Excerpt: ...r Respo nses to Special Interrogatories, and 3) Motion to Compel Further Responses to Requests for Production. Defendant opposes the Motions. Plaintiff propounded discovery on October 2, 2023, consisting of 19 Requests for Production of Documents, 19 Special Inte rrogatories, and Form Interrogatories – General series 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 15.1. After a brief extension, Defendant timely served objections to each of the three sets of discovery on No...

Excerpt: ...requested that judicial notice be taken in the footnotes. The first is in Footnote 1 on page 2 where Defendant requested the Court to take judicial notice that “the American Arbitration Association is one of the largest neutral arbitration services in the Unite d State.” Defendant did not specify under which section of the Evidence Code this request was being made. In Footnote 4 on page 9, Defendant requests the Court take judicial notice of...

Excerpt: ...ain.” CCP § 430. 10(f). A demurrer for uncertainty will be sustained only where the complaint is so bad that defendant cannot reasonably respond —i.e., he or she cannot reasonably determine what issues must be admitted or denied, or what counts or claims are directed again st him or her. Khoury v. Maly's of Calif., Inc. (1993) 14 Cal App.4th 612, 616). A demurrer can be used to challenge defects that appear on the face of the complaint o...

Excerpt: ...olicy in fav or of enforcing arbitration agreements. 9 U.S.C. § 1 et seq. The FAA applies to any written arbitration agreement in a contract evidencing a transaction involving interstate commerce. AlliedBruce Terminix Companies, Inc. v. Dobson (1995) 513 U.S. 25, 277 . A party seeking to enforce an arbitration agreement has the burden of showing FAA preemption. (Woolls v. Superior Court (2005) 127 Cal.App.4th 197, 211.) For example, a petitioner...

Excerpt: ...ught the lo an and deed of trust in August 2016, and currently owns the mortgage note and deed of trust. The Cadle Company services the loan for BBR Investments LLC. The Cadle Company moves for summary judgment or in the alternative summary adjudication. The motion is unopposed. Merits: The party moving for summary judgment bears the initial burden to make a prima facie showing that there are no triable issues of material fact. Aguilar v. Atlanti...

Excerpt: ...tter will be continued to permit Petitioner to address these defects. Merits: Currency that is “furnished or intended to be furnished by any person in exchange for a controlled substance” or used or intended to be used to facilitate particular provisions of the Health and Safety Code are subject to seizure and forfeiture. Health and Safety Code § 11470. The judicial and/or administrative procedure for forfeiture is laid out generally in Heal...

Excerpt: ...d Confer: CCP § 430.41 requires the demurring party to “meet and confer in person or by telephone with the party who filed the pleading that is subject to demurrer for the purpose of determining whether an agreement can be reached that would resolve the objections to be raised in the demurrer.” The Declaration of John Kenny states sufficient facts to meet this requirement. Merits: A demurrer should be sustained if the complaint fails to “...

Excerpt: ...oader (Serial No. 1FF2454DAB0240050);  Pierce PM -3348 Delimber (Serial No. 15918). Merits of Motion: CCP § 512.060 provides that in order to obtain a writ of possession plaintiff must: 1) demonstrate the probable validity of the claim, meaning that it is more probable than not that it will u ltimately obtain a judgment for possession of the personal property; and 2) satisfy the undertaking requirements of Section 515.010. Plaintiff has suffi...

Excerpt: ...ement does n ot state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action pursuant to CCP § 430.10(e). Meet and Confer: CCP § 430.41 requires the demurring party to “meet and confer in person or by telephone with the party who filed the pleading that is subject to demu rrer for the purpose of determining whether an agreement can be reached that would resolve the objections to be raised in the demurrer.” The Declaration of Peter Witherington i...

Excerpt: ...e of action pursuant to CCP 430.10(e), and is uncertain pursuant to CCP 430.10(f). Houseboating has concurrently filed a Motion to Strike, which argues that if the Court sustains the demurrer on the third cause of action, punitive damages must be struck from the FAC . The analysis and outcome on Houseboating's Demurrer and Motion to Strike is the same as for the Silverthorn Demurrer and Motion to Strike, which was made on substantially similar g...

Excerpt: ...ment neglig ent misrepresentation, and 5) add a cause of action for violation of Magnuson Moss Warranty Act. Defendant General Motors LLC opposes the motion. Merits: CCP § 473(a)(1) permits any pleading to be amended in furtherance of justice and on any terms as may be proper, after notice to the adverse party. The Court's discretion in this regard will usually be exercised liberally to permit amendment. Nestle v. Santa Monica (1972) 6 Cal. 3d 9...

Excerpt: ... of Californ ia (1992) 3 Cal. 4th 273, 277- 281 (superseded by statute on other grounds). However, courts cannot automatically and instantly approve a proposed settlement or dismiss a class action suit, even if the representative plaintiff and defendant have agreed on the terms of such settlement or dismissal. In a class action, the trial court has a duty to adequately protect the members of the class. Bingham v. Obledo (1983) 147 Cal. App. 3d 40...

Excerpt: ...wing that t here are no triable issues of material fact. Aguilar v. Atlantic Richfield Co. (2001) 25 Cal.4th 826, 850. There is a genuine issue of material fact only if the evidence would allow a reasonable trier of fact to find the underlying fact in favor of the p arty opposing the motion in accordance with the applicable standard of proof. Id. at 845. A defendant has met his or her burden of showing that a cause of action has no merit if the...

Excerpt: ...udgment on Dec ember 29, 2023. Defendant has filed an opposition. Procedural Issues. Oppositions to motions for summary judgment are due 14 days before the hearing date. CCP § 437c(b)(2). Defendant filed his opposition on April 2, 2024, just 6 days prior to the hea ring date. The Court finds that the opposition is untimely; however, out of an abundance of caution will exercise its discretion to consider the opposition. The Court notes that th...

Excerpt: ...e provi ded by statute or by rule of court adopted pursuant to statute, the policy favoring the right of parties to make stipulations in their own interests and the policy favoring trial or other disposition of an action on the merits are generally to be preferred over the policy that requires dismissal for failure to proceed with reasonable diligence in the prosecution of an action in construing the provisions of this chapter. CCP § 583.130. (a...

Excerpt: ... but denied without prejudice by the Court due to procedural defects; specifically, a failure to provide proper notice. The Court did not issue a ruling on the merits of the prior motion and therefore finds the present motion is not one for reconsideration. The Cour t will issue a ruling on the merits. Merits of Motion: CCP § 473(b) permits the Court to set aside a default or order entered against an aggrieved party due to mistake, surprise, i...

Excerpt: ... access to cou rt proceedings. Dep't of Fair Emp. & Hous. v. Superior Ct. of Santa Clara Cnty. (2022) 82 Cal. App. 5th 105, 108 (“DFEH”). Because of the inherently sensitive nature of some proceedings, statutes specifically allow for keeping certain parties' identities confidential. (See, for example, Civ. Code, § 1708.85, subd. (f)(1) [plaintiff in action for nonconsensual distribution of sexually explicit materials may proceed un...

Excerpt: ...nts to pr oduce the PMQ within 15 days. The PMQ was deposed on November 29, 2023, pursuant to the parties' agreement. Plaintiff established that the PMQ testified as to categories 1 -2, and 9 -13 only. Plaintiffs thereafter moved for issue and evidence sanctions an d to compel further deposition of a PMQ on the remaining categories, which the Court granted in part on January 4, 2024 (the hearing on the motion held January 2, 2024, and the Court ...

Excerpt: ...rial or as a basis of adjudication and a presumption of openness of substantive court proceedings in ordinary cases, our Supreme Court in NBC Subsidiary (KNBC –TV), Inc. v. Superior Court (1999) 20 Cal.4th 1178, (NBC Subsidiary ) set forth the findings that both the t rial and appellate courts must expressly make to seal a record. (Id. at pp. 1200, 1208 –1209, fn. 25.) Courts must find that (1) there is an overriding interest supporting sea...

Excerpt: ...iff filed a First Amended Representative Complaint for a Violation of Labor Code § 2698, et seq. on February 13, 2024. There is no longer a class action allegation. In the original moving papers, Defendant moved for a stay or dismissal of the action. In Defendant' s Supplemental Briefing on Petition to Compel Arbitration filed on March 14, 2024, Defendant only requested a stay pending arbitration. Plaintiff does not oppose arbitration but doe...

Excerpt: ...al Notice: The requests for judicial notice are unopposed. The Court grants the requests for judicial notice. Objections to Evidence: Defendant's Objections Nos. 1 -3, 6 and 7 are SUSTAINED. Defendant's Objections Nos. 4, 5 and 8 - 15 are OVERRULED. Defendant 's Objection to Mr. Obagi's 3 declaration filed in support of the reply is SUSTAINED. Entitlement to Attorney's Fees: Plaintiff's operative Second Amended Complaint alleged a single cause o...

Excerpt: ...res the demurring party to “meet and confer in person or by telephone with the party who filed the pleading that is subject to demurrer for the purpose of determining whether an agreement can be reached that would resolve the objections to be raised in the demur rer.” The Declaration of Reuben B. Jacobson provides sufficient evidence of meet and confer efforts. Merits. A demurrer should be sustained if the complaint fails to “state facts s...

Excerpt: ... filed Decemb er 7, 2023. This request is granted pursuant to Evid. Code §§ 452(d) and 453. Meet and Confer. CCP § 430.41 requires the demurring party to “meet and confer in person or by telephone with the party who filed the pleading that is subject to demurrer for t he purpose of determining whether an agreement can be reached that would resolve the objections to be raised in the demurrer.” The Declaration of Katharine McCallum provide...

Excerpt: ...e objections to be raised in the demurrer.” Defendant provided no evidence of this and did not file a declaration addressing meet and confer efforts as required by CCP § 430.41(a)(3). However, Plaintiff did not raise an issue regarding meet and confer efforts and De fendant alleged in the Notice of Motion that counsel wrote a meet and confer letter to Plaintiff's counsel. “A determination by the court that the meet and confer process was in...

Excerpt: ...Reques t for Judicial Notice. The Court further notes that the Declaration of Andrew S. Pletcher provides evidence establishing how each of the documents in Requests 2 -8 (Ex. A -G) were obtained. Plaintiffs' Requests for Judicial Notice are granted pursuant to Ev id. Code §§ 452(h) and 453. Post jurisdictional discovery, Plaintiffs also requested the Court take judicial notice of three maps from Google Maps pursuant to Evid. Code §§ 452 and ...