SANTA CLARA — It’s been nearly seven years since water began accumulating in the crawlspace of Doug Ridley and Sherry Shen’s condo — an alarming discovery that led to the uncovering of an abandoned artesian well under their living room that would wreak havoc on the couple’s lives.
What followed was a years-long legal battle between Ridley and Shen — retirees who planned to use the rental income from the condo to travel and visit relatives in the United Kingdom and Taiwan — and the Rancho Palma Grande Homeowners Association. But late last month, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge JoAnne McCracken ruled that the HOA had breached its duties, “engaged in extensive deception,” and violated the Elder Abuse Act, as well as a state law regulating HOAs.
Now, the HOA and its former president, Steve Moritz, will be responsible for more than $1.8 million in damages — a number that one of the couple’s attorneys, Terry O’Hara, said is the largest known award in California against an HOA for fraud and elder abuse…