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Real Estate Litigation


You Can’t Always Waive Bye-Bye to Statutes of Limitation
In general, statutes of limitation govern the time in which a cause of action must be interposed after accrual.

Jonathan Freiberger
Jun 195 min read


Caveat Emptor in an “As Is” World: Fraud in The Purchase and Sale of Real Property
In New York, the doctrine of caveat emptor — “let the buyer beware” — remains an important principle in residential real estate transactions. Unlike many other states that require extensive seller disclosures, New York adheres to a more traditional approach: absent fraud, active concealment, or a special relationship, a seller has no general duty to volunteer information about defective conditions in the property.

Jeffrey Haber
Jun 177 min read


The Second Department Applies the Relation-Back Doctrine to Add a Party to a Foreclosure Action More than a Decade after Commencement of Same
Today’s BLOG deals with the “Relation-Back Doctrine” (the “Doctrine”)[1], which, inter alia, “allows a claim asserted against a defendant in an amended filing to relate back to claims previously asserted against a codefendant for Statute of Limitations purposes where the two defendants are “‘united in interest.’”

Jonathan Freiberger
May 295 min read


CPLR 322(a) Permits a Defendant to Demand Proof of Plaintiff’s Counsel’s Authority to Commence an Action Affecting Title to Real Property
CPLR 322(a) permits a defendant in an action affecting title to real property to demand proof that the plaintiff’s counsel was authorized to commence the action.

Jonathan Freiberger
May 14 min read


For Whom the Interest Tolls
In prior BLOG articles, we discussed the court’s power to toll the accrual of interest in mortgage foreclosure actions.

Jonathan Freiberger
Apr 34 min read


The Appellate Division, First Department, Holds That FAPA’s Retroactive Application Does Not Invalidate Stipulation In Prior Foreclosure Action Tolling Statute of Limitations
By Jonathan H. Freiberger On March 17, 2026, the Appellate Division, First Department, decided HSBC Bank USA, N.A. v. Nicholas , a mortgage foreclosure action that addresses many of the issues raised in our prior BLOG articles. HSBC involves the Foreclosure Abuse Prevention Act (“FAPA”), and the statute of limitations in foreclosure actions. By way of brief background, FAPA went into effect in December of 2022, and “represents the Legislature’s response to litigation strat

Jonathan Freiberger
Mar 214 min read


Court Affirms Denial of Motion to Dismiss Aiding and Abetting a Fraud Claim, Finding All Elements Adequately Pleaded
By: Jeffrey M. Haber Liability for aiding and abetting a fraud is distinct from liability for committing the underlying fraud itself. This theory of liability recognizes that a defendant may substantially contribute to fraudulent misconduct without personally making any misrepresentation/omission or directly deceiving the plaintiff. Thus, instead of requiring proof that the defendant was the maker of a false statement or omission, an aiding‑and‑abetting theory turns on wheth

Jeffrey Haber
Feb 26 min read


Lender Deserves an “A” for Effort in Attempting to Side-step the Statute of Limitations Implications of Reliance on CPLR 3217(b)
On January 28, 2026, the Appellate Division, Second Department, decided Deutsche Bank National Trust Company v. Starr, a mortgage foreclosure action that addresses many of the issues raised in our prior BLOG articles.

Jonathan Freiberger
Jan 304 min read


The Second Department Holds, as a matter of First Impression, that a Party’s Attendance at a Mandatory Settlement Conference Pursuant to CPLR 3408 Does Not Constitute an Appearance for Purposes of ...
This BLOG has previously addressed the issue of a defendant’s appearance in an action – both formal and informal.

Jonathan Freiberger
Jan 25 min read


Just When You Thought It Could Not Get More Unanimous, The Court of Appeals Determines that FAPA’s Retroactive Application Does Not Violate the Due Process or Contract Clauses of the United States II
. By Jonathan H. Freiberger Last Week in our BLOG article: “ Just When You Thought It Could Not Get More Unanimous, The Court of Appeals Determines that FAPA’s Retroactive Application Does Not Violate the Due Process or Contract Clauses of the United States Constitution or the Right to Substantive and Procedural Due Process Under the New York Constitution – Part 1 ,” we discussed FAPA and the New York Court of Appeals’ decision in Van Dyke v. U.S. Bank, N. A. , in which the C

Jonathan Freiberger
Dec 12, 20256 min read


Just When You Thought It Could Not Get More Unanimous, The Court of Appeals Determines that FAPA’s Retroactive Application Does Not Violate the Due Process or Contract Clauses of the United States ...
By: Jonathan H. Freiberger Last Week in our BLOG article: “ It’s Unanimous – The Fourth Department Joins the Other Departments and Confirms the Retroactive Application of FAPA ,” we again discussed FAPA and noted that on November 25, 2025, the New York Court of Appeals decided two cases: Article 13 LLC v. Ponce De Leon Fed. Bank , and Van Dyke v. U.S. Bank, N. A. , in which the Court determined that retroactive application of FAPA’s provisions passes constitutional muster und

Jonathan Freiberger
Dec 5, 20257 min read


It’s Unanimous – The Fourth Department Joins the Other Departments and Confirms the Retroactive Application of FAPA
Today’s article is about MCLP Asset Co. v. Zaveri, an action that involves numerous areas of the law about which we frequently write -- mortgage foreclosure, FAPA, CPLR 205(a), CPLR 205-A and statutes of limitation.

Jonathan Freiberger
Nov 28, 20257 min read


Supreme Court, Kings County, Holds That A Settlement Conference RJI Fails to Satisfy the “Take Proceedings” Requirement of CPLR 3215(c) Necessary to Avoid Dismissal
On October 31, 2025, the Supreme Court, Kings County, decided loanDepot.com LLC v. Ortner, a case addressing the meaning of the “taking proceedings” requirement of CPLR 3215(c).

Jonathan Freiberger
Nov 21, 20255 min read


Court of Appeals Held that “Good Guy Guarantor” Finished First
In 1995 Cam LLC v. West Side Advisors, LLC, the Court of Appeals held that a “good guy” guarantor’s liability under a commercial lease ends when the tenant vacates and surrenders possession, not when the landlord accepts the surrender.

Jonathan Freiberger
Oct 24, 20256 min read


Failure To Exercise Reasonable Diligence in Real Estate Transaction Undermines Allegation of Justifiable Reliance
As readers of this Blog know, a “cause of action to recover damages for fraudulent misrepresentation requires a misrepresentation or a material omission of fact which was false and known to be false by defendant, made for the purpose of inducing the other party to rely upon it, justifiable reliance of the other party on the misrepresentation or material omission, and injury.”

Jeffrey Haber
Oct 20, 20258 min read


CPLR 2004 Extensions, the 90-Day Foreclosure Sale Rule and the Tolling of Interest Accruals
Givens addresses three issues encountered in mortgage foreclosure actions:[1] motions for extensions of time pursuant to CPLR 2004, the 90-day requirement to conduct foreclosure sales pursuant to RPAPL 1351(1), and the tolling of interest due to a lender’s delays in prosecuting its foreclosure action.

Jonathan Freiberger
Oct 17, 20255 min read


Fraud in the Execution and The Two-Year Discovery Rule
In Dodobayeva v. Rubinoff, 2025 N.Y. Slip Op. 05219 (2d Dept. Oct. 1, 2025), we explore the legal concept of fraud in the execution. Fraud in the execution, or fraud in the factum, occurs when a person is misled into signing a document without understanding its nature.

Jeffrey Haber
Oct 3, 20257 min read


Timing is Everything – CPLR 205(a), CPLR 205-A and FAPA
Today’s article is about Nuruzzaman v. Deutsche Bank Natl. Trust Co., an action that involves numerous areas of the law about which we frequently write -- mortgage foreclosure, FAPA, RPAPL 1501(4), CPLR 205(a), CPLR 205-A and statutes of limitation.

Jonathan Freiberger
Sep 19, 20256 min read


Primer – Personal Jurisdiction and Service of Process
Obtaining personal jurisdiction over a defendant is a critical aspect of litigation. There are two components of personal jurisdiction.

Jonathan Freiberger
Sep 12, 20255 min read


Second Department Affirms Denial of Summary Judgment in Mortgage Foreclosure Action For Failure to Demonstrate Compliance with RPAPL 1304
The Second Department has stated that an “RPAPL 1304 notice is a notice pursuant to the Home Equity Theft Prevention Act (Real Property Law § 265-a), the underlying purpose of which is to afford greater protections to homeowners confronted with foreclosure.”

Jonathan Freiberger
Aug 22, 20255 min read
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