RE/MAX claims franchisee steered brokers to competitor
RE/MAX is suing one of its local franchisees for allegedly instructing his employees to join a national competitor so that he could later follow them and collect a recruitment bonus.
Real Estate/Construction
Articles
Basic updates for repurposing of City-County Building would cost more than $35M
City officials on Monday released a long-anticipated request for developers to submit ideas for reuse of the 28-story Indianapolis City-County Building, along with studies that show it would take more than $35 million in basic upgrades to repurpose the structure.
COA rules for homeowners who argued neighbors’ pole barn violated neighborhood covenants
Morgan County homeowners who challenged a pole barn that violated their neighborhood’s covenants weren’t required to challenge every neighborhood violation to bring their case against the barn, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled.
HUD complaints allege racial bias in Indianapolis home appraisals
The Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana and Indianapolis resident Carlette Duffy have filed fair housing complaints with the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, alleging Duffy’s home was appraised at a lower value because she is African American.
$6 million project planned at President Harrison home
A $6 million upgrade is starting at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site in Indianapolis that leaders say is aimed at increasing its visibility and connections with the surrounding neighborhood.
COA rules for property owners in easement dispute with hunting club
A Dearborn County hunting club can’t use an easement to access its business, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled, affirming a judgment for adjoining property owners who claimed the club violated the terms of the easement.
Justice Barrett selling South Bend home
The South Bend home where Justice Amy Coney Barrett, her husband, Jesse, and their seven children have lived for 19 years is being sold as the family prepares to relocate to Washington, D.C., to be closer to her work at the U.S. Supreme Court. She isn’t the only Hoosier pulling up stakes in South Bend to go serve in the nation’s capital.
Foreclosure case remanded over statutory violation
A foreclosure dispute over a Middletown home is headed back to the trial court in Henry County after the Indiana Court of Appeals determined an order granting immediate possession of the home to its seller was erroneous.
Wetlands deregulation bill advances to Indiana governor
Lawmakers gave final approval Wednesday to a disputed bill seeking to remove protections from Indiana’s already diminished wetlands amid mounting criticism that the legislation could cause damage to the state’s waterways, wildlife and vegetation.
COA reverses reopening of dismissed eminent domain action
Homeowners challenging a Lake County public construction project must challenge the project’s impact on their property through a new inverse condemnation action, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled, reversing a ruling allowing the homeowners to reopen a previously dismissed lawsuit.
COA affirms $245K judgment against brother in family farm dispute
An order for a brother to pay nearly $245,000, including more than $100,000 in attorney fees, in a dispute with his siblings over a breach of their mother’s revocable trust was affirmed Friday by the Indiana Court of Appeals.
Judge dismisses lawsuit over Indiana’s Lake Michigan beaches
A federal judge has dismissed the latest attempt by property owners in a northwestern Indiana town to deny public access to Lake Michigan beaches.
Indiana lawmakers amend environment bills as deadlines near
Dozens of amendments to bills affecting Indiana environmental policy have sparked debate among lawmakers as the Legislature enters its final stretch of the session. The proposed changes arrive as members of the General Assembly decide whether the state should adopt greener initiatives or scale back current policy protecting water, energy and other resources.
Intentional misclassification of construction workers causing concern
Workers on construction sites across Indiana can be found nailing plywall from atop scaffolds, scaling roofs or painting newly built homes. But what isn’t evident is whether those workers are part of a shady trend construction industry experts say is a serious concern — payroll tax fraud.
Adams and Engel: Planning considerations for IRC Section 1031 exchanges
Many commercial real estate owners, even those who previously did not intend to sell, are considering selling their real estate to take advantage of current market conditions. With transactions seemingly becoming quicker each year, it is important for owners to consider many factors when preparing to sell their real estate, including executing an Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 1031 exchange.
Pebworth and Sausser: Change, opportunity in post-pandemic real estate market
The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally altered how commercial real estate will be developed, built and used. Prudent real estate owners, developers, property managers and builders (and the lawyers who represent them) need to recognize this changed environment and proceed accordingly.
ALJ attorney fees bill heading into opposition at Senate hearing
After sailing through the House without a single vote in opposition, a bill that would enable individuals to recoup attorney fees from state agencies could hit a stiff wind Wednesday as public interest organizations are aligning to try to block the legislation from moving any further through the Statehouse.
Trump’s taxes in hand, Manhattan DA’s probe heats up
With former President Donald Trump’s tax returns finally in hand, a team of New York prosecutors led by a newly hired former mob-buster is sending out fresh subpoenas and meeting face-to-face with key witnesses, scrutinizing Trump’s business practices in granular detail.
Ex-wife loses appeal in property, contempt dispute
A woman who sought to hold her ex-husband in contempt for failing to sell or refinance their family home has lost her appeal of the contempt denial, with the Indiana Court of Appeals noting the woman repeatedly “thwarted” the man’s attempts to comply with their dissolution agreement.
Developer may water ski but not build dock on lakefront property, COA rules
A developer who sold his property in the lakefront subdivision he developed cannot now build a dock on that lake, even though he has lifetime rights to ski there, the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed in a Tuesday opinion.