Wong

BACKGROUND

Appellants Galina and Anatoly Kopelev (Mrs. and Dr. Kopelev)1 bought a house (referred to herein as either the property or the house) in Palos Verdes Estates (the city) in 1984. They sold the property to respondents Norman and Angela Wong (Mr. and Mrs. Wong) in 2004. The Wongs subsequently experienced severe problems with the house, including mold and flooding, and in April 2007 demanded arbitration for “damages arising out of purchase of single-family residence” in accordance with the residential purchase agreement. Arbitrator’s recitation of facts The arbitration was heard by Judge Michael D. Marcus (Ret.) (the arbitrator) through ADR Services, Inc., in October and November 2009 and May and June 2010. The arbitrator rendered an interim arbitration award in November 2010, and then, following a motion by the Kopelevs to reconsider the interim award, the arbitrator issued his final, 66-page award in September 2011. The final award summarized the facts as follows: The house, which faced north, was situated at the bottom of a hill. A retaining wall was located in the backyard and, when the Kopelevs bought the house, steps ran from the top of the retaining wall up the hill…