Barber

— In this appeal, we examine the merits of a judgment for compensatory and punitive damages, as well as a statutory award of attorney fees, entered in favor of the plaintiffs and respondents, Florence E. Barber (Florence) and Joe L. Barber (Joe) (collectively, the Barbers), following a six-day jury trial. The judgment was based, in substantial part, on alleged violations of federal credit and housing discrimination laws: which the jury found to be true. The defendants and appellants, Rancho Mortgage & Investment Corporation (Rancho), Forecast Mortgage Corporation (Forecast) and Walker & Lee, doing business as Great Western Real Estate (Great Western), appeal the judgment on several grounds, primarily including claimed errors in jury instructions and the assertion that there was no substantial evidence to support the jury’s verdict.

We conclude that there was no error in the credit discrimination case against Rancho and affirm that portion of the judgment The trial court erred in instructing the jury on the punitive damage claim in the housing discrimination case against Forecast and therefore we reverse that part of the judgment and remand for a new trial on that issue.…