Keep 100% of your lemon law buyback. We never take a cut. Your check is handed to you at vehicle surrender.
If your vehicle keeps going back to the dealer for the same problem and the dealership can’t fix it, you may have a valid California lemon law claim. A defective vehicle doesn’t have to be completely inoperable to qualify. If the problem substantially affects the safety, value, or use of your vehicle while it’s still under the manufacturer’s warranty, the law may require the manufacturer to provide a refund, vehicle replacement, or financial compensation.
Under §1793.22 of the Song-Beverly Act (the Tanner Act Presumption), your vehicle can be presumed to be a lemon if, within 18 months or 18,000 miles of delivery, any of the following applies: two or more repair attempts on a serious safety defect, four or more repair attempts on the same non-safety defect, or more than 30 cumulative days out of service for warranty repairs. Meeting the presumption shifts the burden to the manufacturer. You do not have to meet it to win, but when you do, your leverage changes significantly.
Court House Lawyers is a California lemon law firm built around one principle: manufacturers pay, and clients keep their money.
Los Angeles has no shortage of lemon law firms. Most are volume operations — they process hundreds of cases at once, use rotating paralegals and junior attorneys, and make part of their revenue by taking a cut of your buyback check before it reaches you. Court House Lawyers works differently. We handle fewer cases, every client works directly with the attorney, and we never take a percentage of your buyback. In a market where the big firms have conditioned consumers to expect less, we’ve built our practice around one promise: the money is yours.
We've handled hundreds of lemon law cases across every major manufacturer. We know the playbook and how to beat it.
Repair records, demand letters, manufacturer negotiations, and court filings. We run the whole case so you don't have to.
Your buyback check is always requested to be handed to you at vehicle return — never routed through our office.
Strong manufacturer relationships mean faster, cleaner resolutions.
Most lemon law firms are slow. We start working your case immediately, and manufacturers notice the difference.
You work with George directly, not just a paralegal or associate attorney.
We never take a percentage of your buyback check. Not a dollar. The manufacturer pays our fees. You keep yours.
California law requires the manufacturer to pay your attorney's fees. For vehicle repurchases we bill them separately — never from your recovery.
Not sure if you have a case? Tell us what's wrong with your vehicle and we'll give you a straight answer with no obligation to sign up.
Our team handles every part of your claim: evaluating your repair records, filing the demand, navigating the AB 1755 and SB 26 procedures, negotiating the buyback, and litigating when a manufacturer won’t settle fairly.
With Court House Lawyers, you’ll never be left in the dark. Aggressive representation, direct attorney access, and zero financial risk from start to finish.
| Court House Lawyers | Typical Large LA Lemon Law Firm | |
|---|---|---|
|
Client’s Buyback Check |
Check handed directly to you at vehicle surrender. |
Check routed through firm; client waits for funds release. |
|
Attorney Fees in Buybacks |
Never taken from your check. We bill separately to the manufacturer. |
Many large LA firms collect from the manufacturer and take a cut from the client’s check (~30%). |
|
Why We Can Do This |
A decade of results and strong manufacturer relationships. We’re paid fairly without touching your funds. |
High-volume model relies on client funds to supplement fees. |
|
Who Handles Your Case |
Our managing attorney, George Mkrtchyan, Esq. (CA Bar #339099), is personally involved in every file. |
Often rotating paralegals or junior associates; the named attorney appears only on the letterhead. |
Run the math: on a $12,500 buyback, a typical large firm might take up to a $3,000 cut, leaving you with $9,500. With Court House Lawyers, you keep all $12,500.
The legal landscape for lemon law claims in California changed significantly in 2024 and 2025. Three developments are directly relevant to any Los Angeles consumer with a defective vehicle claim:
AB 1755 (signed September 2024, effective April 2025) added a pre-litigation notice requirement for certain manufacturers: generally, before filing a lawsuit, a consumer must send the manufacturer a formal written demand and give them a limited window to repurchase or replace the vehicle. A properly prepared demand is now more important than ever — because a deficient demand can give the manufacturer grounds to reject the process and delay resolution.
SB 26 (signed April 2025) introduced a dual-path system: manufacturers can now opt into the AB 1755 procedures or continue under the prior lemon law protocols. This added complexity to an already-changing system. Understanding which path applies to your manufacturer — and how it affects your claim timeline and rights — requires someone who practices under the current rules daily.
Rodriguez v. FCA US LLC (2024) clarified that used vehicles purchased through third parties (not directly from a manufacturer or authorized dealer) are not covered the same way as vehicles purchased new or as CPO. However, Niedermeier v. FCA US LLC (2024) delivered a significant consumer win: generally, the court held that trade-in credits cannot be deducted from the lemon law restitution owed to a buyer. If you traded in a vehicle when you bought your lemon, that trade-in value must be included in your buyback calculation. Many consumers — and some attorneys — don’t know this.
We practice under the current rules every day. Last updated: May 2026.
George Mkrtchyan
Managing Attorney
George Mkrtchyan is the Managing Attorney of Court House Lawyers, a California lemon law and personal injury firm. He has spent over a decade holding auto manufacturers accountable under the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, personally resolving hundreds of defective-vehicle claims across Los Angeles and California — from persistent engine and transmission failures to EV battery defects and software malfunctions — recovering millions in refunds, replacements, cash settlements, and civil penalties for clients.
George founded Court House Lawyers after working at a large Century City personal injury firm where he watched cases sit untouched for years. The large-firm model in Los Angeles — dozens of attorneys, rotating case handlers, fees taken from client checks — was what he built this practice to be the opposite of. Every client works directly with George. Every demand letter bears his name because he wrote it. Every settlement is negotiated by the attorney who knows your file.
“When manufacturers see a case without an attorney, victims often see an immediate denial. We see an opportunity to protect a consumer and their rights under the law.”
— George Mkrtchyan, Managing Attorney
Every case is different. These are examples of what resolution has looked like for our clients.
Vehicle: Jeep Wrangler (4-year lease)
Issue: Client had 4 months left on a 4-year lease and believed the window had closed
What we did: Filed the lemon law claim immediately and we were successful with 1 day to spare before the lease expired
Outcome: Client recovered every dollar paid into the lease over 4 years, minus a very low mileage offset
Timeline: Resolved before the lease end date.
Vehicle: Mercedes-Benz hybrid
Issue: Recurring engine and battery defects. Client had already been denied once without an attorney, 3 repair attempts, 30+ days out of service
What we did: Built the case from the existing repair record and submitted a demand directly to MBUSA
Outcome: Full buyback. Manufacturer also waived the mileage offset, putting an additional $5,250 in the client’s pocket
Timeline: Resolved within 60 days.
This case was covered by Today in Law.
Read the coverage →
Vehicle: Tesla
Issue: Manufacturer denied repurchase, claiming repairs had resolved the defect
What we did: Used the manufacturer’s own repair orders as the basis for a new demand
Outcome: Full manufacturer buyback approved
Timeline: Resolved within 30 days of demand.
Vehicle: Land Rover
Issue: Client’s previous attorney had been pursuing the case for over 12 months with no resolution
What we did: Reviewed the repair records, filed a new demand, applied current pre-litigation notice procedures
Outcome: Full lemon law buyback
Timeline: 3 months from the day Court House Lawyers took over the file.
Vehicle: Audi/Volkswagen
Issue: Manufacturer had offered the client a $3,000 cash-and-keep settlement directly
What we did: Stepped in, reviewed the file, and resubmitted the demand with full documentation
Outcome: Cash-and-keep settlement increased to $15,000
Timeline: Resolved without litigation.
Past results are specific to the facts of each case and do not guarantee future outcomes. Every lemon law matter is evaluated on its own merits.
Send us your repair orders, purchase or lease contract, and warranty booklet. We evaluate your case at no cost. If you have a claim, we explain your options clearly — including which AB 1755 or SB 26 path applies to your manufacturer. If you don't have a claim yet, we tell you that too.
We prepare and send the formal written demand to the manufacturer under AB1755. Identifying the vehicle's defects and requesting a vehicle repurchase.
The manufacturer has a limited time to repurchase, replace, or respond in writing. Many strong cases resolve here. The combination of a well-documented demand and a firm with a demonstrated willingness to litigate produces faster, cleaner offers than a firm the manufacturer knows will settle for anything.
We handle all communication with the manufacturer and their counsel. We also verify the buyback calculation — including confirming that no improper deductions have been made, consistent with Niedermeier v. FCA (2024). Most cases resolve within 30 to 90 days of the demand.
If the manufacturer refuses a fair offer, we file. Every case is prepared from day one as if it's going to trial. That preparation is why most cases settle, and why settlements are higher when we're on the other side of the table.
Under California Lemon Law, the manufacturer pays your legal fees if you win. If we don’t recover anything, you pay nothing.
Yes, when an original or CPO factory warranty still applies at the time of the defect. The 2024 California Supreme Court decision in Rodriguez v. FCA clarified that the Song-Beverly repurchase remedy applies differently to used vehicles purchased from third parties without a new express warranty. If you bought a used vehicle that keeps breaking down, with repairs under the manufacturer warranty, don’t assume you don’t have a case. Contact us and we’ll evaluate which statutes apply to your specific situation.
Yes — fully. EVs are covered under the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act the same as gas-powered vehicles. Battery degradation, charging system failures, software bugs from over-the-air updates, and ADAS feature malfunctions (blind spot monitors, forward collision alert, emergency braking) are all qualifying defects when they substantially impair the vehicle’s safety, value, or use. Consumer Reports found in 2025 that EVs have 79% more problems than gas-powered vehicles — making EV lemon law claims one of the fastest-growing categories we handle.
No. Under Niedermeier v. FCA US LLC (2024), the California court held that trade-in credits cannot be deducted from the lemon law restitution owed to a buyer. If you traded in a vehicle as part of the purchase, that trade-in value is part of your full recovery. Many manufacturers and even some attorneys incorrectly apply this calculation — we verify every buyback figure.
AB 1755 (effective April 2025) requires consumers to send a formal pre-litigation demand to the manufacturer before filing a lawsuit, giving the manufacturer a window to respond with a repurchase or replacement offer. SB 26 (also effective April 2025) added a dual-path option: manufacturers can now choose to operate under AB 1755’s new procedures or under the prior lemon law framework. Which path applies to your manufacturer affects your claim timeline. We identify this as part of every case evaluation.
If your vehicle has had two or more repair attempts on a serious safety defect, four or more attempts on the same non-safety defect, or more than 30 cumulative days out of service for warranty repairs — all within 18 months or 18,000 miles of delivery — it MAY meet §1793.22. You don’t have to meet the presumption to qualify, but when you do, your leverage changes significantly. Send us your repair orders and we’ll tell you where you stand for free. Or, read this article to learn more about how to know if your car is a lemon →
Generally, after two repair attempts on a safety defect, four on the same non-safety defect, or 30+ cumulative days out of service. However, If your vehicle has a persistent defect that substantially impairs its safety, value, or use while under warranty, you may have a valid claim even before hitting those thresholds.
A full buyback typically includes your down payment, all monthly payments made, sales tax, finance charges, and incidental costs like towing and rental cars. The manufacturer deducts a mileage offset calculated from the miles on the vehicle at your first related repair visit. Cash-and-keep settlements and civil penalties (up to 2× actual damages for willful violations) may also be available depending on the facts of your case.
Most cases resolve within 60 to 90 days of the formal AB 1755 pre-litigation demand. Manufacturers who dispute claims can take longer. Litigation, when it becomes necessary, typically adds 6 to 9 months. The single best thing you can do for your timeline is schedule a free case review with your repair orders.
Yes. We’ve taken over stalled cases before — including one that had been inactive for 18 months before we resolved it in three months (see case results above). Send us your repair record, the existing demand if one was filed, and any correspondence. We’ll evaluate where the case stands and what it would take to move it.
Nothing upfront, and we never take a cut of your buyback. Under California’s Song-Beverly Act, the manufacturer pays our attorney’s fees in successful cases — we bill them separately, not from your recovery. No retainer, no hourly billing, no percentage of your check. If we don’t recover for you, you pay nothing.
10
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND SUCCESS
Trusted California lemon law attorney serving Los Angeles and all of Southern California. Known for winning tough cases and securing top results for clients — without taking a cut of their money.
If your vehicle has a defect the manufacturer can’t fix, you have rights under California lemon law. The manufacturer pays our fees. You keep your buyback check.
Whether you’re in Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena, Los Angeles, La Crescenta, Temple City, Eagle Rock, or anywhere else in California — cars, trucks, SUVs, leased vehicles, and motorcycles included — Court House Lawyers is ready to help you take action.
