April 26, 2021
by BMJ

California Court Affirms Sanctions For SF Firm in Arbitration Row

California’s Court of Appeal for the Fifth Appellate District affirmed a Fresno court’s June 2014 finding that about $6,500 in sanctions against Bob Vlahopouliotis and his attorney Andrew Dimitriou, then of Dimitriou & Associates, were appropriate considering their contested actions during discovery of issues related to Vlahopouliotis’ suit against Vallarta Properties LLC over maintenance costs for common areas of a jointly owned shopping center.

The court went on to agree that Vallarta was not required to arbitrate any of its discovery-related complaints as Vlahopouliotis had argued, because although a settlement of the central claims in the maintenance dispute already was being arbitrated by joint agreement, the discovery issues were not a direct result of that arbitration.

“The parties specifically agreed to refer to arbitration only the claims set forth in the current pleadings in this action,” the appellate court said in a Monday opinion. “The discovery disputes in this case did not arise out of the arbitration. Thus, they were not required to be adjudicated in that forum.”

Read the complete press advisory here.

Vallarta Properties is represented by John G. Michael and Diane E. Coderniz of Baker Manock & Jensen PC and Gail B. Price of Bronwen Price APC.