California Real Estate Law Firm
Representative Cases
Sample Cases
| Offered: $13.4 million Awarded: $28 million |
Los Angeles - Los Angeles By-Products Co. adv Los Angeles County Flood Control District - Representation of the owner of an operating inert landfill. The condemning agency initially offered less than $13.4 million. The case involved business goodwill, relocation, highest and best use issues related to geology and geotechnical engineering, civil engineering and site adaptability, land use isses and property valuation. |
| Awarded: $13.5 million | Pico Rivera - Alex Meruelo, Trustee adv. City of Pico Rivera - Representation of the owner of a 90 unit apartment complex. The case involved resolution of a valuation dispute. |
| Offered: $4.6 million Awarded: $7.1 million |
Los Angeles - PDW Lighting, Inc. adv Los Angeles Unified School District - Representation of the owner of a former street car maintenance facility that was being operated as a multi-use income property. The school district’s original deposit was $4.6 million. The case involved environmental issues, as well as disputes over highest and best use and valuation. |
| Offered: $1.8 million Awarded: $2.25 million |
Livermore Valley - Livermore Valley Unified School District vs. Wilson Family Funeral Chapel, et al. - Represented property owner of a mortuary property. At trial, the condemning agency contended the property was worth $1.8 million. The case included disputes over highest and best use and valuation issues. |
| Awarded: $6.0 million (post-trial, post-appeal) |
Chino Hills - Richland Pinehurst et al vs. City of Chino Hills et al. - Represented developers against city and community facilities districts in the trial and appeal of an inverse condemnation, breach of contract case arising out of a Facilities Improvement Agreement that provided for reimbursement for developers’ unreimbursed costs of backbone infrastructure. The city denied liability through trial and appeal and did not offer to pay any money until after the court of appeal ruled in developers’ favor. |
| Offered: $4.1 million Awarded: $7.7 million |
Los Angeles - R.F. Wilton (Frank Fargo Tire & Rubber Co., Inc.) adv. Los Angeles Unified School District - Represented property owner and tire retreading business. Initial offer was approximately $4.1 million. Settlment included $4.8 million compensation for real estate and more than $2.9 million for lost business goodwill and relocation. |
| Offered: $7.7 million Awarded: $11.0 million |
Gardena - Rikuo Corporation adv. City of Gardena - Represented owner of commercial retail mall/swap meet in inverse condemnation/eminent domain/environmental remediation case. Prior to filing the original inverse condemnation action by Rikuo for precondemnation damages due to unreasonable delay, the city’s offer was approximately $7.7 million. |
| Offered: $960,000 Awarded: $1.425 million |
Burbank - Housing Authority of the City of Burbank vs. Linda D. Reinoso et al. - Represented owner of multi-family property. City’s original offer was $960,000. Jury determined value to be $1.425 million. |
| Awarded: $4.7 million | Palos Verdes - Torino vs. City of Palos Verdes Estates et al. - In this inverse condemnation trial involving a landslide affecting a bluff top home, the City denied liability. After a multi-week trial involving geology, geotechnical engineering and property valuation issues, the Court found liability and awarded $4.7 million in compensation and litigation expenses. Other parties, including Southern California Edison and General Telephone and Electric (Verizon), had settled prior to trial. |
| Offered: $1.76 million Awarded: $4.39 million |
Los Angeles - Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles vs. Z. Patrick Berberian and California Arts Products - Represented property and business owner/manufacturer of fiberglass and resin products, props and facades. The condemning agency initially offered $1.76 million. At trial, the jury determined real estate value to be $3.4 million. Highest and best use of the real estate was a critical disputed issue. Business goodwill, fixtures and equipment and relocation were resolved before trial for $992,740. |
| Offered: $1.9 million Awarded: $4.7 million |
Los Angeles - City of Los Angeles vs. Southwestern Properties, LLC, Metropolis Manufacturing, Inc. dba Vaughn Benz, et al. - Represented property owner and furniture manufacturing business. Business was successfully relocated. City’s initial offer was $1.9 million. |
| Offered: $1.675 million Awarded: $2.875 million |
Los Angeles - Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA) vs. Stewart-Coss Partnership - Represented property owner and furniture manufacturing business. Business was successfully relocated. City’s initial offer was $1.9 million. |
| Offered: $2.36 million Awarded: $3.95 million |
Wilmington - Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (ACTA) vs. Fuel Engineering Corporation - Represented property owner in a partial takings case. The condemning agency initially offered $2.36 million. |
| Offered: $347,500 Awarded: $1.54 million |
Wilmington - Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (ACTA) vs. Moises Z. Rugerio - Represented property owner and auto dismantling/parts salvage business. The condemning agency’s initial offer was $347,500. The case settled for more than $1.54 million. |
| Offered: $1.3 million Awarded: $3.7 million |
Long Beach - City of Long Beach, acting by and through its Board of Harbor Commissioners vs. Seymour Waterman and Betty Joyce Waterman, Waterman Supply Company et al. - Initial offer was $1.3 million. Represented property owner and business owner in successful jury trial of business goodwill loss and settlement of real property value and relocation benefits. Jury awarded $795,600 despite successful relocation of business and despite Long Beach contending there was no loss of goodwill. Subsequently, the Court awarded litigation expenses. Before trial, relocation and real estate compensation were settled for $2.9 million. Original offer was $1.3 million. |
| Offered: $840,000 Awarded: $4.0 million (augmented by post-appeal fee award) |
Los Angeles - Berkett, et al. adv. Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles - Represented owners of 20,000 sq. ft. (approx.) parcel, improved as a parking lot, located diagonally across from Staples Center, then under construction. The condemning agency initially offered $840,000 for the property. At the trial, which involved project influence and highest and best use issues, the jury awarded $4,011,280. The agency appealed the decision. The judgment was affirmed and the court of appeal awarded litigation expenses. See Los Angeles Business Journal Article. |
| Offered: $5.4 million Awarded: $10.5 million |
Carson - Watson Land Company adv. Carson Redevelopment Agency - Represented owner of the property leased to Cormier Chevrolet in Carson. The condemning agency initially offered $5.4 million to acquire the underlying fee interest in the property. At trial, the jury determined fair market value to be $10.5 million. |
Eminent Domain
| Offered: $840,000 Awarded: $4.0 million (augmented by post-appeal fee award) |
Los Angeles - Berkett, et al. adv. Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles - Represented owners of 20,000 sq. ft. (approx.) parcel, improved as a parking lot, located diagonally across from Staples Center, then under construction. The condemning agency initially offered $840,000 for the property. At the trial, which involved project influence and highest and best use issues, the jury awarded $4,011,280. The agency appealed the decision. The judgment was affirmed and the court of appeal awarded litigation expenses. See Los Angeles Business Journal Article. |
| Offered: $5.4 million Awarded: $10.5 million |
Carson - Watson Land Company adv. Carson Redevelopment Agency - Represented owner of the property leased to Cormier Chevrolet in Carson. The condemning agency initially offered $5.4 million to acquire the underlying fee interest in the property. At trial, the jury determined fair market value to be $10.5 million. |
| Offered: $0 (goodwill) Awarded: $795,000 |
Wilmington - Represented a marine equipment supply company that was required to relocate. The agency's appraiser initially concluded that there was no loss of goodwill at all. Peterson lawyers not only obtained a jury award of $795,000 for the business goodwill plus a court award of attorney and expert fees, but also negotiated relocation of the business to a nearby property. |
| Offered: $1,690,000.00 Awarded: $3,400,000.00 |
North Hollywood - Represented owner of property who produced fiberglass and resin products. The agency and its appraiser contended that the property was worth $2.15 Million, which was based on the property's existing industrial use. At trial, Peterson argues that the property's highest and best use was for a mixed use commercial residential development. The jury determined the fair market value of the property was $3.4 Million. In addition to the jury award for real estate, Peterson recovered $842,000 in settlement to relocate the business, and additional compensation for lost business goodwill and for unrelocatable fixtures & equipment. See Article in Verdict Search. |
Earth Movement
Palos Verdes Estates - Represented the owner of a bluff-top, ocean view estate that was substantially damaged due to loss of support caused by a road cut at the toe of the slope. After trial, the court awarded in excess of $3,000,000 as damages.
Agoura Hills - Represented adjacent single family homes downslope from a landslide that resulted in water and soil inundation and structural displacement of their homes. Damage caused by historic instability of hillside and water intrusion from utility conduits. Resolution included warranted hillside repair and structural repairs.
Yorba Linda - Represented hilltop single family home that suffered loss of substantial yard area due to landslide caused by fill soil instability. Resolution included buyout of property.
Simi Valley - Represented several single family homeowners that suffered differential settlement and resulting structural damage due to inadequate municipal drainage, consolidation and earth movement and resulting loss of support. Resolution included a buyout of one substantially damaged property and compensation to owners in other cases to address repair requirements.
Baldwin Hills - Represented downslope owner of property that was substantially inundated by a landslide due to historically unstable hillside and modern alterations. Resolution included payment to client to effectuate repairs benefiting both upslope and downslope properties.