On Dec. 11, 2012, plaintiffs Jeff Arnold and Lisa Noble, a married couple, learned that their neighbors, Shore Padrah and Michael Vajdy, another married couple, destroyed a portion of their property in Orinda. Arnold and Noble previously asserted historical prescriptive easement rights to use a 650-square-foot portion of their adjoining neighbor’s property in order to perform improvements on their own property. However, Padrah and Vajdy allegedly destroyed the work done. Arnold and Noble sued Padrah and Vajdy for quiet title (prescriptive easement), trespass, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Plaintiffs’ counsel contended that on Padrah and Vajdy used self-help measures, including a chain saw and other tools, to remove improvements in the easement area after demanding $300,000 and announcing their intent to “humiliate” Arnold and Noble. Counsel also submitted a 12-minute edited video taken from multiple security cameras, showing the defendants spending a day enthusiastically destroying the plaintiffs’ property. Padrah and Vajdy, who appeared pro se, denied liability, and filed a cross-complaint for trespass, invasion of privacy, and damage to trees., Arnold and Noble claimed that they suffered $13,270 in property damage as a result of the defendants’ actions. They also claimed they suffered emotional distress associated with the chain saw destruction. Thus, Arnold and Noble sought an injunction and recovery of $13,270 for the property damage. They also sought recovery of general and emotional distress damages.