Title Insurance and Your Transaction
Real Property Update - Cross-Easement Agreement / Res Judicata: Doctrine of res judicata is not applicable where the claims in the two cases concern different periods of time, and the facts that were essential to maintain...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Condition Precedent: Borrower who raises an affirmative defense, such as failure of conditions precedent, bears the burden of proving that affirmative defense even if lender's complaint...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Note: Trial court could not challenge authenticity of note as copy where borrower had not pleaded defenses and lender was not afforded advanced notice of dispositive issue to be tried -...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Law of the Case: Motion to vacate that attempted to re-litigate issues on standing that had been rejected on direct appeal was precluded by the law of the case doctrine – Schwartz v....more
Real Property Update - Quiet Title / Extinguishment: mortgage merged and ceased to be an encumbrance when the mortgage on land and the equity of redemption in the same land become united in the same person - Young Land...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 / Standing: owner of property subject to mortgage at the time the complaint and lis pendens were filed had standing to dispute legal sufficiency of proof of amount due where owner was...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 - Foreclosure / Standing: bank cannot rely solely on its acquisition of prior lenderto prove standing where note was specially indorsed to prior lender - Certo v. The Bank of New York Mellon, No....more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Foreclosure/Loan Modification: foreclosing plaintiff was required to allege and prove default of loan modification agreement after trial court found the loan modification to be the operative...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - - Equitable Lien/Foreclosure: lender entitled to an equitable lien, but not entitled to foreclose on that lien where was no showing of default on mortgage from which the lien arose - Rozanski 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 - Summary Judgment: incorporation of an affirmative defense by referencing “previously filed pleadings” does not obviate movant’s obligation to comply with particularity requirements mandated by rule...more
Foreclosure / Amendments to Conform to Evidence: trial court erred in allowing Wells Fargo to amend its complaint during trial to conform to evidence presented of two unpled modification agreements – Tracey v. Wells Fargo...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
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Foreclosure/Standing: borrower's standing arguments failed because they were based on notion that note changed hands after it was delivered to World Savings Bank in 2007, when in fact the note...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Standing/Foreclosure: pursuant to Florida Rule of Procedure 1.260, the assignee of a note during pendency of a foreclosure acquires standing of original plaintiff lender - Spicer v Ocwen Loan...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Receiver/Barton Doctrine: individual could not bring negligence action against discharged receiver of commercial property until individual first obtained leave to do so from the court that appointed...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE FINANCIAL SERVICES UPDATE TITLE INSURANCE UPDATE - Misrepresentation: developer entitled to directed verdict on claims of fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation asserted by condominium association...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE FINANCIAL SERVICES UPDATE TITLE INSURANCE UPDATE - Foreclosure: witness may testify as to business records of another company so long as that witness can lay proper foundation of personal knowledge...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - - Constructive Notice: a memorandum of agreement that is recorded in the official records of the county in which the property is located and refers to an unrecorded agreement entered into by the...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Summary judgment: trial court erred by denying borrower’s motion to amend answer and defenses, and therefore erred in entering summary judgment in favor of lender. Reyes v BAC Home Loans Servicing...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Foreclosure / Statute of Limitations: trial court improperly found that, because payments due under a note and mortgage were accelerated in a prior 2009 action, the second action filed over five...more
Foreclosure: general reservation of jurisdiction in a foreclosure judgment is very limited, and certainly does not give trial court jurisdiction to eliminate a lien more than three years after Final Judgment of Foreclosure...more