Case Name: Daniel LOPEZ, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. GARCIA APARTMENTS, LLC, a California Limited Liability Company; Arcadio Castillo, Defendants-Appellees
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2017-02-10
Citations: 676 F. App'x 634
Docket Number: No. 15-55422
Parties: Daniel LOPEZ, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. GARCIA APARTMENTS, LLC, a California Limited Liability Company; Arcadio Castillo, Defendants-Appellees.
Judges: Before: TROTT, McKEOWN, and WATFORD, Circuit Judges.
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 676
Pages: 634–635

Head Matter:
Daniel LOPEZ, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. GARCIA APARTMENTS, LLC, a California Limited Liability Company; Arcadio Castillo, Defendants-Appellees.
No. 15-55422
United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.
Submitted January 13, 2017 Pasadena, California
Filed FEBRUARY 10, 2017
Russell Clive Handy, Esquire, Mark D. Potter, Esquire, Potter Handy LLP, San Diego, CA, for Plaintiff-Appellant
Adolfo Bojalil Garber, Esquire, Adolfo B Garber Attorney at Law, Los Angeles, CA, for Defendants-Appellees
Before: TROTT, McKEOWN, and WATFORD, Circuit Judges.
The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2).

Opinion:
MEMORANDUM
Daniel Lopez appeals the district court's decision to reduce the lodestar attorneys' fees amount by 80% in Lopez's successful action against Garcia Apartments, LLC and Arcadio Castillo (collectively "Garcia Apartments") under the Americans with Disabilities Act and California's Unruh Civil Rights Act. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, and we review the fee award for abuse of discretion, Armstrong v. Davis, 318 F.3d 965, 970 (9th Cir. 2003).
Contrary to Lopez's assertion, the district court did not penalize him for failing to make a revised settlement offer or file an earlier summary judgment motion. In analyzing the well-recognized factors of "the time and labor required" and "the amount involved and the results obtained," Hensley v. Eckerhart, 461 U.S. 424, 430 n.3, 103 S.Ct. 1933, 76 L.Ed.2d 40 (1983), the court listed these actions as examples that could have shown Lopez was trying to "expedite a resolution" of this straightforward case. Overall, the court properly relied on the larger picture of unnecessarily protracted litigation where Garcia Apartments quickly fixed the problems identified in the complaint and only the claim for statutory damages remained.
On the other hand, it would be improper to consider Garcia Apartments' financial condition when determining the fee award, and Garcia Apartments cites no authority that permits a reduction based on a defendant's ability to pay. Because the district court did not isolate the amounts based on the reasons given and because we cannot determine if this rationale even affected the amount of fees awarded, we vacate and remand on this basis alone, without prejudice to the district court exercising its discretion to determine the appropriate award based on the permissible grounds for reducing fees.
VACATED AND REMANDED.
Each party shall bear its own fees and costs on appeal.
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3.