Excerpt: ...sagrees. I nterrogatory No. 13.1 asks whether Defendant has conducted surveillance. Defendant responded “no.” Interrogatory No. 13.2 asks if a written report has been prepared on the surveillance. Defendant responded, “not applicable.” These responses are full respon ses. Accordingly, the court DENIES the motion as moot insofar as it seeks further responses. The motion is GRANTED as to sanctions. Sanctions of $1,260 are issued against Def...

Excerpt: ...e total length of both days of the deposition of Andy Phillips shall not be less than the total length of both days of the deposition of John Hynes, and the second day of the deposition of Andy Phillips shall be held in the same location as the first day of the de position. Defendant Capital Managers, LLC may ask questions at the second day of the deposition of Andy Phillipos on any subject matter allowed by the Evidence Code, the Civil Procedur...

Excerpt: ... any triable issue of material fact.” (Aguilar v. Atlantic Richfield Co. (2001) 25 Cal.4th 826, 850.) “A prima facie showing is one that is sufficient to support the position of the party in question.” (Id. at 851.) Simply put, “[i]f a party moving for summary judgment in any action . . . would prevail at trial without submission of any issue of material fact to a trier of fact for determination, then he should prevail on summary judgmen...

Excerpt: ...d in the Decl aration. Plaintiff presents no reason to believe that the applicable standard of care changed in this short time period. Plaintiff's objections to Exhibits 3- 5 are OVERRULED. “A party may move for summary judgment in an action or proceeding if it is conten ded that the action has no merit or that there is no defense to the action or proceeding.” (Code Civ. Proc., § 437c(a)(1).) In a medical malpractice action, when a defendant...

Excerpt: ...TTORNEYS' FEES The successful defendant on an anti -SLAPP motion is entitled to recover its attorney fees and costs as a matter of right. (Code Civ. Proc., § 425.16, subd. (c); Ketchum v. Moses (2001) 24 Cal.4th 1122, 1131, 104 Cal.Rptr.2d 377, 17 P.3d 735 [“any SLAPP d efendant who brings a successful motion to strike is entitled to mandatory attorney fees”].) Unless the results of the anti - SLAPP Motion were so insignificant that defenda...

Excerpt: ...allegations relat ed to punitive damages and attorney fees. The demurrer is OVERRULED. First, the court finds that the allegations alleged in the First Amended Complaint are sufficient to plead a cause of action for elder abuse and neglect pursuant to Elder Adult and Depend ent Adult Civil Protection Act - Welfare and Institution Code §§ 15600, et seq. Plaintiff has alleged that Defendant was aware of Ms. Sperling' to provide the requisite ser...

Excerpt: ...s of fraud based on false promises and/or misrepresentations and concealment, respectively. “‘The elements of fraud that will give rise to a tort action for deceit are: '(a) misrepresentation (false representation, concealment, or nondisclosure); (b) knowledge of falsi ty (or ‘scienter'); (c) intent to defraud, i.e., to induce reliance; (d) justifiable reliance; and (e) resulting damage.' ” (Engalla v. Permanente Medical Group, Inc. ...

Excerpt: ...h the moving papers. [CRC 3.1320(c).] While the Court's ruling is not based on these defects, the Court reminds Defendants to comply with the CCP and CRC, moving forward. Notably, the fact that plaintiffs are in pro per does not afford them special treatment. (Nwosu v. Uba (2004) 122 Cal.App.4th 1229, 1246- 1247.) Pro pers must also abide by the same procedural rules – e.g., the Code of Civil Procedure and the California Rules of Court. (See Ga...

Excerpt: ...applies where there is ‘a contract evidencing a transaction involving commerce.'” (Allied- Bruce Terminix Companies, Inc. v. Dobson (1995) 513 U.S. 265, 277 [quoting 9 USC § 2] [emphasis in original].) Here, HMA moves to compel arbitration under a: (1) Owner's Handbook & Warranty Information (“Warranty”), and (2) Motor Vehicle Lease Agreement (“Lease”). Both the Warranty and the Lease provide that the agreement to arbitrate will be g...

Excerpt: ...4) 226 Cal. App. 4th 2 31, 240; See also, 9 U.S.C.A. § 2; Civ. Proc. Code § 1281.4.) "The petitioner bears the burden of proving the existence of a valid arbitration agreement by the preponderance of the evidence, and a party opposing the petition bears the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence any fact necessary to its defense.” (Engalla v. Permanente Medical Group, Inc. (1997) 15 Cal.4th 951, 972 (“Engalla”); Green Tr...

Excerpt: ... summarily adjudicate claims or defenses as to which no triable issue was raised unless requested in the notice of motion. (Weil & Brown, Cal. Prac. Guide, Civ. Proc. Before Trial, §10:88, citing Homestead Sav. v. Sup.Ct. (Dividend Develop. Corp.) (1986) 179 Cal.App.3d 494, 498 (citing text).) Further, even if the notice of motion could be deemed to set forth a request for summary adjudication in the alternative, the motion is procedurally defec...

Excerpt: ...er. While the petition was pending, the plaintiff also made a request for documents relating to the petition. The FAC asserts claims based on the failure to allow inspection of the documents requested in October and November 2021 as well as the request to review the recall petition on 8/17/22. (FAC at ¶¶15, 17.) HOA's Request for Judicial Notice The HOA's request for judicial notice is GRANTED as to Item Nos. 13. (Evid. Code §452(d)) The reque...

Excerpt: ...en of showing that a cause of a ction has no merit if the party has shown that one or more elements of the cause of action, even if not separately pleaded, cannot be established, or that there is a complete defense to the cause of action. Once the defendant or crossdefendant has met that burden, the burden shifts to the plaintiff or cross -complainant to show that a triable issue of one or more material facts exists as to the cause of action or a...

Excerpt: ... (Code Civ. Proc., § 1281.2.) The Court shall grant the petition unless the petitioner waived the right to compel arbitration, or other grounds exist for rescission of the agreement. (Ibid.) Because the obligation to arbitrate arises from contract, the court may compel arbitration only if the dispute in question is one in which the parties have agreed to arbitrate. (Weeks v. Crow (1980) 113 Cal.App.3d 350, 352.) Because arbitration is a favored ...

Excerpt: ...pondent to ar bitrate the controversy if it determines that an agreement to arbitrate the controversy exists, unless it determines that: [¶] (a) The right to compel arbitration has been waived by the petitioner; or [¶] (b) Grounds exist for rescission of the agreement. [¶] (c) A party to the arbitration agreement is also a party to a pending court action or special proceeding with a third party, arising out of the same transaction or series of...

Excerpt: ...�� the controversy. (Code C iv. Proc., § 1281.2.) The Court shall grant the petition unless the petitioner waived the right to compel arbitration or other grounds exist for rescission of the agreement. (Id.) “Because the existence of the agreement is a statutory prerequisite to granting the petition, the petitioner bears the burden of proving its existence by a preponderance of the evidence.” (Rosenthal v. Great Western Fin. Securities Corp....

Excerpt: ...ts. A court ac quires personal jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant through either general or specific jurisdiction. The “defendant may be subject to the general jurisdiction of the forum if his or her contacts in the forum state are ‘substantial . . . continuous an d systematic.'” Vons Companies, Inc. v. Seabest Foods, Inc., 14 Cal. 4th 434, 445 (1996). To determine whether specific jurisdiction exists, courts consider the relations...

Excerpt: ...he amount of $645 hours x $195 per hour in reasonable attorney's fees and $60 in motion filing fees) within 30 days of service of the notice of ruling. Defendant Gen Cord. moves to compel further responses to Form Interrogatories – General, Set One, Number 2.8 propound ed on Plaintiff Monica Castaneda. Standard to Compel Further Responses to Interrogatories The Civil Procedure Code instructs that: (a) Each answer in a response to interrogatori...

Excerpt: ...rmation for individual independent service centers co -defendant/non -parties, but GM does have the duty to make an inquiry into any of its employees that may have information relating to the Vehicle and its repair history. (Civ. Proc. Code § 2030.220.) Merely stating “GM call center advisors with whom Plaintiff may have communicated” does not comply with the requirement to make a reasonable and god faith inquiry. Additionally, vague referen...

Excerpt: ... allowing the inspection. Thus, Plaintiff's objection on the grounds Defendant previously inspected the premises is overruled. Plaintiff's objection on the grounds the Demand seeks to inspect irrelevant portions of the premises is overruled. Discovery is permitted 11 where the information sought is itself admissible or is reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence. Code of Civil Procedure, § 2017.010. Discovery is libe...

Excerpt: ...et forth spec ific facts showing good cause justifying the discovery sought by the inspection demand. To establish “good cause,” the burden is on the moving party to show both: (1) relevance to the subject matter (e.g., how the information in the document would tend to prove or disprove some issue in the case); and (2) specific facts justifying discovery (e.g., why such information is necessary for trial preparation or to prevent surprise a...

Excerpt: ...�), JOSHUA SCHUETTE (“Schu ette”), and KARA GRANT LAW (“KGL”), move the Court for an order pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure §§ 473, et seq., to set aside and vacate the October 26, 2023 Defaults taken against Defendants Grant, Schuette, and KATHLEEN GERMANE (“Germane”) and the September 19, 2023 Default taken against KGL. Motions are GRANTED. Sanctions against Attorney Jacobson in the amount of $500 to be paid within t...

Excerpt: ...8/12/24. (See ROA 301). As an initial matter, a motion to strike cannot be used to challenge an entire cause of action for failure to state a claim. Motions to strike can be used to reach defects in or objections to pleadings that are not challengeable by demurrer. (Weil & Brown, Cal. Practice Guide: Civil Procedure Before Trial (The Rutter Group 2023) ¶ 7:156.) A “motion to strike” for failure to state a cause of action (ground for general ...

Excerpt: ...e facts of defendan t's oppression, fraud, or malice. (CC § 3294(a).) “Malice” is defined as conduct which is intended by the defendant to cause injury to the plaintiff or despicable conduct which is carried on by the defendant with a willful and conscious disregard of the rights or safety of others. (CC § 3294(c)(1).) “Oppression” is defined as despicable conduct that subjects a person to cruel and unjust hardship in conscious disreg...

Excerpt: ...Interrogat ories (Set One), Request for Admissions (Set One), and Request for Production of Documents (Set One.) Standard for Protective Order Civil Procedure Code section 2030.090 provides that: (b) The court, for good cause shown, may make any order that justice requires to protect any party or other natural person or organization from unwarranted annoyance, embarrassment, or oppression, or undue burden and expense. This protective order may in...