Real Estate News – May 2, 2011

Homeowner associations often on outside looking in on foreclosure cases (via naplesnews.com): http://bit.ly/jWCJaX

Top Massachusetts judges grilled attorneys on both sides of a widely watched foreclosure case that could impact thousands of property owners across the state, and beyond (via Reuters.com): http://reut.rs/koQLQ4

A investigative subpoena issued by the Florida Attorney General to the foreclosure law firm Shapiro & Fishman was blocked by a trial court in a ruling upheld last week by the state’s 4th District Court of Appeal (via HousingWire.com): http://bit.ly/m5wp03

The office of Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi announced it filed a lawsuit on Friday against three South Florida companies that allegedly were charging upfront fees for loan modification services to homeowners facing foreclosure, which is illegal under state law (via bizjournals.com): http://bit.ly/mO0VPZ

New York’s top court is considering whether to reinstate a real estate broker’s defamation claim against a rival business over anonymous comments posted on its website that said the broker mistreated his agents, failed to pay bills, made racist and anti-Semitic remarks and committed adultery (via online.WSJ.com): http://on.wsj.com/lgtkgw

The U.S. Interior Department said Monday it is reducing the size of an area in waters off the Massachusetts coast that it is considering opening to wind power development (via gcaptain.com): http://bit.ly/kYn5Ot

7 Things Homeowner Associations Won’t Tell You (via housingpredictor.com): http://bit.ly/joGWPr