In the court case Stronghold Engineering Inc. v. City of Monterey, filed in the Court of Appeal of the State of California, Sixth Appellate District, with case ID H050698 on April 15, 2024, a dispute over a large-scale public renovation project was presented. The plaintiff, Stronghold Engineering Inc., appealed against the defendant, City of Monterey, after the trial court granted summary judgment in favor of the city and awarded attorneys’ fees and costs to them.
The conflict began when Stronghold Engineering Inc. disputed the trial court's decision and appealed for a reversal of both the judgment and the subsequent cost-and-fee award made to City of Monterey. The trial court had granted these based on Public Contract Code, section 7107, subdivision (f).
Stronghold filed its opening brief in this appeal on April 28, 2023. After several proceedings including a stay on fees appeal and a reversal of judgment by this court on November 3, 2023, both parties jointly moved to vacate the stay and for summary reversal of costs and fees order.
The plaintiff is seeking for a reversal of both the judgment given in favor of City of Monterey and the subsequent cost-and-fee award made to them. They are arguing that if the underlying judgment were reversed then so should be the resulting fees and costs award.