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Melissa Gutierrez’s practice is primarily focused on commercial litigation matters, with an emphasis on financial services, consumer finance, and real estate litigation. She received her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center, where she was Senior Articles Editor of the Houston Journal of International Law and a member of Moot Court.

Landlords Again Successfully Challenge the CDC’s Authority to Ban Residential EvictionsEarlier this year, the Eastern District of Texas invalidated — commerce clause grounds — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) ability to halt residential evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequently, in Tiger Lily, LLC v. U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals granted another win to

Although the COVID-19 Pandemic Persists, So Does the ConstitutionLandlords in the state of Texas won a battle over their ability to conduct residential evictions when a federal court struck down the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) broad eviction moratorium last Thursday. On February 25, Judge John Barker of the Eastern District of Texas granted summary judgment in favor of a group of landlords

Update on Texas Foreclosures Given Statewide Rise in COVID-19 CasesAs we previously reported in April, Texas’s initial approach to foreclosures in light of the coronavirus was “ad hoc” and the decision whether to halt foreclosures was left to the various counties in which the sales were conducted. Since that time, the state has begun reopening but has seen a rise in the number

Joint Statement Issued by Federal Banking Regulators to Encourage (Yes, Encourage) Responsible Small-Dollar Lending in Response to COVID-19Following previous guidance issued by (and in some cases withdrawn by) the OCC, CFPB, Federal Reserve, FDIC, and NCUA, the federal financial institution regulatory agencies published a joint statement on March 26, 2020, in response to COVID-19 “to specifically encourage financial institutions to offer responsible small-dollar loans to both consumers and small businesses.” The statement

A Good Day for Lenders: Texas Supreme Court Rules that Lenders Still Entitled to Equitable Subrogation for Non-compliant Home Equity LoansOn April 24, 2020, the Texas Supreme Court upheld a lender’s right to equitable subrogation for non-compliant home equity loans, ruling that lenders who fail to cure within the statutorily mandated 60-day period may recoup funds paid to satisfy prior liens. The court’s opinion in Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. v. Zepeda answered a certified

Foreclosure in the Times of COVID-19: Some Texas Counties Halt Foreclosures for April Amid Coronavirus ConcernsMany of Texas’ largest counties have suspended foreclosures for the month of April amid coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, including the state’s two largest counties, Harris and Dallas. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, however, has yet to issue an executive order or make a general proclamation cancelling all foreclosures statewide. Likewise, the Texas Supreme Court has also declined