A recent decision issued by Chief Judge Timothy J. Corrigan of the Middle District of Florida highlights a straightforward yet consequential class action principle: a plaintiff cannot serve as a class representative for a...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Service of Process: Trial court properly denied the estate’s motion to quash service in a foreclosure lawsuit filed by the bank for the court’s failure to conduct an evidentiary hearing...more
Real Property Update - Landlord-Tenant / Section 83.49: Landlord must strictly comply with notice requirements of section 83.49 before it may retain any portion of tenant’s security deposit – Wootton v. Iron Acquisitions,...more
With its recent decision in Hunstein v. Preferred Collection & Management Services Inc., which concluded that a debt collector’s mundane transmittal of consumer information to its dunning vendor ran afoul of the Fair Debt...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Dismissal: Trial court erred in relying on judicially noticed records from a prior foreclosure action in dismissing foreclosure complaint – Bayview Loan Servicing, LLC v. Brown, No....more
Real Property Update - Condo / Attorneys’ Fees: Condominium association that lost on counterclaim against developer was prevailing party on significant issues in litigation by prevailing on developer’s claims and was...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Conditions Precedent: Lender failed to provide sufficient evidence showing default letter and notice of acceleration were mailed to borrower when it only attached copy of default letter...more
Real Property Update - HELOC / Authentication: A home equity line of credit is not a negotiable instrument, is not self-authenticating, and must be proven in support of summary judgment – Demakis v. Suntrust Bank, No....more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Verification: Rule 1.115(e) of the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure cannot constrain or prohibit a plaintiff from delegating to its servicer-agent the authority to verify its...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Subrogation: Trial court erred in entering final judgment of foreclosure in favor of subsequent mortgagee where subsequent mortgagee attempted to preserve and assign an otherwise...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure Sale / Challenge: borrower failed to meet his burden of establishing that gross inadequacy of foreclosure bid price resulted from "mistake, fraud or other irregularity" in the sale -...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Jurisdiction: section 720.04's exception to the local action rule is applicable where the cross-collateralized mortgages are construed as one instrument and the court has subject...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 - Re-Foreclosure / Redemption: Trial court properly entered final judgment allowing re-foreclosure and allowing inferior lien holder right of redemption where inferior lien holder not named as party...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Standing: Holder failed to prove standing to enforce note either at inception or at time of judgment because it failed to prove it had possession of original note and accompanying...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- Contracts: Escrow agent was bound only by the terms of an escrow agreement to which it was a party and not a purchase agreement to which it was not a party – Carter Dev. of Mass., LLC v. Howard, No....more
After receiving a bankruptcy discharge, a borrower whose home is pending foreclosure has two options: stay in the home and, perhaps, make voluntary payments on the mortgage, or leave the home and start fresh. When a debt...more
Financial Services Update - FDCPA & FCCPA / Debt Collection Activity / Monthly Mortgage Statements: Monthly mortgage statements required by TILA and sent to plaintiff did not amount to “debt collection” because they did...more
Financial Services Update - FCCPA and FDCPA: The plaintiff did not demonstrate a genuine issue of material fact that medical providers and their attorney violated the FCCPA and FDCPA by conditioning medical services on a...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 - Lis Pendens: trial court erred by not discharging lis pendens concerning real property because defendant did not grant an interest in the property, and plaintiff's claims did not allege requisite fair...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure / Paragraph 22: bank failed to introduce sufficient evidence to prove default letter was sent to borrower pursuant to paragraph 22 of the mortgage where bank's witness never testified that...more
Real Property Update - - Imputation of Implied Actual Notice: the fact that an unrelated purchaser of property was aware that seller was being sued on an unsecured indebtedness did not create a legal duty on the part of...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Lis Pendens: lawsuit to foreclose mortgage on real property is an action "founded on a duly recorded instrument" - National American Home, LLC v Deutsche Bank Nat. Trust Co., Case No. 4D17-2614 (Fla....more