Aas v. Superior Court
| Decision Date | 04 December 2000 |
| Docket Number | No. S071258.,S071258. |
| Court | California Supreme Court |
| Parties | Alan O. AAS et al., Petitioners, v. The SUPERIOR COURT of San Diego County, Respondent; William Lyon Company et al., Real Parties in Interest. Provencal Community Association, Petitioner, v. The Superior Court of San Diego County, Respondent; William Lyon Company et al., Real Parties in Interest. |
Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch, Steven M. Strauss, Edward I. Silverman and Victor M. Felix, San Diego, for Petitioners Alan O. Aas et al.
Epstein & Grinnell, Douglas W. Grinnell, San Diego, Luis E. Ventura, El Centro; The Law Offices of Duane E. Shinnick, Silldorf, Shinnick & Duignan and Duane E. Shinnick, San Diego, for Petitioner Provencal Community Association and for Consumer Attorneys of California as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners Alan O. Aas et al.
Ian Herzog, Santa Monica; Douglas Devries, Sacramento; Roland Wrinkle, Woodland Hills; Harvey R. Levine, San Diego; Robert Steinberg, Los Angeles; Thomas G. Stolpman, Long Beach; William D. Turley, San Diego; Mary E. Alexander, Menlo Park; Joseph Harbison III, Sacramento; Bruce Broilett; Wayne McClean, Woodland Hills; Leonard Sacks, Granada Hills; Tony Tanke, Redwood City; Lea-Ann Tratten; Steven J. Kleifield, Los Angeles; David Rosen; Moses Lebovits, Los Angeles; Christine Spagnoli; James Sturdevant, San Francisco; Daniel Smith; Deborah David, Los Angeles; Lawrence Drivon; Thor Emblem, Escondido; Rick Simons; David Casey, Jr., San Diego, Kasdan, Simonds, McIntyre, Epstein & Martin and Kenneth S. Kasdan, Irvine, for Consumer Attorneys of California as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners Alan O. Aas et al. Verboon, Whitaker & Peter, Mark A. Milstein and Michael T. Whitaker, Los Angeles, for Southern California Apartment Owners Association as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners Alan O. Aas et al.
Wolf, Rifkin & Shapiro, Leslie S. Marks, Los Angeles, and Douglas A. Lusson, San Diego, for League of California Homeowners as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners Alan O. Aas et al.
Berding & Weil and James O. Devereaux, Alamo, for the Executive Council of Homeowners as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners Alan O. Aas et al.
Berger & Hopkins, Jane Francis Hopkins and A. Alan Berger, San Jose, for the Structural Engineers Association of California as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners Alan O. Aas et al.
Orbach & Huff, David M. Huff and Eric P. Weiss, Los Angeles, for Coalition of American Structural Engineers, Park Purdue Homeowners Association, Angelina Heights Homeowners Association and Silverado Oaks Homeowners Association as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners Alan O. Aas et al.
Williams, Wester, Hall & Nadler and Scott A. Williams, Greenbrae, as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners Alan 0. Aas et al.
Burdman & Benson and Linda Angle-Keny, San Diego, as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners Alan 0. Aas et al.
No appearance for Respondent.
Newmeyer & Dillion, Gregory L. Dillion, Timothy S. Menter, Gene M. Witkin, Newport Beach; Lincoln, Gustafson & Cercos, Thomas J. Lincoln and Charles K. Egan, San Diego, for Real Parties in Interest the William Lyon Company and Lyon Communities, Inc.
Dale, Braden & Hinchcliffe and Suzanne M. Martin, for Real Parties in Interest Ben F. Smith, Inc., and B & L Plastering.
Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker, Andrew J. Blackburn, Long Beach, and William S. Roberts, San Diego, for Real Parties in Interest West Coast Sheet Metal, Inc., and Ben F. Smith, Inc.
Kring & Brown, Jeffrey A. Lake, San Diego, and Jon H. Van de Grift, for Real Parties in Interest Ben F. Smith, Inc., and New Continental Tile & Marble Co., Inc.
Maxie Rheinheimer Stephens & Vrevich, Barry M. Vrevich, Darin L. Wessel, San Diego, Kelegian & Thomas and Michael Paul Thomas, Newport Beach, for Real Party in Interest Branco Corporation.
Bullard & Olin, Robert M. Granafei and Lee H. Graham, Orange, for Real Party in Interest Cal West Nurseries, Inc.
Brownwood, Rice & Zurawski and Michael F. Saydah, San Diego, for Real Parties in Interest C.R.E. Electric and Ghianni Corporation.
Acker, Kowalick & Whipple, Anthony H. Whipple, W. Frederck Kowalick, Linwood Warren, Jr., Catherine L. Rhodes and Tawnya L. Southern, for Real Party in Interest Premier Window Products, Inc.
Farmer, Weber & Case, David Weber; The Law Office of Mark Siegel and Mark Siegel, for Real Party in Interest Sun Plumbing Company, Inc.
Kolod, Wager & Gordon, Scott M. Kolod, Jerome A. Wager, San Diego, Vekeno Kennedy; Law Offices of Elisa J. Nemeth and Elisa J. Nemeth, for Real Party in Interest Allstate Plumbing.
Cozad & Krutcik and Ronald J. Cozad, Mission Viejo, for Real Party in Interest Schmid Insulation Contractors, Inc.
Berger, Kahn, Safton, Moss, Figler, Simon & Gladstone, Timothy A. Nicholson and Stephen L. Weber, Irvine, for Real Party in Interest Surecraft Supply, Inc.
Perkins & Miltner, San Diego, and Timothy E. Salter, for Real Party in Interest Bowers Construction Co.
Callahan, McCune & Willis and Norma Marshal, San Diego, for Real Party in Interest Frank Bowers Construction. Balestreri, Pendleton & Potocki, Thomas A. Balestreri, Jr., Mary B. Pendleton, Michael M. Freeland, San Diego, Maurine P. Brand; Kring and Brown, Irvine, and Jeffrey A. Lake, San Diego, for South Coast Framers, Inc., Alta Drywall, Inc., West Coast Sheet Metal and D.J. Drywall, Inc., as Amici Curiae on behalf of Real Parties in Interest.
Lewis, D'Amato, Brisbois & Bisgaard, Costa Mesa, Robert V. Closson, San Diego, Terrell A. Quealy and Judith A. Lewis for United National Insurance Company as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Real Parties in Interest.
John H. Findley, Sharon L. Browne, Sacramento, and Stephen R. McCutcheon, Jr., for Pacific Legal Foundation as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Real Parties in Interest.
Dale, Braden & Hinchcliffe, George D. Dale, Suzanne M. Martin; Perkins & Miltner, San Diego, Timothy E. Salter; and Kathryn Turner-Arsenault, Escondido, for the Construction Defect Defense Action Coalition as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Real Parties in Interest.
Fred J. Hiestand, Sacramento, for the Association for California Tort Reform as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Real Parties in Interest.
COX, Castle & Nicholson, Sandra C. Stewart, Jeffrey D. Masters, Debbie L. Freedman, Los Angeles; Gray, Cary, Ware & Freidenrich, San Diego, and Jonathan B. Sokol, Los Angeles, for the Building Industry Legal Defense Foundation and the California Building Industry Association as Amici Curiae on behalf of Real Parties in Interest.
White, Gentes & Garcia, Timothy S. Noon and Charles R. Bongard, San Diego, for the Associated General Contractors of America, San Diego Chapter, Inc., as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Real Parties in Interest.
Thelen Reid & Priest, Gary L. Fontana, Hilary N. Rowen, James A. Riddle, San Francisco; Craig A. Berrington and Laura L. Kersey, Washington, D.C., for American Insurance Association as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Real Parties in Interest.
Parker & Stanbury, Jenna L. Price and Mary-Tyler Crenshaw, for West Coast Sheet Metal and H & D Construction as Amici Curiae on behalf of Real Parties in Interest.
Morris, Polich & Purdy, Randy Koenig and Gary L. Jacobsen, San Diego, as Amici Curiae on behalf of Real Parties in Interest.
Gibbs, Giden, Locher & Turner, Barry C. Vaughan and Michael I. Giden, Los Angeles, for CalMat Co. as Amicus Curiae.
In this case we are asked to decide whether homeowners and a homeowners association may recover damages in negligence from the developer, contractor and subcontractors who built their dwellings for construction defects that have not caused property damage. Plaintiffs would find an affirmative answer in the tort of "negligent interference with prospective economic advantage" described in J'Aire Corp. v. Gregory (1979) 24 Cal.3d 799, 804-805, 157 Cal.Rptr. 407, 598 P.2d 60. Applying settled law limiting the recovery of economic losses in tort actions (Seely v. White Motor Co. (1965) 63 Cal.2d 9, 18, 45 Cal.Rptr. 17, 403 P.2d 145), we answer the question in the negative and, thus, affirm the decision of the Court of Appeal.
This matter comes to us on review of consolidated writ proceedings affecting two cases in the superior court. Plaintiffs in Aas et al. v. William Lyon Company et al. (Super.Ct. San Diego County, 1996, No. 695611) (Aas own the single-family homes in the Belle Fleur subdivision. Plaintiff in Provencal Community Association v. William Lyon Company et al. (Super.Ct. San Diego County, 1996, No. 694688) (Provencal) is the homeowners association responsible for managing and maintaining the Provencal condominium project. Defendants (as relevant here) include the William Lyon Company and Lyon Communities, Inc. (collectively Lyon), which served as developer and general contractor of Belle Fleur and Provencal, and the many subcontractors who participated in those projects.
Plaintiffs in each case allege their dwellings suffer from a variety of construction defects affecting virtually all components and aspects of construction. Based on these defects, plaintiffs assert causes of action for negligence, strict liability, breach of implied warranty and, in the Aas case alone, breach of contract and express warranty. Plaintiffs in both cases seek, among other things, the cost of repairing the alleged defects. Additionally, plaintiffs in Aas expressly seek damages representing the diminution in Value of their residences.
Trial has not yet commenced. In pretrial proceedings, defendants in both cases moved for orders in limine excluding evidence of those alleged construction defects that have not caused property damage. (There is no claim of personal injury.) Plaintiff in Provencal responded with an offer of proof asserting that some of the alleged defects violate provisions of the applicable building codes intended to prevent harm to life, health and property.1 Plaintiff...
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