As a Texas real estate and development attorney who has represented lenders, commercial borrowers and developers for years, and as someone who has been critical of the “band-aid” solutions to the sub prime delinquency problem proposed by some politicians, I am heartened when I see solutions that appear to actually…
Texas Oil and Gas Attorney Blog
Sub-Prime Mortgage Proposals Raise Serious Legal Issues
As a Texas real estate and development attorney who has represented lenders, borrowers and developers in Texas for years, I find the current debate over sub prime mortgages to be especially interesting. Sub prime loan foreclosures in Texas are not as extensive as they are in other states, however, they…
Texas Rural Water Companies Threatened by Lack of Community Participation
As the reader may be aware from one of my prior blogs concerning Texas rural water companies, not only have I served as an attorney for rural water and sewer companies in Texas for years, I have also spent the last year as President of the rural water company where…
Texas Ranks Fourth In Real Estate Lending Fraud
As a Texas real estate and development attorney, I am concerned that Texas real estate lending suffered some unwelcome notoriety recently when the Dallas Business Journal, quoting an announcement by the online publication, Mortgage Daily, announced that Texas had the fourth highest level of fraudulent real estate loans in the…
Resources for Texas Rural Water Companies and Their Attorneys-Part Two
In Part One of this blog regarding resources available for Texas rural water and sewer companies, I discussed the tremendous resource that Texas rural water companies and their lawyers have in the Texas Rural Water Association. In addition to the TRWA, there are two other associations that can be tremendously…
Resources for Texas Rural Water Companies and Their Attorneys-Part One
As an attorney for rural water and sewer companies in Texas, I have experienced first hand the increased regulatory and legal challenges faced by Texas rural water companies and their lawyers. While there is no substitute for having a knowledgeable attorney, there are several nonlegal resources available that are invaluable…
New Law for Texas Contractors and Their Attorneys-Part Two
In a previous post, I discussed the implications for Texas contractors and insurance companies and their attorneys of the decision of the Texas Supreme Court in Lamar Homes, Inc. v. Mid-Continent Casualty Company. The Court’s decision had a second element that is notable, and will be helpful to attorneys who…
New Law for Texas Contractors and Their Attorneys
A decision by the Texas Supreme Court either delighted or horrified Texas attorneys, depending on whether they represented consumers of construction services, construction companies or insurance companies. In Lamar Homes, Inc. v. Mid-Continent Casualty Company, an opinion delivered on August 31, 2007 and which became final in December 2007, the…
Challenges Ahead for Rural Water Companies in Texas
As an attorney, I have represented rural water companies in Texas for years. I have prepared their corporate documents, assisted with government grant and loan applications, and negotiated non-standard and subdivision service contracts, among other things. I have also served as an officer and as a director on the board…
Lesson for Texas Construction Lawyers: Workers from a Temp Agency Count as “Labor” Under the Texas Mechanic’s Lien Statutes
As I indicated in a previous post, a recent decision by the Texas Supreme Court contains an important lesson for Texas attorneys who represent Texas real estate owners, general contractors or subcontractors. Texas attorneys who practice construction law should be aware that, because of this decision, claims by a temporary…