As of press time last night, we were unable to get a hold of developer Roque de la Fuente’s attorney to solicit comment on the court’s tentative ruling overturning a 2001 ruling that the city of San Diego owed de la Fuente $94.5 million in damages.
This afternoon we reached Vincent J. Bartolotta Jr., de la Fuente’s attorney, and this is what he had to say about the ruling:
“It’s still a major issue and it’s not complete, it’s just another step in the process.”
Bartolotta predicted the case will end up in the state Supreme Court regardless of who prevails at the appeals level because of legal issues surrounding the government’s impact on private property.
“It’s too important of a decision to willy nilly let it stand without taking another look at.”