Lawsuit against a commercial realtor for breach of contract and fiduciary relationship wherein plaintiff claimed that his real estate broker negligently failed to investigate whether the City of Long Beach would allow him to operate a seafood processing business before the lease was signed. Plaintiff claimed a total of $8,600,000 in damages for lost profits, goodwill, improvements to the building and lease costs. Defendant contended that agents do not become “middle men” between tenants and cities, and that plaintiff had told the broker that he had checked with the city and had been advised that a seafood processing business was a permitted use.
| Demand | Payment of $600,000 in outstanding judgments, plus an “undetermined amount” in additional damages. |
| Offer | $20,000 |
| Verdict | DEFENSE. Cost bill of $7,000 filed by defendant. |
| Insurer | Hartford Financial |