Excerpt: ...planation: Under Code of Civil Procedure section 664.6, “If parties to pending litigation stipulate, in a writing signed by the parties outside the presence of the court or orally before the court, for settlement of the case, or part thereof, the court, up on motion, may enter judgment pursuant to the terms of the settlement. If requested by the parties, the court may retain jurisdiction over the parties to enforce the settlement until performa...

Excerpt: ...the allegations of the first amended complaint show that she has an absolute defense to the claim because she has been in adverse possession of the subject property for over five years before the complaint was filed and thus plaintiff has no right to partition the property. Adverse possession may be the basis for either a cause of action or an affirmative defense. (Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara v. Ames (1958) 166 Cal.App.2d 344, 348.)...

Excerpt: ...li minary settlement class. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.769, subd. (d).) “If the court grants preliminary approval, its order must include the time, date, and place of the final approval hearing; the notice to be given to the class; and any other matters de emed necessary for the proper conduct of a settlement hearing. (Cal. Rules of Court, Rule 3.769, subd. (e).) “If the court has certified the action as a class action, notice of the fin...

Excerpt: ... on t he required Judicial Council forms. To strike the answer filed August 21, 20231. This answer was filed to the First Amended Complaint which was stricken pursuant to the August 18, 2023 Order After Hearing for being filed without leave to amend. Explanatio n: Once a motion to compel discovery is granted, continued failure to comply may support a request for more severe sanctions. Code of Civil Procedure section 2023.010, subdivision (g), ...

Excerpt: ...ation: Attorney Affidavit of Fault: The court is empowered to relieve a party “upon any terms as may be just … from a judgment, dismissal, order, or other proceeding taken against him or her through his or her mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable negle ct.” (Code Civ. Proc. § 473, subd. (b).) “[W]henever an application for relief is made no more than six months after entry of judgment, is in proper form, and is accompanied by an...

Excerpt: ...n: Motions for leave to amend the pleadings are directed to the sound discretion of the trial court. “The court may, in furtherance of justice, and on any terms as may be proper, allow a party to amend any pleading[.]” (Code Civ. Proc., § 473, subd. (a)(1); see also Code Civ. Proc., § 576.) Judicial policy favors resolution of cases on the merits, and thus the court's discretion to allow amendments will usually be exercised in favor of perm...

Excerpt: ...enteri a in light of the dismissal entered November 17, 2023 as to this defendant. Explanation: No Continuance/Extension Plaintiff, after the time his opposition was due, has filed a request for a continuance or extension of time to file his opposition. This req uest was filed as a notice and motion, without a new hearing date attached to said notice. In addition to procedural issues with this request, the request does not appear well founded....

Excerpt: ... requires certification of a preliminary settlement class. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.769, subd. (d).) “If the court grants preliminary approval, its order must include the time, date, and place of the final approval hearing; the notice to be given to th e class; and any other matters deemed necessary for the proper conduct of a settlement hearing. (Cal. Rules of Court, Rule 3.769, subd. (e).) “If the court has certified the action as a ...

Excerpt: ...ithin 10 days of the date of service of this order. Explanation: Under Code of Civil Procedure section 473, subdivision (a), “The court may, in furtherance of justice, and on any terms as may be proper, allow a party to amend any pleading or proceeding b y adding or striking out the name of any party, or by correcting a mistake in the name of a party, or a mistake in any other respect; and may, upon like terms, enlarge the time for answer or de...

Excerpt: ... of the service of this order. All new allegations shall be in boldface. Explanation: Demurrer Defendant GM demurs to the fifth cause of action for "Fraudulent InducementConcealment” on the basis that it is barred by the three -year statute of limitations. (Code Civ. Pr oc. § 430.10, subd. (e).) Plaintiff purchased a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 truck on February 8, 2020 and this action was not filed until May 11, 2023. Defendant conten...

Excerpt: ...st the sufficiency of a plaintiff's pleading by raising questions of law. (Plumlee v. Poag (1984) 150 Cal.App.3d 541, 545.) The test is whether plaintiff has succeeded in stating a cause of action; the court does not concern itself with the issue of plaintiff's p ossible difficulty or inability in proving the allegations of his complaint. (Highlanders, Inc. v. Olsan (1978) 77 Cal.App.3d 690, 697.) In assessing the sufficiency of the complaint aga...

Excerpt: ... of the min ute order, a proposed judgment dismissing the first amended complaint as to the demurring defendant. Explanation: Plaintiff, S.C., sued the County of Fresno (County), KTDA Group Home, Inc. (Facility), and Does 3 through 25, in a revival action under Cod e of Civil Procedure section 340.1. S.C. alleges he was sexually abused and assaulted in foster care when he was minor, while under the defendants' legal custody, care, and contro...

Excerpt: ...ded Complaint. The time in which the First Amended Complaint can be amended will run from service by the clerk of the minute order. All new allegations in the First Amended Complaint are to be set in boldface type. Explanation: Defendants demur to each cause of action asserted in the complaint for failing to state facts sufficient to state a claim and uncertainty. First Cause of Action – Discrimination Government Code section 12940, subdivision...

Excerpt: ...he court previo usly denied the motion on the basis that defendant did not meet its burden to establish the independent contractor relationships between the parties. Defendant now moves for summary judgment or, alternatively, summary adjudication on the issue of its duty to plaintiffs with evidence obtained after the court ruled on the initial motion. (Code Civ. Proc. § 437c, subd. (f)(2).) Plaintiffs objection to hearing the second motion on it...

Excerpt: ..., a nd 71 of the complaint. To deny the motion to strike the “Introduction and Summary of Case” from the complaint. To grant the motion to strike the references to attorney's fees from paragraphs 33, 38, 44, 52, 58, 64 of the complaint, and the prayer for re lief on the second cause of action, paragraph 8, the prayer for relief on the third cause of action, paragraph 7, the prayer for relief on the fourth cause of action, paragraph 8, the pra...

Excerpt: ... grant defendants Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission and Brian Angus's motion for dismissal. Defendants Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission and Brian Angus are directed to submit a proposed judgment within five days of service of the minute order consistent with the order. To deny the motion for judgment on the pleadings of the entirety of the second amended complaint. To grant the motion to bifurcate trial into a liabil...

Excerpt: ... 1207.) The cou rt does not decide the merits of the issues, but merely discovers, through the medium of affidavits or declarations, whether there are issues to be tried and whether the parties possess evidence that demands the analysis of a trial. (Melamed v City of Long Beach (1993) 15 Cal.App.4th 70, 76; Molko v Holy Spirit Ass'n (1988) 46 Cal.3d 1092, 1107; Schwoerer v Union Oil Co. (1993) 14 Cal.App.4th 103, 110.) In short, the motion is...

Excerpt: ... nonmeritorio us litigation meant to chill the valid exercise of the constitutional rights to petition or engage in free speech. (Code Civ. Proc., §425.16, subd. (a).) Plaintiff/crossdefendant prevailed on her anti -SLAPP motion as to the defendants/cross -complainants' cross complaint. The prevailing defendant on a special motion to strike “shall be entitled” to recover his or her attorney fees and costs, and this fee award is mandatory. (C...

Excerpt: ..., 2024, a t 3:30 p.m., in order to allow the parties to meet and confer in person or by telephone, as required. If this resolves the issues, plaintiff's counsel shall call the court to take the motion off calendar. If it does not resolve the issues, plaintiff's coun sel shall file a declaration, on or before Wednesday, May 1, 2024, stating the efforts made. To grant and to award monetary sanctions in the total amount of $680 against defendant Sa...

Excerpt: ...the mo tion must then prove by a preponderance of evidence that a ground for denial of the motion exists (e.g., fraud, unconscionability, etc.). (Rosenthal v. Great Western Fin'l Securities Corp. (1996) 14 Cal.4th 394, 413- 414; Hotels Nevada v. L.A. Pacific Ctr. , Inc. (2006) 144 Cal.App.4th 754, 758; Villacreses v. Molinari (2005) 132 Cal.App.4th 1223, 1230.) There is a strong policy in favor of arbitration. (AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcio...

Excerpt: ... ag reement alleging the existence of a written agreement to arbitrate a controversy and that a party thereto refuses to arbitrate such controversy, the court shall order the petitioner and the respondent to arbitrate 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 the revocation of the...

Excerpt: ...d to submit to this court, within five days of service of the minute order, a proposed judgment consistent with the court's summary judgment order. To deny Dr. Levine's motion. Explanation: The plaintiffs, Dr. Sarah Yost and Kelly Yost, sued two surgeons, Dr. Derek Taggard a nd Dr. Nicholas Levine, and Fresno Community Hospital and Medical Center dba Community Regional Medical Center and Community Health System ("CRMC") after Dr....

Excerpt: ... to stay e nforcement of the money judgment against them individually together with their employer the County of Fresno. “Unless an undertaking is given, the perfecting of an appeal shall not stay enforcement of the judgment or order in the trial court if the judgm ent or order is for any of the following: [¶] (a) Money or the payment of money … .” (Code Civ. Proc. § 917.1, subd. (a).) Code of Civil Procedure section 995.220, states in re...

Excerpt: ... this o rder, with the time to run from the service of this minute order by the clerk. The matters specified in plaintiff's Requests for Admission, Set One, propounded on defendant Jose Lopez dba Jose's Lawns (“defendant”) are deemed admitted, unless defendant se rves, before the hearing, proposed responses to the requests for admission that are in substantial compliance with the Code of Civil Procedure, section 2033.220. Defendant shall ser...

Excerpt: ...ng (“DEFH”) issued a right to sue notice on July 6, 2021, which required plaintiff to commence a court action within one year from that date. Plaintiff has provided competing evidence, however, demonstrating that DFEH issued a right to sue notice on July 8, 2022 whic h addressed previous as well as newly alleged incidents. Measured from the July 8, 2022 right to sue notice, plaintiff's complaint is timely. Yet, Neil Jones' reply brief does no...