Section 65914 Of Chapter 4.2. Housing Development Approvals From California Government Code >> Division 1. >> Title 7. >> Chapter 4.2.
65914
. (a) In any civil action or proceeding, including, but not
limited to, an action brought pursuant to Section 21167 of the Public
Resources Code, against a public entity that has issued planning,
subdivision, or other approvals for a housing development, to enjoin
the carrying out or approval of a housing development or to secure a
writ of mandate relative to the approval of, or a decision to carry
out the housing development, the court, after entry of final judgment
and the time to appeal has elapsed, and after notice to the
plaintiff or plaintiffs, may award all reasonably incurred costs of
suit, including attorney's fees, to the prevailing public entity or
nonprofit housing corporation that is the real party in interest and
the permit applicant of the low- and moderate-income housing if it
finds all of the following:
(1) The housing development meets or exceeds the requirements for
low- and moderate-income housing as set forth in Section 65915.
(2) The action was frivolous and undertaken with the primary
purpose of delaying or thwarting the low- or moderate-income nature
of the housing development or portions thereof.
(3) The public entity or nonprofit housing corporation that is the
real party in interest and the permit applicant of the low- and
moderate-income housing making application for costs under this
section has prevailed on all issues presented by the pleadings and
the public entity or nonprofit housing corporation that is the real
party in interest and the permit applicant of the low- and
moderate-income housing actively, through counsel or otherwise, took
part on a continuing basis in the defense of the lawsuit.
(4) A demand for a preliminary injunction was made by the
plaintiff and denied by a court of competent jurisdiction, or the
action or proceeding was dismissed as a result of a motion for
summary judgment by any defendant, and the denial or dismissal was
not reversed on appeal.
(b) In any appeal of any action described in subdivision (a), the
reviewing court may award all reasonably incurred costs of suit,
including attorney's fees, to the prevailing public entity or
nonprofit housing corporation that is the real party in interest and
the permit applicant of the low- and moderate-income housing if the
court reviews and upholds the trial court's findings with respect to
paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (a).
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the
application of any other remedies or rights provided under law.