This is the property of the Daily Journal Corporation and fully protected by copyright. It is made available only to Daily Journal subscribers for personal or collaborative purposes and may not be distributed, reproduced, modified, stored or transferred without written permission. Please click "Reprint" to order presentation-ready copies to distribute to clients or use in commercial marketing materials or for permission to post on a website. and copyright (showing year of publication) at the bottom.
Subscribe to the Daily Journal for access to Daily Appellate Reports, Verdicts, Judicial Profiles and more...

Real Estate/Development

Jun. 22, 2026

Family feud over real estate empire ends with $1.9M punitive damages award

An Orange County jury awarded nearly $2 million after finding members of a wealthy family diverted funds from a family-owned real estate company, capping years of litigation over alleged self-dealing and financial misconduct.

A jury has brought a dramatic conclusion to a long-simmering and bitter legal battle between members of a wealthy Orange County family, awarding $1.9 million in punitive damages and entering a total judgment of $1.94 million following allegations that a family-owned real estate empire was treated as a "personal piggy bank" and a "private slush fund."

Following a month-long trial in Fullerton, Superior Court Judge Julianne Bancroft entered a final judgment on T...

To continue reading, please subscribe.
For only $95 a month (the price of 2 article purchases)
Receive unlimited article access and full access to our archives,
Daily Appellate Report, award winning columns, and our
Verdicts and Settlements.
Or
$895, but save $100 when you subscribe today… Just $795 for the first year!

Or access this article for $45
(Purchase provides 7-day access to this article. Printing, posting or downloading is not allowed.)

Already a subscriber?

Enewsletter Sign-up