California Court Of Appeal Holds Plaintiff’s Rejection Of Settlement Requiring Waiver Of Claims Is Reasonable In Goglin v. BMW of North America, LLC (2016) 4 Cal.App.5th 462
By: Gregory K. Sabo and Chelsea L. Zwart
May 25, 2017
In Goglin v. BMW of North America, LLC (2016) 4 Cal.App.5th 462, the Fourth District California Court of Appeal held that a plaintiff’s rejection of a pre-litigation offer including extraneous non-financial terms is reasonable and therefore does not preclude the plaintiff from recovering attorneys’ fees under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (California Civil Code §§1790 et seq.) upon prevailing in the action.
Prior to initiating litigation in Goglin, the plaintiff notified BMW of her claims, asserting the dealer violated the Consumer’s Legal Remedies Act (“CLRA”) by selling her a used vehicle with undisclosed prior collision damage and an extensive history of mechanical failure. To resolve the issue, BMW offered to repurchase the vehicle, pay off her loan, and reimburse her for the down payment and loan payments made less an offset for depreciation and reimburse her for reasonable attorneys’ fees. The offer was contingent upon the plaintiff signing a settlement and release agreement including terms for a general release, waiver of California Civil Code §1542, dismissal with prejudice of any lawsuit she may have filed against BMW, and a confidentiality and nondisparagement clause.