Excerpt: ... by t he Court as grounds for denial. Non -party Bradley Yourist seeks to quash the subpoena which was personally served on him by Plaintiff Usman Chowdry while he was at court. Yourist contends the subpoena impermissible seeks the personal financial records o f Defendants Phase 9 and Tissera from two unrelated civil litigation matters in which Yourist was counsel for the plaintiffs. Code of Civil Procedure section 1987.1 states, in part, “(a)...

Excerpt: ...on withi n an action, one or more affirmative defenses, one or more claims for damages, or one or more issues of duty, if the party contends that the cause of action has no merit, that there is no affirmative defense to the cause of action, that there is no merit t o an affirmative defense as to any cause of action, that there is no merit to a claim for damages, as specified in Section 3294 of the Civil Code, or that one or more defendants eithe...

Excerpt: ... in light of the Court's ruling on the demurrer. Defendants request judicial notice nos. 1 -4 are granted. (See Evidence Code § 451(d).) Defendants' request for judicial notice no. 5 is denied. “A demurrer tests the legal sufficiency of the factual allegations in a complaint.” (Redfearn v. Trader Joe's Co. (2018) 20 Cal.App.5th 989, 996.) The Court must determine “whether the complaint alleges facts sufficient to state a cause of action or...

Excerpt: ...l grounds not supported. CRC 3.1113(a). The Entire Complaint Defendant argues an unverified complaint cannot amend a verified complaint. The case cited is from 1884 and is not persuasive authority. Defendant has not cited any modern California cases that supp orts this position. Therefore, the Court declines to strike the SAC on this ground. The Fifth and Sixth Causes of Action The fifth and sixth causes of action for covenant of good faith an...

Excerpt: ...t to allege a ca use of action. Statute of Limitations: Code of Civil Procedure section 338(d) provides that an action for fraud must be brought within three years. The FAC alleges that Plaintiffs purchased the Subject Vehicle on May 16, 2012. (FAC, ¶ 7.) The lawsuit wa s filed on February 22, 2023, over seven and a half years after the statute of limitations had run. “A plaintiff must bring a claim within the limitations period after accrual...

Excerpt: ...rmance, (3) th e defendant's breach, and (4) resulting damages to the plaintiff. [Citations.]” (Maxwell v. Dolezal (2014) 231 Cal.App.4th 93, 97- 98.) “An oral contract may be pleaded generally as to its effect, because it is rarely possible to allege the exact words.” (K houry v. Maly's of California, Inc. (1993) 14 Cal.App.4th 612, 616.) The Complaint fails to adequately plead an oral. Specifically, the Complaint inconsistently p...

Excerpt: ...(2014) 230 Cal.Ap p.4th 381, 395.) “[F]iduciary duties are either imposed by law or are undertaken by agreement. . .” (Maglica v. Maglica (1998) 66 Cal.App.4th 442, 447.) “Fiduciary duties are imposed by law in certain technical, legal relationships such as those between partners or joint venturers, husbands and wives, guardians and wards, trustees and beneficiaries, principals and agents, and attorneys and clients.” (GAB Bus. Servs., In...

Excerpt: ... the drafting party pay certain fees and costs during the pendency of an arbitration proceeding, if the fees or costs required to continue the arbitration proceeding are not paid within 30 days after the due date, the drafting party is in material breach of the arbi tration agreement, is in default of the arbitration, and waives its right to compel the employee or consumer to proceed with that arbitration as a result of the material breach.” Se...

Excerpt: ...to provide dis covery. (Code Civ. Proc., § 2023.010, subd. (g); Van Sickle v. Gilbert (2011) 196 Cal.App.4th 1495, 1516.) If a party fails to obey an order compelling answers to discovery, the court may impose whatever sanctions are just, including issue sanctions, evide nce sanctions, terminating sanctions, and monetary sanctions. (Code Civ. Proc., § 2023.030.) Imposition of sanctions for misuse of discovery lies within the trial court's discr...

Excerpt: ...tar figure may then be adjusted, based on consideration of factors specific to the case, in order to fix the fee at the fair market value for the legal services provided.” (Id.) “As the plain wording of section 1794, subdivision (d) makes clear, the trial court is ‘to base th e fee award upon actual time expended on the case, as long as such fees are reasonably incurred —both from the standpoint of time spent and the amount charged.' [...

Excerpt: ...t particular gro und, the matter is properly before the court and the defect in the notice of motion should be disregarded. [Citation].” (Carrasco v. Craft (1985) 164 Cal.App.3d 796, 808.) Here the notice states the Motion is being made upon the accompanying papers. Thus, the defect in the notice is disregarded. Attorneys' Fees “[T]he fee setting inquiry in California ordinarily begins with the “lodestar,” i.e., the number of hours reason...

Excerpt: ...to provide dis covery. (Code Civ. Proc., § 2023.010, subd. (g); Van Sickle v. Gilbert (2011) 196 Cal.App.4th 1495, 1516.) If a party fails to obey an order compelling answers to discovery, the court may impose whatever sanctions are just, including issue sanctions, evide nce sanctions, terminating sanctions, and monetary sanctions. (Code Civ. Proc., § 2023.030.) Imposition of sanctions for misuse of discovery lies within the trial court's discr...

Excerpt: ...sition of th is Motion. Defendant's Evidentiary Objections to the Declaration of Michael Clauss are OVERRULED. Relief from Default and Default Judgment: Default was entered against Defendant on October 23, 2023 (ROA No. 147). Defendant requests both mandatory and d iscretionary relief under Code of Civil Procedure Section 473, subdivision (b). As to mandatory relief, section 473, subdivision (b) provides: “Notwithstanding any other requirements...

Excerpt: ...errogatories seek the date and address of other purchases or sales of residential real property Defendant has engaged in, either on their own behalf or on behalf of Yu Liu, from 2010 to present. Movants contends this information is relevant to show that Defendant was sophisticated in real estate transactions and that Defendant engaged in fraud and breached the subject purchase contract in this case. In opposition, Defendant contends Plaintiffs th...

Excerpt: ...t p. 5:16- 18.) However, Plaintiff has not shown that she filed the instant motion in sufficient time in advance of the time limit for the completion of discovery (the 15th day before the initial trial date) to permit the deposition of any expert to whom the motion relates to be taken within that time limit. (See Code Civ. Proc., §§ 2034.610(b); 2024.030.) Trial in this case has been continued several times. Trial was initially set for 4/10/23...

Excerpt: ...at there i s no triable issue of material fact and that he is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. That is because of the general principle that a party who seeks a court's action in his favor bears the burden of persuasion thereon. (See Evid. Code, § 500.) There is a triable issue of material fact if, and only if, the evidence would allow a reasonable trier of fact to find the underlying fact in favor of the party opposing the motion in ac...

Excerpt: ...ht $2,451.64 arising from Defendants' failure to pay the HOA assessments plus related fees and costs of suit. On 11/18/20, the parties entered into a stipulated judgment against Defendants in the amount of $5,791.74 with fees/costs to be determined. The Court awar ded $13,500 in attorney fees on 2/11/21. On 4/22/21, the Court granted a motion to set aside the judgment. The Court denied Defendants' motion to disqualify counsel on 6/10/21. The Cour...

Excerpt: ...y to challenge defects that appear on the face of the pleadings under attack; or from matters outside the pleading that are judicially noticeable. (Blank v. Kirwan (1985) 39 Cal.3d 311, 318.) No extrinsic evidence can be considered. (Ion Equipment Corp. v. N elson (1980) 110 Cal.App.3d 868, 881.) Therefore, the Court did not consider facts regarding the PPM or the Evertrust Loan Agreement that appear outside the allegations of the FAC in ruling o...

Excerpt: ...overy pro cedures.” (Khoury v. Maly's of California, Inc. (1993) 14 Cal.App.4th 612, 616.) Errors and confusion created by “the inept pleader” are to be forgiven if the pleading contains sufficient facts entitling plaintiff to relief. (Saunders v. Cariss (1990) 224 Cal. App. 3d 905, 908.) A party attacking a pleading on “uncertainty” grounds must specify how and why the pleading is uncertain, and where that uncertainty can be found in t...

Excerpt: ....” (Ladd v. Cou nty of San Mateo (1996) 12 Cal.4th 913, 917.) Plaintiff has sufficiently pled facts to constitute a cause of action for negligence. “[T]he Legislature did not require of regional centers anything like the hour -by -hour monitoring that would have been requir ed to prevent Bobby's tragic death. A regional center is required to establish a “schedule of regular periodic review and reevaluation to ascertain that planned serv...

Excerpt: ... the subject incident g iving rise to this complaint.” (FAC, EX-2 of Exemplary Damages Attachment.) Defendant was so impaired that he had “red/watery eyes, dilated pupils, slow lethargic speech, and difficulty concentrating” when being interviewed by the investigating Officer and failed the sobriety test. (Id.) “Defendant Topps knew from the onset that he must and would subsequently operate or control his vehicle on the public roads and t...

Excerpt: ...oanCare's Evidence should be OVERRULED. DMI moves on the grounds that during the Phase 1 of trial “LoanCare testified that it has no accounting records and for that reason, Judge Schwarm did not order LoanCare to account.” (Notice, 2:5 -7.) Specifically, during the Phase 1 of trial, DMI sought to compel an accounting against LoanCare based on its second cause of action for Accounting alleged in it Cross -Complaint filed on 2 -25 -21. (Penn...

Excerpt: ...nterroga tories 42-45, 58 -61, 74 -77, and 89, which generally seek (1) the contact information of three students who allegedly assaulted Plaintiff and (2) the names and contact information of “Students E -M,” who were thirdparty witnesses to the alleged incident(s). The Court grants the motion as to the first category of information but denies the motion without prejudice as to the second category. Code of Civil Procedure section 2017.010 s...

Excerpt: ...t all times men tioned, each of DEFENDANTS, except as otherwise alleged or contended, are and have been the partners, joint venturers, alter egos, and/or co -conspirators of each other.” (Compl. ¶ 12.) Further, Plaintiff alleged that “DEFENDANTS were “employers” within the meaning of Government Code section 12926(d) . . . .” (Compl. ¶ 8.) Although not initially raised in the MSA, Defendants now claim that Cedar Mountain and not Madiso...

Excerpt: ...e of C ivil Procedure section 2025.290 provides that depositions in civil cases are generally limited to seven hours of testimony. However, a party is only entitled to ask questions at deposition which are “reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admiss ible evidence.” (Code Civ. Proc. § 2017.010.) At this time, Defendant has not shown it is necessary for the Court to enter an order preemptively limiting Defendant's deposition. How...