Lawsuits
Luxury real estate firm that owns storied Owlwood Estate accused by SEC of ‘massive’ Ponzi scheme
The SEC has ordered the firm to freeze its assets and halt business operations.
Jury awards Katy Perry and LA archbishop $10M over sale of Los Feliz convent
A verdict Monday found that restauranteur Dana Hollister meddled in the sale of the 1920s property to Perry.
Future of Hollywood Target still uncertain after latest court ruling
The Los Angeles Times reports that the courts have once again sided with neighborhood groups fighting the building’s height.
Jury sides with Katy Perry and LA Archdiocese in battle over Los Feliz convent
After a long and expensive court battle, they’ll be awarded a combined $5 million in legal fees.
Katy Perry’s legal battle with nuns over Los Feliz convent cost her $2.6M
Her manager says the legal fight was "ridiculously expensive."
Ports O’Call shopkeepers facing imminent evictions ahead of big redevelopment
Businesses will get spots in the new storefronts post-makeover, but some say they have nowhere to go in the meantime.
Millennium Hollywood project looking to get a faster environmental review
A state bill could be helpful for the dual-towered development, which has been in limbo since 2015 thanks to a CEQA lawsuit.
To settle lawsuit, Hollywood office building gets yet another height chop
It’ll go from 15 stories to 13 stories
Is LA’s new eco-friendly garbage program in trouble?
Property owners say the plan, which could raise fees for some commercial property owners, should have been approved by voters.
Federal government joins lawsuit against LA over housing for disabled
Acting U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Brown says the city is denying disabled people equal access to housing, "while falsely certifying the availability of such housing to keep the (federal) dollars flowing."
City settles suit with developer Geoff Palmer over burned DaVinci complex for $400K
The apartment complex erupted in flames in 2014. The city later accused the developer of not preparing "an appropriate fire protection plan."
‘It belongs to the public’—Friends of Griffith Park wants to join legal battle over Hollywood Sign access
In closing Beachwood Canyon, an attorney says the city and Sunset Ranch Hollywood have "not considered ... the interests of hikers, the surrounding neighborhoods, and the people who care about open space."
A judge just put Frank Gehry’s Sunset Strip project on hold
The decision might help save a historic bank building. Gehry wants to knock it down in order to make room for a big project on the eastern end of LA’s iconic Sunset Strip.
Alhambra residents suing over major office and retail project
They say it would be located in one of the city’s "most congested and contaminated areas," and that the city failed to fully review the project’s environmental impacts.
Civil rights complaint alleges LA Metro, police target black riders
A Metro spokeswoman says the agency is looking for a "voluntary resolution" to the complaint, which is under investigation by the Department of Transportation.
Madam-turned-landlord ordered to reimburse her tenant $5,185
Cheri Woods, the former ringleader of an escort service called Cheri’s Angels, agreed to pay restitution as part of a settlement with West Hollywood prosecutors who accused her of overcharging for rent.
LA Conservancy sues city over Frank Gehry’s Sunset Strip project
The preservation group is suing to stop construction of the residential and commercial complex that would serve as the new eastern gateway to the Sunset Strip.
The Bunker Hill pool wars are over
Peace has been restored to three residential towers on Bunker Hill in Downtown Los Angeles—at least when it comes to the mammoth, star-shaped pool that’s been largely sitting empty the last three and a half years.
Luxury retailers sued over record-setting $122M Rodeo Drive land deal
The recent sale of House of Bijan to the parent company of Louis Vuitton set records as one of the priciest per-square-foot sales in history. Now, a pair of real estate professionals says they helped put the deal together but weren't compensated.
Rick Caruso sued over his Downtown Pacific Palisades makeover
A longtime business owner says construction of the new shopping mall is wrecking her skate shop.
Nuns still battling Katy Perry over beautiful Los Feliz convent
On September 23, an appeals panel negated an earlier decision that paved the way for pop star Katy Perry to purchase a former convent from the LA Archdiocese. That gives two nuns who want to sell to a local restauranteur another day in court.
US Bank to pay $13.5M for neglecting LA homes
US Bank and the LA City Attorney have reached a settlement after the city filed a civil complaint alleging that the bank had allowed hundreds of foreclosed homes to fall into disrepair. US Bank owned over 1,500 LA homes when the suit was filed.
Proposed Beverly Hills condo tower has started an all-out developer war
This November, Beverly Hilton owner Beny Alagem will ask voters to approve his plan to combine two planned mid-rise condo structures into a single 26-story tower. The ballot initiative has ignited a feud between Alagem and a Chinese billionaire.
Highland Park Transit Village hits a major snag
Issues raised by a lawsuit against the project have created a potentially big problem for the Highland Park project. The City Council just suspended permits and its approval until the developer conducts an environmental impact report.
Subway extension to Westwood beats another lawsuit
Beverly Hills loves suing to stop the Purple Line, but a federal ruling on Friday wasn't in its favor. The court's ruling means that Metro will move towards firming up its much-needed federal funding for the second section of the line.
Little Tokyo’s Japanese Village suing Metro over Regional Connector
The owners of the shopping center are trying to stop construction of the Regional Connector, which will allow passengers to travel from points on the Gold Line to the Blue and Expo lines without having to transfer trains like they have to right now.
South LA’s 'wildly-out-of-character' high-rise hit with lawsuit
Two groups are targeting a 30-story tower that's part of a huge mixed-use development planned for near the Expo Line’s La Cienega/Jefferson station.
A Glendale homeowner sues a big LA developer and wins
His condo at The Americana at Brand was smaller than advertised, so he sued in small claims court. The financial victory was relatively small, but he says it's not about the money, it's "more of a moral victory."
Stahl House at the Center of an Ugly Legal Battle
The owners of Pierre Koenig's midcentury masterpiece are suing the producer of an abandoned documentary about the house. Previously, the filmmaker had filed a lawsuit alleging they had derailed the film because of its portrayal of their family.
Katy Perry May Have Defeated Nuns For Lovely Convent
Katy Perry and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are probably riding pretty high today, now that they've managed a win in a thorny legal battle over a beautiful Los Feliz convent. A judge has shut down a group of nuns' attempt to sell to a restaurateur.
Homeless Angelenos Suing City For Taking Their Stuff
The lawsuit alleges Los Angeles criminalizes homelessness and violates civil rights.