Fee Clause Interpretation: Attorney’s Fees Award Against Nonprevailing Parties Reversed Where Fee Clause Only Covered Arbitrations, Not Results in Court

$20,000 Fee Award Went POOF!

     Rancho Palo Verde Homeowners Assn. v. Coffman, Case No. D063135 (4^th Dist., Div. 1 Sept. 18, 2014) (unpublished) did not present much difficulty for the appellate court as far as resolving the challenge to a $20,000 fee award against non-prevailing parties. The operative fees clause only applied to arbitrations, rather than a court proceeding in which the adverse result was reached in this matter. Fee award reversed.