Noon

Filled 11/18/25; certified for publication 12/2/25 (order attached)

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION FOUR

B339872

LUCIE NOON, et al., (Los Angeles County Plaintiffs and Appellants, Super. Ct. No. 23STCV15649)

v.

FERMIN M. FUENTES,

Defendant and Respondent.

APPEAL from order of the Superior Court of the County of Los Angeles, Teresa A. Beaudet, Judge. Reversed. Law Offices of Clemente Franco and Clemente Franco for Plaintiffs and Appellants. TamerLawCorp. and Steven Tamer for Defendant and Respondent. At issue in this case is whether a landlord who wrongfully evicts tenants from six of his units, without notice, is protected by the anti-SLAPP statute because he filed an unlawful detainer action against the tenant of a seventh unit who, alone, was behind on her rent. We hold this conduct is not protected. Plaintiffs and appellants Lucie Noon (Noon), Hugo Batres (Hugo), Haroldo Batres (Haroldo),1 Rigoberto Mena (Mena), and Tolentino Sales (Sales) (appellants) rented units one, three, four, five, and six in a building (the Property) owned by defendant and respondent Fermin Fuentes. In July 2022, they were…