From NAR General Counsel Katie Johnson…
On May 17, NAR filed a motion to dismiss the Moehrl v. NAR lawsuit which we believe demonstrated that the plaintiff’s case was not legally viable. In response, the class action attorneys filed an amended complaint on June 14. While the new complaint presents additional plaintiffs and factual allegations, as well as revised arguments, the underlying foundation of it remains the same. The plaintiffs’ attorneys continue to misunderstand and mischaracterize the pro-competitive, pro-consumer MLS system, which – as you know – is designed first and foremost with the best interests of buyers and sellers in mind. As expected, the amended complaint also consolidated one of the copycat lawsuits filed in Illinois after Moehrl v. NAR. We will file a motion to dismiss this consolidated complaint on August 9.
On July 10, NAR will file a motion to dismiss another copycat lawsuit filed in Missouri. That motion to dismiss will focus solely on the court’s lack of jurisdiction over NAR. We intend to file another motion to dismiss based on the merits of the complaint on August 5.
NAR continues to believe these lawsuits are wrong on the facts, wrong on the economics and wrong on the law. We remain confident in our position to stand by the pro-competitive and pro-consumer MLS system.