Justia Real Estate & Property Law Opinion Summaries

Robert Robinson sued several timber companies for cutting timber on land, located between two creek beds, that Robinson alleged was his. The trial court entered a summary judgment in favor of the timber companies. Because Robinson failed to submit substantial evidence that he owned the land, the Alabama Supreme Court affirmed the judgment. View "Robinson v. Harrigan Timberlands Limited Partnership, et al." on Justia Law

AIDS Healthcare Foundation and Coalition to Preserve LA (CPLA) (collectively, “Plaintiffs”) filed a petition for writ of mandate in the superior court challenging the approval by the City of Los Angeles (the “City”) of a real estate development project ( the “project”) proposed in an area covered by the Hollywood Redevelopment Plan. Plaintiffs argued that the City’s approval of the project violated the 15 percent requirement because it did not commit 15 percent of the residential units for affordable housing. The court denied the petition and entered judgment for the City and 6400 Sunset, LLC (the “real party”).   The Second Appellate District affirmed the Superior Court’s order denying Plaintiff’s writ of mandate arguing that the City’s approval of the project violated the 15 percent requirement. The court held that Dissolution Law rendered the 15 percent requirement inoperative and, even if it had remained operative, it does not apply. The court reasoned that the Dissolution Law renders the 15 percent requirement inoperative because complying with that requirement depends upon the allocation of tax increments to redevelopment agencies. Further, the Dissolution Law did not grant to the housing successor any powers the former redevelopment agency did not have (Sec. 34176, subd. (a)(1)), and former redevelopment agencies did not have general police powers. Thus, because general police powers were not available to redevelopment agencies under the Community Redevelopment Law and the Dissolution Law granted housing successors no greater powers, the City could not, as a housing successor, invoke such powers to require a developer to comply with the 15 percent requirement. View "AIDS Healthcare Foundation v. City of L.A." on Justia Law

The Supreme Court reversed the district court's grant of summary judgment in favor of Plaintiff in this real estate dispute, holding that Plaintiff offered sufficient evidence to survive Defendants' motion for summary judgment.A few months after purchasing a home Plaintiff discovered water in the basement. Plaintiff later sued the sellers, her real estate agent, the seller's real estate agent, and a home inspector, alleging that they had misrepresented the condition of the house. The district court granted summary judgment for Defendants based on Plaintiff's failure to designate an expert on causation and damages. The court of appeals affirmed. The Supreme Court vacated the opinion of the court of appeals and reversed the summary judgment, holding that expert testimony was not required for Plaintiff to survive Defendants' motion for summary judgment on either causation or damages. View "Putman v. Walther" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the district court granting a tax deed holder possession of disputed property and remanded the case for dismissal, holding that Iowa R. Civ. P. 1.943 barred the tax deed holder's third forcible entry and detainer (FED) action, and the district court erred in concluding otherwise.At issue was Rule 1.943, under which a second voluntary dismissal of a tax deed holder's FED action operates as an adjudication on the merits unless the court orders otherwise. The tax deed holder in this case twice purported to dismiss without prejudice its FED petition against the property owner who was delinquent in paying taxes. The district court allowed the tax deed holder's third FED action to go forward. The Supreme Court reversed, holding that the district court erred by allowing the third FED action to go forward because it involved the same claim as the two prior actions. View "ACC Holdings, LLC v. Rooney" on Justia Law

Brenda and Gene Sauvageau petitioned the North Dakota Supreme Court to exercise its original jurisdiction and issue a writ of supervision directing the district court to stop the Cass County Joint Water Resource District from using quick take eminent domain to acquire their property. The Sauvageaus claimed the District was prohibited from using quick take eminent domain to acquire a permanent right of way easement over their entire property. The Supreme Court concluded the quick take process was not available because the District is taking more than a right of way in the Sauvageaus’ property. The Court granted the Sauvageaus’ petition, directed the district court to vacate its order denying the Sauvageaus’ motion to dismiss the District’s complaint and remanded for further proceedings. View "Sauvageau, et al. v. Bailey, et al." on Justia Law

Lisa Poitra appealed an order of eviction, arguing the district court lacked jurisdiction to enter the eviction order because the Trenton Indian Housing Authority (“TIHA”) constituted a dependent Indian community, and a contract provision required the eviction to be handled by the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians Tribal Court. The North Dakota Supreme Court concluded the record supported the district court’s finding that TIHA was not a dependent Indian community, the court’s determination that it had subject matter jurisdiction, and the finding TIHA did not have a contractual obligation to bring the eviction action in the tribal court. View "Trenton Indian Housing Authority v. Poitra, et al." on Justia Law

Hudye Group LP (“Hudye”) appealed a district court judgment affirming the Ward County Board of Commissioners’ decision to deny Hudye’s applications for abatement or refund of taxes as untimely. Hudye filed applications for abatement or refund of taxes relating to 85 acres of property that had been divided into 92 parcels which were located in Ward County, North Dakota. Hudye argued the failure to consider abatement requests received by the City Assessor’s Office on the first business day following the November first deadline resulted in an unjust outcome. Finding no reversible error, the North Dakota Supreme Court affirmed. View "Hudye Group v. Ward Cty. Bd. of Commissioners" on Justia Law

The Court of Appeals held that the circuit court did not err in ordering the City of Balitmore to execute a tax sale deed conveying legal title to the property to Ty Webb, LLC, the assignee of Thorton Mellon, LLC, the tax sale purchaser.The day after the circuit court entered a judgment foreclosing the right of redemption in connection with a tax sale proceeding pending in the circuit court Thorton Mellon executed an assignment purporting to assign Ty Webb its interest in the judgment and tax sale certificate. The Director refused to execute a tax deed to Ty Webb. Thornton Mellon then substituted its interest in the action to Ty Webb, which, as substitute plaintiff, filed a motion requesting an order directing the City to issue a tax sale deed to Ty Webb. The circuit court granted the motion, and the court of special appeals affirmed. The Court of Appeals affirmed, holding that the circuit court did not err in concluding that the certificate of sale and judgment were assignable and directing the City to execute the tax deed in favor of Ty Webb. View "Mayor & City of Baltimore v. Thornton Mellon, LLC" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court denying a motion to vacate a decree of specific performance that also sought an order of joinder, holding the there was no error.Wilkinson Development, Inc. brought an action against Ford & Ford Investments for specific performance of a real estate contract concerning the purchase of commercial real estate. The district court granted Wilkinson's complaint for specific performance. PSK, LLC, a subsequent purchaser of the subject real estate, later filed the motion at issue on appeal seeking vacation of the degree and an order of joinder. The district court denied the motion. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that there was no merit to any of PSK's assignments of error. View "Wilkinson Development, Inc. v. Ford & Ford Investments" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the district court denying Landowners' motion for summary judgment in their action to quiet title to their property against a homeowners association (HOA), holding that the district court did not err.Landowners purchased properties within the boundaries of the HOA but later discovered that the person who signed and recorded the documents purporting to create the HOA owned a mere 0.4 percent of the territory he sought to include within the boundaries of the HOA, and no other landowners had signed the recorded documents. Landowners, who met resistance in trying to develop their property, brought this action alleging that the HOA and its subsequently amended restrictive covenants were void ab initio. The district court denied Landowners' motion for summary judgment. On appeal, Landowners argued that the covenants must be declared absolutely void under the test set forth in Ockey v. Lehmer, 189 P.3d 51 (Utah 2008). The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that restrictive covenants that are recorded without the signature of the affected landowner are voidable, not absolutely void. View "WDIS, LLC v. Hi-Country Estates Homeowners Ass'n" on Justia Law