Despite changes in law, loan ‘auditors’ flourish
October 31, 2008
Huge fees charged to those facing foreclosure
While new legislation passed in January has cut into the rate of mortgage foreclosure “rescue” scams in most of Virginia, a new variation of homeowner rip-off appears to be thriving in Northern Virginia.
A legal aid lawyer in Fairfax says her agency is considering legal action against loan […]
NoVa condo buyers stuck with deal, however bad
October 31, 2008
U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee could well understand why purchasers of condos in the Merrifield Town Center in Northern Virginia might want to get out of contracts they had signed in June 2005.
“In the intervening months, our economy is in a tailspin, the real estate market softened, there is a surplus of available condominiums,” […]
Independent assessment a key to dealing with disaster
October 31, 2008
The recent collapse of the building and death of a worker at Chester Village is a stark reminder that construction can be a dangerous business. While a disaster such as that one is rare, an owner or contractor faced with a building collapse should still have a plan of action to deal with the aftermath.
After […]
Arlington seeks to LEED the way in green building
September 10, 2008
How far can Virginia local governments go in requiring developers to build environmentally friendly buildings?
At least one Virginia county is deliberately pushing the legal limit to force builders to “go green.”
Arlington County officials now require every developer seeking planning approval to provide a “sustainable design” scorecard with its application. The scorecard would use the criteria […]
Going Green: Local lawmakers embrace green building standards
September 10, 2008
Whether in the congested suburbs of major urban centers or in smaller communities around the country, local lawmakers have embraced green building standards. Those standards are exemplified, if not defined outright, by the LEED criteria adopted by the private U.S. Green Building Council.
LEED – it stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.”
Local officials are […]
Property owners’ groups act on front burner
September 10, 2008
With fast-track legislation at the state Capitol intended to provide a quick fix for concerns in one Virginia community, and claims of racketeering going to trial in another, the Virginia Property Owners’ Association Act became a lightning rod for controversy and litigation this summer.
Sen. Jill H. Vogel, R-Warrenton, introduced emergency legislation to address issues underlying […]
Environmental groups challenge coal plant on two fronts
July 29, 2008
Environmental groups launched a two-pronged legal attack last week on a planned $8-billion coal-burning power plant in Wise County.The Southern Environmental Law Center, on behalf of four other groups, sued in both Richmond Circuit Court and the Supreme Court of Virginia. Two actions filed in the circuit court are administrative appeals of decisions by the […]
Coal company can’t dump waste water into mine
June 27, 2008
RE puzzle: When two parties own different rights to a piece of land
Consolidation Coal Co.’s Buchanan No. 1 mine is by far the largest in the state.
Big enough, in fact, that the mine accumulates so much water that pumping it directly into the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River would put more chloride and […]
Contractor can’t sue for more than limit of his license
June 27, 2008
Class B contractor cannot sue to recover more than the monetary limit of his license, a Fairfax judge has ruled.
The issue arose from renovation of a home by Daniel Jones Remodeling LLC. The contract called for the payment of $128,600 for the work, and the homeowners paid that amount plus a few hundred dollars.
The company […]
Electronic access to land records moving forward
May 14, 2008
The goal of remote electronic access to circuit court land records goes back more than a decade.
Such access has been a reality in at least limited form for jurisdictions such as Fairfax County for almost that long. Those early efforts were based on a subscription to a system dedicated largely to a specific circuit court […]
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Recent Posts
- Forstalling foreclosure
- Getting Along: How the generations are working together
- Despite changes in law, loan ‘auditors’ flourish
- Minority firm gets to keep $15.2M
- Grocer’s big award for fraud, distress overturned
- Buyer can’t return car after tussle over title
- NoVa condo buyers stuck with deal, however bad
- ‘The dog ate my homework’ just won’t do any more
- Independent assessment a key to dealing with disaster
- Employer Obligations under USERRA
