Retirees Doug Ridley and Sherry Shen faced legal battles over an artesian well beneath their condo, leading to financial difficulties. Lawyers Terence and Mary Ann O'Hara agreed to represent them pro bono, sacrificing their financial stability. The court ruled against the Rancho Palma Grande Homeowners Association for deception and elder abuse, awarding Ridley and Shen over $1.8 million in damages. Additionally, the HOA was ordered to pay $6 million in attorney fees to the O'Haras, reflecting the complexity and severity of the case.
‘Most normal people can't afford to have a lawyer fight for them, but Doug and Sherry are just salt of the earth kind of people,’ Mary Ann O'Hara said. ‘There was no way we could have abandoned them without following through with everything.’
In February, McCracken ruled that the Rancho Palma Grande Homeowners Association and former HOA president Steve Moritz engaged in extensive deception, violated the Elder Abuse Act, and breached state laws regulating HOAs.
McCracken this month ordered the HOA to pay them $6 million in attorney fees. During the July 9 court hearing, McCracken said that she does not order this amount of money lightly.
Part of the reason the fees are very high in this case is we're talking about the extent to which false statements, conduct that should never have happened by the HOA had to be unraveled.
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