California Attorneys | Attorney Profiles

George H. Kaelin III

San Diego, California
Partner

phone
(877) 569-1635
(619) 544-0123

fax
(619) 544-9110

George H. Kaelin, III joined the firm in 1994 and became a partner in 1998. Mr. Kaelin's practice focuses on real estate, business and civil litigation matters.

Mr. Kaelin represents developers, cities, and property owners in matters involving mobilehome park and recreational vehicle park closures and conversions. He has published numerous articles and spoken throughout the State on park closure issues.

Mr. Kaelin served as co-counsel in the case of Earle v. Wong in which his clients obtained an $11.7 million verdict against a park owner who was improperly attempting to close a mobilehome park.

Mr. Kaelin represents property and business owners when a public agency attempts to take property through eminent domain. He has obtained great results for clients throughout Southern California in eminent domain matters.

Mr. Kaelin serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Make-A-Wish Foundation, San Diego. He also served as the Chair of the San Diego County Bar Association's Condemnation Section.

Mr. Kaelin received the San Diego County Trial Lawyers Association Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award in 2001.

Mr. Kaelin graduated in 1988 from the University of San Diego (B.B.A., summa cum laude) and received his law degree from the University of California at Davis (J.D., 1991).

Areas of Practice:

Mobilehome

Business

Condemnation

Real Estate

Education:

University of California at Davis School of Law, Davis, California, 1991
J.D.

University of San Diego, 1988
B.B.A.
Honors: Summa Cum Laude

Professional Associations and Memberships:

San Diego County Bar Association, Condemnation Section Member

We represented 70 residents against the park owner who tried to illegally remove the residents from the park so that he could develop the property as a commercial shopping center. The owner tried to force the residents out by failing to maintain the park and closing the common area facilities at the park. When the residents tried to sell their homes, the park owner refused to allow the homes to remain in the park. A jury awarded $11,700,000 to the residents. The verdict was reduced by the trial judge and a judgment was entered against the defendants in the amount of $9,917,717.

San Diego Gas & Electric condemned a permanent power line easement over the Stonebridge community in Scripps Ranch which was to replace a temporary easement set to expire. SDG&E initially offered the Stonebridge developers $759,000 for the easement. We were then retained and demonstrated the substantial value of the property interests being condemned and the damages that resulted to the remaining property. We obtained a $10,650,000 in settlement before trial on behalf of the property owner developers.

We represented a group of industrial property and business owners who alleged that the County of Riverside had fraudulently induced them to enter into a contract to support the formation of a Mello-Roos district, and then breached that contract by not providing all the promised infrastructure improvements. After a six week trial, obtained a $3.9 million jury verdict based on the jury's finding of fraud and breach of contract.

We represented a City and Water Company in a complex water/power case involving not only Indian water rights but also the first contested Federal Energy Regulatory Commission hydroelectric project re-licensing case. See also Public Law 100-675,102 Stat. 4000 (1988) and amendments. (Firm members also participated in the drafting of federal legislation designed to settle thirty-year dispute over rights to the San Luis Rey River.)