Legal Case Summaries

Pennsylvania federal court dismisses lawsuit over a commission dispute for a commercial property arising from the broker’s alleged oral agreement to reduce his commission that was never reduced to a writing.

Photographer’s lawsuit against real estate professional over her use of the photographer’s copyrighted photograph on her website without permission is dismissed because the photographer did not demonstrate actual damages. 

Ohio court rules that real estate professional had no duty to disclose the fact that a sex offender lived next door, as this was a nonmaterial defect that did not involve the buyer’s property.

California’s highest court has affirmed a lower court ruling that a listing broker for a brokerage acting as a dual agent owes a buyer an equivalent duty as the brokerage.

Wisconsin court rules that broker/lender did not have a fiduciary duty when he was considering a short sale offer for client's property.

The Supreme Court ruled that a party may prove violations of the federal Fair Housing Act by either showing intentional discrimination or that the challenged practice had a disparate impact on protected classes.

Massachusetts’s highest court finds that license law allowed broker to properly classify salespeople as independent contractors.

Alabama federal court rejected claims brought against an affiliated real estate brokerage and title company, finding that consumers had received the proper disclosure and the disclosure did not have to exactly replicate the language found in the RESPA regulations.

Two cases from Massachusetts examine when parties could enter into a real estate contract via text messages.

Colorado court rules that a “for sale” sign is not an invitation for buyers to enter the property and so dismissed lawsuit brought by a buyer who suffered injuries when she entered the property unaccompanied by the listing broker.