Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : $1.3-Million Stevenson Ranch Settlement OKd

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Monday approved a $1.3-million settlement between a group of homeowners and builders of their Stevenson Ranch complex near Valencia.

The settlement money will be used for mending roofs, electrical wiring and plumbing fixtures, as well as paving an unfinished street and building a swimming pool that was promised to the 56 homeowners in the Marblehead development.

The settlement, approved by Superior Court Judge Judith Chirlin, was reached between the Marblehead Homeowners Assn. and developers CCR Associates, Perlcal I, Perlman Properties of California Inc., Stone Properties Inc. and the Mitchell Company Inc.

The homeowners had originally asked for $5 million in damages from developers for being negligent in the construction of the housing tract.

Left outstanding are disputes with the Dale Poe Development Corp., creator of Stevenson Ranch, and Los Angeles County.

The attorney for homeowners, Dana Perlman, said the Marblehead Homeowners Assn. has reached “a settlement in principal” with Dale Poe, but the dispute with the county is ongoing.

The homeowners have alleged that county inspectors were negligent in issuing permits for the 64-unit development. But attorneys for the county say state law protects public entities from this type of lawsuit.

“If we weren’t afforded this immunity, every time something went wrong with any property, we would be held liable,” said Deputy County Counsel Paul Yoshinaga.

The homeowners contend, however, that the county’s negligence was so severe that it should be held partially responsible anyway.

“If the county has no obligations, then why perform the inspections and permit reviews?” said Perlman. A victory by homeowners against the county would be a precedent, he said.

A hearing on the lawsuit is scheduled for June 14.