Cases: Section 998

Consumer Statutes, Section 998: $143,624.59 Costs Award To Lemon Law Defendant, Based On A Successful CCP § 998 Offer, Is Affirmed On Appeal

Cases: Consumer Statutes, Cases: Section 998

Bad Faith And Lack Of Specificity Arguments Rejected.             California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, known as the Lemon Law, has a pro-plaintiff attorney’s fees provision.  However, Code of Civil Procedure section 998 can tilt the risk against a defendant by cutting off post-offer fees and costs if the 998 offer is properly crafted.  Plus, the

Experts, Prevailing Party, Section 998: Attorneys’ Fees Totaling Over $3.7 Million Plus Costs Totaling $367,192.84 Awarded To Two Prevailing Party Defendants Affirmed On Appeal.

Cases: Experts, Cases: Prevailing Party, Cases: Section 998

Costs Award To One Defendant Included $209,886.89 In Expert Witness Fees Because Plaintiff Had Rejected And Failed To Beat That Defendant’s Section 998 Offer Of $50,000 Plus Waiver Of Fees And Costs.             This next case provides a cautionary tale about the importance of giving careful consideration to reasonable section 998 offers – especially when

Costs, Prevailing Party, Section 1717, Section 998: Fifth District Deals With Various Prevailing Party Issues For Costs And Fees Award To Litigants Who Both Claimed To Have Prevailed

Cases: Costs, Cases: Prevailing Party, Cases: Section 1717, Cases: Section 998

Plaintiff Winning Some Money Entitled To Routine Costs, But Defense Entitled To Prevailing Party Fees And Some Other Routine Costs Relating To Fee And Expert Witness Work, Some Other CCP § 998.             Mike Murphy’s Enterprises, Inc. v. Fineline Industries, Inc., Case No. F080503 (5th Dist. Apr. 13, 2022) (unpublished) is a good opinion to

Costs, Deadlines, Requests For Admission, Section 998: 2/8 DCA Affirms Denial Of Costs Of Proof Sanctions And Untimely Fee Request, Sustains Some Costs Despite A Costs Memo Verification, And Reversed Expert Fee Award Based On Invalidity Of 998 Offer

Cases: Costs, Cases: Deadlines, Cases: Requests for Admission, Cases: Section 998

Panoply Of Issues Addressed In This One.             In Bogdan v. Polak, Case Nos. B306264/B309780 (2d Dist., Div. 8 Apr. 6, 2022) (unpublished), landlord won a gnarly retaliatory eviction lawsuit against tenant based on some nonsuits and an eventual jury trial.  In postjudgment proceedings, the lower court denied landlord’s attorney’s fees request as untimely, awarded

Consumer Statutes, Section 998: 4/1 DCA Decides That Pragmatic, Litigation Objective Test Governs Lemon Law Cases, Not The Net Monetary Award Test Under CCP § 1032

Cases: Consumer Statutes, Cases: Section 998

Section 998 Offer By The Defense Was Too Uncertain—A “Moving Target.”             In Duff v. Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC, Case No. D078100 (4th Dist., Div. 1 Jan. 27, 2022) (published), the 4/1 DCA departed company from its prior approach as far as awarding lemon law fees to a prevailing plaintiff under Civil Code

Prevailing Party, Section 1717, Section 998: 1/4 DCA Reverses Trial Court’s Denial Of Section 998 Fees To Defendant Who Entered Handwritten Agreement To Transfer Real Property Valued At More Than His 998 Offer.

Cases: Prevailing Party, Cases: Section 1717, Cases: Section 998

Plaintiffs Voluntarily Dismissed Action Without Terms Of Handwritten Agreement Being Met And Property Was Never Transferred.             In Debenedetti v. Debenedetti, Case No. A162074 (1st Dist., Div. 4 January 24, 2022) (unpublished), plaintiff brothers, who were successor co-trustees of their father’s trust, filed an action against their brother for breach of a promissory note securing

Consumer Statutes, Section 998: Because Defense Section 998 Offers Were Valid, Trial Judge Had To Restudy Costs And Fee Rulings To Determine If The First Defense Offer Was In Good Faith

Cases: Consumer Statutes, Cases: Section 998

Costs And Fee Awards Will Have To Be Reexamined.             In Covert v. FCA USA, LLC, Case No. B303663 (2d Dist., Div. 7 Jan. 4, 2022) (unpublished), an automaker was found liable to the vehicle owner for $48,416 under a Song-Beverly Act lemon law case.  However, earlier, automaker made two separate CCP § 998 offers

Section 998: Prevailing Defendant’s §998 Offer For 1.6% Of The Damages Request By Plaintiff Was Unreasonable

Cases: Section 998

Denial of Defense Summary Judgment Motion And Trial Judge’s Remarks That Colorable Arguments Were Made For Interpretation Of An Easement Cemented The Result.             The defendant in 18131 Ventura Blvd., LLC v. 5223 Linley, LLC, Case No. B307958 (2d Dist., Div. 7 Dec. 14, 2021) (unpublished) won an easement interpretation dispute but only after the

Scroll to Top