Childhelp, Inc. v. City of L.A.

INTRODUCTION

In 1986 Childhelp, Inc., a nonprofit corporation that provides services to victims of child abuse, leased real property from the City of Los Angeles. The lease provided that, in lieu of paying rent, Childhelp would provide treatment for child abuse victims and that after 20 years the City would consider conveying the property to Childhelp. In 2014 the Los Angeles City Council passed a resolution directing various City departments and officials to prepare and execute the necessary approvals and agreements to convey the property to Childhelp, in exchange for Childhelp’s agreement to continue using the property to provide services for victims of child abuse. Ultimately, however, the City decided not to transfer the property to Childhelp. Childhelp filed this action against the City for, among other things, declaratory relief, writ of mandate, and promissory estoppel, and the City filed an unlawful detainer action against Childhelp. After the trial court consolidated the two actions, the court granted the City’s motion for summary adjudication on Childhelp’s cause of action for promissory estoppel, sustained without leave to amend the City’s demurrer to Childhelp’s…