Winning an unlawful detainer case at trial is a major victory for a landlord — but it is not always the end of the road. Tenants increasingly appeal eviction judgments, and an appeal can delay possession, prolong uncertainty, and put a hard-won judgment at risk. When that happens, landlords need counsel who understands not only landlord-tenant law, but the very different rules that govern appellate practice in California, thus needing an Eviction Appellate Attorney for Landlords.
The Law Office of Aaron Kohanim represents landlords throughout Los Angeles and Southern California in unlawful detainer litigation from the first notice through trial — and, when necessary, in the Court of Appeal. Attorney Aaron Kohanim is an Eviction Appellate Attorney for Landlords. We recently secured a full affirmance of an unlawful detainer judgment for a landlord client in the Second District Court of Appeal, with costs on appeal awarded to our client, after the tenant challenged a trial ruling that had excluded his retaliatory eviction evidence. The appeal failed in large part because the tenant could not supply an adequate record of the claimed error — a reminder that appeals are won and lost on procedure, the record, and appellate fundamentals.
Appellate Services for Landlords
Our firm handles the full range of appellate work that arises out of unlawful detainer and landlord-tenant litigation:
Defending your judgment on appeal. As respondent’s counsel, we prepare the brief, present oral argument, and hold the tenant-appellant to every burden California law imposes — the presumption that the judgment is correct, the obligation to furnish an adequate record, and the requirement to show prejudicial error, not just error in the abstract.
Opposing stays of execution. A tenant’s appeal does not automatically stop an eviction, but tenants often seek a stay to remain in possession while the appeal is pending. We oppose these requests and press for appropriate conditions — including rent deposits — when a stay is granted, so the appeal does not become a rent-free extension of the tenancy.
Motions to dismiss defective appeals. Many tenant appeals are procedurally defective from the start: untimely notices of appeal, missing transcripts, inadequate records, or briefs that fail to comply with the Rules of Court. Where a defect is dispositive, a motion to dismiss can end the appeal months earlier and at a fraction of the cost of full briefing.
Recovering costs on appeal. A landlord who prevails on appeal is generally entitled to recover appellate costs. We prepare and defend cost memoranda so the appeal does not become a pure loss even in victory.
Candid appeal evaluations. Whether a tenant has appealed your judgment or you believe the trial court got your case wrong, we review the record and the applicable standards of review and give you a realistic, dollars-and-cents assessment before you commit to appellate litigation.
Why Appellate Experience Matters
An appeal is not a second trial. The Court of Appeal does not hear witnesses or reweigh evidence; it reviews a fixed record under defined standards of review, and every presumption favors the judgment. Cases are frequently decided on the standard of review, the adequacy of the record, or harmless error analysis before the merits are ever reached. An Eviction Appellate Attorney for Landlords who knows how to frame those issues — and how to exploit an appellant’s procedural missteps — can often resolve an appeal without the court ever second-guessing the trial result.
Trial Counsel Who Litigates With the Appeal in Mind
Because our practice runs from the eviction notice through the Court of Appeal, we try unlawful detainer cases with the appellate record in mind. Motions in limine, objections, offers of proof, and jury instructions are framed knowing a reviewing court may one day scrutinize them. That approach builds judgments designed to survive appeal — and when the tenant appeals anyway, we already know the record inside and out.
Our practice is focused on landlord-side unlawful detainer and rent control litigation across Los Angeles and Southern California, including properties governed by the Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance, the Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482), and local just-cause ordinances — depth that matters on appeal, where cases often turn on the interplay of eviction procedure and statutory tenant defenses.
Speak With an Eviction Appellate Attorney for Landlords
If a tenant has appealed your unlawful detainer judgment, deadlines are already running. Contact the Law Office of Aaron Kohanim to protect your judgment, your property, and your right to possession.
The response above is not intended as legal advice. This response does not create an attorney-client relationship. Legal questions can only be fully answered through consultation with an attorney to whom you give full and accurate details. It is highly recommended that you seek advice from an attorney by setting up a confidential meeting. All who read this answer should not rely on the answer to govern their conduct. Results in prior matters do not guarantee a similar outcome in your case.