Real Property Litigation

From representing many of the nation’s largest developers and lenders in complex real estate class actions to serving as lead litigation counsel around the country for some of the nation’s top title insurance companies, Carlton Fields has teams of lawyers experienced in litigating the significant issues confronting the real estate industry today. As described in the separate sections below, our attorneys have particular experience handling matters for:


Developers and Homebuilders
Carlton Fields formed a "Strike Force" to defend developers and homebuilders against the increasingly aggressive efforts of condo “flippers” or real estate speculators trying to recover forfeited deposits and refusing to close on contracts due to the downturn in the real estate market. The "Strike Force" has substantial experience in:

  • Developing and implementing strategies to defend claims based upon:
    • Federal Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act (ILSA)
    • Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA)
    • Florida’s “civil theft” statute
    • Florida’s Condominium Statute
    • Fraud, contract, tort claims for rescission, refund, declaratory judgment and other actions to obtain the deposit
    • Claims of construction defects in homes and condominiums
    • Contract and general business litigation involving construction of site improvements
  • Implementing strategies to recover on its clients’ attorneys fees from speculators who sue for a refund
  • Assisting clients in recovering or maintaining earnest money deposits in large commercial or raw land transactions that have failed to close

Click here for Representative Matters Involving Developers & Homebuilders


Title Insurers and Their Insureds
Our attorneys serve as lead litigation counsel around the country for many of the country’s top title insurers in matters such as:

  • Class action defense
  • Closing protection letter disputes
  • Coverage disputes
  • Defalcation actions
  • Market conduct and unfair trade practice disputes
  • Regulatory compliance and administrative litigation
  • RESPA compliance and litigation
  • Title and closing agent disputes

Click here for Representative Matters Involving Title Insurers & Their Insureds


Lenders
We have represented banks, insurance companies, commercial lenders, secured lenders, and indentured trustees in connection with:

Distressed Loans

  • Foreclosures and receiverships
  • Bankruptcy
  • Workouts

Regulatory Compliance Litigation

  • Class action litigation
  • Regulatory compliance litigation
  • Fair lending litigation
  • RESPA (Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act) & TILA (Truth In Lending Act) compliance and regulatory litigation
  • Home Ownership Equity Protection Act (HOEPA) compliance and regulatory litigation
  • HMDA (Home Mortgage Disclosures Act) compliance and regulatory litigation
  • FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) compliance and regulatory litigation
  • ECOA (Equal Credit Opportunity Act) compliance and regulatory litigation
  • FDCPA (Fair Debt Collections Practices Act) compliance and regulatory litigation

Servicing and Origination

  • Loan and mortgage servicing
  • Loan and mortgage origination

Click here for Representative Matters Involving Lenders


Landlords and Tenants
Our attorneys have experience handling matters for landlord and tenant clients, including:

Landlords (for commercial retail and office locations):

  • General tenant performance issues
  • Monetary defaults under lease
  • Non-monetary defaults under lease
  • Common Area Maintenance (CAM) issues
  • Insurance obligations under lease
  • Government permitting issues
  • Exclusive use provisions
  • Restrictive covenants
  • Rent escalation clause issues

Tenants

  • Landlord construction obligations
  • Liquidated damages issues
  • Common Area Maintenance (CAM) expense and performance issues
  • Government permitting issues
  • Insurance obligations under lease
  • Real property, personal property, and sales tax issues
  • Exclusive use provisions
  • Restrictive covenants

Click here for Representative Matters Involving Landlords & Tenants


Shopping Center Anchor Tenants

In a recent survey conducted by Corporate Counsel magazine, a major
supermarket chain in the Southeast selected Carlton Fields
as their “go to” law firm for real estate litigation.
-- Corporate Counsel magazine

The group has represented shopping center anchor tenants, including major supermarket chains, in matters including:

  • Mercantile exclusive litigation
  • Common Area Maintenance (CAM) litigation
  • Renewal option litigation
  • General landlord/tenant disputes
  • Hurricane damage and failure to repair litigation

Click here for Representative Matters Involving Shopping Center Anchor Tenants


Media Companies 
We regularly represent international media companies in matters relating to:

  • Land use and contractual litigation
  • Challenges to sign ordinances
  • Enforcement of settlement and variance agreements with local governments
  • Eminent domain
  • Lease disputes with landowners
  • Acquisitions of easements
  • Governmental relations work, including:
    • Permitting
    • Negotiation of relocation and other agreements related to billboard signs and advertising transit shelters 
       




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