Quillinan

I. BACKGROUND

Plaintiffs initiated this lawsuit in November 2009. Their third amended complaint (complaint), filed on December 13, 2011, alleges they lived in a ―dilapidated‖ apartment building in Berkeley ―owned and/or managed‖ by Papavassiliou. The complaint 1 When referring to the individual plaintiffs, we will use their first names for clarity. We mean no disrespect in observing this convention. describes in detail plaintiffs‘ dealings with Papavassiliou and her agents in an effort to obtain the repair of various deficiencies in the building and alleges 10 causes of action, including attempted retaliatory eviction (Civ. Code, § 1942.5, subd. (c)) and wrongful collection of rent for a substandard dwelling (Civ. Code, § 1942.4, subds. (a), (b)). Although plaintiffs were self-represented, the record suggests the case was vigorously litigated on both sides. On July 5, 2012, Papavassiliou moved for a continuance of the October 2012 trial date on the grounds additional time was necessary for discovery and she intended to file a motion for summary adjudication of certain claims. One week later, on July 13, John, Moshe, and Cyporette filed requests for voluntary dismissal of their…