Filed 2/19/20; Certified for Publication 3/12/20 (order attached)

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION FOUR

CANYON CREST CONSERVANCY,

Plaintiff and Appellant,

v.

COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES et al., 

Defendants and Respondents;

STEPHEN KUHN,

 Real Party in Interest.

 B290379

 (Los Angeles County

 Super. Ct. No. BS167311)

APPEAL from a judgment and order of the Superior Court of 

Los Angeles County, Mary Strobel, Judge. Affirmed.

Mitchell M. Tsai for Plaintiff and Appellant.

Mary C. Wickham, Assistant County Counsel, Jeanette Cauble and 

David Michael Miller, Deputy County Counsels for Defendants and 

Respondents.

California State Association of Counties, Jennifer B. Henning as 

Amicus Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Respondents. 

Stephen Kuhn, in pro. per, for Real Party in Interest. 
2

INTRODUCTION

Real party in interest Stephen Kuhn sought to build a single-family 

residence on his undeveloped property in Los Angeles County (the county). 

Because the property was located on a steep hillside and construction would 

require the removal of a protected coastal oak tree, Kuhn obtained a minor 

conditional use permit and an oak tree permit from the county. Appellant 

Canyon Crest Conservancy, a nonprofit organization established by two of 

Kuhn’s immediate neighbors, appealed the permit approvals to the county

Regional Planning Commission and then to the Los Angeles County Board of 

Supervisors (the board). After the project approvals were upheld, appellant 

filed the instant lawsuit against respondents the county, the board, and the 

county Department of Regional Planning (Regional Planning), alleging 

violations of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Public 

Resources Code, section 21000, et seq.).

The trial court granted appellant’s motion for an administrative stay of 

the permit approvals in order to preserve the status quo pending an 

adjudication on the merits of appellant’s claims. Thereafter, Kuhn, who has 

appeared in propria persona at all times below and on appeal, requested that 

the county vacate the permit approvals, stating that he could not afford to 

continue the litigation. The county complied and appellant dismissed this 

case.

Appellant filed a motion for attorney fees under the private attorney 

general doctrine pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 1021.5.1 The 

trial court denied the motion, concluding that appellant failed to establish 

any of the requirements for a right to fees under the statute. On appeal, 

appellant contends these findings were in error. We find no abuse of 

discretion in the trial court’s findings and therefore affirm the judgment. 

1 All further statutory references are to the Code of Civil Procedure 

unless otherwise indicated.
3

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

I. Background

A. The Project

Kuhn2 owns the property at issue, an undeveloped 1.04 acre parcel on 

Canyon Crest Road in the unincorporated community of Altadena in Los 

Angeles County. The property is in an area zoned for single-family 

residences, located on a steep hillside bisected by a stream. The property is 

surrounded by other single-family residences and vacant land; the 

surrounding area is abundant with oak woodland.

Kuhn proposed to construct a single-family residence with an attached 

garage on the property.3 In 2014, Kuhn applied for a minor conditional use 

permit, in order to build on the hillside, and an oak tree permit, required 

because the project would require removal of one oak tree and would 

encroach upon nine others. The proposed residence would have 1,436 square 

feet of habitable space and would rise two stories above grade, with a 

maximum elevation of 25 feet at street level, and the remainder of the living 

space descending the hillside.4

At Kuhn’s request, arborist Scott McAllaster prepared an oak tree 

report in August 2014 assessing the project’s impact on the property’s oak 

trees. The report stated that the proposed construction would require 

removal of one oak tree, and would result in temporary or permanent 

2 Although it appears from the record that Kuhn’s wife was involved in 

the planning and permitting process, she has not appeared in this case. Thus 

we refer to the project and the property as belonging to Kuhn merely as a 

reflection of his identification as the real party in interest.

3 We note that in briefing on appeal, appellant refers to Kuhn as “The 

Developer.” To the extent appellant is suggesting Kuhn was acting as a real 

estate developer rather than a homeowner, appellant cites to no evidence in 

the record to support that contention. Indeed, Kuhn consistently stated 

below that he and his wife intended the home as their “dream home,” planned 

as a “modest, net-zero home . . . within walking distance of our workplace.” 

4 Some documents in the record list the square footage as 1,699 square 

feet, which appears to include the square footage of a proposed loft storage 

space above the garage. Appellant also describes the height of the home as 

four stories rather than two. 
4

encroachment into the protected zone of eight other oak trees. The report 

prescribed measures that would limit the effects of construction on the roots 

and canopy of the trees, and called for replacement planting of any trees lost 

at a two-to-one ratio.

In October 2015, Kuhn presented the project to the Altadena Town 

Council, which recommended approval with an added condition regarding 

construction staging and vehicle parking. Kuhn also established a project 

website and held several informal meetings on his property to answer 

questions and solicit feedback from his neighbors. 

B. Initial Study and Negative Declaration

The county Department of Public Works and Fire Department 

recommended approval of the project. Regional Planning determined that 

the project qualified for a categorical exemption under CEQA Guidelines

section 15303,5 but decided to prepare an initial study to assess possible 

environmental impacts and allow other local and state agencies to assess and 

comment on the project. Regional Planning stated that its decision to 

conduct the initial study “was not based on a conclusion that ‘unusual 

circumstances’ as referenced in CEQA Guidelines section 15300.2(c) exists 

because, in part, the Project would not lead to any impacts different from the 

development on neighboring properties.”

5 “To achieve its objectives of environmental protection, CEQA has a 

three-tiered structure.” (Committee to Save the Hollywoodland Specific Plan 

v. City of Los Angeles (2008) 161 Cal.App.4th 1168, 1185, citing CEQA 

Guidelines, § 15002(k).) “First, if a project falls into an exempt category, or ‘it 

can be seen with certainty that the activity in question will not have a 

significant effect on the environment, [citation] no further agency evaluation 

is required.’ [Citation.] Second, if there is a possibility the project will have a 

significant effect on the environment, the agency must undertake an initial 

threshold study; if that study indicates that the project will not have a 

significant effect, the agency may issue a negative declaration. Finally, if the 

project will have a significant effect on the environment, an Environmental 

Impact Report (EIR) is required.” (Id. at pp. 1185-1186.) Projects that are 

categorically exempt include a single-family residence constructed in a 

residential zone. (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, § 15303(a).)
5

In the initial study, the department found that the project was located 

“at the edge of a disturbed woodland community” with “[d]isturbances related 

to road construction and dumping.” The study concluded that Kuhn’s 

compliance “with the conditions of the oak tree permit, through the planting 

of replacement oaks on site in appropriate habitat areas will ensure that 

impacts to oak woodlands are less than significant.” Based on the study, 

Regional Planning determined in February 2016 that a negative declaration 

was appropriate because there was no substantial evidence that the project 

would result in a significant impact on the environment.

C. Objections and Appellant’s Formation

In August 2015, John and Michiko Lynch, who lived next to the project 

site, submitted a letter to Regional Planning. The Lynches objected to the 

proposed project on a number of grounds, including construction access 

issues, the steep incline of the lot, the design of the structure, and that 

Kuhn’s home would affect their views and privacy. The letter noted that the 

“views of the canyon and trees are the primary factor that drives property 

values in our neighborhood.” The Lynches also stated that they and prior 

occupants had used the flat area of Kuhn’s property next to the street for 

“storage and off street parking” continuously for over 65 years, and that they 

would have nowhere to park if the project was approved, which would be “a 

great burden to us and make our home difficult to rent or sell in the future.” 

The same month, Randall Baer and Wendy Wilson sent a letter to Regional 

Planning as the owners of the property opposite the project. Baer and Wilson 

objected that the project would “significantly block our light and view of the 

canyon that we treasure and enjoy.” Baer sent another letter to Regional 

Planning in April 2016, noting that the primary concerns of the neighbors 

were “the potential impacts to the oak canopy, the mass of the structure and 

the loss of light, views and privacy to the adjacent neighbors.”

In March 2016, attorney Mitchell Tsai requested records on the project 

on behalf of John Lynch. Later that month, Tsai began sending letters to 

Regional Planning on behalf of appellant, objecting to the project.

Appellant was incorporated on May 9, 2016, with Baer’s residence 

listed as the address of record. Baer served as the president for appellant 

and John Lynch was the vice president and secretary. Appellant identified 
6

itself as a “California nonprofit public benefit corporation dedicated to 1) 

protecting open space, 2) ensuring that natural preservation areas are 

protected and enhanced, 3) ensuring a high quality of life in the Canyon 

Crest area by remaining consistent with its natural character, and 4) 

carrying on other charitable and educational activities associated with this 

goal.”

Appellant retained an opinion by a certified arborist, Rebecca Latta, 

that the impacts were understated; specifically, that the oak tree designated 

for removal was owned by the Lynches, at a value of $103,000. Further, 

Latta opined that encroachments on three other trees might impact their 

health and ultimately require their removal.

D. Approval of the project

Regional Planning conducted a hearing on the application on April 5, 

2016. Both Baer and John Lynch spoke at the hearing in opposition to the 

project. Baer argued that the property “should be considered unbuildable.” 

John Lynch argued that the proposed project was “detrimental to the use and 

enjoyment of my property,” and would likely force him to sell his property for 

“lower than its current market value. Life at 3589 Canyon Crest will never 

be the same again. If this project [a]s proposed did not violate our personal 

space and the rights of our neighbors, we would not have spent so much 

waking hours [sic] and sleepless nights opposing it.” Latta also gave her 

opinion on inadequacies in the initial oak tree report. 

The hearing was continued to April 19, 2016, to allow Kuhn’s arborist 

to respond to concerns raised by Latta, and Kuhn to meet with interested 

members of the public to discuss possible design alternatives. In a letter 

submitted to Regional Planning, McAllaster, the arborist who prepared the 

initial oak tree report, noted that certain details to the site plan had changed 

since his initial review in 2014. Therefore, he opined that his 2014 report 

“may have underestimated the impacts” to two of the trees. However, he 

concluded that the dispositions from the original report were unchanged and 

that he found the trees had a “good probability” of survival. He also noted his 

support for Kuhn’s attempt to design the project to reduce the number of 

trees that would be removed. 
7

Regional Planning held the second day of public hearings on April 19, 

2016, at which both Baer and John Lynch again opposed the project. A 

spokesperson for Regional Planning stated that Kuhn had met with 

community members and agreed to lower the height of the home’s streetfacing frontage. A biologist from Regional Planning opined that the permit 

conditions were sufficient to allow recovery from any losses to trees and 

woodland, given the “highly disturbed existing state of the affected 

woodland.” The county hearing officer found the conditions for the permits 

sufficiently mitigated against possible impacts, and therefore adopted the 

negative declaration and approved the permits.

Appellant appealed the approval to the county’s Regional Planning 

Commission. On September 7, 2016, the commission held a public hearing 

and approved the application. As a condition, Kuhn was required to replace 

any removed or deceased oak trees at a two-to-one ratio and provide follow up 

monitoring for seven years to ensure the health of the remaining trees.

Appellant appealed to the board. On November 22, 2016 and December 

6, 2016, the board held public hearings on the project and subsequently 

approved the application.6 After the hearing, the board directed county 

counsel to prepare the necessary findings and conditions of approval for the 

project. The board adopted these findings and issued its final approval of the 

project on March 21, 2017. 

II. Petition

In January 2017, appellant filed a verified petition for writ of mandate 

and complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief against respondents. 

Appellant alleged that respondents violated CEQA, the Los Angeles county 

oak tree ordinance, the California Oak Woodlands Conservation Act (the Act), 

the Oak Woodlands Conservation Management Plan (the Plan), and the 

county’s zoning ordinance. Appellant sought a writ of mandate requiring 

respondents to vacate and withdraw the certification of the initial study and 

any approvals of the project, and to complete “the CEQA environmental 

6 At the conclusion of the first hearing, the board continued the hearing 

to allow for the review of a safety concern regarding whether construction 

work would obstruct Canyon Crest Road. 
8

review and public comment period as required by law.” Appellants also 

prayed for a temporary stay, temporary restraining order, preliminary and 

permanent injunction enjoining respondents and Kuhn “from taking any 

action to implement the project, unless and until Respondent fully complies 

with CEQA,” and a declaratory judgment that the county violated CEQA. 

Appellant also sought attorney fees pursuant to section 1021.5.

In February 2017, the parties stipulated to stay the litigation until 

March 20, 2017, noting that at the time appellant filed the petition, the 

county had not issued a final approval of the project and therefore the case 

was not yet at issue. The court ordered the stay. Subsequently, appellant 

filed a first amended petition and complaint on April 17, 2017, adding an 

allegation that the board approved the project on March 21, 2017. 

Appellant served notice of the petition on the Attorney General on 

January 18, 2017. It did not serve the Attorney General with the amended 

petition.

III. Administrative Stay

Appellant moved for a preliminary injunction or administrative stay on 

April 17, 2017. Appellant argued that a stay under section 1094.5 would not 

be against the public interest, as it would “preserve the status quo” and 

protect appellant’s “right to a meaningful trial court resolution.” 

Alternatively, it asked the court to issue a preliminary injunction, arguing 

that there was a reasonable probability that appellant would prevail on the 

merits of its claims.

Following a May 9, 2017 hearing on the motion, the court granted the 

administrative stay, finding that granting a stay would not be against the 

public interest, as the “oak woodland and natural interests identified by 

[appellant] could be irreparably harmed if the approval of the project is not 

stayed.” Although it was not required to make any additional findings in 

order to grant the stay, the court also stated appellant had “shown a 

reasonable probability of succeeding on its claim that Latta’s opinion is 

substantial evidence supporting a fair argument that the Project would have 

a significant impact on the oak woodland in which the Project site is located.” 

However, during the hearing, the court cautioned the parties that “this is in 

no way a determination on the writ. It is my determination based on what I 
9

have at this point in time and whether a stay is in the public interest. I am 

finding that it is.” The court conditioned the stay on appellant’s filing a bond 

of $7,500.

On December 14, 2017, Kuhn sent a letter to the county requesting 

that the county vacate the project approvals. In his letter, Kuhn stated he 

was making this request “to end the litigation.” Regional Planning

recommended that the board vacate the permit entitlements based on Kuhn’s 

request. However, the department also noted that it agreed with Kuhn that 

“a comprehensive EIR is not normally required for a single-family residence 

on a vacant lot; and none of the extenuating circumstances for an exception to 

exemptions exists here.”

The board held a hearing on February 27, 2018. The representative for 

Regional Planning recommended that the board vacate the project approvals, 

but stated that “the application will remain on file, and if the applicant 

wishes to pursue the application, it will be processed in accordance with all 

relevant regulations.” Kuhn stated that he could not afford to continue to 

pay for the litigation. One of the supervisors expressed her disappointment 

that Kuhn, who had lawfully met every requirement, would be unable to 

build because appellant had “abused the C.E.Q.A. process as it relates to this 

project.” The board approved the request.

Appellant filed a request to dismiss the case on April 2, 2018. The 

court dismissed the case without prejudice the same day.

IV. Motion for Attorney Fees

On March 15, 2018, appellant filed a motion for attorney fees pursuant 

to section 1021.5, seeking a total award of $289,544. Respondents and Kuhn 

opposed the motion, arguing that appellant did not satisfy the statutory 

requirements for fees under section 1021.5.

The court held a hearing on the motion on April 17, 2018. At the 

conclusion of the hearing, the court issued a 25 page written ruling denying 

the motion. The court found that appellant had failed to establish any of the 
10

required prongs under section 1021.5. We discuss the court’s pertinent 

findings further below. Appellant timely appealed.7

DISCUSSION

Appellant contends the trial court erred in declining to award attorney 

fees pursuant to section 1021.5, as its litigation efforts “resulted in the 

enforcement of an important right affecting the public interest by enforcing 

CEQA’s procedural requirement that a public agency prepare a full 

environmental impact report . . . when there is substantial evidence of a fair 

argument that a project may result in significant environmental impacts.” 

We conclude that appellant has failed to meet its burden to establish at least 

several of the requirements under section 1021.5, and therefore it has not 

shown error on appeal.

I. Legal Principles

Section 1021.5 provides, in relevant part, “Upon motion, a court may 

award attorneys’ fees to a successful party against one or more opposing 

parties in any action which has resulted in the enforcement of an important 

right affecting the public interest if: (a) a significant benefit, whether 

pecuniary or nonpecuniary, has been conferred on the general public or a 

large class of persons, (b) the necessity and financial burden of private 

enforcement . . . are such as to make the award appropriate, and (c) such fees 

should not in the interest of justice be paid out of the recovery, if any.” (§ 

1021.5.) The statute “codifies the private attorney general doctrine and acts 

as an incentive to pursue ‘public-interest litigation that might otherwise have 

been too costly to bring.’” (Hall v. Department of Motor Vehicles (2018) 26 

Cal.App.5th 182, 188.) To obtain fees, the moving party must establish “(1) 

he or she is a ‘successful party,’ (2) the action has resulted in the enforcement 

of an important right affecting the public interest, (3) the action has 

conferred a significant benefit on the public or a large class of persons, and 

(4) an attorney fees award is appropriate in light of the necessity and 

financial burden of private enforcement.” (Ibid.)

7 An order on a statutory attorney fee motion is separately appealable

as a collateral matter. (See Serrano v. Unruh (1982) 32 Cal.3d 621, 636-637; 

Henneberque v. City of Culver City (1985) 172 Cal.App.3d 837, 842.)
11

“We review an attorney fee award under section 1021.5 generally for 

abuse of discretion. Whether the statutory requirements have been satisfied 

so as to justify a fee award is a question committed to the sound discretion of 

the trial court, unless the question turns on statutory construction, which we 

review de novo.” (Collins v. City of Los Angeles (2012) 205 Cal.App.4th 140, 

152.) Under the abuse of discretion standard, we presume the trial court 

properly applied the law and acted within its discretion unless the appellant 

affirmatively shows otherwise. (Ibid.)

Appellant contends that the second and third statutory requirements—

whether an action enforced an important right and conveyed a significant 

benefit—should be reviewed de novo, citing Los Angeles Police Protective 

League v. City of Los Angeles (1986) 188 Cal.App.3d 1. That case is 

inapplicable. There, the plaintiff secured a writ of mandate, resulting in a 

published opinion on appeal. In the subsequent appeal from the denial of 

attorney fees under section 1021.5, the court held that “when the successful 

legal action resulted in a published appellate opinion,” the appellate court “is 

in at least as good a position as the trial court to judge whether the legal 

right enforced through its own opinion is ‘important’ and ‘protects the public 

interest’ and whether the existence of that opinion confers a ‘significant 

benefit on the general public or a large class of persons.’” (Id. at pp. 5, 8.) 

Conversely, where, as here, “the trial court is considering a court awarded fee 

where the litigation began and ended at the trial level,” the trial court “may 

well be in a better position than the appellate court to assess” those 

requirements; thus, “the appellate court owes the trial court a full measure of 

deference in deciding whether the trial court abused its discretion.” (Id. at 

pp. 7-8.) 

Moreover, any suggestion that the de novo standard of review would 

apply to these prongs in the absence of a published appellate opinion was 

subsequently quashed by our Supreme Court. (See Graham v. 

DaimlerChrysler Corp. (2004) 34 Cal.4th 553, 578 [holding, in review of 

public interest prongs of section 1021.5, that “[w]e will uphold the trial 

court’s decision to award attorney fees under section 1021.5, unless the court 

has abused its discretion”]; see also Woodland Hills Residents Assn., Inc. v. 

City Council (1979) 23 Cal.3d 917, 938 (Woodland Hills) [directing trial court 
12

to utilize its discretion to determine whether or not the action served to 

vindicate an important right].)

II. Analysis

A. Enforcement of an Important Right Affecting the Public Interest

Appellant contends it sufficiently showed that its lawsuit alleging 

CEQA violations resulted in the enforcement of an important right affecting 

the public interest, thus meeting the requirement for attorney fees under 

section 1021.5. The trial court found otherwise, and we find no abuse of 

discretion in that determination.

This prong of section 1021.5 requires a determination of “the ‘strength’ 

or ‘societal importance’ of the right involved.” (Woodland Hills, supra, 23 

Cal.3d at p. 935.) “That right may be constitutional or statutory, but it must 

be ‘“an important right affecting the public interest”’—it ‘cannot involve 

trivial or peripheral public policies.’ Where, as here, the right vindicated is 

conferred by statute, ‘courts should generally realistically assess the 

significance of that right in terms of its relationship to the achievement of 

fundamental legislative goals.’” (Roybal v. Governing Bd. of Salinas City 

Elementary School Dist. (2008) 159 Cal.App.4th 1143, 1148, quoting 

Woodland Hills, supra, 23 Cal.3d at p. 936.)

Respondents do not dispute that, as a general matter, litigation 

alleging CEQA violations can involve important rights affecting the public 

interest. (See, e.g., See San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society, Inc. v. 

County of San Bernardino (1984) 155 Cal.App.3d 738, 754 (San Bernardino); 

Schwartz v. City of Rosemead (1984) 155 Cal.App.3d 547, 558.) Respondents 

argue, however, that appellant did not vindicate any such important rights 

through this litigation.

The trial court agreed, concluding that while appellant “enforced the 

stay provisions of CCP section 1094.5(g), and ensured that the Project was 

not built until after an adjudication of its CEQA claims at trial,” appellant 

did not “obtain or secure any additional environmental review in this action.” 

The court also rejected appellant’s argument that it obtained a favorable 

ruling on the merits regarding respondents’ violations of CEQA, finding that 

appellant “overstates the scope” of the administrative stay. The court noted 

that it granted the stay based on a finding that it would not be against the 
13

public interest, and expressly stated it was not making a determination on 

the merits of the writ.

Appellant contends the trial court erroneously required it to actually 

“obtain or secure additional environmental review” in order to establish 

vindication of an important right under section 1021.5. The trial court 

imposed no such requirement; rather, it cited the fact that appellant did not 

secure any additional environmental review of the project as evidence 

supporting its conclusion that the litigation did not enforce any important 

rights and the stay merely preserved the status quo pending trial. 

Appellant also asserts it was successful “in ensuring that the project 

was not built without adequate CEQA review,” and that such success was 

“sufficient to satisfy the ‘important’ right requirement.” The court was within 

its discretion to conclude otherwise, based on the lack of evidence that 

respondents would conduct any additional review or change their approach 

should Kuhn reapply for the project. In fact, all indications from respondents 

during the underlying proceedings and ensuing litigation suggested that the 

county felt Kuhn and respondents had acted properly in proposing and 

assessing the project and were not persuaded otherwise by appellant’s 

arguments or Latta’s opinion. There was no evidence to suggest respondents 

would make any changes in reviewing proposals for this project, or future 

similar projects. Unlike this case, appellant’s cited authority exemplifies 

situations where the plaintiff obtained the enforcement sought. (See San 

Bernardino, supra, 155 Cal.App.3d at p.754 [no abuse of discretion to award 

fees where court granted plaintiff’s writ of mandamus and ordered county to 

set aside findings]; Schwartz v. City of Rosemead, supra, 155 Cal.App.3d at p. 

558 [plaintiff compelled enforcement of important right by obtaining writ of 

mandate requiring the city to conduct environmental assessment and provide 

adequate notice to community].) 

In addition, appellant claims that a resolution on the merits was not 

necessary, citing cases allowing fees after resolution at an early stage of 

litigation. These cases do not aid appellant. For example, in Rich v. City of 

Benicia (1979) 98 Cal.App.3d 428, 431 (Rich), the plaintiff sued to compel 

preparation of an EIR for the conversion of a single-family residence to 

commercial and multiple residence purposes. (Ibid.) “After preliminary 
14

proceedings, but before the trial court had ruled on Rich’s applications for a 

writ of mandate and for a preliminary injunction, the parties entered into a 

stipulation that [the city] would prepare an environmental impact report in 

accordance with specified procedures.” (Ibid.) Under those circumstances, 

the appellate court found no abuse of discretion in the trial court’s 

determination that the lawsuit resulted in enforcement of an important right. 

(Id. at p. 436.) Thus, although the trial court did not make a determination 

on the merits, the plaintiff obtained vindication of the right he sought—an 

agreement by the city to prepare an EIR in compliance with CEQA. Here, by 

contrast, appellant obtained no similar result.

Appellant’s suggestion that bringing a “viable CEQA claim” alone is 

sufficient to satisfy this prong is unsupported by any authority and ignores 

the statutory requirement that a party not only allege an important right but 

actually vindicate that right by way of the litigation. As the court reasoned 

in Woodland Hills, supra, 23 Cal.3d at p. 938: “the fact that a plaintiff is able 

to win his case on a ‘preliminary’ issue, thereby obviating the adjudication of 

a theoretically more ‘important’ right, should not necessarily foreclose the 

plaintiff from obtaining attorney fees under a statutory provision. . . . On the 

other hand, of course, the fact that a plaintiff prevails on a ‘technical’ 

preliminary issue does not necessarily demonstrate that his additional claims 

have sufficient merit to warrant the conclusion that the action served to 

vindicate an important right. Under such circumstances, the trial court, 

utilizing its traditional equitable discretion (now codified in § 1021.5), must 

realistically assess the litigation and determine, from a practical perspective, 

whether or not the action served to vindicate an important right so as to 

justify an attorney fee award under a private attorney general theory.” Here, 

appellant has not demonstrated any abuse of discretion in the trial court’s 

practical assessment that the litigation did not serve to vindicate any of the 

rights under CEQA that appellant alleged were violated.

B. Significant Benefit on the General Public

Section 1021.5 also requires a plaintiff to establish that the litigation 

conferred a “significant benefit, whether pecuniary or nonpecuniary . . . on 

the general public or a large class of persons.” Appellant contends it did so by 

requiring the county to reconsider the proposed project under CEQA, thereby 
15

enforcing important legislative policy and benefitting the public. We 

disagree.

A significant benefit may result from the “effectuation of a fundamental 

constitutional or statutory policy.” (Woodland Hills, supra, 23 Cal.3d at p. 

939.) “Of course, the public always has a significant interest in seeing that 

legal strictures are properly enforced and thus, in a real sense, the public 

always derives a ‘benefit’ when illegal private or public conduct is rectified.” 

(Ibid.) However, not “every case involving a statutory violation” is properly 

the subject of fees under the statute. Instead, the trial court must “determine 

the significance of the benefit, as well as the size of the class receiving 

benefit, from a realistic assessment, in light of all the pertinent 

circumstances, of the gains which have resulted in a particular case.” (Id. at 

pp. 939–940.) Thus, significant benefit and important right requirements 

“dovetail” to some extent. (La Mirada Ave. Neighborhood Assn. Of Hollywood 

v. City of Los Angeles (2018) 22 Cal.App.5th 1149, 1158.)

The trial court again rejected appellant’s assertion that the granting of 

an administrative stay resulted in a benefit to the general public. The court 

found that the ruling on the stay was “not an adjudication on the merits” and 

there was no evidence to suggest that “this action will have caused 

Respondent to reconsider its CEQA review,” or to change its position 

regarding the impact to the oak woodlands. The court noted statements by 

various residents that they “believe[d]” the action would cause the county to 

give more serious consideration to their concerns about the project and 

private development, but found these statements “speculative and 

unsubstantiated.” The court also found that based on the limited project—

development of a less than 1500-square-foot single family home on one lot—

appellant had not shown that the lawsuit conferred a benefit on the general

public or a large class of persons.

We agree with the trial court that appellant failed to establish that this 

action conferred a significant benefit on the general public. Although 

appellant raised a number of challenges to the environmental analysis of the 

project conducted by respondents, the lawsuit was dismissed without any 

agreement by respondents that they would reconsider the project in a 

different manner, or any order requiring them to do so. Respondents 
16

maintained that Kuhn could reapply for the project if he chose to and then 

respondents would proceed as they believed proper. Nor did respondents 

acknowledge any change in how they would approach similar projects in the 

future. Instead, both Kuhn’s arborist and respondents’ experts maintained 

that the project as approved would not create a significant impact on the 

environment, and disagreed with the concerns raised by Latta. As such, 

respondents’ cited cases are inapposite, as each involves a change made by 

the public entity as a result of the lawsuit. (See Kern River Public Access 

Comm. v. City of Bakersfield (1985) 170 Cal.App.3d 1205, 1213-1214 

[requiring city to rescind approval of subdivision maps]; San Bernardino , 

supra, 155 Cal.App.3d 738, 747 [ordering county to set aside approval]; Rich, 

supra, 98 Cal.App.3d at p. 431 [city agreed in settlement to prepare EIR].) 

Moreover, Baer and the Lynches, as the creators and officers of appellant, 

admitted that their concern was the effect of the project on their personal 

property and, for the Lynches, on their ability to use Kuhn’s property for

parking.

Appellant also argues that a significant benefit “can be derived from 

creating an opportunity for members of the public to provide input.” But 

there is no evidence to establish that this lawsuit provided additional 

opportunities for public input. The record is replete with statements made by 

the public, both in support of and in opposition to the project, during the 

permit approval process, including letters and opportunities to speak at 

multiple hearings. Appellant does not show how this lawsuit created any 

additional opportunities for input that were lacking, particularly where the 

lawsuit was dismissed and Kuhn ceased pursuing the project. As such, we 

find no error in the trial court’s finding that appellant failed to meet its 

burden to establish an entitlement to attorney fees under section 1021.5.8

8Because we conclude that appellant has not met its burden to 

establish error in the trial court’s findings of lack of an important right 

affecting the public interest and significant benefit on the general public, we 

need not reach the parties’ contentions regarding the remaining prongs under 

section 1021.5.
17

DISPOSITION

The judgment and order of the trial court are affirmed. Respondents 

are awarded their costs on appeal.

 

 

 

COLLINS, J.

We concur:

MANELLA, P.J.

CURREY, J.
Filed 3/12/20

CERTIFIED FOR PUBLICATION

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION FOUR

CANYON CREST CONSERVANCY,

Plaintiff and Appellant,

v.

COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES et al.,

Defendants and Respondents;

STEPHEN KUHN,

 Real Party in Interest.

 B290379

 (Los Angeles County

 Super. Ct. No. BS167311)

 

 ORDER CERTIFYING OPINION 

FOR PUBLICATION 

THE COURT

The opinion in the above-entitled matter filed on February 

19, 2020 was not certified for publication in the Official Reports. 

Upon application of the California Building Industry Association 

(CBIA) an interested party, and for good cause appearing, it is 
2

ordered that the opinion shall be published in the Official 

Reports.

Pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 8.1105(b), this 

opinion is certified for publication.

____________________________________________________________

MANELLA, P.J. COLLINS, J. CURREY, J.