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Can an LLC Member be Forced to Contribute to the LLC’s Debts?

Members of an LLC are required to pitch in equally for the LLC’s expenses and debts, right? Generally, no....more

Local Government Agencies Can Be “Alter Egos” Too

...Normally, a court will treat a business entity and its liabilities as separate and distinct from its owners. The alter ego doctrine allows the corporate veil to be pierced, and results in holding the owners liable for the...more

No RICO Standing for Cannabis LLCs

In business litigation, a plaintiff will sometimes assert a claim under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), a federal statute at 18 U.S.C. §1961 et seq. RICO provides that it is “unlawful for any...more

Quasi-Judicial Immunity for Court-Appointed Partition Brokers

In California, several classes of persons are entitled to some form of immunity protecting them from liability for activities performed in connection with judicial proceedings. For example, “judicial immunity” bars civil...more

Default Interest Based on Single Late Payment Declared Unenforceable

It is not uncommon for loan agreements to provide for fees, penalties, and default interest in the event of the borrower’s late payment. However, a case recently published by California’s First Appellate District — Honchariw...more

Easements and the “Merger” Doctrine

Under California’s easement “merger” (merger of title) doctrine set forth in Civil Code sections 811 and 805, an easement (or servitude) is “extinguished” by “the vesting of the right of the servitude and the right to the...more

LLC Operating Agreements: Indemnity, Arbitration, and Equity

LLC operating agreements frequently provide for indemnity to the LLC’s manager. This is consistent with the statutory default rule embodied by California Corporations Code section 17704.08(a), which provides for indemnity...more

Enforcing a Tenant Option to Purchase Under “Changed Circumstances”

Commercial leases sometimes contain an option allowing the tenant to purchase the property. If the option is properly exercised, an enforceable purchase and sale obligation is created, which can be enforced by the courts...more

Diversion of LLC Funds Is Not “Protected Activity” Under California’s Anti-SLAPP Statute

California’s anti-SLAPP statute (Code of Civil Procedure section 425.16) aims to protect defendants from meritless lawsuits designed to chill “protected activity” — i.e., the exercise of rights of petition or free speech on...more

Enforceability of Commercial Lease Co-Tenancy Provisions

A commercial lease co-tenancy clause conditions a retail tenant’s opening for business or continuing operations at the designated property upon another tenant opening for business or continuing operations at the same...more

No Prejudgment Interest on Statutory Corporate Share Buyout

Most forms of California business entities have statutory buyout procedures allowing the company or its owners to avoid claims by a disgruntled owner for judicial dissolution by purchasing the disgruntled owner’s interest....more

Assertion of “Constructive Trust” Can Sometimes Support a Lis Pendens

One of the tools available in the real estate litigation attorney’s toolbox is a lis pendens, also known as a notice of pending action. A lis pendens is a document recorded at the County Recorder’s Office providing...more

LLC Dissolution Vote Defeats Statutory Buyout

Several prior LLC Jungle posts have explored the statutory buyout procedures established by California Corporations Code section 17703.03 and related statutes: a botched buyout - “fair value” vs. “fair market value”...more

APNs Do Not Define Title To Real Property

In a prior post from 2020, Money and Dirt covered an opinion from California’s Fourth Appellate District holding that an Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN), by itself, “does not necessarily demonstrate the actual, physical...more

California Supreme Court: Penal Code Section 496(c) Can Apply To Business Disputes

In a long-awaited opinion — Siry Investment, L.P. v. Farkhondehpour — the California Supreme Court held that California Penal Code section 496 can apply to a business dispute. The opinion resolves a split of authority among...more

Sometimes Real Property Rights Can be Adjudicated in a Criminal Case Where the Property Owner is Not Even a Party

Owners of real property generally understand that their property rights can be impacted by litigation in which they are a party. However, what’s less clear, but perhaps equally important to understand and guard against, is...more

Commercial Leases, Arbitration, and Attorney Fee Awards

As a litigator, whenever I am presented with a new contract dispute, one of the first things that I do is check whether the contract contains an arbitration clause or attorney fee clause. More consistently than any others,...more

Who Runs This LLC?

Under California law, LLCs can either be managed by all of the members (member-managed) or by a designated manager (manager-managed).  Manager-managed LLCs are more common for complex, multi-party ventures. The basic idea is...more

Attorney Fee Recovery by Third Parties Dragged into Commercial Lease Disputes

Commercial leases often contain attorney fee provisions allowing a party who prevails in litigation to recover attorney fees from the losing party. Can those attorney fee provisions apply to third parties — outsiders to...more

Quieting Title After a Failed Deed in Contemplation of Marriage

Claims for quieting title to real property can be governed by different statutes of limitations periods. But a common issue in quiet title cases is when the statute of limitations period starts running....more

Where Can a Wronged Deed of Trust Investor Sue?

When any real estate investment deal goes badly and ends in litigation, there are many reasons why a potential plaintiff may prefer one forum versus another, including the location of witnesses and documents, location of...more

Cotenant Owner vs. Junior Creditor — Battle for Sale Proceeds from Senior Creditor Foreclosure

After a foreclosure sale by a senior creditor, California’s Civil Code section 2924k governs how the sale proceeds are applied in the following order of priority...more

Ninth Circuit Weighs in on “Preemptive” Challenges to Lender’s Authority to Foreclose

Can a California real property owner challenge a lender’s authority to foreclose before a foreclosure sale has occurred?  It’s looking less likely with each new appellate opinion....more

A Notice of Trustee’s Sale Does Not Necessarily “Disturb Possession”

Flashback: Five years ago, Money and Dirt covered the Salazar v. Thomas opinion from California’s Fifth District Court of Appeal holding that a Notice of Default does not “disturb possession” sufficiently to start the...more

Rescinding a Trustee’s Sale Based on Lien Position “Mistake” — Good Luck With That

The statutory scheme governing nonjudicial foreclosure — found in California Civil Code sections 2924 through 2924k — aims for speed, efficiency, and finality. For example, a bid at a trustee’s sale is deemed to be an...more

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