Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)
Litigation
In April 2018, homeowners in Los Angeles County brought two related class action lawsuits against the Los Angeles County and its PACE administrators, Renovate America (Renovate) and Renew Financial (Renew). The lawsuits alleged that, in implementing the PACE program, the County, Renovate, and Renew committed financial elder abuse, breached the contract between the County and its administrators, and entered into unlawful contracts with homeowners.
The class action lawsuit against the County of Los Angeles and Renovate America is Nemore et al. v. Renovate America et al. The class action lawsuit against the County of Los Angeles and Renew Financial is Ocana et al. v. Renew Financial et al.
The class consists of all homeowners who entered into a Renew or Renovate PACE assessment contract with Los Angeles County between March 1, 2015 and March 31, 2018.
The homeowners who represent the class are called the Plaintiffs.
Status Update
We settled our PACE class action lawsuit and the court granted preliminary approval of the settlement on March 25, 2024. Following the preliminary approval order, class members were sent notices and invited to submit claims or exclude themselves from the class. On August 30, 2024, Class Counsel filed the Motion for Final Approval of Class Action Settlement and Awarding Attorneys’ Fees and Costs, which the court will consider at a hearing on September 24, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. For more info about the settlement, click here.
UPDATE: April 28, 2025 — On March 4, 2025, the trial Court ruled on several motions filed by a class member who previously objected to the settlement and was unsuccessful. The Court’s order granting final approval of the Class Action Settlement is still valid. However, the Court granted the class member intervenor status and on March 11 she filed an appeal. You can find information about the status of the appeal on the Appellate Court’s website, https://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.gov/, by searching case number B344883.
Payments to class members who submitted valid claims remain on hold until the appeal is resolved.
We are doing everything we can to reach a final resolution as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, we cannot provide any time estimates for final resolution of the case and distribution of any payments at this time. Please check back for any updates.
UPDATE: January 22, 2025 — On January 10, 2025, the Court entered its Judgment and Order granting final approval of the Class Action Settlement. You can find these documents on the Case Developments and Key Developments section of our litigation webpage.
Typically, the Settlement Administrator would now begin processing and distributing payments as stated in the Order. However, on January 21, a Motion to Vacate was filed by a non-party who previously objected to the settlement and was unsuccessful. As a result of the pending motion, payments to class members who submitted valid claims are on hold until the Court resolves this motion and the appeal period concludes.
We cannot provide any time estimates for final resolution of the case and distribution of any payments at this time. Please check back for any updates.
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Litigio
En abril de 2018, los propietarios de viviendas en el condado de Los Ángeles presentaron dos demandas colectivas relacionadas contra el condado de Los Ángeles y sus administradores de PACE, Renovate America (Renovate) y Renew Financial (Renew). Las demandas alegaban que, al implementar el programa PACE, el Condado, Renovate America y Renew cometió abuso financiero de ancianos, incumplió el contrato entre el Condado y sus administradores y entraron en contratos ilegales con los propietarios de viviendas.
La demanda colectiva contra el condado de Los Ángeles y Renovate America es Nemore et al. v. Renovate America et al. La demanda colectiva contra el Condado de Los Ángeles y Renew Financial es Ocana et al. v. Renew Financial et al.
La clase está compuesta por todos los propietarios de viviendas que entraron en un contrato de evaluación Renew or Renovate PACE con el condado de Los Ángeles entre el 1 de marzo de 2015 y el 31 de marzo de 2018.
Los propietarios de viviendas que representan a la clase se llaman Demandantes.
Actualización de estado
26 de marzo de 2024 – Hemos resuelto nuestra demanda colectiva sobre PACE y el tribunal otorgó la aprobación preliminar del acuerdo. Según el acuerdo, cualquier persona que haya celebrado un Renew Financial (que opera el programa CalFirst) o Renovate America (que opera el programa HERO) en el condado de Los Ángeles entre el 1 de marzo de 2015 y el 31 de marzo de 2018, califica si se registró un gravamen contra su propiedad. Para obtener más información sobre el acuerdo, haga clic aquí.
