FHFA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac File Suit Challenging Imposition of State and Local Taxes

On June 22, the FHFA, along with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises), filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois challenging the authority of Illinois state and county officials to impose transfer taxes on transactions moving property to or from the Enterprises. Although the complaint concedes that federal law requires the Enterprises to pay real estate taxes on the value of properties held, it asserts that federal law exempts the Enterprises from other state and local taxation, including taxes tied to property transfers. This suit follows a class action raising the same issues, which was filed by a Florida county against FHFA and the Enterprises on June 15.