Housing Law Commons^™

Banks, Break-Ins, And Bad Actors In Mortgage Foreclosure, Christopher K. Odinet

Faculty Scholarship

During the housing crisis banks were confronted with a previously unknown number mortgage foreclosures, and even as the height of the crisis has passed lenders are still dealing with a tremendous backlog. Overtime lenders have increasingly engaged third party contractors to assist them in managing these assets. These property management companies — with supposed expertise in the management and preservation of real estate — have taken charge of a large swathe of distressed properties in order to ensure that, during the post-default and pre-foreclosure phases, the property is being adequately preserved and maintained. But in mid-2013 a flurry of articles …

The Politics Of Chinese Land: Partial Reform, Vested Interests And Small Property, Shitong Qiao

Faculty Scholarship

This paper investigates the evolution of the Chinese land regime in the past three decades and focus on one question: why has the land use reform succeeded in the urban area, but not in the rural area? Through asking this question, it presents a holistic view of Chinese land reform, rather than the conventional "rural land rights conflict" picture. This paper argues that the so­called rural land problem is the consequence of China's partial land use reform. In 1988, the Chinese government chose to conduct land use reform sequentially: first urban and then rural. It was a pragmatic move because …

A Home With Dignity: Domestic Violence And Property Rights, Margaret E. Johnson

All Faculty Scholarship

This Article argues that the legal system should do more to address intimate partner violence and each party's need for a home for several reasons. First, domestic violence is a leading cause of individual and family homelessness. Second, the struggle over rights to a shared home can increase the violence to which the woman is subjected. And third, a woman who decides to continue to live with the person who abused her receives little or no legal support, despite the evidence that this decision could most effectively reduce the violence. The legal system's current failings result from its limited goals-achieving …

The Legality Of California Development Fees, Erik B. Michelsen

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Eminent Domain For The Seizure Of Underwater Mortgages, Sarah Thompson

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform Caveat

Like many cities in the United States, Richmond, California suffered greatly from the recent mortgage crisis. The foreclosure crisis hit Richmond hard in 2009, when more than 2,000 homes in Richmond went into foreclosure. This figure is especially shocking given that there were 18,659 owner-occupied housing units in the city at that time. In 2012, the city saw an additional 914 foreclosures and a foreclosure rate of thirty out of 1,000 homes (well above the national average of thirteen of every 1,000 homes). Today, it is reported that nearly forty-six percent of homes in Richmond are “underwater,” meaning that what …

Housing And Development Board Flats, Trust And Other Equitable Doctrines, Hang Wu Tang

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Although 85% of the population of Singapore reside in Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats, this area of the law remains largely under investigated. A perennially contentious issue is the complex interplay between equitable doctrines and the Housing and Development Act. In this article, the author reviews the jurisprudence pertaining to express trust, resulting trust and common intention constructive trust and the HDB flat. This article will also examine the applicability of other equitable doctrines such as donatio mortis causa and proprietary estoppel in relation to the HDB flat. In particular, this article will explore the applicability of the common …

The New Progressive Property And The Low-Income Housing Conflict, Zachary A. Bray

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

The foundation of property law has been much debated in recent years, as several scholars have sought to provide a theoretical alternative to what they call the dominant, “law-and-economics” approach to property. In place of the law-and-economics approach, these scholars advance a new theoretical approach, which I call “the new progressive property.” At its core, this new approach favors rules thought to promote the collective well-being of the larger community while ensuring that relatively disadvantaged members of society have access to certain basic resources. This Article explores the boundaries and practical implications of the new progressive property. To do so, …

Historic Preservation And Its Cultured Despisers: Reflections On The Contemporary Role Of Preservation Law In Urban Development, J. Peter Byrne

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The past years have seen widely noticed critiques of historic preservation by “one of our leading urban economists,” Edward Glaeser, and by star architect Rem Koolhaas. Glaeser, an academic economist specializing in urban development, admits that preservation has value. But he argues in his invigorating book, Triumph of the City, and in a contemporaneous article, Preservation Follies, that historic preservation restricts too much development, raises prices, and undermines the vitality of the cities. Koolhaas is a Pritzker Prize-winning architect and oracular theorist of the relation between architecture and culture. In his New York exhibit, Cronocaos, he argued …

Protecting The Unsophisticated Tenant: A Call For A Cap On Late Fees In The Housing Choice Voucher Program, Wendy Tolson Ross

Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Privatopia In Distress: The Impact Of The Foreclosure Crisis On Homeowners’ Associations, Casey Perkins

Nevada Law Journal

Part I of this Note provides an introduction to HOAs, the foreclosure crisis, and the resulting recession that currently threaten many associations' financial stability. Part I begins with a discussion of the rise of common interest communities in the United States, as well as basic association functions. Following this historical introduction is a discussion of the foreclosure crisis and an overview of the severity of this crisis in Nevada.

Part II introduces the problems faced by HOAs across the country because of the foreclosure crisis. These problems fall into two general categories, budget shortfalls and physical deterioration of abandoned properties. …

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.

The Foreclosure Crisis And The Anti-Fragmentation Principle In State Property Law, David A. Dana

Faculty Working Papers

Secured credit in homes has been divided and over-divided and spun into so many separate interests that economically rational, socially beneficial modifications of loans are impossible. The mortgage story is a new one but the excessive fragmentation of property and the creation of waste and inefficiency is not new. And our legal tradition of state property law has an answer, in the form of an anti-fragmentation principle. Consistent with this principle, federal government trustees should be authorized to review mortgages and, where modification would yield greater total return than foreclosure, modify the loans. Blind trustee review, moreover, can be achieved …

The Meaning And Nature Of Property: Homeownership And Shared Equity In The Context Of Poverty, Michael R. Diamond

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

While a Blackstonian view of property envisaged a “despotic dominion” of an owner over a thing, property has never been so absolute. In fact, as I argue in this paper, the nature of property has been culturally constructed and property means different thinks across cultures and even over time within the same culture. The question of the nature of property was highlighted for me when a student questioned whether equity limitations placed on homes purchased by low income buyers using subsidized public financing created a “second class” form of homeownership. In attempting to answer this question, I examined the ideas …

Exclusionary Eminent Domain, David A. Dana

Faculty Working Papers

This Article explores the phenomenon of "exclusionary eminent domain" – the exercise of eminent domain that has the effect of excluding low-income households from an otherwise predominantly or entirely middle-class or wealthy neighborhood or locality, whether or not exclusion itself was the purpose of the condemnation. All condemnations exclude the condemned owner (and his or her tenants, if any) from the condemned property. Exercises of what I am calling "exclusionary eminent domain" are doubly exclusive because the displaced residents are unable to afford new housing in the same neighborhood or locality as their now-condemned, former homes. In exclusionary eminent domain, …

Why Mortgagors Can't Get No Satisfaction, R. Wilson Freyermuth

Faculty Publications

This article addresses current law governing mortgage satisfaction, the need for effective reform, and the extent to which URMSA provides (or fails to provide) that reform.

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.

Using Capture Theory And Chronology In Eminent Domain Proceedings, John H. Ryskamp

ExpressO

Capture theory--in which private purpose is substituted for government purpose--sheds light on a technique which is coming into greater use post-Kelo v. New London. That case affirmed that eminent domain use need only be rationally related to a legitimate government purpose. Capture theory focuses litigators' attention on "government purpose." That is a question of fact for the trier of fact. This article shows how to use civil discovery in order to show the Court that private purpose has been substituted for government purpose. If it has, the eminent domain use fails, because the use does not meet minimum scrutiny. This …

Land Use And Housing Policies To Reduce Concentrated Poverty And Racial Segregation, Myron Orfield

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Article recommends that land use and housing policies be marshaled to reduce residential racial segregation and concentrated poverty. It argues secondly, that state legislatures must adopt a coordinated policy approach. This Article uses Oregon's comprehensive land use legislation as a paradigmatic example of policies that effectively promote affordable housing and decrease urban sprawl. Finally, the article discusses nine policies that the author believes are necessary to promote stable metropolitan living patterns.

Barriers To Accessible Housing: Enforcement Issues In “Design And Construction” Cases Under The Fair Housing Act, Robert G. Schwemm

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

In the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 (“FHAA”), Congress added “handicap” to the bases of discrimination outlawed by the federal Fair Housing Act (“FHA”) and also enacted three special provisions to further insure equal housing opportunity for persons with disabilities. One of these special provisions—§ 3604(f)(3)(C) —mandates that all new multi-family housing be designed and constructed with seven specified accessibility features.

Despite the accessibility requirements of § 3604(f)(3)(C)—and similar requirements in scores of state and local fair housing laws—a great deal of the multi-family housing built since §3604(f)(3)(C) became effective has failed to include the features mandated by this …

Home As A Legal Concept, Benjamin Barros

ExpressO

This article, which is the first comprehensive discussion of the American legal concept of home, makes two major contributions. First, the article systematically examines how homes are treated more favorably than other types of property in a wide range of legal contexts, including criminal law and procedure, torts, privacy, landlord-tenant, debtor-creditor, family law, and income taxation. Second, the article considers the normative issue of whether this favorable treatment is justified. The article draws from material on the psychological concept of home and the cultural history of home throughout this analysis, providing insight into the interests at stake in various legal …

Developments In Housing Law And Reasonable Accommodations For New York City Residents With Disabilities, John P. Herrion

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Essay examines the New York Human Rights Law, which prohibits discrimination in the sale or rental of a housing accommodation and provides persons with disabilities the right to request and receive reasonable accommodations from their housing providers. The Essay concludes that the recent interpretation of this law by New York City Commission on Human Rights Law is a move toward protecting the rights of persons with disabilities and removing unnecessary discrimination from their lives.

Single-Parent Latinas On The Margin: Seeking A Room With A View, Meals, And Built-In Community, Laura M. Padilla

Faculty Scholarship

This article considers the unique challenges of single parent Latinas and and a different way of viewing concerns of single parents. This alternative paradigm uses a holistic approach to the problems I had been pondering, acknowledging their interconnectedness, rather than artificially segmenting them into disjointed issues. I visualized a multi-pronged approach to Latina mothers' many concerns, based on a cohousing model, as modified for the needs of a low-income, racially distinct population of single-parent Latinas. It describes co-housing and proposes that this housing model be more broadly accessible through land use changes and greater acceptance of housing beyond single family …

The Tragedy Of The Anticommons: Property In The Transition From Marx To Markets, Michael A. Heller

Articles

Why are many storefronts in Moscow empty, while street kiosks in front are full of goods? In this Article, Professor Heller develops a theory of anticommons property to help explain the puzzle of empty storefronts and full kiosks. Anticommons property can be understood as the mirror image of commons property. By definition, in a commons, multiple owners are each endowed with the privilege to use a given resource, and no one has the right to exclude another When too many owners hold such privileges of use, the resource is prone to overuse - a tragedy of the commons. Depleted fisheries …

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 …

Shattering The Myth Of Municipal Impotence: The Authority Of Local Government To Create Affordable Housing, John R. Nolon

Fordham Urban Law Journal

In the absence of any guidance from the legislature, local officials, in confronting the problem of affordable housing, look to the courts to define the extent of their responsibility and power. While not providing specific direction, the New York Court of Appeals has clearly outlawed zoning designed to exclude affordable housing. The judiciary has voiced doubts, however, that municipal governments can, through zoning alone, require the development of affordable housing. The view that municipalities lack such power is erroneous. Zoning alone is competent to induce such development. Furthermore, local governments have considerable additional power to induce the creation of such …

Illegal Lofts In New York City: Have The Equities Been Balanced, Jay Facciolo

Fordham Urban Law Journal

In New York City today, tens of thousands of people,' primarily tenants, are illegally occupying lofts. These tenants have signed commercial leases, often long-term leases at rents far below the current market rate. The changing economics of loft buildings has led to serious conflicts between landlords and tenants. Landlords have sought to evict tenants before their leases expire, refused to renew their leases or demanded higher rental rates upon renewal. Tenants have withheld rent for extended periods. These conflicts have been taken to the courts, and legislation recently enacted in New York State attempts to resolve these issues for at …

"Not In My Neighborhood:" Legal Challenges To The Establishment Of Community Residences For The Mentally Disabled In New York State, Robert L. Schonfeld

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Article examines the laws and lawsuits which have affected the establishment of community residences for the mentally disabled in New York State. First, the Article traces the history of community residences prior to the enactment of the Padavan Law in 1978. Thereafter, this Article analyzes the statute to determine whether its procedures and interpretations by courts have been consistent with the drafters' stated intentions. In addition to examining the statutory procedures, this Article considers issues of zoning, the statute's constitutionality, the standing of neighbors and neighborhood groups to challenge community residence sites, and the effect of restrictive covenants on …

Examining Cooperative Conversion: An Analysis Of Recent New York Legislation, Robert M. Nelson

Fordham Urban Law Journal

New York City contains ninety-five percent of the cooperative housing units in the United States. While there are historical and social factors for this statistic, a specific factor is the New York State Legislature's support of conversion of residential real estate from rental to cooperative ownership. Specifically, the "Goodman-Grannis" bill provides a method whereby developers may convert residential rental housing in New York City to cooperative housing without obtaining an agreement to purchase a cooperative apartment from any of the existing tenants. Under this method, tenants who do not desire to purchase their apartments as cooperatives may remain in the …

Leasehold Unconscionability: Caveat Lessor , Kevin J. Farrelly

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This comment explores unconscionability in terms of leases for real property. In an attempt to protect tenants from overreaching landlords, leasehold unconscionability has slowly become a major tool in the arsenal for tenant protection. Forming and creating statutes that define what may shock the conscience is essential in expanding that protection. This comment looks to section 1.303 of the Uniform Residential Landlord Tenant Act and as well as New York Real Property law section 235-c to reveal the change from caveat lessee to caveat lessor.

Emergency Tenant Protection In New York: Ten Years Of Rent Stabilization, Diane Ungar

Fordham Urban Law Journal

New York City's rent stabilization system was designed as an alternative to the rent control system. Rent stabilization looked to the owners for supervision as a way to benefit not only the system but tenants through an informed and experienced administration. Unfortunately, the system has had its fair share of shortcomings as rules have become technical, complex, and ill equipped to address the concerns of tenants. This comment examines the stabilization system's history and its current status. Though the current system has flaws, the flaws can be fixed and must be to protect NYC tenants and owners.