Manhattan Sepulveda, Ltd. v. City of Manhattan Beach

Opinion

VOGEL (C. S.), J.—

Statement of the Case

This is an appeal taken from the superior court’s decision to deny a petition for a writ of mandate filed by a property owner. At issue is a municipal code section which permits reconstruction of a nonconforming building damaged by fire if the cost to repair does not exceed 50 percent of the building’s value prior to the fire. The municipality successfully urged that value meant the cost to replace the entire building. Our review of the record convinces us that there is no basis to sustain such an interpretation. Instead, we conclude that value…