Case summaries are provided for educational purposes only, and are not a substitute for legal advice by a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction. Case law may change over time, so be sure to confirm a case is still good law.
In Award Realty v. Copeland, the Supreme Court of Tennessee addressed the issue of dual agency. Based upon the specific facts of the case, the court held that the broker acted only on behalf of the vendor and, as such, was entitled to a commission.
In October 1982, Copeland spoke with Silver, a broker at Award Realty (Award), and advised him he was interested in...
In People v. Natoinal Association of Realtors® (San Diego II), the California Court of Appeal held that the San Diego Board of REALTORS® created an illegal tying arrangement when it conditioned participation in its multiple listing service on Board membership.
With approval from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR) and the California...
In U.S. v. Graham Mortgage Corp., a 1984 case, the Sixth Circuit addressed alleged violations of 12 U.S.C. section 2607(a) (section 8(a) of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 (RESPA)). The court reversed the criminal conviction of the appellants, as it found that the plain language and legislative history of RESPA did not indicate an intent to include the...
Article 2: REALTORS® shall avoid exaggeration, misrepresentation, or concealment of pertinent facts relating to the property or the transaction. REALTORS® shall not, however, be obligated to discover latent defects in the property, to advise on matters outside the scope of their real estate license, or to disclose facts which are confidential under the scope of...
In Ballo v. James S. Black Co., the Court of Appeals of Washington addressed tying arrangements and price-fixing in the context of joint ventures. The court held that developers who set the sale price of lots in a subdivision, and who required a six percent sales commission, did not violate antitrust law where the land they owned was part of a joint venture and occupied...
In Zoda v. Eckert, the Court of Appeals of Washington addressed questions regarding MLS errors, "As Is Move-in agreements," and whether a real estate salesperson purchasing a house for personal use was an agent of the seller. The court held that a real estate agent who purchases a home for her own use did not have an independent duty to inspect information in...
In Virginia Beach Board of REALTORS®, Inc. v. Goodman Segar Hogan, Inc., the Supreme Court of Virginia reviewed the trial court's decision to vacate a Board arbitration award. The supreme court noted the limited circumstances under which an award may be vacated, reversed the trial court, and upheld the award.
Goodman Segar Hogan (GSH) filed a petition...
In Reed v. King, the California Court of Appeal addressed whether a seller has a duty to disclose a multiple murder in a house that occurred ten years prior to sale. The court found a duty to disclose facts that materially affect the value or desirability of property which facts are known to the seller and are not readily apparent to the buyer. The court remanded for...
In George D. Thomas Builder v. Timmons, the Court of Appeals of Texas addressed an alleged MLS error regarding square footage under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practice Act (DPTA). The court found that the seller had not misrepresented the square footage and was not negligent regarding the error. The court found that the agent was liable under the DPTA and assessed treble...