Cases: Homeowner Associations

Homeowner Associations: Homeowners Were Not Catalysts For Easement Agreement Assumption, Because They Wanted A More Expansive Amendment

Cases: Homeowner Associations

HOA Was Prevailing Party Under Easement Agreement Fees Clause, Awarded Its Fully Requested $51,460 In Fees.              In Lemley v. Aliso Homeowners Assn., Inc., Case No. B288789 (2d Dist., Div. 3 July 3, 2019; posted July 5, 2019) (unpublished), HOA and homeowners got entangled in an easement agreement dispute in which homeowners wanted specific performance/declaratory […]

Homeowner Associations: Homeowner Prevailing In Unlawful Foreclosure Of Condo Unit Case Was Entitled To $434,000 In Damages And $720,000 In Attorney’s Fees

Cases: Homeowner Associations

Both Civil Code Section 1354 (Now Section 5975) And CC&R Fee Clause Were In Play.              Yikes!  Talk about a change in fortune based on a prior appeal.  Homeowner finally won, obtaining damages and substantial attorney’s fees for hanging in there to the end.             In Multani v. Castle Green Homeowners Assn., Case No.

Homeowner Associations, Private Attorney General, Section 1717: Defendant Homeowners Winning A Tree Dispute With Another Homeowner Neighbor Rightfully Denied Attorney’s Fees Under CC&Rs, Civil Code Section 1717, And Private Attorney General Statute

Cases: Homeowner Associations, Cases: Private Attorney General (CCP 1021.5), Cases: Section 1717

However, A Dissenting Justice Would Have Found Fee Entitlement Under CC&Rs And Section 1717.            The next case, Shah v. Ross, Case No. B286783 (2d Dist., Div. 5 April 25, 2019) (unpublished), involved a situation where defendants/homeowner neighbors won a tree dispute initiated by fellow plaintiff homeowner. Defendants then sought fees under a CC&Rs fees clause,

Homeowner Associations: $19,233 In Attorney’s Fees And $815 In Litigation Costs To HOA Obtaining Injunction To Require Access To Condo Unit To Make Repairs Affirmed

Cases: Homeowner Associations

HOA Satisfied Prelitigation Efforts To Resolve And Prevailed By Meetings Its Objectives.             In Durant Towers Owners Assn. v. Winchester, Case No. B288966 (2d Dist., Div. 8 March 29, 2019) (unpublished), HOA sued defendant condo owner to obtain access to her unit in order to determine if water leakage from her unit was causing damage

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

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