Housing Law Commons^™

A Psychological Investigation Of Consumer Vulnerability To Fraud: Legal And Policy Implication, 35 Law & Psychol. Rev. 61 (2011), Jessica M. Choplin, Debra Pogrund Stark, Jasmine N. Ahmad

UIC Law Open Access Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Mortgage Foreclosures, Mortgage Morality, And Main Street: What’S Really Happening?, Jennifer M. Smith

Journal Publications

The American economy is in the tank. Millions of citizens are without jobs, overwhelmed with credit card debt, and losing their homes. The brighter side is that as a result, America has finally embraced financial reform, and the unstable economy is stabilizing marriages. Nevertheless, the United States remains in the midst of a housing crisis, and the ending remains uncertain.

There has been a media blitz about the housing crisis and Wall Street - corporate interests, but much less about the actual impact of the housing crisis on Main Street - America's working class people and small business owners. This …

Towards A Convention For The International Sale Of Real Property: Challenges, Commonalities, And Possibilities, Christopher K. Odinet

Faculty Scholarship

In a world that is increasingly global in scope, society has come to view the ever-growing body of international commercial laws as being exceptionally important. This is evidenced through the adoption of several high profile pieces of legislation over the past several decades: International Interest in Mobile Equipment - Study LXXI, the EU’s Draft Common Frame of Reference, the EU Directives on Consumer Protection, and, most noteworthy of all, the Convention for the International Sale of Goods (CISG).

As raised by Professors Sprankling, Coletta, and Mirow, what has been conspicuously absent from this growing body of laws is an international …

Keep Arbitration Alive: Why The Fairness In Nursing Home Arbitration Act Should Not Be Passed, Margaret Baumer

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

Like it or not, arbitration agreements are part of our lives. Most cell phone and credit card companies include arbitration agreements in their customer contracts. Furthermore, many consumer complaints regarding trades through the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) are resolved through arbitration. However, despite their pervasiveness, consumers generally remain ignorant of arbitration agreements until a dispute arises, whereupon they discover that they must submit to arbitration proceedings, rather than sue sellers. Often, arbitration carries with it the added disappointment of high fees and perceived arbitrator bias in favor of the business entity. The same is true of a nursing …

In Re The Estate Of Avonne Goss, 2008 P 05, (Blkft. Tr. Ct. App., Nov. 4, 2009), Blackfeet Appellate Court

Court Decisions

In the Blackfeet Tribal Court of Appeals the Court answered the question to whether the “Bill of Sale” of a home from Avonne Goss to Robbin Goss, for the sum of $1, constituted a valid legal document. The Court determined that the home will remain in full ownership of Robbin Goss and the Bill of Sale for $1 was a valid legal document.

Toa Construction Co., Inc. V. Tsitsires, Jessica Tong

NYLS Law Review

No abstract provided.

Finding Fault: Implications Of Importing The Title Vii Standard For Vicarious Punitive Liability To The Fair Housing Act, Jessica Reingold Katz

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

If You Prompt Them, They Will Rule: The Warranty Of Habitability Meets New Court Information Systems, Mary Zulack

Faculty Scholarship

A recent conference on housing rights invited participants to think about the impacts, actual and potential, of the judge-made doctrine of the implied warranty of habitability in residential tenancies. This essay focuses on the warranty, and suggests establishing technology systems for judges to help them give new
life to the doctrine and thereby to accelerate actual repair of rental housing through court mandates.

The conference attendees seemed to agree that when trial judges are presented with claimed breaches of the warranty of habitability, they have not, on the whole, used the doctrine to order that repairs actually be effectuated. They …

A Complete Property Right Amendment, John H. Ryskamp

ExpressO

The trend of the eminent domain reform and "Kelo plus" initiatives is toward a comprehensive Constitutional property right incorporating the elements of level of review, nature of government action, and extent of compensation. This article contains a draft amendment which reflects these concerns.

Rent Concessions And Illegal Contract Penalties In Texas, James P. George

ExpressO

This article discusses penalty damages in residential leases in Texas. The sales pitch is a rent concession which is later reimposed if the buyer breaches. In contracts where the reimposed penalty reimburses the seller well beyond the consideration anticipated in the normal performance of the agreement, the reimposed discount is an illegal penalty. These contracts are pervasive but for the most part go unchalllenged.

Rent Concessions, Reimposable Discounts, And The Return Of Medieval Contract Penalties, James P. George

ExpressO

This article discusses penalty damages in consumer contracts. It focuses on rent concessions in apartment leases, and includes lesser discussions of deferred payments and interest in the purchase of cars, furniture and appliances. The sales pitch is a deferral or discount which is later reimposed if the buyer breaches, with some contracts keying on small breaches such as late payment. In contracts where the reimposed penalty reimburses the seller well beyond the consideration anticipated in the normal performance of the agreement, the reimposed discount is an illegal penalty. These contracts are pervasive but for the most part go unchalllenged.

Bond Repudiation, Tax Codes, The Appropriations Process And Restitution Post-Eminent Domain Reform, John H. Ryskamp

ExpressO

This brief comment suggests where the anti-eminent domain movement might be heading next.

Navigating Residential Attorney Approvals: Finding A Better Judicial North Star, 39 J. Marshall L. Rev. 171 (2006), Debra Pogrund Stark

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Improving The Construction And Litigation Resolution Process: The 2005 Amendments To The Washington Condominium Act Are A Win-Win For Homeowners And Developers, Mark F. O'Donnell, David E. Chawes

Seattle University Law Review

On August 1, 2005, significant amendments to the Washington Condominium Act (WCA) became effective. These amendments were intended to substantially reduce water infiltration in multiunit residential buildings and to simplify the condominium construction dispute resolution process. The heart of the amendments is the implementation of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) procedures, as well as fee-shiftingprovisions which require the non-prevailing party to pay the attorney fees and costs of the prevailing party. A decade of lawsuits brought under the WCA by condominium owners associations against builders and developers, and in turn by builders against subcontractors, alleging defects in the ability of the …

Breaking The Bank: Revisiting Central Bank Of Denver After Enron And Sarbanes-Oxley, Celia Taylor

ExpressO

No abstract provided.

Limiting The Autonomy Of Cooperative Apartment Corporation Governing Boards, John L. Barone

Cardozo Public Law, Policy & Ethics Journal

The article argues that proposed legislation requiring cooperative apartment corporation governing boards to provide written explanations for rejecting applicants undermines the business judgment rule, which protects boards' autonomy as long as they act in good faith. This rule, supported by cases like Levandusky v. One Fifth Avenue Apartment Corp. and Weisner v. 791 Park Avenue Corp., shields boards from liability unless bad faith or discrimination is shown. The article contends that the legislation would erode this protection, potentially leading to increased litigation and weaker governance.

Home Businesses, Llamas And Aluminum Siding: Trends In Covenant Enforcement, 31 J. Marshall L. Rev. 443 (1998), Katharine N. Rosenberry

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Moving From Colonias To Comunidades: A Proposal For New Mexico To Revisit The Installment Land Contract Debate, Elizabeth M. Provencio

Michigan Journal of Race and Law

Communities of Mexican Americans in the Southwest, known as colonias, have provided many low-income buyers with affordable opportunities. Affordability, however, comes at a high price for the colonias residents. Most of the buyers live in colonias pursuant to installment land contracts, devices which allow buyers to spread the purchase price of property over a number of years but leave them without legal title or equity under New Mexico law. The buyers sacrifice their legal rights to "own" small, unimproved lots of land in developments that are often without electricity, gas, a sewage system, and indoor plumbing. The author argues …

Arbitration Awards In Shaff V. Skahill, Jacob Frumkin

University of the District of Columbia Law Review

In Shaff v. SkahilP the District of Columbia Court of Appeals held that arbitrators' awards may only be reviewed if the moving party alleges a violation of the District of Columbia Uniform Arbitration Act.2 From a policy perspective, this decision may be read as subverting the very objective it purports to support encouraging the use of arbitration.3 In brief, this decision may discourage homeowners from agreeing to arbitrate disputes and appears to penalize those who do. Furthermore, this decision may be read as weakening the Home Improvement Business Act4 by providing a loophole for unlicensed and unbonded de facto contractors. …

Restrictive Covenants And Architectural Review: Some Suggested Standards, 27 J. Marshall L. Rev. 939 (1994), Allen Oshinski

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

An Exception To The Levandusky Business Judgment Rule: Owner And Shareholder Interests In Condominium And Cooperative Board Decisions, Randolph C. Gwirtzman

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Standing In The Shadows: Honoring The Contractual Obligations Of Cohabitants For Support, Tammy L. Lewis

Seattle University Law Review

Initially, this Comment will examine traditional theories of marital support and their relation to post-cohabitant support. Next, this Comment will review express contract, implied-in-fact contract, and quasi-contract theories of support and how these different theories have been effectively applied by various state courts. A brief discussion follows concerning federal courts and the confusion surrounding the federal jurisdiction of cohabitation actions. Finally, the contract theories of relief will be contrasted against proposed legal status solutions.Ultimately, this Comment concludes that post-cohabitation support issues are best resolved through contract theories. Solutions based on legal status are extremely intrusive and impose unbargained-for terms upon …

Deroche, Et Al. V. Blackfeet Indian Housing Authority, No. 89-Api (Blkft. Tr. Ct. App., Dec. 19, 1989) 17 Ilr 6036, Blackfeet Appellate Court

Court Decisions

The Blackfeet Tribal Court of Appeals affirms the trial court’s jury verdict in favor of plaintiffs in an action against the Blackfeet Indian Housing Authority.

Buying Blackacre: Form Contracts And Prudent Provisions, 23 J. Marshall L. Rev. 15 (1989), John H. Scheid

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Nonconsensual Repeal Of Third-Party Beneficiary Contract Rights: Senior Creditors Under Subordination Agreements, Jessica A. Hauser

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Unconscionability - Real Property Lawyers Confront A New Problem, 21 J. Marshall L. Rev. 1 (1987), Robert Kratovil

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Dependent Covenants In Commercial Leases: Hindquarter Corp. V. Property Development Corp., Tracy R. Antley Faust

Seattle University Law Review

This Note demonstrates that the Washington Supreme Court correctly applied contract principles to the Hindquarter lease dispute. The Note first reviews the historical development of dependent covenants in both residential and commercial contexts. After setting out this important background information, the Note examines Hindquarter and the three factors that influenced the Washington Supreme Court in following the dependent covenants trend: (1) material inducements to execute the lease; (2) the intent of the parties; and (3) equity and policy considerations. The Note concludes that, even though the landlord prevailed in Hindquarter, commercial tenants stand to gain most from the supreme …

Implied Warranties In Ohio Home Sales, Susan B. Brooks

Cleveland State Law Review

The majority of states other than Ohio have rejected the caveat emptor doctrine and adopted an implied warranty of habitability in the sale of new homes, but the irony of this situation is that it was an Ohio case, Vanderschrier v. Aaron, that first recognized implied warranties in the sale of a home. This Note will demonstrate that Ohio should adopt an implied warranty of habitability in the sale of new homes by builder-vendors.

Prior Lien On Rents And Profits Upheld As A Method Of Financing Repairs- In Re Dep't Of Bldgs., Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Official findings of the New York Legislature in 1962 revealed the existence in certain cities of housing conditions which, unless immediately corrected, might cause irreparable damage to buildings or endanger the life, health and safety of their occupants or the general public. To facilitate the correction of these conditions and to increase the supply of adequate, safe dwelling units, the legislature enacted the 1962 Receivership Law, which creates a procedure enabling a city to enforce its housing codes by compelling needed repairs and improvements.

Real Property - Joint Tenancy - Effect Of Contract To Convery By Joint Tenants Of Entire Interest In Property As A Severance Of The Joint Tenancy, George W. Marti

Michigan Law Review

H and W, as owners of certain real state in joint tenancy with rights of survivorship, contracted to convey this property. Prior to conveyance, and while part of the purchase price still remained to be paid, H died. Petitioner, an heir of H, brought action in equity for a declaratory judgment to determine the effect of a contract to convey land held in joint tenancy. The lower court held the joint tenancy had been terminated by the contract of sale and the contract to convey was held by H and W as tenants in common so that on …