News By Edition

During his session at the 2026 National Settlement Services Summit (NS3) in Kansas City, Mo., educator and consultant Matt Lee spared no details as he broke down how he would go about infiltrating a title agency and holding its data for ransom. Along the way, Lee, who serves as security and compliance senior director at Pax8, shared preventative tips and his philosophy on why cyber defenders should also know how to go on offense.

One Iowa homeowner’s fight before the state’s Supreme Court to keep his home despite a $2,000+ tax debt marks another in a long series of cases predicated on the outcome of Tyler v. Hennepin County.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that his office reached a $4.6 million settlement with Select Portfolio Servicing over claims that the company broke state and federal mortgage servicing laws during the COVID-19 pandemic.

An act introduced to Congress would, if enacted, allow for certain FEMA mitigation grant funds to be used for community-based flood insurance coverage. Proponents say the bill would help communities better prepare for and recover from severe flooding.

The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation has ordered Florida-based Navitas Credit Corp. to pay a $4 million penalty for violating California financing laws.

Brandon Dutch Mendenhall, 46, from Brandon, Fla., has been indicted for one count of mail fraud connected to a mortgage application. If found guilty, he could face up to 20 years in federal prison.

In a bill enacted on May 19, lawmakers in Tennessee implemented amendments to the state’s Home Equity Conversion Mortgage Act, including renaming the law the Tennessee Reverse Mortgage Innovation Act, redefining “reverse mortgage” and more.

Legislators in Rhode Island are considering a bill that would clarify the roles involved in real estate transactions, including those who list, sell, purchase, exchange, rent, lease or auction real estate for a fee. The bill also sets standards for individuals who advertise these services or help others in real estate transactions for profit.

Environmental and construction consulting firm Partner Engineering and Science, Inc. has released the latest iteration of its land title survey guide, a resource designed to help commercial real estate professionals understand and apply the latest industry standards.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. announced on May 28 the indictment of 18 individuals and three companies, all accused of conspiring to steal a home deed and fraudulently obtaining a mortgage and construction loan totaling $1,636,000.

After his suit against an insurance agency and title company was stopped by summary judgement in a trial court, one property buyer appealed while representing himself. The appeals court then had to determine whether the trial court was right to deny the man’s punitive damages claims.

A bill to prohibit foreign adversaries from acquiring land interests near military installations was approved by the Louisiana state legislature on June 1 and is pending signature by Gov. Jeff Landry.

Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on May 21 directing California businesses and government agencies to prepare workers, small businesses, and communities for the economic disruption that artificial intelligence is expected to bring to the workforce.

A financial services company that overcharged Minnesotans for equity transactions over a period of five years is being compelled by the Minnesota Department of Commerce to pay restitution of more than $242,000 to thousands of customers.

A Manhattan-based real estate attorney was charged on May 28 for stealing approximately $700,000 from three of her clients after being retained as a seller’s attorney in three separate real estate closings last year.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has reached a settlement with Florida-based real estate company MV Realty, its CEO and its chief operating officer, which terminates the company’s liens, compels it to refund fees and voids existing agreements with homeowners. MV Realty must also pay more than $1.3 million in restitution and nearly $1.2 million in civil penalties.

The National Flood Insurance Program may see its scope and role in federal disaster response and prevention efforts reduced under a new set of recommendations from Federal Emergency Management Agency leadership.

After winning their respective primaries for the office of Texas attorney general (AG), Republican Mayes Middleton and Democrat Nathan Johnson are set to face off in the November general election while AG Ken Paxton secured the Republican nomination for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat.

A new bill recently signed into law in Maryland will commence efforts by the state to evaluate the potential applications of blockchain technology in real estate documentation, including land titles and lease agreements.

A bill introduced in Tennessee previously referred to as the “Tennessee Real Estate Consumer Fraud Protection Act,” which proposed to implement new safeguards on real estate transactions taking place in the state, has been amended and signed into law by Gov. Bill Lee.

A bank founder from Tampa, Fla., was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his involvement in a bribery and fraud scheme that bankrupted various insurance companies, leaving many policyholders with unpaid claims.