City Attorney's Office | Community Development | Community Services | Fire Department | Housing & Redevelopment | Public Works | Police Department

Gerald L. Hobrecht, City Attorney
650 Merchant Street
Vacaville, CA 95688
(707) 449-5105
(707) 449-5149 (fax)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS & WHO TO CONTACT

What services does the City Attorney’s Office provide?

The City Attorney’s Office and its staff provide legal services to the Vacaville City Council and all City of Vacaville departments. The Office provides a wide assortment of services to the City, such as representing the City in litigation involving the City, preparing ordinance and resolutions, reviewing and preparing contracts, advising the City on all legal affairs, and other legal matters for the City departments and the Vacaville City Council. The Office does not provide legal services to members of the general public.

Where is the closest law library?

Legal publications are available for review at the Solano County Law Library located at 600 Union Avenue, Fairfield, CA 94533 on the third floor. The library is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is open to the public to do legal research. Their phone number is (707) 421-6520.

How can I find an attorney?

You may contact the Solano County Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral Service at (707) 422-0127 for lawyers within the Solano County area. The Lawyer Referral Service can refer you to an experienced attorney, if you need one; a free consultation if you have been injured; and an initial consultation of up to 30 minutes with an experienced attorney for a fee of $35.00.

How can I obtain legal services if I cannot afford an attorney?

You may contact Legal Services of Northern California at (800) 270-7252 or (707) 643-0054. Their website is: www.lsnc.net.  Consultations with volunteer attorneys are also available at the Vacaville Public Library, 1020 Ulatis Drive, Vacaville, CA 95687 the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of every month from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The appointment line begins at 4:00 p.m. with appointments being taken at 4:05 p.m. The staff will take your name, assign you a number and give you an information sheet to be completed and given to the attorney later. Attorney visits start at 6:00 p.m. and are taken in numerical order. The volunteer attorney can provide brief assistance with your legal problem. This program is free of charge. Space is limited, however, as they are usually able to see only 15 people per evening for up to twenty minutes per person. If you have further questions, please call (707) 449-6290 or visit www.snap.lib.ca.us.

What if I am having a problem with my neighbor or a business?

The Dispute Resolution Service may be your best resource. This is a community-based conflict resolution program, which the Solano County Bar Association/Dispute Resolution Service offers at no or low cost mediation services to Solano County residents and businesses.

Here are a few situations where you might want to consider this service.

Consumer claims
Neighbor-neighbor conflicts
Insurance claims
Personal injury disputes
Business disputes
Property damage claims
Landlord-tenant matters

If you are considering filing a small claims lawsuit, consider calling the Dispute Resolution Services first. They will advise you whether your conflicts are amenable to mediation, and if you agree, they will attempt to contact the other party and invite that party to participate in non-judicial mediation, which might resolve the issue or dispute without formal litigation. Be mindful, however, that legal claims are subject to limitation periods in which the claim must be filed as a lawsuit. The time period generally continues to run from the date the injury or damage occurs and does not stop running as the parties explore alternative dispute resolution options, such as mediation.

For information about consumer complaints, please refer to the State Department of Consumer Affairs website at www.dca.ca.gov.

What is Small Claims Court?

If your claim for damages is $5,000 or less, you might consider pursuing your action through small claims court where the parties are not allowed to be represented by an attorney. The parties must present their own cases to a judge. Actions must be brought within certain timer periods or “statutes of limitations”. The limitations periods can vary depending upon the nature of the case. Generally speaking, these time periods are set forth in California Code of Civil Procedures Sections 312-363, which can be found at www.leginfo.ca.gov.

Papers for filing a small claims case can be obtained from the Solano County Superior Court Civil Division, 600 Union Avenue, Fairfield, CA 94533. Their phone number is (707) 421-7435. There is a $20.00 fee for filing your case and an additional fee if you need to have your papers served on the opposing party. You may recover your filing and service costs if you win. If you cannot afford these fees, the court may, in its discretion, waive them if you complete an Application for Waiver of Court Fees and Costs. The court clerk will have this form available for you to fill out.

For information concerning the Solano County Courts, please refer to the Court’s website at www.solanocourts.com.