One Of The Largest Awards We Have Seen In This Area.
Under this category, we frequently post on substantial awards to HOAs, substantial awards to homeowners, no awards to either, or partial awards to each which are either great, disappointing, or disastrous. We now report on a recent result reported in the San Francisco Daily Journal. We do it to reiterate how HOA-homeowner disputes can frequently result in substantial fees to a prevailing party, whether homeowners or HOAs.
In Ridley et al. v. Rancho Palma Grande Homeowners Assn. et al., Case No. 19CV349909 (Santa Clara County Superior Court, filed June 14, 2019), HOA apparently was ordered to pay $1.8 million for water damages and mold at a condominium with a well under it. After homeowners prevailed in a case spanning over 6 years, the lower court recently, on July 9, 2025, awarded homeowners an attorney’s fees award of $6 million against the HOA. The trial spanned 67 days, with the lower court spending hundreds of hours to issue her statement of decision. Looks like the lodestar request was pretty much granted in full except the lower court granted a 1.15 multiplier rather than the requested 1.25 enhancement ask.
HAT TIP—We congratulate homeowners’ attorney Terry O’Hara and his firm on a very big win. This shows how these disputes can be good or bad news in this arena depending on how the trier of fact/lower court rule on the merits and on fee award requests.