Lavinia James Vaughn

Vinnie Vaughn has considerable experience with real estate and financing transactions, including complex transactions involving multiple properties and ownership structures, as well as foreclosure and workout litigation, particularly on behalf of lenders. She has handled foreclosure actions in state and federal courts in Florida for lenders and borrowers as well. She also has experience with loan sales by lenders and has handled the sale of large loan portfolios.

Vinnie has extensive experience in real estate title and survey matters in Florida, real estate acquisition and sale transactions, and real estate financing and development transactions. She has served as local Florida counsel on numerous multistate loan, acquisition, and sale transactions and has experience with the complex tax and financing issues involved in these transactions, including issues involving Florida mortgage and transfer taxes.

Vinnie handles real estate, property management, leasing, and transactional needs on a pro bono basis for Girl Scouts of West Central Florida Inc., which serves girls in eight Florida counties and owns and operates five residence camps and two leased properties. Her work was featured in "The Girl Scout Law," an article published in The Florida Bar Journal.

Vinnie is the author of the Florida law article published in Foreclosure Law and Related Remedies: A State-by-State Digest by the American Bar Association.

Vinnie has extensive experience with Florida documentary stamp taxes and intangible personal property taxes in acquisition, transfer, and loan transactions, and experience in matters concerning reporting and tax requirements for foreign investment in United States real estate.

Experience

Represented, as local counsel, large national banking institutions and large borrowing entities with respect to multistate loan transactions, commercial real estate closings and loan transactions, and the pursuit or defense of remedies, including foreclosure under loan documents upon default.

Represents real estate development companies in acquisition, financing, development, construction, and leasing of industrial warehouse and commercial office projects in Duval, St. Johns, Hillsborough, and Pinellas counties.

Represents lenders in expanding loan programs throughout the United States, working with local state counsel on compliance with regulatory requirements and preparing loan documentation and guidelines for lender’s closings.

Represented institutional lenders in connection with refinancing of existing loans for numerous branded hotel properties in Florida and throughout the United States.

Speaking Engagements

"Title Insurance and Escrow Matters for Closing the Loan" and "Remedies, Foreclosure and Bankruptcy Issues," Seminar on Commercial Real Estate Financing in Florida, Lorman Education Services (June 4, 2002)

"Title Insurance and Escrow Matters for Closing the Loan" and "Remedies, Foreclosure and Bankruptcy Issues," Seminar on Commercial Real Estate Financing in Florida, Lorman Education Services (June 29, 2001)

Professional & Community Involvement

Vinnie is a member of the American Bar Association Real Property, Trust, and Estate Law Section's Mortgage Lending Committee and Workouts, Foreclosures, and Bankruptcy Committee and the Florida Bar's Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section. She has served as third vice president of the board of directors of Girl Scouts of West Central Florida Inc. and chaired its Long Range Program and Properties Task Force.