Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation

Appealability, Equity, Fee Clause Interpretation:  Four California Intermediate Appellate Courts Address Diverse Attorney’s Fees Issues

Cases: Appealability, Cases: Equity, Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation

Galindo v. Polakoff, Case No. D071555 (4th Dist., Div. 1 Nov. 29, 2017) (Unpublished)—Equity/Offsets.             In this one, the Court of Appeal affirmed an offset determination by the trial judge where it did grant fees to one party prevailing but even after an offset conclusion was reached.  Must reading for practitioners facing offset issues under […]

Fee Clause Interpretation/Section 1717:  Significant Fee Awards Affirmed In Favor Of Lenders And Prevailing Party In Easement Dispute

Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation, Cases: Section 1717

Courts Focused On Plain Meaning Of Fee Clauses, Primarily. Lawson v. Cal Western Reconveyance Corp., Case No. A142956 (1st Dist., Div. 4 Nov. 20, 2017) (Unpublished).             Here, after two banks prevailed in a nonjudicial foreclosure challenge by borrowers, the trial judge awarded both $ 137,150 in attorney’s fees under note and trust deed fee

Fee Clause Interpretation/Settlement:  Settlement Agreement’s Carve-Out Language And Broad “Related To” Language Allowed For Fee Recovery In General Contractor – Subcontractor Dispute

Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation, Cases: Settlement

  Need For Precise Draftsmanship Demonstrated By This Case.             In Global Modular, Inc. v. Kadena Pacific, Inc., Case No. E063551 (4th Dist., Div. 2 Sept. 8, 2017) (published), general contractor, subcontractor, and subcontractor’s general liability carrier were drawn into a dispute about water damage to a construction site.  A partial settlement was reached by

Assignment/Fee Clause Interpretation/Section 1717:  Bankruptcy Trustee’s Assignment Of Sublease Rights Invoked Fee Clauses To Prevailing Party

Cases: Assignment, Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation

Landlord Did Prevail, Entitled To Fee Recovery Based On Breadth Of Fees Clause.             Bush-Grant, LLC v. Hotel Astoria, Inc., Case No. A147456 (1st Dist., Div. 4 Aug. 29, 2017) (unpublished) demonstrates how a tort claim can still be compensable under a broad fees clause, even if Civil Code section 1717 is inapplicable because the

Deadlines, Fee Clause Interpretation, Reasonableness Of Fees:  $210,000 Contractual Fees Award Affirmed On Appeal In Contentious Foreclosure/Eviction Case  

Cases: Deadlines, Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation, Cases: Reasonableness of Fees

  Technical Challenges Are Rejected At Appellate Level.             In Coastline RE Holdings Corp. v. Brillouet, Case No. B282382 (2d Dist., Div. 6 Aug. 24, 2017) (unpublished), owners/residential borrowers had their house foreclosed (after quitclaiming the property to various entities and filing bankruptcies which were dismissed) and then lost an eviction action by the buyer

Allocation/Fee Clause Interpretation:  One Prevailing Defendant Entitled To Some Fee Recovery Under Promissory Note Fees Clause

Cases: Allocation, Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation

However, That Defendant’s Assertion Of A Contract As An Affirmative Defense Required Some Paring Back of Fees Under Recent Mountain Air Decisio             On August 1, 2017, we posted on Mountain Air Enterprises, LLC v. Sundowner Towers, LLC, 2017 WL 3222520 (Cal. Supreme Court 2017).  A panel of the 2/4 DCA delayed submission of a

Allocation, Fee Clause Interpretation, Prevailing Party, Section 1717:  Lease Rescission Claim Did Give Rise To Successful Fee Recovery To The Tune Of $418,730.75 In Fees And $16,260.79 In Costs In Tenant’s Favor

Cases: Allocation, Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation, Cases: Prevailing Party, Cases: Section 1717

“Any Remedy Hereunder” Lease Language Salted Away The Result.             In The Redbean House Corp. v. Colonnade Wilshire Corp., Case No. B276837 (2d Dist., Div. 2 Aug. 16, 2017) (unpublished), tenant successfully obtained rescission of a commercial lease based on a substantial seismic retrofit issue, although landlord obtained $49,647 in damages for waste after a

Fee Clause Interpretation: California Supreme Court Decides That Parties’ Assertion Of An Affirmative Defense Is Not An “Action” Or “Proceeding”

Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation

However, Majority Still Allows Fee Recovery Based On Interrelatedness Of Two Agreements In Overall Action, Although Dissent Finds This Result Unwarranted.             Today, the California Supreme Court came out with an important fee decision in the form of Mountain Air Enterprises, LLC v. Sundowner Towers, LLC, Case No. S223536 (Cal. Supreme Court July 31, 2017)

Fee Clause Interpretation: 4/1 DCA Reverses Denial Of Attorney’s Fees Under Binding Letter Of Intent

Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation

Given That Plaintiffs Did Not Challenge Reasonableness Of Requested Fees, Judgment Modified To Allow Defendants Over $2.45 Million In Fees/Costs.             We have posted on a lot of cases about reversal of fortunes, and the next one is one of them.  It may counsel that litigants need to oppose both fee entitlement and reasonableness of

Fee Clause Interpretation/Section 1717: Prevailing Seller Co-Conspirator Defendant In Real Estate Listing Dispute Properly Awarded Fees Under Broadly Worded Fees Clause

Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation, Cases: Section 1717

Section 1717 Reciprocity Principles Applied. Charlie Price Realtor donkey statue, Routes 62 & 82.  John Margolies, photographer.  1993.  Library of Congress.         In Impact Realty, Inc. v. Ortega, Case No. B272040 (2d Dist., Div. 1 June 14, 2017) (unpublished), real estate brokers sued a seller for breach of contract as well as sued a seller and

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