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
Applying Delaware law, a South Carolina District Court found Plaintiff had properly pled its causes of action for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, negligence/gross negligence and negligent misrepresentation...more
In Sun Life Assur. Co. of Canada v. U.S. Bank Nat. Ass’n, the Eleventh Circuit recently clarified that where a life insurance policy lacks an insurable interest at its inception and is thus void ab initio, prejudgment...more
A federal district court in South Carolina recently granted motions to bifurcate a trial involving various claims, crossclaims, and counterclaims between an insured, reinsurers, and a reinsurance agreement trustee. ...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Foreclosure/Standing: note owner had constructive possession of promissory note in original servicer’s physically possession of blank-endorsed note when it filed the complaint, and had standing to...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE- Takings/Declaratory Relief: plaintiff’s request for a declaration that its further pursuit of a zoning application was futile was not a proper claim for declaratory relief – GolfRock, LLC v. Lee...more
Real Property Update - Foreclosure/Standing/Lost Note: if plaintiff did not have right to enforce note when lost, plaintiff should present evidence of assignment from payee to plaintiff or affidavit of ownership - ...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE: Foreclosure/Conditions Precedent: plaintiff not required to given notice under section 559.715 as condition precedent to foreclosure, and plaintiff’s default notice to borrowers pursuant to...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Foreclosure: final summary judgment in borrower’s favor inappropriate where borrower merely asserted that lender mistakenly filed copy of original note with court, instead of original, and where...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Foreclosure/Attorneys’ Fees: mortgage foreclosure plaintiffs seeking attorney’s fees must support their claim with competent, substantial evidence of the number of hours worked and evidence that...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Foreclosure/Deficiency Judgment: where a foreclosing bank acquires in rem jurisdiction via service by publication in underlying foreclosure action, bank may still seek personal service over an...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Coequal Liens: trial court properly authorized tax collector to issue tax certificates subject to community development district’s assessment liens – Villages of Avignon Community Dev. Dist. v....more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Foreclosure: where foreclosing bank, who purchased debt from original mortgagee, failed to establish standing to enforce lost note “through evidence of a valid assignment, proof of purchase of the...more
Financial Industry Developments - Prohibition on Dealing or Investing in Industrial or Commercial Metals - On January 3, 2017, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the "OCC") finalized a rule that...more
In U.S. Bank Nat. Ass’n v. Sun Life Assur. Co. of Canada, the Seventh Circuit, applying Wisconsin law, recently affirmed that an insurer may not void a life insurance policy solely on grounds that the policy’s original owner...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Deficiency/Subject Matter Jurisdiction: approving the 3d DCA’s opinion that an assignee of a foreclosure judgment can maintain a separate action for deficiency under Florida Statutes, Section...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Foreclosure/Constitutional Challenge: record title owner’s argument that Florida Statutes section 702.035, governing “Legal notice concerning foreclosure proceedings,” is an unconstitutional...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Foreclosure/Standing: foreclosing bank did not establish standing where it failed to submit evidence it was in possession of original note with blank endorsement at time of filing of foreclosure...more
Foreclosure: debtor that agreed to “surrender” property in bankruptcy was required to surrender the property to the bankruptcy trustee and secured creditor, and lost right to defend secured creditor’s foreclosure action...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE: Jurisdiction/Deficiency Judgment: Second DCA agrees with Third DCA that “a circuit court has subject matter jurisdiction to adjudicate an independent deficiency action when the plaintiff had...more
Freestone Insurance Company is a Delaware-domiciled insurer that has been placed in liquidation. U.S. Bank National Association served as the trustee under a reinsurance trust agreement (the “Trust Agreement”) between...more
A South Carolina federal court found that Companion Property and Casualty Insurance Company’s expert’s testimony did not satisfy its obligation to provide a damages calculation. Companion argued that its failure to disclose...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Foreclosure/Leave to Amend: borrower should have been granted leave to amend to assert affirmative defenses pursuant to motion filed 13 days before trial because there was no prejudice, the...more
Plaintiff Companion Property and Casualty Insurance Company (“Companion”) participated in a fronted insurance program with Redwood and Freestone. Reinsurance collateral trusts were established for Companion’s benefit and...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Foreclosure/Bankruptcy Stay: because borrower’s notice of appeal was filed during pendency of bankruptcy stay it was a nullity, and appellate court lacked jurisdiction to consider appeal –Hewett v....more