Legal News

A judge in the U.S. Northern District Court of Illinois has dismissed all counts in a class action complaint against online real estate marketplace Zillow.

The plaintiffs in the case, among other things, claimed Zillow’s market value model is an appraisal when it shouldn’t be, and that it fell short of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practices.

What were the other counts in this case against Zillow, and how did the court specifically rule on those?

A Kentucky appraiser has been sentenced by a district judge after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and making false statements to a federal agency. The appraiser acknowledged that he falsely certified forms. Read on to find out the extent of the fraud and the sentence the appraiser was handed down.

A pair of West Virginia law firms won a federal case against Quicken Loans based on allegations the lender unlawfully suggested home values to appraisers. Read on to learn more about the case, including reaction from Quicken Loans. 

The battle between the Federal Trade Commission and the Louisiana Real Estate Appraisers Board continues. A chief administrative law judge now has granted the board’s request to stay its case as the board makes changes to its customary and reasonable fee rules. Read on for the latest details surrounding this complicated, yet important, case for appraisers and AMCs.

Home builders in Illinois suburbs have filed a lawsuit against Zillow, claiming its online posting of property approximations are misleading and affecting potential home sales. Read on to learn more.

An Illinois homeowner is suing Zillow for what has been described as both a sloppy and inaccurate appraisal. But was it an actual appraisal of the property? Does Zillow have responsibility for the impact of its Zestimate on property market value? Read on for more details about this case.

A Pennsylvania school district has been told it legally can keep appraisal records of its properties from the public eye, according to a report. Read on to learn more.

On Jan. 4, 2017, the Washington Supreme Court, in the case RockRock Group v. Value Logic, denied a petition for review of a lower appellate court’s earlier decision upholding a judgment in favor of the appraisers. The outcome of this case highlights the importance for appraisers of using protective language regarding intended users and intended use of appraisals in their reports. Valuation Review reached out to the legal expert involved in the case for his insight on this matter. Read on to find out what we were told.

A Santa Rosa County property appraiser is suing the city of Gulf Breeze. The city and the county are going head-to-head over the city’s alleged lack of compliance with a public records request initiated by the county’s property appraiser back in July of 2016. Read on to learn more about this case.

House Bill 1660, sponsored by Dade Phelan (R-Texas), will provide homeowners a tax refund on properties which sell at prices below the values set by the local appraisal district, under legislation pending in the Texas House. Read on to learn more about this bill.