Ohio Senate Bill 33 (S.B. 33), which makes significant changes to the Ohio’s laws regulating Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) incentives, goes into effect April 3, 2023. Introduced in early 2021, S.B. 33 aggressively expands the availability of CRAs, the benefits...
Real Estate
U.S. Supreme Court Hears Challenge to EPA’s Authority to Regulate Wetland
The Clean Water Act (CWA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are no strangers to controversy and legal challenges. As KJK has previously written on, Section 401 of the CWA, which focuses on curbing the discharge of pollutants into U.S. navigable waters or...
Ohio’s Property Tax Exemptions: Do 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organizations Still Need to Pay Taxes on Their Real Property?
Ohio provides for property tax exemptions for real property held by 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations. However, the exemption is not automatic. The exemption generally applies to real property owned by a qualifying 501(c)(3) non-profit business, provided that there...
Real Estate Conveyances in Cuyahoga County: Proposed New Standards Could Impact Costs, “Drop and Swaps”
Ohio Revised Code 319.203 allows each county in Ohio to adopt standards regarding governing conveyances of real property in Ohio. While most Ohio counties have very similar standards and rules, there are sometimes subtle differences, and it is incumbent on the parties...
Insurance Limits, Inflation and Skyrocketing Replacement Costs
Unexpected inflation and increasing replacement costs could combine to present an unpleasant surprise to your expectations for property insurance coverage in a time of need. Many tend to think of real estate properties as stable fixed assets, well-positioned against...
Ohio’s Top Securities Regulator Backs Restrictions on REIT Investments
The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), a non-governmental organization that recommends securities regulations for state adoption, has published proposed rules that would limit the ability of individuals to invest in unlisted real estate...
Working With Appraisers in Property Tax Assessment Appeals
Recent turbulence in various market sectors is creating the need to sharpen analyses and understandings of property tax assessment valuations. In evaluating the need for real property tax assessment appeals, it is critical to understand the roles an appraiser can play...
City of Cleveland Moves Forward With Actions Impacting Lakefront and Cuyahoga River
Recent zoning and land use developments within the City of Cleveland indicate new thoughts and plans for action along Cleveland’s lakefront and riverfront. While Cleveland’s Lake Erie lakefront has long been the subject of speculation about what could be, the city has...
Notarizing Made Easier? Senate Poised to Pass Remote Notarization Act
Since the COVID-19 pandemic upended life as we knew it, the use of remote communication and collaborative technologies has become a permanent addition to everything, from schools to workplaces and everything in between. We have found ways to work remotely, learn...
Now Is the Time To Review Property Tax Valuations
Now is the time of year when counties are publishing, mailing or providing notices of property assessments as required by Ohio law. Ohio Revised Code 5715.17 provides that counties must give notice that valuation revisions have been completed and are open for public...