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 - 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 - Foreclosure: Trial court cannot arbitrarily reject evidence or testimony in a mortgage foreclosure proceeding, and lender that proved elements was entitled to foreclosure judgment – U.S. Bank, N.A....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 - 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 / 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 - 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
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
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
In addressing cross motions for summary judgment in BONNIE BROWN & JAMES BROWN, Plaintiffs, v. OCWEN LOAN SERVICING LLC, Defendant., 8:18-CV-136-T-60AEP, 2019 WL 4221718 (M.D. Fla. Sept. 5, 2019) (“Browns v. Ocwen”) on...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
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
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
Misrepresentation/Concealment: genuine issues of material fact remained in dispute regarding whether board-certified real estate attorney committed fraudulent or negligent misrepresentation or concealment by falsely assuring...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 - - Foreclosure/Errors in Legal Description: error in legal description did not preclude judgment of foreclosure because property was sufficiently identified by accurate lot and tract, street address,...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
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