Rhode Island Real Estate Lawyer Blog

Rhode Island real estate transactions often involve several parties in addition to a buyer and seller. Both the buyer and seller frequently use real estate agents, who, in turn, may be associated with brokerage firms to affect the transaction. Although real estate agents generally owe a fiduciary duty to their clients to act in good…

There are many circumstances where a Rhode Island property owner may wish to transfer ownership and title of their property to another individual or organization. The most common reason for a conveyance is when one party sells real estate to another party. However, transfers may also be made in the course of a larger business…

New England property owners generally owe members of the public a legal duty of care to maintain safe premises for people using or visiting their property. This responsibility can result in financial liability for injuries suffered by a person while on the premises as a result of the negligence of the property owner. Landlords have…

It is almost always only following unfortunate circumstances that the Rhode Island Department of Children Youth and Families (the DCYF) petitions the court to terminate the parental rights of a natural parent. The procedural requirements and standard of proof required to terminate parental rights are more stringent than in other civil claims, however, these petitions…

The global pandemic caused by the coronavirus known as COVID-19 has affected the United States tremendously. In addition to a death toll in the U.S. that exceeds 120,000, the virus (as well as the measures taken to slow its spread) has caused the U.S. economy to enter the worst recession since the 1930s. As a…

When searching for a homeowner’s insurance policy, many Rhode Island homeowners seek out the lowest premium or highest policy limits without paying much attention to the details of what types of losses are covered or excluded from a particular policy. In the event of an incident involving damage or loss, a homeowner may be denied…

Several states, including Rhode Island, allow mortgage holders to pursue a non-judicial foreclosure of a mortgaged property if a borrower allows a loan to go into default. As a result of this legal framework, mortgage holders can seize and sell property from an owner without pursuing a formal judicial proceeding, potentially limiting a borrower’s ability…

Courts are often said to favor landlords and property owners in Rhode Island residential evictions or other landlord/tenant disputes. While the majority of judgments in summary landlord/tenant cases fall in favor of the landlord, this is not always the case. A recently decided appeal from an eviction judgment in nearby Massachusetts demonstrates that landlords must…

Couples considering divorce in Rhode Island have most likely heard horror stories from other divorced couples who complain about complicated and expensive divorce lawsuits that went on for years, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, or more. As a divorce case becomes more contested and the parties dig in their heels on specific issues, that…

When large tracts of property in New England are broken up and subdivided into smaller lots for development, disputes can arise between the new owners of the properties over rights-of-way and access to public roads. In a recent state appellate case decided by the New Hampshire Supreme Court, a defendant was estopped, or forbidden, from…