Just in Time for Rosh HaShanah 2024, an Update on Passover 2019

Thanks to the “good citizen” who prodded me to dig up the outcome of Greenwald Caterers LLC v. Lancaster Host LLC, which we previously covered here. I had boldly predicted that the parties would settle the case. But I failed to notice that the case had by then already proceeded to trial.

The case was about a community Passover gathering that went very badly. The hotel that was to host the event was under renovation and was in poor condition when the Passover celebrants arrived. The hotel scrambled to remediate, and apparently it did so quite successfully, as the judgment was more or less a wash.

An April judgment clarified in June resulted in $1,447.60 awarded to the plaintiffs for prevailing on Count I of their amended complaint, and $5,164.28 to defendant (the Hotel) against Greenwald for prevailing on its counterclaim. I could not find a link to the judgment from the bench trial. A Westlaw search turned up only a post-judgment memorandum on attorneys fees.

The District Court found that neither party had prevailed and so it denied the hotel’s request for over $240,000 in attorneys’ fees. I am surprised that the fees are so low after years of litigation that resulted in a trial.

But now is the season for atoning and forgiving. May all involved be inscribed and sealed in the book of life.