The Edwards v. First American case became well known in June 2011 when the U.S. Supreme Court decided to review the controversial matter. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had held that a private purchaser of real estate settlement services has standing under RESPA to sue for an alleged violation even if actual damages are absent, and the case was appealed to the high court. A year after granting certiorari, the Supreme Court declined to review the merits of the case, and the 9th Circuit’s decision was, in essence, upheld.
That did not, however, end the matter. Although the 9th Circuit’s decision was the final say regarding the standing issue, it did not determined whether the plaintiff, Denise Edwards, won her case against First American on its merits. The parties had to go back to the trial court to finish arguing the rest of the case.
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