Pappas v. State Coastal Conservancy
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The Court of Appeal concluded that a purported "public access easement" granted to a state agency four decades ago by the owner of a large coastal parcel in Hollister Ranch is a property interest subject to selling and transferring restrictions under the California Coastal Act. In this case, the trial court correctly invalidated the State Defendants' settlement agreements with Hollister based on the Conservancy's violation of section 30609.5 of the Coastal Act.
The court concluded that the trial court properly exercised its discretion when it allowed the Alliance to intervene; the trial court correctly overruled Hollister's demurrer to the Alliance's writ petition; the pending litigation exception to the Bagley-Keene Act did not excuse the Conservancy from adhering to the Coastal Act's restrictions on selling or transferring state lands; Section 30609.5 of the Coastal Act applied to the HROA Settlement and offer to dedicate; the trial court did not deprive Hollister of due process; challenges to the trial court's evidentiary rulings are unavailing; the trial court erred when it found Section 30609.5 did not apply to the Commission; and the trial court correctly ruled that the limitations period expired on the Alliance's Bagley-Keene Act cause of action. The court affirmed the trial court's judgment as to the Conservancy, but reversed as to the Commission, and remanded.
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