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NEW ORLEANS - February 2, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) -- The City of New Orleans today issued a reminder that Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015, is the payment deadline for 2015 property taxes. Residents are strongly encouraged to pay their property taxes online or by mail on or before Saturday, Jan. 31 to avoid long lines. City Hall will extend its office hours on Friday, Jan. 30, accepting payments from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Because Jan. 31 falls on a weekend, the City will only accept in-person payments on Monday, Feb. 2, and will do so at City Hall during normal business hours from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. All other payments – including those submitted online or by mail – must be submitted or postmarked on or before Jan. 31, 2015, to receive timely credit

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 2, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) --– The White House has announced that President Obama’s 2016 Budget proposal will include international tax reform to pay for new infrastructure projects. This is the same framework Congressman John K. Delaney (MD-6) has advocated for two years, building a bipartisan coalition in Congress around combining international tax reform and infrastructure.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 2, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) -- An Ohio funeral home operator has agreed to pay a civil penalty to settle Federal Trade Commission charges for violating the agency’s Funeral Rule, which requires funeral providers to provide information consumers need to compare prices and buy only the funeral services and goods they want.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 28, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, U.S. Representative Ed Royce (R-CA) will introduce the Pay Back the Taxpayers Act of 2015, legislation that prohibits Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (GSEs) from diverting funds to the Housing Trust Fund and the Capital Magnet Fund in accordance with the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) interpretation of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA)

WASHINGTON, D.C., - January 26, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) -- Following today’s Supreme Court oral arguments in a historic housing discrimination case, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. Inclusive Communities Project, Inc., the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee) issues the following statement

ROCKVILLE, MD - January 12, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Now is the time for families to clean out their homes and storage spaces and make room for this year’s holiday presents. There are more than 3,000 Goodwill stores across the United States and Canada that are ready to take donations and sell them in their stores. The revenue generated will fund job training programs and community-based support services, such as child care, financial education and mentoring, for people who need them this holiday season.

CHICAGO - December 31, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Pat Quinn today signed legislation to support secure homeownership for veterans with disabilities and their families. The new law expands property tax exemptions for veterans with disabilities, which will reduce the financial burden of homeownership. Today’s action is part of Governor Quinn’s agenda to honor and support the men and women who have served our nation

DENVER - December 23, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Colorado Attorney General John Suthers today announced civil law enforcement actions against foreclosure law firms Robert J. Hopp & Associates and The Hopp Law Firm, including its principal Robert Hopp and affiliated title company National Title, and The Vaden Law Firm, including its principal Wayne Vaden and affiliated title company City Park Title. The firms and their affiliated businesses are accused of inflating foreclosure costs charged to homeowners and others in violation of the Colorado Consumer Protection Act and the Colorado Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Reston, Virginia,- December 23, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- MERSCORP Holdings, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed the ruling by the District Court of Minnesota that there is no mandatory recording requirement under Minnesota law and the dismissal of the Complaint. The Eighth Circuit also declined to certify a question to the Minnesota Supreme Court as requested by the Counties because the Minnesota courts have interpreted the Act in numerous instances, and the issue before the Court only requires a straightforward application of this case law

DALLAS - December 18, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- In 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) worked with companies that violated environmental laws to bring more than $1.8 million in benefits to communities in Louisiana, Texas, and New Mexico. These benefits came from supplemental environmental projects, or SEPs, as part of settlement agreements with companies. SEPs contribute to EPA’s goals of protecting public health and making a difference in local communities.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 18, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- “A final push to send energy efficiency legislation to the President’s Desk during the last hours of the 113th Congress proves that efficiency remains a top priority for lawmakers and sets the stage for continued action in the coming year. H.R.2126, the Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2014, had broad bipartisan support but failed to pass by unanimous consent, due to an unexplained objection by Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 18, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The following is a statement by National Association of Realtors® President Chris Polychron “The package of tax extensions approved by the U.S. House and Senate, and headed to the President’s desk for signature, includes important provisions that will help distressed homeowners and commercial property investors with transactions made during 2014. NAR applauds Congressional leaders in both chambers for their effort to pass this legislation before adjournment

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 18, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The analysis covers 2013, the latest year for which complete comparable data were available. For that year, Philadelphia reported that 6 percent of property owners did not pay their tax bills in the year the money was due. That figure was down from 6.8 percent in 2012 and 9 percent in 2011. It represents the strongest tax collection performance since 2008, according to city data.

BOSTON - December 16, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Two Boston-area landlords will perform health-protective improvements on five Dorchester, Mass. properties to settle EPA claims that they failed to follow federal lead paint disclosure laws.

WASHINGTON, D.C., - December 16, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee) applauds the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) decision to fund the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF), which will expand the supply of safe, decent affordable housing for those who are most in need. FHFA Director Melvin L. Watt announced the move in letters sent to the chief executives of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on December 11, 2014. Congress authorized the NHTF through the Housing & Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA), which specified that Fannie and Freddie would each pay a percentage of their annual volume of business to fund the NHTF. That obligation was temporarily suspended when Fannie and Freddie were placed under receivership at the height of the 2008 financial crisis but was reinstated through Director Watt’s letter. The Lawyers’ Committee strongly supported Director Watt’s nomination for his position as the Director of FHFA.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 15, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman John K. Delaney (MD-6) has filed legislation, the Infrastructure and Global Tax Competitiveness Act, to strengthen America’s economy by rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure and reforming the broken corporate tax code. The legislation is designed to create jobs, spur economic growth, improve quality of life, and discourage corporate inversions

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 15, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- A new law which becomes effective January 1, 2015, impacts real estate brokers and salespersons, and real estate education sponsors by removing continuing education preapproval and reporting requirements. Gov. Rick Snyder signed Senate Bill 641 into law on April 7, 2014, which became Public Act 106 of 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 12, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that Norton will speak about the 40th anniversary of the Home Rule Act and the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act and be honored at a ceremony by the Steering Committee of the District of Columbia Bar’s D.C. Affairs Section tonight, Thursday, December 11, at 6:45 p.m. at the law firm Venable LLC (575 7th Street NW)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 12, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) today issued the following statement concerning Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt’s decision to begin payments from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to the Housing Trust Fund and the Capital Magnet Fund

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - December 11, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Pam Bondi announced today that more than 14,000 Floridians will receive checks totaling more than $16 million this week as a result of the national Ocwen mortgage settlement. The checks, in the amount of approximately $1,150 per claim, are being distributed to eligible consumers who lost their homes to foreclosure between 2009 and 2012. Attorney General Bondi’s office played a leading role on the executive committee that helped negotiate the $125 million settlement between Ocwen and the attorneys general of 49 states, state banking regulators and the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.