Author Archives: John Colby Cowherd

John Colby Cowherd Visit Website
Attorney protecting the rights of Virginia & D.C. property owners. Cowherd PLC (703) 884-2894
Land Use & Zoning

Court Sentences Son for Storing Inoperable Vehicles at Mom’s House in Harrisonburg

I grew up in a rural county in Virginia. Seeing broken-down cars parked in front of a house was part of the landscape. The perfect backdrop for the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. If you are waiting to get the money to fix it, where else would you store a car that doesn’t work? In college, a […]

Read More
Foreclosures Recordation Taxes

They Might Be Mortgage Giants: Fannie & Freddie’s Tax Breaks

On January 3, 2014, the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau published a request for input from the public about the home mortgage closing process. 79 F.R. 386, Docket CFPB-2013-0036. The CRPB requested information about consumers’ “pain points” associated with the real estate settlement process and possible remedies. The agency asked about what aspects of closings are […]

Read More
Property Insurance

Cold Temperatures in a Slow Economy: Insurance Claims from Frozen Pipes in Unoccupied Buildings

NBC News reported Wednesday that home insurance claims for damage resulting from frozen pipes are so high that insurers are hiring temporary adjusters to handle increased claims: “We anticipate a large spike in frozen pipe claims,” said Peter Foley, the [American Insurance Association’s] vice president for claims. “In Washington, D.C., some of my colleagues have […]

Read More
Real Estate in Divorce

Divorce, Family Homes and Elliot in the Morning

On my Friday morning commute, I heard a guest on the radio show, Elliot in the Morning talking about his parents’ divorce, marriages and the legal fate of a family home. I rarely partake of EITM, but this time I stopped to listen (relevant portions of recording between minute marks 8:20-16:30 on YouTube). Tommy Johnagin on Elliot […]

Read More
Litigation This Blog

Title Litigation: Centenarian Deed Decides Methane Royalty Rights

On January 10, 2014, the Supreme Court of Virginia decided CNX Gas Company, LLC v. Rasnake, interpreting disputed language in a 95-year-old deed. The Court determined who owned the mineral rights in a parcel of land in Russell County in Southwest Virginia. The contested deed contained both (a) words conveying a parcel and (b) limiting language that […]

Read More
1 26 27 28 29 30 31