C.A.R.'s Legal Department, on a regular basis, creates legal articles for our members. These articles frequently are in question and answer format and are currently available on over 150 subjects in 50-plus categories. Sample topics are advertising, arbitration and mediation, broker practice, cold calling, contract issues, landlord-tenant law, procuring cause, real estate disclosures, and many more.  

Search for a document below, or view an ALPHABETICAL LIST BY TITLE. (The alphabetical list contains additional articles not included below which are not being updated but which may contain useful information--i.e., tax notes and old LEaDer® articles.) 

DISCLOSURE CHARTS

• REO Disclosure Chart, 1/1/09     
• Lease/Rental Disclosure Chart for REALTORS®, 1/1/09 
• New Home (Residential One-to-Four Units) Disclosure Chart, 1/1/09 
• Sales Disclosure Chart for REALTORS®, 1/1/09 
• Summary Disclosure Chart for REALTORS®, 1/1/09 
  

LEGAL ARTICLES BY CATEGORY

Advertising

• Advertising by REALTORS®, 6/6/06  (revised)
• Do-Not-Call, Do-Not-Fax, Do-Not-Email Laws Affecting REALTORS®, 1/4/07 (revised) 
• Online Privacy Laws Affecting REALTORS®, 11/12/04
• Real Estate Signs:  Can They Be Regulated And To What Extent?, 3/19/04 (revised)
• Regulation Z Advertising Disclosures, 7/29/05 (revised) 
• Short Sale Advertising, 2/2/05 (revised)  
• Use of the Term "Sold," 2/13/07 (revised) 

Agency

• Agency Laws Summary Chart, 3/9/04 (revised) 
• Agency Disclosure and Confirmation, 4/16/07 (revised) 

Appraisal

• Appraisal Reports: The Consumer's Right of Access, 3/7/06 (revised) 
• California's New Appraisal Standards System, 9/5/90

Arbitration & Mediation

• Arbitration for the Consumer, 5/13/03 (revised)
  (also available in Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese) 
• C.A.R. Interboard Arbitration, 3/21/07 (revised)  
• The Duty to Arbitrate When REALTORS® Are Acting Solely as Principals in a Real Estate Transaction, 9/26/06 (revised)  
• Mediation for the Consumer, 5/14/03 (revised)
  (also available in Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese)
• Private Arbitration and Mediation, 8/29/06 (revised - includes links to providers of arbitration and mediation services)     

Board of REALTORS®

• California Model Bylaws, 6/1/07 (revised)
• Conditional Offers of Compensation, 5/28/04
• Limited Service Brokers and Open Listings, 5/28/04
• NAR Lockbox Policy, 3/24/04 (revised)
• NAR Mandated Ethics Training, 3/29/04
• Variable Dues Formula, 8/15/06 (revised) 

Broker Practice and Real Estate Office Issues

• Antitrust Compliance & California REALTORS®, 10/5/05
• Competitive Offers in a Hot Market--Some Survival Tips, 6/4/04 (revised)
• Duty of Cooperating Broker to "Cooperate," 3/5/04 (revised)
• The Employer/Employee Relationship: Labor Issues Affecting REALTORS®, 4/19/04 (revised)
• Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance for REALTORS®, 9/2/08 (revised) 
• Ethical Issues to Consider When Dealing With Prospective Buyers, 9/11/08 (revised)
• Fictitious Business Names, 11/5/08 
• Giving Notice to Employees About the Presence of Asbestos, 11/20/07 (revised)
• How to Survive a DRE Audit* (leader Article), 7/91 
• Independent Contractor Agreement and Tax Issues, 2/19/05 (revised)
• Independent Contractor or Employee* (Leader Article), 7/91 
• Independent Contractor Reporting to the California EDD, 5/23/06 (revised) 
• Implementing a Workplace Injury and Illness Prevention Program: Suggestions for Real Estate Offices, 4/19/04 (revised) 
• Online Privacy Laws Affecting REALTORS®, 11/12/04 
• Range Pricing, 7/28/04 (revised)
• Record Retention: How Long You Should Keep Tax Records and Real Estate Transaction Records, 8/26/05 (revised)
• Trust Fund Accounts Guide* (Leader Article), 7/93   
• Workers' Compensation, 9/11/08 (revised)

Commissions

• Broker Compensation Under the C.A.R. Residential Purchase Agreement (RPA-CA), 5/1/03
• Commissions, 9/22/08 (revised)
• MLS Offers of Compensation on Short Pay and Probate Sales, 8/12/06 (revised)
• Conditional Offers of Compensation, 5/28/04
• Procuring Cause Guidelines, 1/30/06 (revised) 

Contracts and Forms

• Buyer-Broker Agreements (C.A.R. Forms BRE, BRNE, BRNN), 10/30/07 (revised)
• Buyer-Broker Agreements:  Q&A for Consumers, 10/30/07 (revised)
• Contingencies and Contingency Removal, 4/15/08
• Contract Law and Real Estate Transactions, 3/19/07
• Counter Offer Form (C.A.R. Form CO), 2/11/05 (revised)
• Foreign Language Translations of C.A.R. Lease/Rental Agreements and Other Forms, 4/25/05
• Lease Listing (C.A.R. Form LL) and Residential Lease or Month to Month Rental Agreement (C.A.R. Form LR), 7/14/04 (revised)
• Limited Service Brokers and Open Listings, 5/28/04
• Option to Purchase Agreements, 11/11/05 
• Property Transaction Booklet, 7/19/06 (revised)
• Residential Listing Agreements Between Seller and Real Estate Broker, 11/12/07  
• Seller Property Questionnaire: Summary of C.A.R. Form SPQ, 4/25/05
• Standard C.A.R. Forms and Copyright Law, 3/11/05 (revised)
• Standard Forms and Legal Q&A Correlation Chart, 9/11/08 (revised) 
• Use of an "As Is" Clause, 3/15/04 (revised)

Copyright

• Licensing Copyrighted Music, 6/22/05 (revised)
• Standard C.A.R. Forms and Copyright Law, 3/11/05 (revised)  

Disasters

• Earthquake Insurance Issues, 4/1/05 (revised) 
• Earthquake or Other Disaster-Related Landlord-Tenant Issues, 9/14/05 (revised)
• Federal Flood Insurance Disclosure, 9/23/05 (revised)
• Firestorms: Basic Real Estate Legal Issues, 11/17/08 (revised)
• Rain Storms in California:  Basic Real Estate Legal Issues, 8/10/05 (revised)

Disclosure

• Condominium or Other Common Interest Development Disclosures, 7/20/06 (revised)
• Disclosure Issues Related to Residential Care Facilities and Day Care Homes, 9/8/05 (revised)
• Disclosure of Death and AIDS and the Prohibition Against Discrimination on the Basis ofAIDS, 8/31/05 (revised) 
• Disclosure of the Existence of a Domestic Violence Shelter and Other Residential Care Facilities, 9/7/05 (revised) 
• Exemptions from the Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS and MHTDS) Law, 3/21/07 
• Federal Flood Insurance Disclosure, 9/23/05 (revised) 
• Federal Lead-Based Paint Hazard Disclosures, 9/28/05 (revised) 
• Federal Lead-Based Paint Pre-Renovation Education Rule, 8/12/05 (revised) 
• FHA Inspection Disclosure Form, 7/15/05 (revised)      
• Lease-Rental Disclosure Chart for REALTORS®, 1/1/09 
• Megan's Law: Disclosure of Registered Sex Offenders, 4/11/06 (revised) 
• Mello-Roos District and 1915 Bond Act Disclosure Requirements, 6/10/05 (revised) 
• Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement 3/8/05 (revised)
• New Home (Residential One-to-Four Units) Disclosure Chart, 1/1/09 
• Private Transfer Fees, 1/24/08 
• Real Estate Licensee's Duty to Inspect Residential Property, 5/24/03 (revised)
• REO Disclosure Chart, 1/1/09  
• Residential Roof Warranties, 6/8/05 (revised) 
• Sales Disclosure Chart for REALTORS®, 1/1/09
• Seller Property Questionnaire: Summary of C.A.R. Form SPQ, 4/25/05
• Smoke Detector Requirements, 7/28/05 (revised)
• Summary Disclosure Chart for REALTORS®, 1/1/09   
• Transfer Disclosure Statement Law, 10/16/07 (revised) 
• Water Heater Bracing and Disclosure Requirements, 6/15/04 (revised) 
• Warning of Defective Furnaces in California, 1/8/01

Environmental Hazards

• Federal Lead-Based Paint Pre-Renovation Education Rule, 8/12/05 (revised)
• Giving Notice to Employees About the Presence of Asbestos, 11/20/07 (revised) 
• Home Environmental Hazards (Brief Overview), 3/22/04 (revised)   
• Lead Hazard Control in Federally-Owned and Federally-Assisted Housing, 12/4/01
• Mold and Its Impact on Real Estate Transactions, 11/7/06 (revised)
• Radon and the Radon Certification Program, 11/19/07

Fair Housing

• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Summary), 4/4/06 (revised) 
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 4/11/08 (revised) 
• Senior Housing Summary, 5/3/04

Financing

• Balloon Payment Notices and Restrictions, 7/21/05 (revised)
• "Double-Whammy":  Due-On-Sale With Prepayment Penalty Prohibition, 1/13/06 (revised) 
• Due on Sale Provisions in Loans, 5/11/06 (revised)
• Equity Sharing, 3/11/08 (revised)
• Loan Disclosure Chart, 7/25/00
• Loan Fraud Alert: Be Wary of Price Inflation Schemes, 3/20/06  
• Mortgage Fraud: Avoiding Price InflationSchemes, 3/14/07 (revised) 
• Notice Regarding Extensions, Refinancing, or Renegotiation of Loan Terms, 7/21/05 (renamed and revised)
• Predatory Lending: the California Covered Loan Law, 8/27/07
• Predatory Lending: the Federal High Cost Mortgage Disclosure Law, 8/28/07
• Privacy of Consumer Financial Information,7/1/01  
• Seller Financing of Real Property:  Minimum Interest Rates, 11/28/07 (revised)

Foreclosures and Short Sales

• Deeds in Lieu of Foreclosure, 8/5/08
• Deficiency Judgment Chart, 2/25/08 (revised)
• Deficiency Judgments and California Law, October 1993 (LEaDeR* Article)
• Foreclosing on Rental Property, August 1999 (LEaDeR* Article)
• Foreclosure Scams and the Foreclosure Consultant Law, 10/30/08 
• Notice of Default and Investor-Buyer Transactions: Home Equity Sales Contracts, 4/21/08 (revised)
• REO Disclosure Chart, 1/1/09  
• REO Transactions, 3/31/08 (revised) 
• Short Sale Advertising, 2/2/05 (revised) 
• Short Sales, 10/27/08 (revised) 
• Taxation of Foreclosures, Deeds in Lieu of Foreclosure, and Short Sales, 10/9/08 (revised) 

Homeowners' Associations

• Condominium or Other Common Interest Development Disclosures, 7/20/06 (revised)
• Homeowners' Associations: A Guide for REALTORS®, 4/2/07 (revised)

Insurance

• Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance for REALTORS®, 9/2/08 (revised) 
• Private Mortgage Insurance: Right to Cancel, 8/20/07
• Title Insurance, 7/9/99
• Workers' Compensation, 9/11/08 (revised) 

Internet

• Conducting Corporate Online Meetings, 6/6/01
• Electronic Signatures and Records in Real Estate Transactions, 8/1/06 (revised) 
• "Framing" on the Internet, 3/30/05 (revised) 
• The Internet and the Real Estate Industry, 8/2/06
• Internet Data Exchange ("IDX"), 7/16/01
• Online Privacy Laws Affecting REALTORS®, 11/12/04
• Security Breach of Computerized Records Containing Personal Information, 9/30/04

Landlord-Tenant

• SUMMARY OF LANDLORD-TENANT LAW: Landlord/Tenant Guide for REALTORS®, 2/8/07 (revised)
  
• Abandoned Personal Property:  Disposition of Items Left Behind AfterTermination of a Tenancy, 8/4/04 (revised)
• Abandoned Rental Real Property, 4/4/07 
• Earthquake or Other Disaster-Related Landlord-Tenant Issues, 9/14/05 (revised)
• Federal Lead-Based Paint Hazard Disclosures, 9/28/05 (revised)
• Foreclosing on Rental Property, August 1999 (LEaDeR* Article)  
• Foreign Language Translations of C.A.R. Lease/Rental Agreements and Other Forms, 4/25/05
• Landlord's Duty to Provide Security, 6/22/05 (revised)
• Landlords Must Give Notice to Tenants When Reporting Defaults to Credit Agencies, 12/13/05 (revised)
• Lease Listing (C.A.R. Form LL) and ResidentialLease or Month to Month Rental Agreement (C.A.R. Form LR), 7/14/04 (revised)  
• Lease/Rental Disclosure Chart for REALTORS®, 1/1/07
• Option to Purchase Agreements, 11/11/05
• Rejection Notice to Tenants Based on a Consumer Credit Report, 6/17/05 (revised)   
• Residential Rent Control Relief Law, 8/24/05
• Security Deposits, 9/6/05 (revised)
• Unlawful Detainer: The Eviction Process in California, 8/24/05 (revised)

Legal Developments

• Legal Update, 1/16/08
• Legal Update, 1/10/07
• Legal Update, 4/18/06
• Legal Update, 12/7/05
• Legal Update, 9/2/05
• Legal Update, 4/14/05

Licensing

• SUMMARY OF THE LICENSING LAWS: Licensing Guide for REALTORS®, 1/25/07
  
• Continuing Education Chart for REALTORS® , 2/28/07 (revised)
• License Application and Renewal for REALTORS®, 3/8/07 (revised)  
• Licensing Chart for REALTORS®, 7/9/07 (revised)
• Unlicensed Assistants, 8/14/03 (revised)

Liquidated Damages

• Liquidated Damages and Deposit Forfeitures, 5/2/03
  (also available in Chinese, Korean, Spanish,Tagalog and Vietnamese)   

Miscellaneous

• Antitrust Compliance & California REALTORS®, 10/5/05
• Community Property with Right of Survivorship, 9/30/05 (revised)
• Defamation: What Not to Say, 6/1992 (LEaDeR* Article) 
• Divorce and the Transfer of Real Property, 6/24/05
• Foreign Language Translations of C.A.R. Lease/Rental Agreements and Other Forms, 4/25/05
• Homesteads, 10/2/1992 (LEaDeR* Article) 
• Landlocked Property, 3/7/06 (revised)
• Limited Liability Companies in California, 4/23/07 (revised)
• Lis Pendens, 1/18/06 (revised) 
• Lotteries and Raffles, 9/23/08 (revised) 
• Mechanics' Liens, 7/2/07
• Member Legal Hotline, 6/3/04
• SB 800: California's Construction Defect Law, 6/19/07 (revised)
• Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, 3/2/06 
• Standard Forms and Legal Q&A Correlation Chart, 11/12/07
• Statute of Limitations:  Deadline on Time to Sue, 12/17/07
• Statutes of Limitations: The Lifespan of a Legal Claim, 7/1/1994 (LEaDeR* Article) 
• Wood Burning Heaters and Fireplaces in the San Joaquin Valley, 1/6/04

MLS and Board/Association Issues

• California Model Bylaws, 6/1/07 (revised) 
• California Model MLS Rules, 2/6/08 (revised)
• Designated REALTORS®/MLS Participant as a Respondent in an Ethics/MLS Rules Violation Complaint, 10/19/05 (revised)
• Ethical Issues to Consider When Dealing With Prospective Buyers, 9/11/08 (revised)  
• Government Assessor Access to the MLS, 4/21/06 (revised) 
• MLS Listings May Be Open to the Public: Brokers Beware, 10/3/06 
• MLS Offers of Compensation on Short Pay and Probate Sales, 8/12/06 (revised)
• MLS Short Sale and REO Issues, 6/16/08 
• Relisting or "Churning" a Listing, 10/10/06

Mobilehomes

• Mobilehome Dealers to Cooperate on Commissions, 1/9/98
• Mobilehomes, 3/17/08 (revised)

Pest Control

• Pest Control Service Agreements, 6/24/05 (revised) 

Probate

• Avoiding Probate:  Small Estates, 7/23/07
• Probate Commission Chart, 9/14/06 (revised)
• Probate Sales of Real Property, 4/23/05 (revised)

Property Tax

• Proposition 90 Watch, 7/22/05 (revised) 
• Property Tax Exemptions from Reassessment, 2/16/06 (revised) 

Referral Fees & RESPA Issues

• SUMMARY OF REFERRAL FEES: Referral Arrangements, 1/23/07 (revised) 
  
• HUD's Unearned Fees Policies:  Impact on Administrative/Transaction Fees, 1/18/02
• Referral Fee Chart, 8/18/05 (revised)

Small Claims Court  

• Small Claims Court, 11/3/03

Subdivisions

• Homeowners' Associations: A Guide for REALTORS®, 4/2/07 (revised) 
• Subdivided Lands law, 7/12/94
• Subdivision Applicability Chart, 4/22/05

Tax

• California Withholding Tax on the Sale of Real Property, 10/1/07 (revised)
• Capital Gains Tax on Real Estate Sales, 10/8/08 (revised)
• Federal Withholding:  The Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA), 10/14/08 (revised)
• Internal Revenue Code Section 1031:  Tax Deferred Exchanges, 12/3/04 (revised)
• Mortgage Interest and Points Must Be Reported By Lenders, 9/28/03 (revised)
• Proposition 90 Watch, 7/22/05 (revised) 
• Property Tax Exemptions from Reassessment, 2/16/06 (revised) 
• Record Retention: How Long You Should Keep Tax Records and Real Estate Transaction Records, 8/26/05 (revised) 
• Seller Financing of Real Property:  Minimum Interest Rates, 11/28/07 (revised)
• Taxation of Foreclosures, Deeds in Lieu of Foreclosure, and Short Sales, 10/8/08 (revised)  

Usury

• Usury Law and the Real Estate Broker Exemption, 5/21/05 (revised) 

* LEaDeR stands for Leading Edge for Designated REALTORS® - a former subscription program that has been discontinued.  Although the articles contain very valuable information, they are not regularly updated and, thus, it is imperative that members verify the accuracy of the legal information by consulting an attorney on the  C.A.R. Legal Hotline.

For any questions regarding this web page, please contact Legal Editor, Sonia M. Younglove, Esq., at sonniey@car.org.  Please be sure to include your full name, office, and your member number in your e-mail.