Assessments, Condos vs. Town Homes
The Illinois Supreme Court handed down a big win for policyholders just in time for the holidays. In Acuity v. M/I Homes of Chicago, LLC, the court joined the mainstream of jurisdictions and reversed years-old precedent that...more
“Standing” is the legal term used to describe the requirement that a lawsuit be brought by the person(s) or entity(ies) having a right to bring the claim, generally referred to as the “real party in interest.” Lawsuits fail,...more
In New Jersey (and virtually all other states), construction defect cases for common interest community associations are heavily reliant on expert witnesses. Even if a building system is obviously defective — in that windows...more
Here is what we cover in this issue of The Title Reporter: A Legal Update for the Title Insurance Industry: •An appellate court in California has ruled that the state’s Quiet Title Act insulated a third party from the...more
The Denver housing market has been hot for years. An influx of residents, low housing inventory, and rising home prices make Denver a good choice for residential builders and developers. However, this past November, the...more
From disagreements over short-term rentals to an infamous Tigger mailbox that elevated a neighborhood dispute all the way to the Commonwealth Court, Pennsylvania has seen a growing trend in litigation involving unit owners’...more
Homeowners associations ("HOAs") do not typically act as construction owners. HOAs are set up as entities to maintain and manage planned unit communities. The most important and common role of the HOA is to maintain the...more
Florida’s Statute of Limitations and Statute of Repose for construction and design defect claims are each contained in § 95.11(3)(c), Florida Statutes, which provides, in relevant part: We are frequently retained by...more
The Washington Legislature wrapped up its 2019 session by enacting much-anticipated reform to the condominium implied construction warranties. The warranty reform bill also included important clarifications of the application...more
Last summer, the South Carolina Supreme Court formally adopted the doctrine of amalgamation in Pertuis v. Front Roe Restaurants, Inc., 423 S.C. 640, 817 S.E.2d 273 (2018), clarifying years of opinions on the subject from the...more
Addressing the appeal from a construction defect case tried to a verdict, the South Carolina Court of Appeals took the opportunity to examine a number of issues basic to both trial and appellate practice. Stoneledge at Lake...more
Earlier this summer, in Gables & Villas at River Oaks Homeowners Ass’n v. Castlewood Builders LLC, 2018 UT 28, the Supreme Court of Utah addressed the question of whether the plaintiff’s construction defects claims against...more
In recent years, a few law firms have made a cottage industry of enticing condominium home owners associations to sue the project developers over many issues, very often for alleged construction defects. Numerous homeowners’...more
Last year, I wrote a post calling attention to stalled efforts in the Colorado legislature to pass meaningful construction defect reform. Shortly thereafter, the legislature got it done in the form of House Bill 17-1279....more
In recent years, very few condominium projects have been developed in Minnesota despite strong demand from potential condominium homeowners. Many developers attribute their reluctance to build condominiums to litigation risk...more
On May 23, 2017, Governor Hickenlooper signed House Bill 17-1279 (“HB 1279”) into law, which applies to all construction defect actions filed on or after that date. With the adjournment of the 2017 Colorado General Assembly...more
The United States District Court has confirmed in a recent decision that in most circumstances, the attorney-client privilege will be waived in bad faith litigation in South Carolina. In Contravest, Inc. v. Mt. Hawley Ins....more
Colorado developers frequently cite Colorado’s Construction Defect Action Reform Act (CDARA) as an obstacle to building new condominiums in the state. Developers contend that the law makes it too easy for condo boards to sue...more
In a dramatic and seemingly overnight change of course, the Colorado House of Representatives unanimously approved House Bill 1279 on April 24, 2017. Days later, on May 4, 2017, HB 1279 passed unanimously in the Colorado...more
The Colorado General Assembly is heading towards the conclusion of this year’s legislative session. Although one construction defect bill, House Bill 1279, passed the House and is expected to pass the Senate, most bills have...more
With the session more than halfway through, the Colorado Legislature’s 2017 attempts at meaningful construction defect reform may fail again. This year, the Legislature did not attempt a single-bill construction defect...more
Ballard Spahr’s mixed-use, condominium, and multifamily lawyers are pleased to provide this newsletter to keep you apprised of important developments and trends in real estate law in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. ...more
The construction defects case of Vallagio at Inverness Residential Condominium Association, Inc. v. Metropolitan Homes, Inc., et al. has garnered national attention since the Colorado Court of Appeals' decision in May 2015,...more
Welcome to the June 2016 edition of our Under Construction newsletter. Hope you are staying cool this summer. Are you legally operating your drone on the construction site? In our Winter 2015 Under Construction...more
Residential Communities: Calderon Process for HOAs Likely to Be Extended Again - The California Assembly Committee on Judiciary in early April unanimously passed Assembly Bill (AB) 1963 to extend the pre-litigation...more