Okay, so maybe not all of California has this problem. But the condo owners at Aspen Grove have precisely such a problem. At least after Northstar Village expanded its ski operations. Northstar built a lot of buildings and parking lots and the like, which reduced the preexisting ability of the ground to deal with runoff from melting snow and the like. So Northstar created a nice little pond to collect all that water -- right near the condos -- but the pond didn't work, and water intrusion on the Aspen Grove property was a fairly constant problem as a result.
Northstar tried to solve the problem, but eventually just gave up. So Aspen Grove sued. And won.
Justice Hoch's opinion doesn't paint Northstar in a very favorable light. Remember that the next time you go skiing in Lake Tahoe. And feel free to rent a condo at Aspen Grove. It's close to the slopes. Even closer to the runoff therefrom.
