Title Insurance and Your Transaction
Real Property Update - UCC / Security Interests: Eleventh Circuit certified to the Florida Supreme Court the following questions: (1) Is the "search of the records of the filing office under the debtor's correct name,...more
Financial Services Update - TILA & RESPA / Business Purpose: Plaintiff’s loan was a business loan based on court’s review of the Ninth Circuit’s five-factor test to determine whether a loan was obtained primarily for...more
Real Property Update - Eviction / Commercial Landlord-Tenant / Motion to Determine Rent: Based on the plain language of section 83.232, Florida Statutes, the trial court is constrained at the rent determination hearing to...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Pleading Fraud Defense: Trial court erred in providing relief of fraud as defense to foreclosure where fraud was never pleaded; even if fraud had been pleaded, party failed to prove...more
Real Property Update - Affirmative Defense / Waiver: Homeowner unable to raise statute of limitations affirmative defense for the first time in motion for summary judgment – Deer Brooke S. Homeowners Ass’n of Polk Cty.,...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Surviving Lien: Lender’s lien on mobile home survived foreclosure sale of property where mobile home was located; mobile home remained personal property outside scope of foreclosure –...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Surplus: Purchaser of real property per an agreement for deed was not the record owner and could not claim foreclosure sale surplus – Corey v. Neuffer, No. 2D19-1083 (Fla. 2d DCA Mar....more
Real Property Update - Fraudulent Transfer: Real property that was worth less than mortgage encumbering it was not an asset per the plain language of section 726.102(2) and, therefore, could not support fraudulent transfer...more
Real Property Update - HOA / Contracts: Trial court erred by entering a post-judgment enforcement order requiring the association to assign its riparian rights to plaintiff pursuant to an enforceable settlement agreement,...more
Real Property Update - Due Process: Trial court violated developer’s due process rights by considering and ruling upon developer’s motion to quash service of process, which was not set for hearing, despite developer’s...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Statute of Limitations: default notice pursuant to paragraph 22 of subject mortgage may include amounts accrued outside five-year statute of limitations – U.S. Bank, Nat’l Ass’n v....more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Condo Assessments: under section 718.116(1)(a), Florida Statutes, present condo owner is jointly and severally liable with the previous owner for unpaid assessments and related expenses...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Res Judicata: res judicata did not apply where later foreclosure action was based on different period of default than the prior action on same loan - Bullock v. Bayview Loan Servicing,...more
Real Property Update - Mortgagee Liability: because section 701.04(1)(a), Florida Statutes, requires that the holder of a mortgage deliver to the mortgagor a written estoppel letter setting forth the unpaid balance of the...more
Real Property Update - Sanctions / Dismissal: trial court abused discretion in dismissing bank’s foreclosure action; record established bank complied with discovery orders on which the motion for dismissal/sanctions was...more
Real Property Update - Ad Valorem Taxes: in a matter of first impression, county's immunity from taxation does not extend extraterritorially to property it owns in another Florida county - Joiner v. Pinellas Cnty., Fla.,...more
Real Property Update - Restrictive Covenants: trial court erred by failing to provide injunctive relief in favor of homeowner as it related to trees planted in common area in violation of restrictive covenants - McIntosh...more
Real Property Update - • Special Tax District Bond Validation: hospital center special tax district could not validate bonds intended to finance the construction of a hospital outside the geographic boundaries established...more
Financial Services Update - FDCPA / definition of "debt collector": law firm carrying out a nonjudicial foreclosure action not a debt collector because the primary definition of a "debt collector" under sec. 1692a does not...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Surplus Funds: sections 45.032 and 45.033, Florida Statutes, create a rebuttable presumption that the owner of record of real property on the date of the filing of a lis pendens is...more
Real Property Update - Reverse Mortgage / Statute of Limitations: as a matter of first impression, statute of limitations for enforcing reverse mortgage begins on date the note matures, notwithstanding earlier-death of...more
Real Property Update - Derivative v. Direct Action / Standing: individual member of LLC not entitled to sue title company for breach of fiduciary duty because right to sue belonged to LLC, where LLC suffered the direct...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Foreclosure/Statute of Limitations & Res Judicata: trial court erred in finding that bank's foreclosure action was barred by statute of limitations and res judicata - U.S. Bank Nat'l Ass'n, etc. v....more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Foreclosure/Standing: bank's allegation in complaint that it acquired loan and possessed both legal and beneficial interest in note and mortgage prior to filing complaint, coupled with the subsequent...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Condition Precedent: trial court properly rejected motion to dismiss for failure to satisfy condition precedent of pre-litigation non-binding arbitration, required by Chapter 718, Florida Statutes,...more