Legal Affairs News

Just because season 3 of “The Walking Dead” just ended doesn’t mean it’s safe to walk outside the perimeter.  A new study found that 301,874 “zombie” homes - properties where homeowners receive foreclosure notices and move out, leaving the home vacant and deteriorating - exist in the U.S.

Also, we are also hearing about “zombie titles,” a little-known horror in the fallout of the foreclosure crisis. Thousands of homeowners are discovering they are legally liable for a home they thought they no longer owned.

We hope you find value in the MAR Legal Hotline, which is designed to answer some of the most pressing and popular questions fielded by our staff attorneys.  Each year we collect the prior year's questions and answers and publish them as a handy reference for continued use throughout the year. 

In response to a significant expression of interest from members  for materials on agency law, the MAR Legal Department has published a collection of articles addressing the most often asked questions. 

On October 24, 2011, in the case of Jackson v. Dackman Co. et al. (Md. App., 2011), the Court of Appeals of Maryland held that the immunity provisions of the Reduction of Lead Risk in Housing Act (“the Act"), which provide compliant landlords with qualified immunity from tort liability under specified circumstances, violate Article 19 of the Maryland Declaration of Rights (“Article 19”). 

New Lease Option Agreement now available.  Go to the Statewide Forms page to review the form.

For video of other form updates, click below.

Revised Statewide Forms which are effective October 1, 2011 are now available on the MAR website.  Be sure to review the 2011 Statewide Forms Review & Practice Tips document for details of the changes.  Go to the Statewide Forms page to review the forms.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today issued a statement announcing that it will forbear from enforcing most provisions of its Mortgage Assistance Relief Services (MARS) Rule against real estate brokers and their agents who assist financially distressed consumers in obtaining short sales from their lenders or servicers.

As you may recall from prior postings, the Mortgage Assistance Relief Services (MARS) rule was issued by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and took effect on January 31, 2011.  The MARS rule imposes an advance fee ban, advertising restrictions as well as disclosure and record keeping requirements on companies and individuals involved in MARS related activities.

The Seminar provided local boards and associations of Realtors with valuable information and tools to assist in RPAC and general organizational accounting.  It is designed for AEs, Presidents, RPAC Chairs and especially key staff who handle the actual accounting functions.  The Seminar covered legal and practical aspects of RPAC, organizational accounting, audits, and more.

Click here to view the webinar