Tax Cancellation Claim Against LA County Can Proceed, Court Says

A 79-year-old woman’s lawsuit against Los Angeles County over fraudulence in a home improvement program may proceed with its claims of declaratory relief, elder abuse, and tax cancellation, a California appeals court held.

Alma Foster’s signature was forged by Johnson’s Roofing on an assessment contract that hired the contractor to install energy-efficiency improvements to her home through an LA County program that allows homeowners to pay for the improvements over time. The contract supported a tax lien on her home.

Foster and Johnson’s Roofing—which was a defendant in the case but not a party in this appeal—entered into a stipulated ...