Healy v. Tuscany Hills Landscape Recreation Corp

In Healy v. Tuscany Hills Landscape & Recreation Corp. (2006) 137 Cal.App.4th 1, a homeowners association filed an action against a homeowner, alleging she had wrongfully denied the association access across her property to conduct weed abatement to reduce a fire hazard on an adjacent piece of land. (Id. at p. 3.) The association sent a letter to residents of the development discussing the litigation and stating that the weed abatement had become more costly to the association because ingress and egress to the property was being prohibited by the homeowner. (Id. at pp. 3-4.) The homeowner filed a cross-complaint alleging the letter defamed her by falsely communicating to other residents that she was responsible for causing the association to incur additional costs. (Id. at pp. 3-4.) The association moved to strike the defamation cause of action under the anti-SLAPP statute, and the trial court denied the motion. (Id. at p. 4.) The Court of Appeal reversed, finding the letter was protected because one of its purposes was to inform association members of pending litigation involving the association. (Id. at pp. 5-6.)