Payne

The owner of a historic landmark restaurant property leased the premises to a corporation operated by two local restaurateurs. The restaurant closed after six months of operation and the parties filed lawsuits against each other. A jury ruled in favor of plaintiffs Julius Castle Restaurant, Inc. (JCRI), Charles Stinson, and John Bonjean on their claim of fraud. It also ruled in favor of defendants James Frederick Payne and Top of the Rock Castle, LLC (TOTRC), on their cross-complaint for breach of contract. Defendants have filed three consolidated appeals claiming that (1) the trial court committed prejudicial error in allowing plaintiffs to introduce parol evidence in support of their fraud claim, (2) the amount of damages awarded to them on their cross-complaint is insufficient, (3) the court erred in awarding damages to plaintiffs upon the termination of a preliminary injunction, and (4) the court erred in awarding attorney fees to plaintiffs. In light of the recent Supreme Court decision in Riverisland Cold Storage, Inc. v. Fresno-Madera Production Credit Assn. (2013) 55 Cal.4th 1169 [ 151 Cal.Rptr.3d 93 , 291 P.3d 316 ] (Riverisland), we conclude the judgment for…