Department of Justice

Do you get déjà vu? The PLS sues NAR — again

If you are familiar with ThePLS.com’s original antitrust suit filed in 2020 against the National Association of Realtors over NAR’s Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP), reading the new suit filed Tuesday might give you déjà vu.  In its 31-page complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, the PLS notes that “Paragraphs 1-121 of this […]

Do you get déjà vu? The PLS sues NAR — again Read More »

Trump’s assault on DEI hasn’t ended federal efforts to stop appraisal bias

The appraisal industry shed no tears when the Trump administration sought to undo the Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity (PAVE) Interagency Taskforce, the federal effort to investigate racial bias in appraisals implemented by former President Joe Biden. But that doesn’t mean appraisers have seen the end of federal regulation and litigation around appraisals, or the

Trump’s assault on DEI hasn’t ended federal efforts to stop appraisal bias Read More »

MLS PIN settlement gains preliminary approval … again

The settlement agreement between MLS Property Information Network (MLS PIN) and the Nosalek commission lawsuit plaintiffs has been granted preliminary approval for a second time. Judge Patti B. Saris of U.S. District Court in Boston granted preliminary approval to the fourth amended settlement agreement between the MLS defendant and the home seller plaintiffs at a

MLS PIN settlement gains preliminary approval … again Read More »

DOJ withdraws objection to MLS PIN settlement, clearing the way for preliminary approval

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has withdrawn its objection to MLS Property Information Network (MLS PIN)’s preliminary settlement of the Nosalek commission lawsuit after the two sides negotiated amended terms. In a court filing on Thursday, MLS PIN and the plaintiffs disclosed that the former will prohibit offers of cooperative compensation on its platform, which

DOJ withdraws objection to MLS PIN settlement, clearing the way for preliminary approval Read More »

HUD OIG reveals ongoing reverse mortgage oversight priority

In compliance with a 1978 law that requires government agency watchdogs to provide semi-annual reports on their activities, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) published its report on Tuesday. While there were no new indications of scrutiny for the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program, the

HUD OIG reveals ongoing reverse mortgage oversight priority Read More »

Whiplash: As second court orders halt to tariffs, appeals court keeps them in place

Following a late Wednesday night decision by the U.S. Court of International Trade to halt President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on trade partners, a second federal court issued a similar decision in which it ruled that the invocation of a 1977 law does not give the president unilateral authority to impose such levies. But a

Whiplash: As second court orders halt to tariffs, appeals court keeps them in place Read More »

DOJ: Former attorney pleads guilty to wire fraud tied to reverse mortgage misuse

A former attorney in Washington state this week pleaded guilty in federal court to defrauding a disabled client out of an estimated $800,000 — in part through the misuse of a reverse mortgage, according to an announcement by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. The

DOJ: Former attorney pleads guilty to wire fraud tied to reverse mortgage misuse Read More »