$3.5 Million Judgment Against Actor Randy Quaid Is Affirmed

Wednesday, July 29, 2026

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Court of Appeal:

$3.5 Million Judgment Against Actor Randy Quaid Is Affirmed

In Case Brought by Homeowners After Academy-Award Nominee Was Arrested for Squatting on Their Property, Opinion Says No Error in Trial Court Findings That Plaintiffs Are True Owners, Defendant Slandered Title

By Kimber Cooley, associate editor

RANDY AND EVI QUAID
defendants

Div. Six of this district’s Court of Appeal has affirmed a judgment awarding a set of homeowners $3.5 million, and granting their request for a permanent injunction, against Academy Award nominee Randy Quaid and his wife, Evi Quade, relating to claims that the defendants had slandered title to a property by making social media posts challenging the plaintiffs’ ownership after the couple was arrested for allegedly squatting on the premises.

Justice Hernaldo J. Baltodano authored yesterday’s unpublished decision, joined in by Acting Presiding Justice Kenneth R. Yegan and Justice Tari L. Cody, saying:

“The Quaids contend the trial court erred in ruling in the [plaintiffs’] favor on their causes of action for quiet title and slander of title, and in awarding damages and issuing a permanent injunction. No error has been shown.”

Randy and Evi Quaid had once owned the Mendocino property in question, but they purportedly sold it to a Hollywood executive producer, Bruce Berman, and his then-wife in 1992. In 2007, the Bermans sold the premises to R. Scott and Lannette C. Turicchi.

In September 2010, both Quaids were arrested on burglary and trespassing charges after they were purportedly found inside the home, which was under construction at the time. The Quaids allegedly insisted to officers with Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department that they owned the property, and Randy Quaid posted on social media that the real estate had been “stolen from us with a forged deed.”

Complaint Filed

In 2019, the Turicchis filed a complaint against the Quaids, alleging causes of action for quiet title, declaratory relief, and slander of title, and the Quaids cross-complained, asserting similar claims. In 2023, Santa Barbara Superior Court Judge Colleen K. Sterne adjudicated the quiet title and declaratory relief claims in favor of the plaintiffs.

Neither defendant appeared at the April 2025 trial on the remaining slander-of-title claim. After a two-day trial, Sterne found the Quaids liable, awarding the Turicchis $3.5 million in damages, and issued a preliminary injunction barring the defendants from further claims that they own the property.

Addressing the Quaids challenge that the slander of title claim was unsupported by the evidence, the Turicchis asserted in their respondents’ brief:

“The Quaids told the Archdiocese of Los Angeles that the Turicchis were harboring pedophile priests, which led to an investigation….The Quaids told the Turicchis’ lender that the Turicchis had committed mortgage fraud, which led to an investigation….And, the Quaids embarked on their non-stop campaign on social media, claiming that the Turicchis and Bruce Berman had stolen their home from them….After some six years of this, the Turicchis in May 2016….Mr. and Mrs. Turicchi testified that they decided they wanted to sell their home and no longer be subject to the harassment….”

Slander of Title

Baltodano wrote:

“Substantial evidence…supports the trial court’s finding on the Turicchis’ slander of title claim. The elements of a slander of title claim include ‘(1) publication, (2) absence of justification, (3) falsity, and (4) direct pecuniary loss.’…The crux of a slander of title claim ‘is protection from injury to the salability of property…, which is ordinarily indicated by the loss of a particular sale, impaired marketability or depreciation in value….’ ”

Pointing to the evidence introduced at trial of the defendants’ social media posts, he opined that “[s]ubstantial evidence supports that the Quaids’ claims were unjustified and false because they had not lived at the property for more than 30 years since the 1992 sale to the Bermans.” As to damages, he commented:

“The Turicchis outlined damages they would not have sustained had they been able to sell their home, including $655,778 in property taxes, $310,998 in homeowner’s insurance, $368,569 in mortgage interest, $392,757 in maintenance and utility expenses, and $140,877 in security services. The Turicchis also offered evidence they incurred $1,633,368 in attorneys’ fees and costs. Substantial evidence supported the trial court’s award of damages in the amount of $3,502,347.”

He rejected the Quaids’ First Amendment challenge to the permanent injunction, writing: “The evidence showed the Quaids’ unrelenting attempts to deprive the Turicchis of a home that lawfully belongs to them. The injunction is narrowly tailored to speech involving the Quaids’ unlawful claim that they own the home.”

The jurist added: “The Quaids also contend the trial court improperly conducted the trial without their participation. But they do not provide any record citations demonstrating they lacked notice, and a proof of service indicates they were provided notice. Instead, the record demonstrates the Quaids chose not to attend the trial. When their motion to continue the trial was denied, Randy informed the court ‘we’re not going to be there.’ ”

The case is Turicchi v. Quaid, B346952.

Santa Barbara Superior Court records reveal that Randy Quaid was charged with felony vandalism and a misdemeanor count of unauthorized entry of a dwelling relating to the alleged squatting incident. However, it does not appear that any conviction or acquittal was reached in the case.

A bench warrant was issued, and bail was forfeited, after he failed to appear in October 2010, which according to media reports was due to the couple retreating to Canada, where they sought asylum. The country granted citizenship to Evi Quaid but ordered the deportation of her husband.

Declining to wait for the actor to be deported, the couple fled to Vermont. There, a judge found that there were irregularities in California’s extradition papers and they became residents of the Green Mountain State.