Build On This!

Buckingham, Doolittle, & Burroughs, LLP is proud to welcome Heather D. Gregg and Ronald O'Leary to the Real Estate & Construction Practice Group. Ms. Gregg is an Associate resident in the Columbus office. Mr. O'Leary is an Associate resident in the Cleveland office.

Before joining the law firm, Ms. Gregg was an associate at Thompson Hine LLP. She represented clients in the acquisition, disposition, and development of commercial real estate, including drafting and negotiating commercial, industrial and residential purchase agreements, restrictive covenants, easements and related documents, review of surveys and title work, review of closing statements, and closing transactions. Ms. Gregg has also worked with borrowers and lenders in commercial financing transactions, with a particular focus on Freddie Mac multifamily financing transactions, including drafting and negotiating loan documents.

Ms. Gregg earned her J.D., summa cum laude, in May 2001 from Capital University Law School. In addition, she received her B.A. in Criminology from The Ohio State University in 1997. Ms. Gregg is a member of the Ohio and Columbus Bar Associations. She is also a committee member of the Commercial Real Estate Women.

Mr. O'Leary's practice is focused on representing clients in State and Federal courts and in arbitration, mediation and administrative proceedings involving construction matters and business disputes. Prior to joining the Firm, Mr. O'Leary was the Chief Assistant Director of Law where he managed a number of attorneys in the enforcement of the City's Building and Housing Code. He also recently served as a judge for the Cleveland Municipal Court.

Mr. O'Leary earned his J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. In addition, he received his B.A. in Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs and a Master's Degree in Political Science from Miami University.

The December 2005 edition of "Build On This", the print publication of the Real Estate & Construction Practice Group is available on the web here. If you would like to receive a copy of "Build On This" or electronic alerts or seminar information regarding real estate, construction, or other areas of law, please click here.

The Ohio Supreme Court will begin hearing oral arguments this week in the case of Norwood v. Gamble. This will be the first time a state supreme court has heard an eminent domain case following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Kelo v. City of New London. View the case summary from the Ohio Supreme Court's website here.

Land Use and Zoning attorney John P. Slagter reports that the long awaited decision in the case of Jaylin Investments, Inc. v. Village of Moreland Hills, 107 Ohio St. 3d 339, was decided by the Ohio Supreme Court today, January 11, 2006. This decision outlines the approach necessary to prosecute an "as applied" constitutional challenge of a local zoning law. The decision was written by Justice Lundberg Stratton, with four other Justices joining in the majority. Justices Pfeifer and O'Donnell dissented. Attorney Slagter will provide further analysis of this case over the next few days.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Ohio House has passed a bill that would permit abandoned or blighted homes or businesses to be foreclosed upon in 90 to 180 days, as opposed to the current average of two years. The bill would allow county treasurers to process foreclosures of vacant, tax-delinquent properties through the Board of Revision, rather than the courts, which are frequently back-logged with foreclosure cases. Sixteen other states have enacted similar legislation. Some critics, however, contend that the bill would impact the due process rights of the property owners. The bill now heads to the Ohio Senate.

A federal district judge for the Southern District of Ohio has ruled that Cleveland's "Fannie Lewis Law" violates federal bidding requirements, reports The Plain Dealer. The law required at least 20% of workers on road construction projects to be Cleveland residents. The Federal Highway Administration withdrew $700,000 in funding to the City of Cleveland when the City required compliance with the law. The City sued to recover the funding, but the federal court found that the Fannie Lewis Law violated federal requirements for competitive bidding. The City plans to appeal the decision.

The Ohio Supreme Court has posted streaming video of the oral arguments in City of Norwood v. Horney, the first eminent domain to reach the Court following the United States Supreme Court's decision in Kelo. Click here to view.

A seminar for everyone involved in the real estate and construction industry.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2006
2:30 - 6:00 p.m.
Seminar and Reception

Hilton Inn West
3180 W. Market St.
Akron, OH 44333

ABOUT THE PRESENTATION

This seminar is designed for everyone involved in the real estate and construction industry. Presentation topics include: "Recent Developments in Land Use and Eminent Domain," "Section 1031 - Deferring Tax on Real Estate Sales," "Wealth Planning: Protecting Your Real Estate Assets," and "AIA Construction Contracts: Pros, Cons and the Path Forward." This seminar is approved by the State of Ohio, Division of Real Estate, for 2 hours of CE Credit.

REGISTER FOR THIS FREE SEMINAR