California Senate Bill SB1343 Introduced / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SB 1343INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Wyland FEBRUARY 21, 2014 An act to amend Section 15657.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to financial abuse. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1343, as introduced, Wyland. Financial abuse. The Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act authorizes compensatory damages and other relief for an elder or dependent adult who suffers financial abuse. The act defines financial abuse as, among other actions, taking, secreting, appropriating, obtaining, or retaining real or personal property of an elder or dependent adult for a wrongful use or with intent to defraud, or both. Existing law also requires a court to award to the elder or dependent adult reasonable attorney's fees and costs. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to the latter provision. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 15657.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 15657.5. (a) Where it is proven by a preponderance of the evidence that a defendant is liable for financial abuse, as defined in Section 15610.30, in addition to compensatory damages and all other remedies otherwise provided by law, the court shall award to the plaintiff reasonable attorney's fees and costs. The term "costs" includes, but is not limited to, reasonable fees for the services of a conservator, if any, devoted to the litigation of a claim brought under this article. (b) Where it is proven by a preponderance of the evidence that a defendant is liable for financial abuse, as defined in Section 15610.30, and where it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant has been guilty of recklessness, oppression, fraud, or malice in the commission of the abuse, in addition to reasonable attorney's fees and costs  set forth   pursuant to  in subdivision (a), compensatory damages, and all other remedies otherwise provided by law, the limitations imposed by Section 377.34 of the Code of Civil Procedure on the damages recoverable shall not apply. (c) The standards set forth in subdivision (b) of Section 3294 of the Civil Code regarding the imposition of punitive damages on an employer based upon the acts of an employee shall be satisfied before any punitive damages may be imposed against an employer found liable for financial abuse as defined in Section 15610.30. This subdivision shall not apply to the recovery of compensatory damages or attorney' s fees and costs. (d) Nothing in this section affects the award of punitive damages under Section 3294 of the Civil Code. (e) Any money judgment in an action under this section shall include a statement that the damages are awarded based on a claim for financial abuse of an elder or dependent adult, as defined in Section 15610.30. If only part of the judgment is based on that claim, the judgment shall specify what amount was awarded on that basis.