California Justices Debate Proper Venue for Energy Loan Fights

Several justices of the California Supreme Court questioned at oral arguments Monday whether a proposed class of homeowners framed their challenge to property tax assessments as a consumer suit to avoid having to exhaust administrative remedies.

The homeowners, all age 65-and-over, asked the high court to review an intermediate appellate court ruling rejecting their arguments that their dispute is between them and the companies administering their home improvement loans under the state’s Property Assessed Clean Energy Program. Because the loan payments are billed and paid as special assessments on their property taxes, the homeowners are in fact challenging bills from ...