Cases: Homeowner Associations

Costs, Fee Clause Interpretation, Homeowner Associations, Section 1717: Trial Court Properly Denied Fee Recovery To Prevailing Defendants Under Davis-Stirling Act Or Civil Code Section 1717 And Properly Struck The Costs Memorandum

Cases: Costs, Cases: Fee Clause Interpretation, Cases: Homeowner Associations, Cases: Section 1717

Action Was Based On Tort, Not CC&Rs; Fee Clause Did Not Reach Tort Claims Under Section 1717; And Defendants Failed To Apportion Costs As Between Themselves.             In the fee area, you must have a solid fee entitlement basis and you usually have to apportion costs where there are several prevailing defendants rather than claim […]

Homeowner Associations, Prevailing Party, SLAPP, Substantiation Of Reasonableness Of Fees: No Abuse of Discretion In Awarding Prevailing Plaintiff $114,990.75 In Lawsuit Against Homeowners Association

Cases: Homeowner Associations, Cases: Prevailing Party, Cases: SLAPP, Cases: Substantiation of Reasonableness of Fees

Condominium Owner Plaintiff Wisely Sought Fees Only For The Claims On Which She Prevailed Against Association             The Broadway Hollywood is a 10-story historical building on the corner of Hollywood and Vine. It was constructed in 1927 and originally used as a store. However, the building was abandoned in 1987 and remained vacant for

Homeowner Associations, Section 1717, Special Fee Shifting Statutes: Homeowner Plaintiffs In A Common Interest Development Dispute Over Assessment Liens Must Pay Prevailing Party Defendants $125,796.50 In Attorney Fees

Cases: Homeowner Associations, Cases: Section 1717, Cases: Special Fee Shifting Statutes

Summary Judgment Hinged On Voting Rights Language In The Covenants Of The Development             The Davis-Stirling Act (Civ. Code section 4000 et seq.) governs the creation and operation of common interest developments, and requires such developments to be managed by a homeowners association, which homeowners are generally mandated to join.             In Bertoli v.

Homeowner Associations, Section 1717: One Homeowner Prevailing Over Another In Dispute Over Location Of A Fence Was Entitled To Fee Recovery Under Civil Code Section 1717

Cases: Homeowner Associations, Cases: Section 1717

Dispute Was Covered Under CC&R’s Fee Provision.             In Hunkel v. Gerhardt, Case No. H044753 (6th Dist. March 12, 2019) (unpublished), two neighboring homeowners squared off in a dispute over the placement of a fence by one homeowner group. The defendant homeowners claimed that there was no proper board of directors making a decision on

Homeowner Associations, Prevailing Party: HOA Obtaining Preliminary Injunction To Aid Fumigation Of Separate Units Was Prevailing Party Entitled To Fee Recovery

Cases: Homeowner Associations, Cases: Prevailing Party

Lower Court Fee Award And Appellate Fees Were Warranted In Favor OF The HOA.             Although we do not know the amount of fees awarded below, the homeowners in Windham at Carmel Mountain Ranch Assn. v. Lacher, Case No. D071799 (4th Dist., Div. 1 Jan. 16, 2019) (unpublished) obviously were dismayed when the lower court

Homeowner Associations: Trial Judge Did Not Error In Reducing Homeowner Fees To Prevailing Defendant By Over $100,000

Cases: Homeowner Associations

Main Problem Was Failure To Properly Introduce Another Counsel’s Work In Admissible Fashion—Declaration By Later Counsel Did Not Do It.             In Eith v. Ketelhut, Case No. B272028 (2d Dist., Div. 6 Dec. 17, 2018) (partially published; fees discussion unpublished), many homeowners got involved in a dispute which hinged on whether a HOA Board of

Homeowner Associations, Mediation, Reasonableness Of Fees: $225,000 Fee Recovery In Favor Of HOA And Against Losing Condo Owner Affirmed On Appeal

Cases: Homeowner Associations, Cases: Mediation, Cases: Reasonableness of Fees

Mediation Requirement Did Not Apply To HOA-Owner Dispute, Owner Failed To Specifically Identify Objections Fees, And Lower Court Did Award Substantially Reduced Fees From The HOA’s Requests.             We have done many posts showing how HOAs or owners can be subject to substantial fee exposure for losing HOA-owner disputes. Seahaus La Jolla Owners Assn. v.

Common Fund, Homeowner Associations, Section 1717: Developers Properly Denied $1.950 Million In Attorney’s Fees Against HOA Under Either Civil Code Section 1717 Or The Common Fund/Substantial Benefit Doctrine

Cases: Common Fund, Cases: Homeowner Associations, Cases: Section 1717

HOA Would Not Have Been Entitled To Fees If It Had Won, So Developers Did Not Prevail, With Equitable Doctrines Not Supplying An Anchor For An Award.             Market Lofts Community Assn. v. 9th Street Market Lofts, LLC, Case Nos. B280446/B282412 (2d Dist., Div. 2 Nov. 13, 2018) (unpublished) involved a case where an HOA

Allocation, Homeowner Associations: Neighbor Winning $784,208 In Damages Against Another Neighbor Based On CC&R/Nuisance/Prospective Economic Advantage Damages Properly Awarded CC&R Fees Of $363,571.56

Cases: Allocation, Cases: Homeowner Associations, Cases: Record

Lack Of Fee Hearing Transcript Meant No Adequate Record On Appeal; However, Claims Looked To Be Interrelated Such That No Apportionment Was Required.                We have noticed an increasing trend among appellate courts to affirm fee awards or fee denials where the appealing litigant failed to provide a reporter’s transcript, especially where abuse of discretion

Allocation, Homeowner Associations: Judge Presiding Trial Did Not Abuse His Discretion By Failing To Apportion Fee Work Between Contract and Noncontract Claims Where Work On These Claims Was Inextricably Intertwined

Cases: Allocation, Cases: Homeowner Associations

Plus . . . Lower Court Did Significantly Reduce Fee Request In Awarding $507,000 In Fees And $33,699 In Costs To HOA.             We repeatedly have demonstrated in posts how homeowner association disputes can be a pricey proposition, depending on which side prevailed (or, for that matter, where no side has been found to prevail).

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