decision of SFR Investments Pool 1, LLC v. U.S. Bank, N.A., 130 Nev. Adv. Op. 75 (Sept. 18, 2014) (“SFR”). At the risk of oversimplification, the SFR Court held that:
- NRS 116.3116 (the “Statute”) splits the lien of a homeowner’s association (“HOA”) into a “superpriority piece” and a “subpriority piece.”
- The superpriority piece of the HOA’s lien consists of the “last nine months of unpaid HOA dues and maintenance and nuisance-abatement charges” and is prior to the first priority lien.
Author:
Bob L. Olson
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Tagged HOA Lien, Nevada Association Services, real estate litigation, SFR Investments
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Federal Courts to Apply More Protective State Law when Analyzing Validity of Pre-dispute Jury Trial Waivers in Diversity Jurisdiction Cases
By Anthony J. Carucci
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that federal courts sitting in diversity jurisdiction must apply the underlying state law to determine the validity of pre-dispute jury trial waivers where the state law is more protective than the federal law. In re Cnty. of Orange, No. 14-72343, 2015 WL 1727240, at *4–5 (9th Cir. Apr. 16, 2015).
Facts/Procedural History
In 2007, plaintiff County of Orange (the “County”) hired defendant Tata America International Corporation (“Tata”) to develop a property tax management system. Id. at *5. In 2008, the parties entered into a contract for that purpose, which included an unambiguous jury trial waiver.… Read More »
Arizona Courts Lacks Authority To Stay Forcible Entry And Detainer Judgments When The Judgment Itself Is Not Pending Appeal
By: Nicholas Kunz
Can a court stay the execution of a Forcible Entry and Detainer (“FED”) action when the FED judgment itself is not appealed? The Arizona Court of Appeals recently addressed this question, holding that the court did not have the authority to stay the execution of the FED judgment, because only the denial of an Abeyance/Motion to Set Aside Judgment—and not the original FED judgment—was being appealed.
Facts/Procedural History
Tri City National Bank (“TCNB”) became the owner of a property occupied by the Gradys through a trustee sale. Shortly after the trustee sale, TCNB filed an action for FED to remove the Gradys from the property.… Read More »
A Purchaser Who Doesn’t Inquire May Be Teeing Up For Failure
By: Erica Stutman
Picture this: While on the hunt for new development opportunities, you stumble across a golf course in the middle of a high-end community, and you think this would be the perfect spot for more houses, or a retail center, or a movie theater, or …oh, the possibilities are endless! Better yet, you learn you can buy it for a bargain. Before closing the deal, you review the property’s recorded chain of title and find nothing requiring the property to be used as a golf course. You sign the closing papers and start planning your perfect new development.… Read More »
Author:
Erica Stutman
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Tagged equitable easement, equitable servitude, golf course, implied easement, implied servitude, real estate development, real property, restrictive covenant
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California Case Requires Arbitration Despite Lack of Actual Controversy
By: Lyndsey A. Torp and Sean M. Sherlock
For parties to litigate a contract dispute in a court of law, the parties’ disagreement must have ripened into an actual controversy presenting more than a mere academic difference of opinion. But under a recent California Court of Appeal opinion, no actual controversy is required to compel arbitration over a disagreement. Bunker Hill Park Limited v. U.S. Bank National Association, — Cal.Rptr.3d —, 2014 WL 6684796 (Cal.App. 2 Dist.). To avoid being compelled to arbitrate purely academic disagreements, parties should draft their arbitration clauses to limit arbitrable disputes to those that have ripened into actual controversies.… Read More »
Author:
Sean M. Sherlock
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Tagged arbitration, justiciability, ripeness
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Vendees’ Liens—Construction Lenders Beware!
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, LLC, involved a construction loan made by Corus Bank in 2006 for the development of the 44 West Monroe condominium tower in downtown Phoenix. As a condition to the loan, the developer was required to have presales of at least 100 units and earnest money deposits of approximately $4.5 million.… Read More »
Author:
Ben Reeves
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Tagged 44 Monroe, construction lending, quiet title, vendee lien
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Homestead Exemption Cannot be Denied on Equitable Grounds
Arizona’s homestead exemption allows a person to protect from certain creditors up to $150,000 of their equity in their residence (dwelling house, condominium, or mobile home). A.R.S. § 33-1101 et seq. This homestead equity is exempt from non-consensual liens, for example recorded judgments against the owner. The homestead exemption does not apply as against consensual liens such as a mortgage or deed of trust.
In a recent opinion, the Arizona Court of Appeals addressed the question of whether a property owner could be precluded on equitable grounds from asserting the homestead exemption. Rogone v. Correia (Opinion filed September 25, 2014). … Read More »
Author:
Kevin Parker
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Tagged foreclosure, homestead exemption, judgment liens, real estate litigation
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Easements Made Easier: Building Pipelines with the Power of Eminent Domain Under the Natural Gas Act
By: Richard H. Herold
Any person or entity seeking to construct a natural gas pipeline and successful in obtaining a certificate of convenience and necessity from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may exercise the power of eminent domain to obtain easements across private property when those easements are necessary and cannot be obtained consensually (by contract) from the landowners. Columbia Gas Transmission, L.L.C. v. 76 Acres More or Less, 2014 WL 2960836 (D. Md. June 27, 2014). the Columbia Gas Court recently held that (1) the property’s legal description need not be attached to sufficiently identify the property to be condemned, and (2) even in the absence of a federal condemnation statute authorizing immediate possession of the property, the condemning plaintiff may obtain an order to take immediate possession of the property since it would be wasteful and inefficient to skip over one or more parcels in the construction process – only if the condemning plaintiff is capable of satisfying the requirements for preliminary injunctive relief under Fed.R.Civ.P.… Read More »
Author:
Richard Herold
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Tagged condemnation, easements, eminent domain, natural gas act, pipelines
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Colorado Supreme Court Revisits Rule Against Perpetuities
By: Ginny Olmstead http://www.swlaw.com/attorneys/virginia_olmstead
In March of this year, the Colorado Supreme Court revisited a fundamental doctrine of property law, which it described as “long cherished by law school professors and dreaded by most law students: the infamous rule against perpetuities.” The rule applies an unusual formula to prevent property from remaining “tied up” by grants of contingent future interests vesting too remotely in time. Although the rule was originally crafted to prevent excessively long family settlements, courts have since applied it to commercial transactions as well. This has created some odd results in case law governing commercial transactions, because the rule’s formula is structured around “lives in being” and potential heirs. … Read More »
Author:
golmstead
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Seller Liability for Disclosures (or Non-Disclosures), Part 2
May 12, 2014
By: Kevin J. Parker
In our blog post dated April 29, 2013, Matthew Fischer discussed the case Lerner v. DMB Realty, LLC (Arizona Court of Appeals, November 27, 2012). In that case, the Arizona Court of Appeals addressed, among other things, the viability of a claim wherein a buyer of residential real estate alleged that the seller had an obligation – under the facts of that case – to disclose that they were selling because of the presence of a registered sex offender next door.
The complicating factor was that Arizona, by statute, expressly states that sellers are not obligated to disclose the existence of registered sex offenders in the vicinity. … Read More »
Author:
Kevin Parker
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Tagged real estate, seller disclosures, seller liabilty, seller non-disclosures
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The Registrar is Changing the Game for Complaints Against Arizona Contractors
By Rick Erickson http://www.swlaw.com/attorneys/rick_erickson
Sweeping changes at the Registrar of Contractors have the construction and real estate industries concerned and curious. The Registrar recently received some poor performance reports by the Auditor General and State Ombudsmen. As a result, the Registrar overhauled its procedures for handling complaints and adjudicating contested cases against Arizona contractors. You should be following these changes before the Registrar rolls out its new approach this summer.
The Registrar regulates contractor licensing and enforcement of workmanship standards against thousands of licensees throughout Arizona. In doing so, the Registrar dictates administrative remedies available to property owners on residential and commercial projects. … Read More »
Author:
Rick Erickson
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Tagged administrative remedies, contractor complaints, contractor licensing, enforcement, Registrar of Contractors, regulation of contractors
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ABOR Fences Out a Property Owner’s Quiet Title Action
By: Cory L. Braddock
In May of last year, the Arizona Court of Appeals determined that “the statute of limitations does not run against a plaintiff in possession who brings a quiet title action purely to remove a cloud on the title to his property.” Cook v. Town of Pinetop-Lakeside, 661 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 31 (App, May 28, 2013). The Cook decision was discussed in detail in our prior blog post entitled The Clock Doesn’t Tick-Tock for Owners in Possession. Now, the Arizona Court of Appeals, presumably with some regret, has been forced to address real property statute of limitations issues for the second time within six months. … Read More »
Author:
Cory Braddock
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Tagged petition to quiet title, statute of limitation
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Bona Fide Tenancies for a Term Remain Protected
By: Julie E. Maurer
A recent California Court of Appeals decision determined that the federal Protecting Tenants Against Foreclosure Act (“PTFA”) impliedly overrides state laws that provide less protection to tenants, but expressly allows states to retain the authority to enact greater protection. The PTFA was enacted by Congress in May 2009 (Pub.L. 111-22, Div. A, Title VII, §§ 702-704, May 20, 2009, 123 Stat. 1660) and, in 2010, the Congress amended it (Pub.L. 111-203), Title XIV, § 1484, July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 2204). The PTFA provides protections for bona fide tenants of residential real property at foreclosure until the PTFA is scheduled to sunset at the end of 2014.… Read More »
Author:
Julie Maurer
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Tagged foreclosures, Nativi v. Deutsche Bank Nat'l Trust Co., Protecting Tenants Against Foreclosure Act, PTFA, tenant
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Bidding on State Land Trust Leases: Even the Top Revenue-Generating Bids Must be Balanced Against Qualitative “Best Use” Factors Designed to Protect the Land
The Court of Appeals recently held that that the Commissioner of the State Land Trust Department properly balanced Wildearth Guardians, Inc.’s higher revenue-generating bid against “best use” qualitative factors set forth in the Arizona Administrative Code. As a result, the appellate court affirmed the Commissioner’s decision to award a 10-year grazing lease to the Knights for their 28-year record of stewardship and protection of the leased land near Springerville, Arizona, despite the $79,344 in additional revenue over 10 years which would have been generated for the benefit of Arizona’s public schools by the Wildearth Guardian’s bid. Wildearth Guardians, Inc.… Read More »
Author:
Richard Herold
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Tagged Grazing Leases, Real Estate Leases
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Suing a Licensed Real Estate Professional May Require You to Complete and Turn In Your Homework.
By: Cory L. Braddock
A lawyer must have a good faith belief, after reasonable inquiry, that a lawsuit he files is grounded in fact and warranted by existing law. Ariz. R. Civ. P. 11. In other words, lawyers violate Arizona’s rules of civil procedure when they file frivolous lawsuits. In Arizona, the legislature has, at least in some cases, added an additional layer of scrutiny to lawsuits filed against licensed professionals. Specifically, a plaintiff must certify whether or not expert testimony is necessary to prove the licensed professional’s standard of care or liability for the claim. See A.R.S. § 12-2602(A). When expert testimony is necessary, the plaintiff is required to serve a preliminary expert opinion affidavit with their Rule 26.1 initial disclosure.… Read More »
Author:
Cory Braddock
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Tagged expert opinion, real estate agent, real estate broker
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Protecting Your Project From Litigation: Limited Liability Company vs. Partnership
If you have multiple investors/owners, one of the benefits of using a Limited Liability Company (LLC) to own real property rather than using a partnership is that the LLC offers better protection of the real property from creditors of any individual part-owner (LLC member or partner). A judgment creditor of an LLC member is limited to getting a charging order against the member’s interest in the LLC. The charging order gives the judgment creditor the rights of an assignee of the member’s interest. This assignee position simply gives the judgment creditor the “passive” right to receive the distributions from the LLC (if any) that would otherwise go to the LLC member. … Read More »
Author:
Kevin Parker
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Tagged Limited Liability Company, LLC, real property
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Anticipating Earnest Money “Damages” – Don’t Assume It
By Bob Henry
The Arizona Supreme Court issued an opinion last month in Thomas v. Montelucia Villas, LLC, 2013 Ariz. LEXIS 152 (June 14, 2013) that adds a few wrinkles to efforts by sellers in real estate transactions to retain “earnest money” from a buyer upon the buyer’s default. While the opinion addresses issues that are fairly unusual in the earnest money world, the holding is one that any seller or developer of real estate should keep in mind when drafting real estate contracts.… Read More »
Author:
Bob Henry
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Tagged earnest money, real estate litigation, Thomas v. Montelucia Villas
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The Risk of Intent in Your Letter of Intent
By: Richard Herold
Although the press frequently reports cavalierly on the execution of a “letter of intent” (“LOI”), as if it is a meaningless document, a LOI can be enforced if the parties intend to be bound, which turns primarily upon a close review of the language of the LOI and, sometimes, the surrounding facts and circumstances.
First and foremost, under Arizona’s statute of frauds at A.R.S. §44-101(6), to have an enforceable agreement to sell real property, it must be in writing and signed by the “party to be charged” (i.e., the party you want to sue or hold accountable under the agreement).… Read More »
Author:
Richard Herold
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Tagged letter of intent, real estate, statute of frauds
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Statutory Caveat Emptor Survives…or Does It?
Arizona has codified the concept of caveat emptor (i.e., buyer beware) for three particular circumstances. Pursuant to A.R.S. § 32-2156, real property sellers are not obligated to disclose: (1) deaths or felonies that have occurred on the premises; (2) prior occupancy by someone with a non-communicable disease; and (3) nearby sex offender residents. The constitutionality of § 32-2156 was recently challenged in Lerner v. DMB Realty, et al., 294 P.3d 135 (Ariz. Ct. App. Nov. 27, 2012), specifically with respect to subsection three (click on the case name for the full opinion of the court). … Read More »
Author:
Matthew Fischer
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Tagged 32-2156, blog, caveat emptor, DMB Realty, Lerner, real estate litigation, seller disclosures, Snell & Wilmer
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