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© Practising Law Institute
Practising Law Institute1177 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10036
California Eviction Defense:
Protecting Low-Income Tenants 2017
Co-ChairsMadeline S. Howard
Jith Meganathan
© Practising Law Institute
33
Drafting Successful Settlement Agreements in Unlawful Detainers (PowerPoint slides)
Erin Katayama
Homeless Advocacy Project Justice & Diversity Center
Claudia Medina
Eviction Defense Network
If you find this article helpful, you can learn more about the subject by going to www.pli.edu to view the on demand program or segment for which it was written.
599
© Practising Law Institute
600
© Practising Law Institute
Dra
fting
Suc
cess
ful
Settl
emen
t Agr
eem
ents
in
Unl
awfu
l Det
aine
rsEr
in K
atay
ama,
Esq
. –Ho
mel
ess A
dvo
cacy
Pro
ject
/ Ju
stic
e &
Div
ersit
y C
ente
r/ B
ar
Ass
ocia
tion
of S
an F
ranc
isco
Cla
udia
Med
ina,
Esq
. –Ev
ictio
n D
efen
se N
etw
ork
601
© Practising Law Institute
Alw
ays
Prep
are
for T
rial
Prep
are
for T
rial i
s the
bes
t way
to le
arn
your
cas
e an
d to
hav
e co
nfid
ence
to p
ress
for
a go
od se
ttlem
ent w
ithou
t fea
r of g
oing
to tr
ial.
•D
iscov
ery
•In
spec
t the
hom
e•
Inte
rvie
w /
subp
oena
witn
esse
s•
Cre
ate
jury
inst
ruct
ions
•C
reat
e tri
al b
rief
•A
lway
s dem
and
jury
tria
l, yo
u ca
n d
ecid
e to
wai
ve la
ter
602
© Practising Law Institute
Prep
arin
g yo
ur C
lient
for S
ettle
men
tG
o ov
er th
e ris
k/be
nefit
ana
lysis
of d
oing
the
trial
1)Ri
sk (l
osin
g)
•Be
ing
evic
ted
•Ju
dgm
ent o
n th
e cl
ient
’s re
cord
•M
oney
jud
gmen
t---
-effe
ct o
f mon
ey ju
dgm
ent
•Lo
ss o
f Sec
tion
8 vo
uche
r (if
appl
icab
le)
•Re
cord
bec
omes
pub
lic•
Get
ting
no b
uy o
ut---
-???
??•
Losin
g ou
t on
mor
e tim
e
2)
Ben
efit
(win
ning
)
•Ke
ep h
ome
•*e
ven
if yo
u w
in th
ey c
ould
try
to e
vict
aga
in•
*eve
n if
you
win
tena
nt w
ill ha
ve to
pay
all b
ack
rent
imm
edia
tely
603
© Practising Law Institute
Ong
oing
Set
tlem
ent N
egot
iatio
ns w
hile
Pr
epar
ing
for T
rial
1)W
hat t
o co
mm
unic
ate
to o
ppos
ing
coun
sel /
wha
t to
avoi
d•
Don
’t o
ffer i
nfor
mat
ion
abou
t you
r clie
nt th
at is
not
dire
ctly
rele
vant
to th
e ca
se
(fina
ncia
l sta
tus,
havi
ng o
ther
pla
ces t
o liv
e, m
edic
al in
form
atio
n)
2) A
re a
ll se
ttlem
ent n
egot
iatio
ns c
onfid
entia
l?
•Us
ually
, yes
. •
If d
rafti
ng a
reas
onab
le a
ccom
mod
atio
n re
ques
t let
ter –
mak
e su
re it
sp
ecifi
dca
lly st
ates
that
it is
not
a c
onfid
entia
l set
tlem
ent n
egot
iatio
n an
d is
th
eref
ore
not p
rivile
ged
.
604
© Practising Law Institute
Settl
emen
t Ter
ms
–G
ener
al
1)Du
ratio
n of
set
tlem
ent
2)C
ourt
cost
s an
d at
torn
ey fe
es –
each
sid
e be
ar it
s ow
n co
sts a
nd fe
es3)
Mas
king
issu
es4)
Wai
ver –
CC
P 15
42--
--in
exc
hang
e fo
r wha
t?
5)Ri
ght t
o fil
e m
otio
n to
vac
ate
a ju
dgm
ent,
petit
ion
for r
elie
f, st
ay o
f evi
ctio
n6)
How
will
the
agre
emen
t be
enfo
rcea
ble
•C
ourt
mai
ntai
ns ju
risd
ictio
n•
How
muc
h no
tice
mus
t be
give
n?•
Not
iced
mot
ion
or e
x pa
rte a
pplic
atio
n? –
alle
gatio
ns g
iven
ahe
ad o
f tim
e?•
Cle
ar a
nd c
onvi
ncin
g /
prep
ond
eran
ce o
f evi
den
ce•
Wha
t kin
d o
f evi
den
ce re
quire
d•
Strik
es /
opp
ortu
nitie
s to
cure
if b
reac
h?
•Re
quire
gov
ernm
ent a
genc
y or
third
par
ty in
cer
tain
cas
es (h
oard
ing)
•Re
quire
losin
g sid
e pa
y co
sts
•D
ismiss
al u
pon
com
plet
ion
•In
eve
nt o
f alle
ged
bre
ach,
settl
emen
t set
asid
e an
d m
atte
r is t
ried
to 6
or 8
pe
rson
jury
605
© Practising Law Institute
Settl
emen
t Ter
ms
–N
uisa
nce
/ Bre
ach
of L
ease
1)St
rikes
/ w
arni
ngs?
2)
Term
s sp
ecifi
c or
gen
eral
? 3)
Room
insp
ectio
ns fo
r hoa
rdin
g ca
ses
4)W
hat c
an la
ndlo
rds
ask
for?
---
---as
in h
ow?
5)G
ood
faith
6)Re
ason
able
acc
omm
odat
ion
606
© Practising Law Institute
Settl
emen
t Ter
ms
–N
onpa
ymen
t of R
ent
1)Pa
y 2)
Pay
on Ti
me
--
---d
elay
unt
il ten
ant c
an c
ome
up w
ith m
oney
. If t
enan
t doe
sn’t
pa
y pr
ovid
e fo
r tim
e to
va
cate
and
wa
iver
of r
ent.
3)Re
nt A
mou
nt --
--re
nt re
duc
tion
for b
ad c
ond
ition
s 4)
Repa
irs --
----
----
----
----
----
----
--no
bre
ach
if la
ndlo
rd h
asn’
t mad
e re
pairs
5)C
oope
rate
with
rent
al a
ssist
ance
6)Fo
rm o
f pay
men
t7)
Clie
nt g
ets
a pa
yee
8)Di
smiss
al o
f cas
e up
on fu
ll pa
ymen
t of b
ack
rent
9)Le
vera
ging
atto
rney
’s fe
es p
rovi
sions
607
© Practising Law Institute
Settl
emen
t Ter
ms
–M
ove
out a
gree
men
ts
1)Da
te o
f mov
e ou
t2)
Rent
wai
ver (
past
and
ong
oing
)3)
Secu
rity
depo
sit re
turn
4)
Non
disp
arag
emen
t cla
use
/ le
tter o
f rec
omm
enda
tion
5)Bu
y ou
t –ha
lf up
fron
t / h
alf u
pon
mov
e ou
t •
Issue
with
tena
nts o
n pu
blic
ass
istan
ce
6)
Con
ditio
n of
room
/ u
nit u
pon
mov
e ou
t7)
W
here
mon
ey s
houl
d be
sen
t8)
Land
lord
may
wan
t beh
avio
ral t
erm
s th
at a
re e
nfor
ceab
le w
hile
tena
nt s
till t
here
•m
ake
sure
buy
out
pay
men
t and
mov
e ou
t dat
e ar
e no
t con
diti
oned
on
com
plyi
ng w
ith b
ehav
iora
l ter
ms
608
© Practising Law Institute
Exam
ples
for N
uisa
nce
/ Bre
ach
of L
ease
Hoar
ding
/ Un
sani
tary
Con
ditio
ns
•In
spec
tions
onc
e pe
r mon
th o
n th
e sa
me
day
eac
h m
onth
•Ha
s to
fail a
gov
ernm
ent i
nspe
ctio
n•
If fa
iled
insp
ectio
n, h
as 1
0 d
ays t
o cu
re•
Spec
ific
outli
ne o
f wha
t “pa
ss”
mea
ns o
r use
gen
eral
term
s?
Thro
win
g/Dr
oppi
ng th
ings
out
of t
he w
indo
w
•Te
nant
will
not t
hrow
or d
rop
thin
gs o
ut o
f the
win
dow
•In
stal
l scr
eens
that
can
’t b
e re
mov
ed
Floo
ding
the
sink
or th
e ba
thtu
b
•In
stal
l wat
er a
larm
or f
auce
ts th
at re
quire
pre
ssur
e to
run
609
© Practising Law Institute
Exam
ples
for N
uisa
nce
/ Bre
ach
of L
ease
Loud
tele
visio
n or
mus
ic
•W
arni
ngs
•Pr
ovid
e st
icke
rs o
n vo
lum
e co
ntro
ls th
at sp
ecify
“d
ay”
or “
nigh
t”•
Prov
ide
add
ition
al so
und
pro
ofin
g in
room
, hea
dph
ones
Refu
sing
pest
con
trol b
ecau
se o
f che
mic
al s
ensit
ivity
•M
ust a
llow
pes
t con
trol
•O
ppor
tuni
ties t
o cu
re
610
© Practising Law Institute
Exam
ples
for N
uisa
nce
/ Bre
ach
of L
ease
Visit
or P
olic
y Vi
olat
ions
•A
llow
pre
-app
rove
d v
isito
rs to
ent
er w
ithou
t ten
ant e
scor
t
Arg
umen
ts•
Mak
e ru
le th
at te
nant
shou
ld p
ut c
ompl
aint
s in
writ
ing
and
/or a
void
inte
ract
ing
with
that
spec
ific
empl
oyee
•M
ove
tena
nt to
uni
t far
aw
ay fr
om th
e te
nant
they
do
not g
et a
long
with
Leav
ing
burn
er /
sto
ve o
n
•In
stal
l a st
ove
/bur
ner /
out
let w
ith a
n au
tom
atic
shut
off
•Re
mov
e kn
obs o
n st
ove
so th
at o
nly
the
care
give
r has
acc
ess
611
© Practising Law Institute
Tips
for O
ppos
ing
an A
llega
tion
of B
reac
h
•A
gree
men
t sho
uld
giv
e no
tice
of b
reac
h (o
r war
ning
s) to
atto
rney
•N
otic
e of
inte
nt to
app
ear i
n co
urt t
o at
torn
ey/
clie
nt
•If
extre
me
fact
ual d
isput
e re
ques
t evi
den
tiary
hea
ring
•G
et sw
orn
stat
emen
ts fr
om te
nant
and
witn
esse
s
•If
rent
pay
men
t was
miss
ed, o
ffer i
t at f
irst o
ppor
tuni
ty. I
f lan
dlo
rd d
oesn
’t a
ccep
t an
d in
sists
on
goin
g fo
rwar
d w
ith th
e he
arin
g br
ing
the
mon
ey to
the
hear
ing
with
a
swor
n st
atem
ent t
hat y
ou tr
ied
to g
ive
it to
them
to a
void
cou
rt
612
© Practising Law Institute
NOTES
613
© Practising Law Institute
NOTES
614
