Hari Hara v. Team Enterprises CA2/5

I. BACKGROUND

A. The Complaint Hari Hara commenced this action in 2017. The operative first amended complaint, filed in 2018, alleges Hari Hara was the owner of commercial property in Santa Clarita, California, at which Team operated a dry cleaning business from 1967 through 1995. The gist of the complaint is that Team released hazardous substances and waste into the environment, which caused Hari Hara to incur “monitoring, investigation, remediation, and response costs in determining the scope of the contamination in the indoor air, soil, soil vapor, and groundwater.” The operative

1 Hari Hara, LLC v. Team Enterprises, LLC (Sept. 29, 2021, B306217) [nonpub. opn.] (Hari Hara I).

2 complaint alleges causes of action for contribution under the Hazardous Substance Account Act (HSAA),2 equitable contribution, abatement of a public nuisance, abatement of a private nuisance, negligence, continuing trespass, and declaratory relief.

B. Team’s First Motion for Summary Judgment In April 2019, Team moved for summary judgment on the ground that Hari Hara is bound by a settlement agreement the property’s former owner, Mark Weinstein (Weinstein), signed to resolve a federal lawsuit.4…