LAKEPORT >> A case management conference involving District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown and his company, Lake County Bail Bonds, was postponed Tuesday after confusion arose over legal representation.
None of the plaintiffs were present at the case management conference. Susan Feeney, who previously represented Betty Welch and Robert and Jan Sanders, said that they took their file to give to other attorneys.
According to Feeney, Santa Rosa-based attorney Chris Krankemann may be taking over the case. However, each time she “has contacted the plaintiffs to ask … they tell me they don’t know.”
A case management conference is a meeting between the parties involved, their lawyers and the judge. The main purpose of the conference is to attempt settling some or all of the disputed issues prior to trial.
The case regards an altercation that allegedly occurred between Brown and plaintiffs Robert and Jan Sanders in 2012, when Brown went to serve civil paperwork at a house located on Buckeye Street in Clearlake. On Aug. 21, of that year Clearlake Police responded to a reported assault around 9 p.m. that reportedly involved Brown, 52, and Sanders, of Clearlake.
Court documents state that the Sanders and Welch, who is also listed as a plaintiff, entered an agreement to buy the house in 1997 for a total of $40,000. The final payment was made in May of 2007. Nearly two years later, Welch entered an agreement for $10,000 with Brown and Lake County Bail Bonds.
Eventually, after none of plaintiffs were able to pay additional premiums, the deed of trust was foreclosed upon and an unlawful detainer was filed by Brown.
However, the Sanders and Welch appealed and an eviction was curbed under the condition that the Sanders pay rent to Brown.
It was during the serving of paperwork regarding ownership and rent that the alleged incident occurred.
After telling Sanders that he owned their house and that they would be paying him rent, Sanders tried to escort Brown off the property, according to court documents. That’s when Brown allegedly punched him in the ribs and face.
According to the court documents, the Sanders say Brown was acting in a “hostile and aggressive manner.”
Brown claimed he acted in self-defense.
Furthermore, “as Rob Brown was leaving, he punched their Labrador retriever in the head. The dog subsequently died after suffering from seizures related to the head injury.”
The case management conference was postponed until 8:15 a.m. on May 5 in Department 4. The Sanders will be ordered to be present, as will Krankemann if he is representing them.
Contact J. W. Burch, IV at 900-2022.
