INDUSTRY EVENTS
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INDUSTRY NEWS
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 named as a defendant, even though owner was not party to the note or mortgage - Green Emerald Homes, LLC v. 21st Mortg. Corp., No. 2D17-2192 (Fla. 2d DCA June 7, 2019) (reversing and remanding involuntary dismissal)

The 10-Foot-Wide Skinny House of Mamaroneck Holds History Within Its Diminutive Frame
The nation’s economic spiral after the stock market crash of 1929 took one man’s business and home, but with a scrap of land and a whole lot of ingenuity, he built a tiny house that would shelter his family through the Great Depression.

On Friday, the Coalition to Stop Real Estate Wire Fraud marked its launch with a press call, during which U.S. Senator Doug Jones alongside industry experts, including an affected victim of wire transfer, discussed the real estate wire fraud epidemic. 

Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed HB 3143 into law, extending the Texas Chapter 312 property tax abatement program for a period of 10 years. In addition to extending the program, the bill also provides for increased transparency and other additional requirements related to the Chapter 312 abatement program.

Every night for five months before the launch of Zillow’s website in February 2006, employees gathered their Dell desktops on Ping-Pong tables, connected them to harness their combined processing power, and strung together extension cords to get them all running. 

The bill, which would have partly rolled back regulations from the state Department of Financial Services on the industry, didn’t make it to the floor of the State Senate for a vote Friday before lawmakers left Albany for the year.

The growing threat of wire fraud scams targeting real estate transactions is prompting the Utah Division of Real Estate to launch a statewide campaign in warning the public. A real estate email scam is trying to dupe unsuspecting buyers out of their down payment right before settlement.


Internet fraud is an equal opportunity offender, targeting everyone from the U.S. government to the most benign Net surfer. The real estate and mortgage industries are no stranger to being on the receiving end of digital miscreants, and a new e-book takes an overview of how Internet fraud can be identified and repelled.

LEGAL NEWS
In a dramatic repudiation of 34 years of established precedent and a clear victory for private property owners, the United States Supreme Court has held in Knick v. Township of Scott, 588 U.S. ___ (2019), that a claim for a regulatory taking of private property pursuant to the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution may be filed directly in federal court without first exhausting state court remedies.

My colleague Josh recently blogged about strategies for handling confirmation bias in mediations. He mentioned I had used a high low agreement to successfully address confirmation bias in an insurance-related mediation. I’ll discuss that case in this post.

New York’s Second Department Appellate Term recently held that a bank did not violate Insurance Law § 2502(a)(2) when it required a property purchaser to obtain title insurance from a particular insurer because the bank was acting as a seller, not a lender. See Wenig Saltiel, LLP v. Specialized Loan Servicing, LLC, 63 Misc. 3d 152(A) (N.Y. App. Term. 2019). In the case, plaintiff purchased a property from defendant Specialized Loan Servicing, LLC, who was an agent for defendant Deutsche Bank National Trust Company as Trustee for GSAA Home Equity Trust 2005-4. 

Though current legal frameworks are unprepared to protect the interests of those displaced by climate change-related events, project benefit-sharing could help countries manage these risks, providing they select the right projects in the first place, Susanna Price writes.

TECHNOLOGY & SOCIAL MEDIA
Just how secure is that “smart” security camera or door lock? That is being called into question after reports of a massive data breach hitting the smart-home industry that could extend to smart locks, home security cameras, and full smart-home kits.

You know that dead shrub in the front yard that needs replacing, or the porch paint that’s flaking? Better take care of that if you don’t want your home’s Zestimate to decline. Zillow announced on Thursday it has a new algorithm that uses photos to help decide the appeal and worth of your home.

TITLE AGENCY & PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
When it comes to the real estate market on the East End, Chris Nuzzi’s perspective is unique. Mr. Nuzzi is a lifelong resident of the area, growing up in East Hampton and graduating from East Hampton High School before moving to Southampton Town. 

WASILLA — Saturday, Mat-Su Title Insurance Inc. is hosting its second annual fundraising canoe and kayak race, benefiting three local nonprofits. The public is invited to the event at the Mat-Su Resort.

Reported first by Page Six, apparently, the Real Housewives Of New Jersey star from 2014, Jim Marchese, is facing accusations that he refused to pay for his son’s college tuition because of his sexual orientation.

Title Agents Go Nationwide
For agents interested in growing their businesses by expanding into multiple states, we’re here to make the process simple and profitable. We offer you one point of contact to streamline your options and solutions.

OTHER TRENDING NEWS
An unusual property called the “Haus Gables” in Atlanta has hit the market—but potential buyers will have to figure out how to get inside.

Anyone who has dealt with the chaos of college dormitories can tell you that having lots of people move in or out on the same day is sheer madness. Montreal has embraced that madness for 269 years. While the rest of Canada is taking it easy and celebrating Canada Day on July first, the renters of Quebec jump at the chance to change homes.

I discovered The Fish Whisperer through the above video, but his entire channel is fascinating. He's a fisherman who keeps fish and turtles as pets in a pond. He even names them! 

Your next home could be at the birthplace of property rights. A gated community of 59 luxury homes in Surrey, England has hit the market, located on the site where King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215, according to Mansion Global. 

The Prussian Grifter Who Swindled Her Way to Her Own One-Woman Show
BERTHA HEYMAN NEVER STOPPED SWINDLING men—even from behind bars. While serving time on Blackwell’s Island, New York, in the early 1880s, she managed to befriend and con a man out of his entire life savings of $900 (the equivalent of $20,700 today). But unlike other scammers of her day, she preferred to target those who really should know better. 

Marianne Mathieu, NTP
Vice President/National Agency Accounts
Fidelity National Title Group
(347) 987-0677