News By Edition

Former University of Alabama football player Luther Davis faces charges in connection with an elaborate loan fraud scheme where he pretended to be multiple NFL players, highlighting the pervasive deed fraud threat homeowners continue to face. Edward McDonnell, CEO of McDonnell and Associates in Columbia, S.C., knows first-hand that such criminal activity is far from unusual. He shared his experience and advice with The Legal Description.

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and its co-defendants have appealed the court decision in Flowers Title Companies, LLC v. Scott Bessent, et al. that paused enforcement of its sweeping real estate transaction reporting rule. Luke Wake, an attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation, which represented Flowers Title owner Celia Flowers in the suit, talked to The Legal Description about what he expects may happen next.

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and its co-defendants, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, have appealed the court decision that paused enforcement of its sweeping real estate transaction reporting rule.

Term-limited Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced his retirement the day after a primary election solidified the two candidates who will compete for his office in November. Yost’s temporary replacement was confirmed by Gov. Mike DeWine on May 11.

The Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance issued a bulletin requesting insurance companies to share information about any services utilized through Conduent Business Services or its affiliates following the recent disclosure of a cybersecurity breach impacting the company.

New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced that her office and the Division on Civil Rights were intensifying their efforts to prevent housing discrimination for New Jersey residents, including approving a new amendment to a 2022 redlining practices settlement with a mortgage company.

Lawmakers in Virginia have introduced a bill that, if enacted, would require title insurance companies to publish their risk rate schedules and would also prohibit charges outside those schedules.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners announced on May 6 that it had named Jeffrey Johnston its CEO, moving him from his role as interim CEO effective June 1.

A dual citizen of the United States and the Philippines has been charged with wire fraud after stealing more than $6.6 million from his employer through his job overseeing mortgage payments related to residential mortgage-backed securities.

After purchasing a residential complex and being hit with violations from the local department of housing – as well as legal action from tenants – an investment group sued its title agency for refusing coverage in the resulting litigation.

Eleven candidates are competing in the top-two primary race for insurance commissioner in California next month, all aiming to eventually replace outgoing and term-limited incumbent Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara.

In an effort to reduce paperwork and reporting burden on regulated entities, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is seeking comments on a renewal, without change, to information collection requirements contained in the Bank Secrecy Act applicable to money services businesses.

Lawmakers in the Oklahoma legislature have passed a bill to update ratemaking standards for insurance entities operating in the state, including statutes determining how rates can be deemed excessive or inadequate based on actuarial reviews and the potential for excessive profits.

The California Department of Insurance is seeking to impose heavy fines against State Farm General Insurance Co. after uncovering what it called widespread improper handling of claims from survivors of the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.

The owners of a Portland, Ore.-area real estate investment company were sentenced to federal prison on April 30 for defrauding investors and submitting falsified loan applications.

On April 24, New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani officially announced the launch of the Mayor’s Office of Deed Theft Prevention – the first in the city’s history. Peter White was appointed as the office’s first director.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is on track to become even leaner than ever, with Acting Director Russ Vought lowering budget appropriations and planning for significant layoffs.

A new bill signed into law by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee reforms the state’s annotated code to require title insurance agencies to notify the buyer and seller in a transaction if the agencies plan to share premiums, commissions or other fees.

The newly enacted “by-right housing development act” from the Kansas Legislature aims to simplify the approval process for housing developments, including single-family homes, townhouses and accessory dwelling units, with the goal of improving affordability in the state.