Old World Attorneys Fail in Court Move

An attempt by attorneys of Old World shopping center developer Josef Bischof to invalidate a $1.2-million civil fraud judgment set against him earlier this year was squashed when a Superior Court judge denied the defense motion for a new trial.

Instead, Judge James L. Smith ordered that a receiver be appointed to manage the property and assets of the Huntington Beach shopping center’s board of directors, Old World Owners Assn., according to an attorney for a group of shop owners opposing Bischof. The shop owners had asked for the receiver, claiming that Bischof was abusing his position on the board.

Bischof’s attorneys had asked for a new trial on the civil fraud case, arguing that several store owners had removed and destroyed state Real Estate Department files that would have helped Bischof in the case.

The judge, however, found no support for that claim, the shop owners’ attorney said.