Eminent Domain Law

The lawsuit, Catton v. City of San Diego, began in September 2023 when property owner David Catton sued the City for inverse condemnation, alleging that governmental action or inaction had deprived his property of all economic value. Mr. Catton sought damages for the full loss of property value, use, and income, along with attorney and expert fees. The City of San Diego vehemently denied liability, citing governmental immunity, the statute of limitations, and the plaintiff's failure to mitigate. After a year and a half of litigation, the parties negotiated a conditional settlement, which was officially filed with the court on May 14, 2025. This resolution settled the complex property rights dispute in its entirety, with the City agreeing to compensate the property owner with $420,000.

Court: California State, Contra Costa County, Superior Court Case number: MSC19-01012 Filed: May 28, 2019 Judges: Cecilia Castellanos | Edward G Weil | Jill C Fannin | John P Devine Case type: 14: Unlimited Eminent Domain/Inv Cond Plaintiffs: Jane Kappel | Bryan Kappel Counsel for Plaintiffs: Daniel J. Veroff | Charles D. Cummings Expert Witnesses for Plaintiffs: Dr. Vera Byers, M.D. | Vincent J. D'Alo | Bonneau Dickson | D