Newport Beach, California – Richard Bridgford and Mike Artinian of Bridgford, Gleason and Artinian LLP in Newport Beach, won approval of a $7 million settlement today on behalf of 444 homeowners in Ladera Ranch who purchased their homes from William Lyon Homes. The members of the class action, whose homes were built between May 9, 2003 and May 9, 2013, were seeking compensation to repair defective copper pipes alleged to be corroding and causing leaks. Based on this settlement, Homeowners are entitled to their choice of a PEX Repipe or an Epoxy Coating of their existing copper pipes. The settlement also includes patch and paint costs. Single family home owners will receive a repair up to $14,860; and for each condo unit, the total repair costs are up to $11,700. For those who previously paid for their own repairs, they are entitled to a reimbursement up to the above amounts with sufficient proof.
The lawsuit Cheung v. William Lyon Homes was filed in May 2013 in Orange County Superior Court. Judge Thierry Colaw approved the settlement.
“We are pleased that William Lyon is being a good corporate citizen, taking care of their customers who have made one of the biggest investments of their lives,” says Richard Bridgford, founding partner of the Newport Beach plaintiff law firm. “We can only hope the other builders will step up and do the right thing for their customers. Copper pipes continue to be a big problem in Orange County.”
The plaintiffs in this case were represented by Richard Bridgford and Mike Artinian from Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian LLP as well as Patrick McNicholas and Philip Shakhnis from McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP and Brian Kabateck, Josh Haffner, and Terry Bailey from Kabateck Brown Kellner LLP.
In October, Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian LLP won a nearly $2 million settlement in a class action for damages and other relief on behalf Ladera Ranch homeowners whose homes were built by MBK Builders, Inc. Plaintiffs who live in several Ladera Ranch neighborhoods alleged that the copper pipe utilized was inadequate and/or defective for the water conditions in the area. Plaintiffs also named a plumbing subcontractor and pipe manufacturer as defendants in this case. In that settlement, MBK agreed to make funds available to the Class Administrator to fund either a complete re-piping of Class Members’ homes using a PEX pipe, or for an epoxy treatment of existing copper piping, up to $11,000 per home (inclusive of costs to restore drywall/paint as necessary due to the repair).