The California Supreme Court recently issued two opinions resulting from the aftermath of the 2009 real estate crash. It addressed both the statutory protections for a homeowner after a short sale (i.e., a sale for less then what is owed on the mortgage) and their ability to sue for wrongful foreclosure. In both cases, the … Continue Reading
Our preview of the September term of the Illinois Supreme Court continues with EMC Mortgage Corp. v. Kemp [pdf]. Kemp involves a tangled procedural history, but ultimately, a reasonably simple question: when can you appeal from an order for the foreclosure sale of a home? Plaintiff filed its foreclosure complaint in the summer of 2006. The … Continue Reading
The California Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments for May, including four civil cases. Brown v. Mortensen: The Court will address whether the Federal Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq.) preempts causes of action for the improper disclosure of medical information under California’s Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (Civ. Code, § 56 et … Continue Reading
The California Supreme Court has declared that “labels matter,” and that under California’s Unfair Competition Law, a consumer’s subjective sense of feeling duped translates to a cognizable economic injury. The Court’s majority opinion in Kwikset Corporation v. Superior Court (.pdf), issued today, January 27th, held that plaintiffs “who can truthfully allege they were deceived by … Continue Reading
Labor Code § 351 bars an employer from collecting any gratuity that is left for an employee. Previous cases have addressed whether various tip pooling systems (i.e. systems which pool gratuities for division among a set of employees) operated by the employer are permitted under Labor Code § 351. Facing a split in the Court … Continue Reading