Cazares v. Beckstoffer Vineyards XX, LP CA1/2
Following an earthquake in Napa, a dispute arose between a landlord and its tenants regarding the extent of damage to the building, and thus issues of repair, the upshot of which was the landlord declared the lease terminated. The tenants sued the landlord, which successfully moved the matter to arbitration, which occurred in 2020. Following seven days of hearing and several post-hearing briefs, the arbitrator found for the tenants on one of their five claims, that for breach of contract, and awarded them damages, attorney fees, and costs that were a fraction of what they sought.
The landlord moved to vacate the award on several bases including, as pertinent here, that the arbitrator failed to disclose certain documents and pleadings in two lawsuits in Los Angeles County, the first a 2004 lawsuit involving a construction company owned by the arbitrator and her husband, the second a 2008 lawsuit in which it was alleged that the arbitrator had made a fraudulent conveyance.
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