22CV02866
STEWART v. COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ
PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR ATTORNEYS’ FEES
SUMMARY RULING:
Based on the parties’ papers, the Court finds that Plaintiffs are entitled to $233,598.50 in
fees, $977.40 in costs, and the Court declines to award a multiplier.
PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND:
On 11/24/21, Plaintiffs filed an inverse condemnation case against the County of Santa
Cruz, alleging that public improvements adjacent to their real property caused erosion and
damage. Specifically, they claim that County’s drainage system for Skyview Terrace Drive
altered the natural drainage system by diverting waters from two County roads through a single
culvert located on Plaintiffs’ property and two other parcels. This created erosion gullies that
without stabilization, would eventually result in a large gully running underneath Plaintiffs’
family home and render it uninhabitable. Plaintiffs’ Complaint alleges causes of action for
inverse, private nuisance, and dangerous conditi