The legal and practical issues that arise when executing documents electronically with a focus on practical points to consider and pitfalls to avoid. This is quite a hot topic at the moment with businesses having to continue to operate during lockdown ...
In recent months, the need to conclude the procedures to adapt/amend/revise the municipal and inter‑municipal plans for spatial planning has been widely discussed by the municipalities, the Government, economic agents and civil society. This discussion has focused on: i) The integration into in those plans of the rules contained in special plans concerning the arrangements to safeguard territorial resources and natural values that directly bind private individuals ...
For those of us in the HUD-insured multifamily finance space who make our living trying to shrink the time period between firm commitment and closing, Chapter 19 of the new Multifamily Accelerated Processing (MAP) Guide was a must-read when it was published at the end of 2020 ...
Title reviews are the heartbeat of the due diligence process. When a buyer is considering acquiring a commercial property, it is the title review process that confirms the seller actually owns the property and provides an overview of all rights affecting such property ...
On March 4, 2021, Exempt Resolution No. 625 of the Ministry of Mining (“Res. No. 625”) was published in the Official Gazette. Res. No. 265 sets forth a citizen consultation process on the proposal to amend Supreme Decree No. 248 of 2007, which approved the Regulations on the Approval of Projects of Design, Construction, Operation and Closure of Tailings Dams (the “Regulations”) ...
On Thursday, February 25, 2021, a Federal Court Judge in the Eastern District of Texas sided with a group of landlords by holding that the eviction moratorium instituted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is unconstitutional by extending “far beyond the legitimate scope of federal power ...
From 1 April 2021, a 2% Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) surcharge will apply to non-UK residents purchasing residential property in England & Northern Ireland. However, what is meant by a non-UK resident in these circumstances can result in some surprising outcomes ...
The period for filing complaints to challenge 2020 property tax values in Ohio ends on March 31, 2021. For properties assessed in a 2020 county reappraisal or update, a reduction in the 2020 value may offer greater tax savings now than at any point for the next three tax years. However, the potential impact of COVID-19 on tax year 2021 values must be carefully considered ...
By Michael Flynn, Doug Prince and Khaled Tarazi Buchalter’s February 16 COVID Alert (https://www.buchalter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/FHA-VA-USDA-Foreclosure-and-Eviction-Moratoria-and-Forbearance-Application-Deadline-Extended-to-June-30.pdf) reported that the federal government had extended the FHA, VA and USDA timelines for single-family foreclosure and eviction moratoria and forbearance periods to June 30, 2021 ...
By Michael Flynn, Doug Prince and Khaled Tarazi On Thursday, February 25, a Federal judge in the Eastern District of Texas ruled that the CDC tenant eviction order is unconstitutional, but did not enjoin the order. The case was brought by seven Texas landlords against the CDC, challenging the CDC moratorium order. The CDC moratorium applies to tenants who, among other things, declare economic hardship and earned $99,000 or less in 2020 ($198,000 for couples) ...
As we near the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, trademark maintenance deadlines in 2021 create new obstacles for registrants. To maintain a federal trademark registration, registrants must periodically file an affidavit of use under Section 8, swearing that the mark is in use in commerce or that the registrant has an acceptable excuse for nonuse. Recent office actions show that the U.S ...
In an ever-changing working world, it has never been as important to stay in touch and up to date with what's happening around us. Our bite-sized webinars are designed to focus on practical tips for in-house lawyers ...
Andrew Pattinson and Anna Lowe interview Sarah Teal and Richard Symonds on how CVAs are currently being used, where they are going and what do landlords and tenants (and their advisors) need to know? What exactly is a CVA and why is it different from other forms of insolvency process A CVA is a company rescue procedure. It is a proposal whereby the company restructures its business (i.e. deals with historic debts, under performance stores etc ...
The VAT domestic reverse charge - referred to below as the reverse charge - is a major change to the way VAT will be collected in the building and construction industry. The reverse charge regime will come into effect on 1 March 2021 and will in many instances require customers receiving building and construction services to pay the VAT due directly to HMRC, instead of paying the supplier. This is a fundamental change to the way in which VAT is administered on construction contracts ...
Following last week’s FHFA announcement extending the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac foreclosure and eviction moratoria and their deadlines for applying for COVID-related forbearance, the White House announced on February 16 that FHA, VA, and USDA will extend their single-family residential foreclosure and eviction moratoria, and their deadlines for applying for COVID-related forbearance, to June 30, 2021 ...
Key Points Later this month, the Berkeley City Council is expected to consider ending exclusionary zoning by December 2022. The city has a long history of implementing single-family zoning, which encourages more expensive stand-alone homes that are often inaccessible to disadvantaged populations. The shift would place Berkeley, which in 1916 became the nation's first city with single-family zoning, at the forefront of a modern era of inclusionary housing policy ...
The reasons for the changes to the Golden visa rules: A legislative authorisation in the 2020 State Budget 2020 authorised the Government to review the rules on residence permits for investment provided for in Law 23/2007 of 4 July by the end of 2020. The aim is to encourage investment in inland areas, urban regeneration, cultural heritage, activities of high environmental or social value, and productive investment and job creation ...
Takeaways from webinar on 2 February 2021 hosted by Karen Howard, Matthew Stimson and Grace Mitchell from our planning & environmental team. What are public rights of way and why are they relevant? A public right of way (PROW) is a type of highway - a route across land over which the public at large has a right to pass/ repass without permission or interference ...
This article forms part of our ‘New How: Perspectives’ report: ‘Can real estate help solve the productivity puzzle?. To access this free report, please click the link below. We all know a happy engaged employee is a productive and successful employee. Unfortunately, the UK has one of the least engaged employee populations in Europe ...
In Fishbourne Developments Limited v Stephens, the Court of Appeal emphasised the importance of applying commercial common sense and considering the relevant factual background to a case when interpreting contracts. Fishbourne, a developer, had the benefit of an option to acquire a 117 acre farm in West Sussex ...
This article forms part of our ‘New How: Perspectives’ report: ‘Can real estate help solve the productivity puzzle?. To access this free report, please click on the download link to the right of this page. Traditional bricks and mortar retailers, occupying premises under long leases with upwards only rent reviews, can be forgiven for looking enviously at online retailers and their flexibility and comparatively low overheads ...
In Joanne Properties Ltd v Moneything Capital Ltd and Anor [2020] EWCA Civ 1541, England’s Court of Appeal had to decide whether the parties had entered into a binding contract of compromise contained in written communications passing between their respective solicitors. The Court below had held that a binding contract had been made, despite the fact that the correspondence in question had been marked “subject to contract” ...
The recent judgment from the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom on Halliburton Company v Chubb Bermuda Insurance Ltd [2020] UKSC 48, raised important questions about the requirement that there can not only be no actual bias, but also no apparent bias on the part of arbitrators in favour of or against any party in arbitration and also about the obligation of arbitrators in international arbitrations to make disclosure of multiple appointments concerning the same or overlapping subje
