Jury Verdicts & Settlements

Latest jury verdicts, settlements, and legal outcome analysis

Real Estate Broker Wins Massive Commissions & Fraud Lawsuit

The Plaintiff argued that Goldstein served as the procuring cause for the real estate transaction. Goldstein’s legal counsel emphasized that the agent identified the property, educated the buyers on its investment value, drafted the initial paperwork, and extracted the vital target price from the listing broker. The Plaintiff asserted that Ezekiel fabricated an excuse to pull out of the deal solely to cut Goldstein out of the transaction. By routing the purchase through a nonexistent entity and using a family member as a sham broker, the Defendants pocketed the commission as a credit to lower their overall purchase costs.

Breach of Contract

Buyer Wins Specific Performance in $2M Vacant Land Dispute

A California corporation secured a court-ordered sale of 80 acres of vacant land in Adelanto after the seller attempted to cancel the deal just before closing. The buyer deposited $50,000 into escrow and was ready to pay the full $2 million purchase price, but the seller backed out. After a bench trial spanning nearly seven years of litigation, the court ruled in the buyer's favor on all three claims and ordered the property transferred under the original contract terms.

Real Estate Fraud

$731K Elder Abuse Verdict: Ring v. Harmon California Case

An 81-year-old California woman won a substantial jury verdict against her own son and grandson in a financial elder abuse case involving a contested loan transaction. The San Bernardino County Superior Court jury found that Roy Scott Robb and Zachary Scott Robb wrongfully took their elderly mother and grandmother's property through fraud and undue influence. The case centered on a $200,000 loan arranged in 2018 to prevent foreclosure on property Awana Ring expected to inherit from her deceased daughter. The jury determined that while loan broker Richard Harmon assisted in the scheme with knowledge of the family members' wrongdoing, the primary perpetrators were Ring's own relatives. Roy Scott Robb was ordered to pay $731,000 in combined economic and non-economic damages, while his son Zachary was held liable for $31,000. Harmony Escrow, Inc. was completely exonerated, with the jury finding no evidence of their involvement in any wrongful conduct.

Real Estate Fraud

PHH Corp. to Pay $29.4M Over Mortgage Insurance Kickbacks

In a significant resolution to a legal battle spanning nearly two decades, PHH Corporation and its subsidiaries reached a $29,494,500 settlement with a massive class of homeowners. The lawsuit, originally filed in 2008, alleged that PHH operated a "captive" reinsurance scheme through Atrium Insurance Corporation to solicit illegal kickbacks from mortgage insurers. Plaintiffs Efrain Munoz, Leona Lovette, and Stephanie Melani argued that these secret arrangements violated the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) by inflating costs for borrowers without providing actual insurance risk. Despite PHH’s long-standing defense that their practices were lawful, the court granted final approval of the settlement in December 2025, marking the end of one of the longest-running consumer finance disputes in the Eastern District of California.

Breach of Contract

Art City Center v. Gap: $1.3M Verdict in Lease Holdover Case

A Los Angeles County jury delivered a significant verdict in favor of Art City Center LLC, holding global retailer Gap, Inc. accountable for breaching a commercial lease agreement. The dispute arose after Gap transformed a 57,000-square-foot warehouse at 1360 East 6th Street into a specialized set, allegedly gutting the interior and installing unauthorized structural changes. Art City Center argued that because Gap failed to restore the building to "good operating order" by the May 31, 2022 deadline, the retailer had not legally surrendered the property. The jury agreed, finding that Gap’s failure to return the premises in the required condition constituted a "holdover" of the lease. Consequently, the jury awarded Art City Center $1,294,875.77 in holdover damages and an additional award for repair costs, totaling more than $1.3 million in damages against the clothing giant.

Real Property Law

Miami Jury Backs Contractor in Home Remodel Dispute

A Miami-Dade County jury sided with contractor Mige Group, LLC, in a heated Coral Gables remodeling dispute against homeowners Waeil Hmidi and Margot Huber. The homeowners had accused the contractor of delays and substandard work, while Mige Group countered that the owners halted payments prematurely, breaching the contract first. After a two-week trial, the jury rejected all claims by the homeowners and found they had materially breached the agreement. The decision concluded a tense construction dispute that underscored the importance of payment compliance in residential contracts.

Real Estate Fraud

Miami Must Pay $10.78M for Riverfront Property

The City of Miami brought a Petition in Eminent Domain against South River Warehouse, LLC, to acquire a property designated as Parcel No. 101. Filed in December 2021, the case concerned the City’s constitutional right to take private land for public use, provided it paid "Full Compensation." The legal battle was not about the City's right to take the land, which the court had already confirmed, but about the property's fair market value. Throughout the trial, the City's legal team presented evidence supporting a lower valuation, while counsel for the property owner argued that the land's unique location on the Miami River made it significantly more valuable. After hearing the competing testimonies of real estate experts, the Miami-Dade jury ultimately sided with the property owner. On December 13, 2024, the jury returned a verdict finding that the Full Compensation due for the acquired property was $10,780,000.00. This amount was substantially higher than the City's initial valuation and concluded the high-stakes property dispute.

Unjust enrichment

Jury Affirms 50/50 Ownership in Miami Family Property Feud

In a victory for the Plaintiffs, an Eleventh Circuit jury in Miami-Dade County delivered a verdict on November 14, 2024, confirming Oscar and Shirley Manzanares’ equitable claim to a family property against Oscar Simeon Exposito and Carmen Cuellar. The case, which centered on a family agreement to jointly purchase a home, concluded with the jury assigning 50% ownership to the Plaintiffs and the remaining 50% to the Defendants. The Plaintiffs had argued that while the deed was only in the Defendants’ names due to credit concerns, they had significantly funded the mortgage and improvements under the promise of co-ownership. The jury agreed with the Plaintiffs, finding that the Defendants committed fraudulent inducement and were unjustly enriched by the Plaintiffs’ investments. Although the jury awarded only nominal damages of $1.00 for the monetary claims, the primary significance of the verdict was the judicial recognition and formal establishment of the Plaintiffs’ half-ownership interest in the property, effectively resolving the long-standing dispute.

Real Estate Fraud

Jury awards $232,000 in Disbarred Attorney Scam

Plaintiff Michael LaBoy sued Defendants Charles J. Diven, Jr., a disbarred attorney, and Anna M. Diven. The Verified Supplemental Amended Complaint alleged a fraudulent scheme. The Plaintiff claimed the Defendants scammed him out of over $244,000 in cash deposits. These deposits were intended for the purchase of a property and construction repairs. Plaintiff alleged Mr. Diven falsely promised to hold the money in escrow. Instead, the funds were allegedly used outside of escrow for incomplete or fraudulent construction work. The Plaintiff sought damages, treble damages, attorneys' fees, and restoration of possession. Defendants denied the allegations and asserted counterclaims. The jury found in favor of the Plaintiff, Michael LaBoy.