An Orange County jury has found a homeowners association negligent for failing to resolve a secondhand smoke dispute between neighbors at a Trabuco Canyon condominium.

After a five-week trial, Superior Court jurors last week awarded a family more than $15,000, finding the condo association and management failed to ensure the non-smoking family's right to the "quiet enjoyment" of their own unit.

The verdict comes amid a growing trend in California. Non-smokers are complaining to homeowners associations, filing lawsuits and appealing to city councils to try to stop tobacco smoke from infiltrating their apartments and condominiums. A bill is pending in the state Legislature that would ban smoking in multiunit residences.

Read more at the OC Register