June 11, 2026
Court of Appeal of the State of California, First Appellate District, Division Three
The Rule of County of Del Norte v. Britt is that a responding party who prevails in a receivership proceeding under Health and Safety Code section 17980.7(c) is entitled to attorney fees and court costs under section 17980.7(c)(11), even against a municipal enforcement agency, because this more recent and specific statute creates an exception to the general rule of section 17984 that shields public agencies from cost liability, under circumstances where the responding party was improperly named as a defendant and achieved complete vindication on the claims against them.