A squabble between banks involved in a former Regency development will head back to Polk County District Court as the result of a ruling today by the Iowa Court of Appeals. Regions Bank filed a lawsuit in 2008 claiming that City State Bank improperly entered a non-judicial foreclosure agreement for a loan to Regency-related Kennybrook Development Co. LC that was in default. In the lawsuit, Regions claimed that as a junior lien holder in the company’s Grimes development, it had a right to redeem a portion of a loan it had given for the project. Regions argued that it had offered to pay a release price for one lot in the 117-acre project. City State Bank refused the offer. It filed a motion for summary judgment in the Regions lawsuit, seeking to finalize its foreclosure on the Kennybrook loan. The appellate court ruled that Polk County District Court Judge Artis Reis abused her discretion by granting City State Bank’s motion and denying Regions Bank’s effort to conduct additional discovery before she ruled on City State Bank’s motion.

Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin and Rep. Leonard Boswell were the only members of the state’s congressional delegation to receive a perfect score for their votes supporting environmental laws favored by the watchdog group Environment Iowa. The organization scored seven votes in the U.S. Senate, ranging from an economic recovery bill with investments in public transit and energy efficiency to legislation protecting the nation’s coasts from offshore drilling. In the House of Representatives, Environment Iowa scored 15 votes, including funding to make schools more energy efficient and legislation protecting the Great Lakes.

A key measure of consumer confidence rose for a second straight month in December, The Conference Board, a New York-based research group, said. Its Consumer Confidence Index rose to 52.9 in December, from an upwardly revised 50.6 in November. Economists were expecting the index to climb to 53, according to a Briefing.com survey. The figure, which is based on a survey of 5,000 U.S. households, is closely watched because consumer spending makes up two-thirds of the nation’s economic activity. The overall index remains at historically low levels. A reading above 90 indicates the economy is stable, and 100 or above indicates strong growth.

Home price gains earlier this year flattened out in October, according to the S&P/Case Shiller Home Price index, which covers 20 of the largest metropolitan areas in the nation, CNNMoney.com reported. The index was unchanged in October, after four consecutive months of gains. It is down 7.3 percent from 12 months earlier. Just seven of the 20 cities recorded gains from a month earlier. The modest gains earlier this year were attributed to low interest rates and the government’s first-time home buyers tax credit.

Correction: The difference in the purchase price and asking price of Hubbell Realty Co.’s Rollins Mansion was incorrect in today’s Commercial Real Estate Weekly e-newsletter. The correct amount is $50,000.