Mt. Soledad Landslide Lawsuit Finally Settled by City of San Diego

A nearly three year battle between homeowners affected by the 2007 landslide on Mt. Soledad Road in a La Jolla neighborhood is now over. I first blogged about this event shortly after it happened as well as during some of the early investigations and remediation work and the legal affairs. Then in October of 2009, a California Superior Court Judge ruled in favor of the City of San Diego in a lawsuit by homeowners, agreeing with the City that the landslide was a result of the local geology (paleo landslide) and not the actions of the City.

Last week the San Diego City Council voted to approve a $284,000 settlement over the 2007 landslide that ensured the homeowners would not file an appeal. There were originally 65 homeowners that sued the City, and San Diego spent over $6 million in outside legal fees fighting the suits. That’s in addition to the roughly $20 million it paid for emergency cleanup and stabilization consisting of shear pins and drains.