Supreme Court of California

In regards to a city ordinance that authorizes civil and criminal penalties against a landlord who maliciously serves a notice of eviction or brings any action to recover possession of a rental unit without a reasonable factual or legal basis, the litigation privilege of Civil Code section 47, subdivision (b) preempts entirely the second provision of this section regarding filing an action to recover possession of a rental unit. However, the litigation privilege preempts only partially the first provision regarding serving a notice of eviction.

Appellate Information

• Decided 08/02/2007
• Published 08/02/2007

Judges

• MORENO, J.

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Law Offices of Rosario Perry, Rosario Perry, Santa Monica, Robert J. Franklin and Dionne Marucchi for Plaintiffs and Appellants., Heidi Palutke for California Apartment Association as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Plaintiffs and Appellants., Nielsen, Merksamer, Parrinello, Mueller & Naylor, John E. Mueller and James R. Parrinello, Mill Valley, for San Francisco Apartment Association, San Francisco Association of Realtors and Coalition for Better Housing as Amici Curiae on behalf of Plaintiffs and Appellants.


• For Appellees:
  
• Marsha Jones Moutrie, City Attorney, Joseph L. Lawrence, Assistant City Attorney, Barry Rosenbaum, Adam Radinsky, Cara Silver and Eda Suh, Deputy City Attorneys, for Defendants and Respondents., Stephen L. Collier, San Francisco, for Tenderloin Housing Clinic, Inc., as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Respondents., Michael Jenkins, City Attorney (West Hollywood), J. Stephen Lewis, Alison Regan;  Dennis J. Herrera, City Attorney (San Francisco), Burke E. Delventhal, Wayne K. Snodgrass and Marie Crolett Blits, Deputy City Attorneys, for League of California Cities as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Respondents., Jones Day, Scott Bertzyk, Erik K. Swanholt, Los Angeles, Michelle Vizurraga, Rasha Gerges, Los Angeles;  Wendy Marantz Levine, Elissa D. Barrett;  and Denise McGranahan for Bet Tzedek Legal Services and Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles as Amici Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Respondents., Wartelle, Weaver & Schreiber, Paul Wartelle, San Francisco, and J. Scott Weaver for San Francisco Tenants' Union, San Francisco Housing Rights Committee, St. Peter's Housing Committee and Oakland Just Cause as Amici Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Respondents., David R. LaBahn, Sacramento;  Michael J. Aguirre, City Attorney (San Diego) and Cindy D. Davis, Head Deputy City Attorney, for California District Attorneys Association as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Respondents.