I renewed my interest in this case when, in a meeting with the parish treasurer this past week, we found a bill from Lytton, Williams, Messina & Hankin LLP, presumably billing for services on this lawsuit. At this point, the vestry doesn't know how much money has been paid out to this firm from parish resources. Mrs Bush and the other squatters were never the vestry, were never authorized to retain Lytton, Williams, Messina & Hankin LLP, and never had standing to bring this suit. My understanding is that the bill has been referred to the vestry's counsel.
The suit was originally brought in Los Angeles Superior Court in 2013. In October 2013, it was moved to federal court, where not much seems to have taken place. However, on February 4 of this year, it was sent back to LA Superior Court. I'm told that the federal judge, Church Mutual Insurance, and the (legal) vestry's counsel were all happy that this took place. Mrs Bush's opinion is not known.
UPDATE: My wife says that the Bush plaintiffs would have wanted the case in federal court, in part to try to force Church Mutual to settle the case, and in part to avoid the adverse rulings against Bush et al in the California courts. To have it back in Superior Court is good news for Church Mutual.
As I noted in 2014, the plaintiff et als have pledged personal assets to pay their legal bills. However, they believe Church Mutual should pay those bills instead. Church Mutual's position is, first, that Brandt, Bush, Carolyn Morello, and Meyers AKA Omeirs are neither the policyholders nor the insured, none being the legal vestry as recognized by the courts. In addition, the policy covers only legal expenses, such as filing fees or court reporters, and not lawyers' fees. Beyond that, there is a fairly low cap on this amount.
But if you can spend someone else's money on this kind of legal action, who cares? Thus the bill in the mail from Lytton, Williams, Messina & Hankin LLP. I assume Lytton, Williams will have some sort of response when the vestry's counsel contacts them over this, although I also assume the vestry's counsel will, at minimum, instruct them to stop sending the bills.
Here's the puzzling thing: since last October, the squatters have gradually been running out of money. Since being evicted, they don't even have plate and pledge from Sunday masses, although a bulletin from their last mass discovered in the nave directs any remaining loyalists to make future checks payable to something called "Perseverance Mission". Perseverance Mission, I have a feeling, will not be in much of a position to fund further legal work.
What kind of alternate universe do these people live in?
