Excerpt: ...to raise objections as to closed session meetings, deliberative process privilege, and attorney-client privilege where appropriate, subject to the discussion below. To deny as to Requests Nos. 12, 15, 15, 18, 19, and 20. Defendant, City of Parlier, shall serve verified supplemental responses within 20 days of the date of the service of this order. To order monetary sanctions against defendant and its counsel in the amount of $4,887.50. Monetary s...

Excerpt: ...son, the court considers the likelihood that the moving party will prevail on the merits at trial, and the interim harm that the moving party is likely to sustain the injunction were denied as compared to the harm that the opposing party is likely to suffer if the preliminary injunction were issued. (IT Corp. v. County of Imperial (1983) 35 Cal.3d 63, 69-70.) In considering these factors, the court "balances the relative hardships." (Ibid.) The s...

Excerpt: ...fendants Folmer and Kearney: First, to the extent that plaintiff seeks to compel further responses from defendants Corrine Folmer and Kevin Kearney, plaintiff has not shown that she ever served these defendants with discovery requests or that they provided inadequate responses to the requests. Therefore, there is no basis for her to compel them to provide further responses to discovery, as they were apparently never served with any discovery requ...

Excerpt: ...ssues the parties have not agreed to arbitrate." (Garlach v. Sports Club Co. (2012) 209 Cal.App.4th 1497, 1505) "Thus, in ruling on a motion to compel arbitration, the court must first determine whether the parties actually agreed to arbitrate the dispute." (Mendez v. Mid-Wilshire Health Care Center (2013) 220 Cal.App.4th 534, 541.) The party moving to compel arbitration bears the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence the existence...

Excerpt: ...es, Set One, and Request for Production of Documents, Set One. The truth of all matters specified in the Request for Admissions, Set One, are deemed admitted. (Code Civ. Proc., S 2033.280, subd. (bj.) To impose reasonable sanctions in the sum of $3,001.50 against JOM and in favor of plaintiffs Miguel Lopez and Maria Lopez, to be paid to plaintiffs' counsel within 30 days of service of the order by the clerk. To grant the motion to compel depositi...

Excerpt: ...0 days' leave to file a second amended answer. The time in which the first amended answer can be amended will run from service by the clerk of the minute order. All new allegations in the second amended answer are to be set in boldface type. To deny the motion to strike affirmative defenses 1-7, 9-25, and 27-28, as moot in light of the ruling on the demurrer. To deny the motion to strike the request for attorney's fees due to a failure to provide...

Excerpt: ...lease and breach of guarantee. The first cause for breach of lease is brought against Daphne's Restaurant-Fresno, lnc„ and the cause of achon for breach of guaranty is brought against defendants Mosa Gazali and Husein Alamoodi. "A cause of action for breach of contract requires proof of the following elements: (1) existence of the contract; (2) plaintiff's performance or excuse for nonperformance; (3) defendant's breach; and (4) damages to plai...

Excerpt: ... defend the action, the court is empowered to grant relief from a default. (Code Civ. Proc„ S 473.5.) Defendant Bhupinder Singh ("Defendant") argues that he was never served the summons in this case. Though the filing of a proof of service creates a rebuttable presumption that service was proper (Lebel v. Mai (2012) 210 Cal.App.4th 1154, 1163), "a declaration of non-service if credited by the trial court can rebut the presumption of proper serv...

Excerpt: ...for judgment on the pleadings is a nonstatutory but well-established procedure with the purpose and effect of a general demurrer. Because the motion is, in effect, a general demurrer, the same rules apply. Thus, to prevail on a motion for judgment on the pleadings, a defendant must show a complaint fails to state a cause of acton. (Sofas v. Bank of America (1985) 172 Cal.App.3d 583, 586, citations omitted.) "'A motion for judgment on the pleading...

Excerpt: ...court intends to deny plaintiff's motion to the extent that plaintiff seeks a determination that the settlement does not affect its claims against the non-settl-ng defendants, as such a determination is beyond the scope of section 877.6. Also, the court intends to deny plaintiff's moton to the extent it seeks to declare the settlement null and void and vacate the judgment. Explanation: Under Code of Civil Procedure section 877.6, subdivision (a),...

Excerpt: ...parties are ordered to appear so that the court may determine whether such an interested party exists and if so, set a new court trial date. Explanation: Burden on Summary Judgment As the party moving for summary judgment, plaintiff bears an overall burden of persuasion that there is no triable issue of material fact and that it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. (Aguilar v. Atlantic Richfield Co. (2001) 25 Cal.4th 826, 850; Woodridge Es...

Excerpt: ... minute order, a order consistent with the court's summary adjudication ruling. Explanation: Successive Motions for Summary Judgment/Adjudicabon "A party shall not move for summary judgment based on issues asserted in a prior motion for summary adjudication and denied by the court unless that party establishes, to the satisfaction of the court, newly discovered facts or circumstances or a change of law supporting the issues reasserted in the summ...

Excerpt: ... entitled to a hearing on the issue of the good faith of a settlement entered into by the plaintiff or other claimant and one or more alleged tortfeasors or co-obligors, upon giving notice in the manner provided in subdivision (b) of Section 1005." (Code Civ. Proc., S 877.5, subd. (a)(l).) A determination that the settlement was made in good faith bars any other joint tortfeasor or co-obligor from further claims against the settling tortfeasor or...

Excerpt: ...ward. Explanation: 1. Legal Standards "When, as here, a class settlement is negotiated prior to formal class certification, there is an increased risk that the named plaintiffs and class counsel will breach the fiduciary obligations they owe to the absent class members. As a result, such agreements must withstand an even higher level of scrutiny for evidence of collusion or other conflicts of interest than is ordinarily required under Rule 23(e) ...

Excerpt: ...anguage must be set in boldface type. Explanation: The Fair Employment and Housing Act ("FEHA") exempts religious associations or corporations which are not organized for private profit. (Gov. Code, S 12926, subd. (d).) Plaintiff concedes that the religious exemption in FEHA would normally apply to defendant, but that defendant's acts of displaying ant-discriminatory posters constitutes a waiver of the religious organization exemption and that de...

Excerpt: ...5 and Exhibit A. To overrule plaintiffs remaining objections. To reserve the issue of sanctions. If oral argument is timely requested, the matter will be heard on Friday, June 2, 2023, 3:30 p.m. in Dept. 403. Explanation: Notice Counsel is required to provide notice to the opposing party when issuing a third party subpoena for business records. (See Code Civ. Proc„ S 2025.220, subd. (b); California Shellfish Inc. v. United Shellfish Company (19...

Excerpt: ...es, Set One, and Request for Production of Documents, Set One. Plaintiff Melinda Frias is ordered to serve verified responses, without objections, to plaintiff Sylvia Kissing's Form Interrogatories, Set One, Special Interrogatories, Set One, and Request for Production of Documents, Set One, no later than 30 days from the date of this order, with time to run from the service of this minute order by the clerk. To impose monetary sanctions in favor ...

Excerpt: ...eighth, and ninth causes of action, with leave to amend. To sustain cross-defendant Guardian Angel's Adult Day Health Care, LLC's demurrer to the fourth and fifth causes of action, without leave to amend. To overrule on all other grounds. Cross-complainant shall serve and file her second amended cross-complaint within ten (10) days of the date of service of this order. All new allegations shall be in boldface Explanation: Cross Complaint Generall...

Excerpt: ...rsuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 384, subdivision (b), so that the judgment can be amended and the distribution of any cy pres funds can be ordered. Documentaton as to the amount paid to class members must be filed on or before April 17, 2024. Explanation: Final Approval of Settlement California Rules of Court, rule 3.769(g) states: "Before final approval, the court must conduct an inquiry into the fairness of the proposed settlement." S...

Excerpt: ...dant Martin R'Nha to provide verified responses to form interrogatories, special interrogatories, and requests for production of documents. To order defendant to pay sanctions of $1,005. Defendant shall serve his verified responses without objections within 20 days of the date of service of this order. Defendant shall pay sanctions to plaintiff's counsel within 30 days of the date of service of this order. To grant the motion to compel defendants...

Excerpt: ...ontract; (2) breach of implied covenant of faith and fair dealing; (3) interference with prospective economic advantage; (4) fraud; and (5) injunction. The court notes the unusual timing of the present motion, which the court finds materially affects the consideration of the moton. A party may move for summary judgment at any time after 60 days have elapsed since the general ap#arance in the action or proceeding of each party against whom the mot...

Excerpt: ...ion). Plaintiff brings a complaint against defendant Hyundai Motor America for breach of express and implied warranties concerning this vehicle under the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (Civ. Code, SS 1790, et seq.). Defendant moves to compel plaintiffs to arbitrate these claims based on the Retail Installment Sales Contract ("RISC") they signed when they purchased the subject vehicle. No Automatic Stay Now in Place Defendant's Notice of Motio...

Excerpt: ...fth causes of action. Code of Civil Procedure section 437c, subdivision (f)(l), provides that "[a] party may move for summary adjudication as to one or more causes of action within an acton if that party contends that there is no affirmative defense thereto A motion for summary adjudication shall be granted only if it completely disposes of a cause of action ..." Plaintiff must "prove[ ] each element of the cause of achon entitling the party to j...

Excerpt: ...om service by the clerk of the minute order. Explanation: Demurrer The function of a demurrer is to test the suffciency 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 Belf with the issue of plaintiff's possible difficulty or inability in proving the allegations of his complaint. (Highlander...

Excerpt: ...f an undertaking. Explanation: A right to attach order, stating the amount to be secured by the attachment, shall issued if the court finds all of the following: 1. the claim upon which the attachment is based is one upon which an attachment may be issued; 2. the plaintff has established the probable validity of the claim upon which the attachment is based; 3. the attachment is not sought for a purpose other than the recovery on the claim upon wh...

Excerpt: ...rder and Code of Civil Procedure section 872.720. The court intends to appoint a partition referee pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 873.010 in the interlocutory judgment, however the name of the referee shall be left blank so that the court can determine who should be appointed. To grant all requests for judicial notice. Explanation: Burden on Summary Judgment As the party moving for summary judgment, plaintiff bears an overall burden ...

Excerpt: ...cre walnut orchard is part of the larger parcel. To deny plaintiff's motion to exclude the expert testimony of Stephen Roach. Explanation: Moton to Exclude Expert Testimony: Plaintiff moves to exclude Mr. Roach's testimony under Code of Civil Procedure section 1260.040, which states, "If there is a dispute between plaintiff and defendant over an evidentiary or other legal issue affecting the determination of compensation, either party may move th...

Excerpt: ... summary judgment of the first amended third cross-complaint in favor of cross-defendant O'Brien Steel, Inc. To deny summary adjudication of the second and fifth causes of action of the first amended third cross-complaint in favor of crosscomplainant American Crane Rental, Inc. Explanation: Summary Judgment Cross-defendant O'Brien Steel, Inc. ("OBE") seeks summary judgment of the first amended third cross-complaint ("TCC") against cross-complaina...

Excerpt: ...the requirements for certification before it can grant preliminary approval of the proposed settlement. An agreement of the parties is not sufficient to establish a class for settlement purposes. There must be an independent assessment by a neutral court of evidence showing that a class action is proper. (Luckey v. Superior Court (2014) 228 Cal.App.4th 81 (rev. denied); see also Newberg, Newberg on Class Actions (T.R. Westlaw, 2017) Section 7:3: ...

Excerpt: ...val of the proposed settlement. An agreement of the parties is not suffcient to establish a class for settlement purposes. There must be an independent assessment by a neutral court of evidence showing that a class action is proper. (Luckey v. Superior Court (2014) 228 Cal. App. 4th 81 (rev. denied); see also Newberg, Newberg on Class Actions (T.R. Westlaw, 2017) Section 7:3: "The parties' representation of an uncontested motion for class certifi...

Excerpt: ...d reasonable attorney's fees pursuant to P.C. section 120.4(f)(3)(H)") is stricken. The motion to strike the remaining portions of the Second Amended Complaint is denied. Defendant shall file a responsive pleading within ten days of service of this order by the clerk. Explanation: Demurrer Defendant James Harold Pardieu, Jr. ("defendant") demurs to the first, third, and fourth causes of action in the operative Second Amended Complaint ("SAC") on ...

Excerpt: ... of fault. (CINIe Civ. Proc., S 473, subd. (b).) To sustain the demurrer to the first, third, and fifth causes of achon with leave to amend, and to sustain the demurrer to the second and fourth causes of action without leave to amend. Civ. S 430.10, subds. (e), Plaintiff is granted 20 days' leave to file the second amended complaint. The time to file the second amended complaint will run from service by the clerk of the minute order. All new alle...

Excerpt: ...eking revocation of the court's March 28, 2023 Law and Mohon Minute Order adopting the tentative ruling on its applications of Chad R. Hutchinson and Mark A. Dreher to appear pro hac vice. The applications were denied without prejudice for failure to timely notify the State Bar of the hearing of the applications and failure to pay the fees to the State Bar. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 9.40, subds. (c)(l) and Under Code of Civil Procedure section 1...

Excerpt: ...App.4th 81 (rev. denied).) "Confronted with a request for settlement-only class certification, a district court need not inquire whether the case, if tried, would present intractable management problems for the proposal is that there will be no trial. But other specifications of the rule those designed to protect absentees by blocking unwarranted or overbroad class definitions — demand undiluted, even heightened, attention in the settlement con...

Excerpt: ...f Fresno Code Enforcement Division and John Giannetta's demurrer to the first amended complaint, with leave to amend. (Code Civ. Proc. S 430.10, subd. Plaintiffs shall serve and file an amended complaint within ten (10) days of the date of service of this order by the clerk. All new allegations shall be in boldface. Explanation: Defendants Fresno County Tax Collector Oscar Garcia ("Garcia"), and City of Fresno, City of Fresno Code Enforcement Div...

Excerpt: ...o file its answer to the complaint, with the time to from service of the minute order by the clerk. If oral argument is timely requested, such argument will be entertained May 3, 2023, at 3:30 p.m. in Department 403. Explanation: On three separate days in July 2021, plaintiff, a customer of defendant bank's predecessor- in-interest, presented a Euro Check for deposit into his personal checking account: 1) Deposit 1 on July 13, 2021, for €7,000....

Excerpt: ... will run from service of the order by the clerk. All new allegations shall be in boldface type. Explanation: First Cause of Action — Disability Discrimination Defendants attack this cause of action on the ground that that plaintiff does not allege that she suffered from a qualifying disability — the hand injury does not constitute a qualifying disability. Specifically, plaintiff alleges that she suffered a "hand injury" while on the job, and...

Excerpt: ...pretrial settlement. (Legis. counsel's Dig., Assem. Bill No. 237 (2000—2001 Reg. sess.) 5 stats. 2001, summary Dig., pp. 181-182; cal. Law Revision Com. com., 19 West's Ann. Code Civ. Proc. (2007 ed.) fall. S 1260.040, p. 523.) Secton 1260.040 authorizes a party to an eminent domain action to file a motion requesting a ruling on "an evidentiary or other legal issue affecting the determination of compensation" and provides that the trial court m...

Excerpt: ...iscovery moot in light of striking defendant's answer. To deny the requests for monetary sanctions. Explanation: Corporations may not represent themselves before the court in propria persona, nor can corporations represent themselves through their officers, directors, or any other employee who is not an attorney. (CLD Construction, Inc. v. City of San Ramon (2004) 120 Cal.App.4th 1141, 1145.) Corporations must be represented by an appropriately l...

Excerpt: ...stigation reports created by the defendant or its risk management department with the dominant purpose of preparing for anticipated litigation are subject to the attorney-client privilege. "Where, as here, a corporate employer requires that employees make a report, the privilege of that report is determined by the employer's purpose in requiring the report. When the corporate employer has more than one purpose in requiring the report, the dominan...

Excerpt: ...of express and implied warrantes concerning this vehicle underthe Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (Civ. Code, SS 1790, et seq.). Nissan moves to compel plaintiff to arbitrate these claims based on the Retail Installment Sales Contract ("RISC") she signed when she purchased the subject vehicle. Evidentary Objections Plaintiff's evidentiary objections are overruled. As defendant correctly argues on reply, the party moving to compel arbitration d...

Excerpt: ...proval of the proposed settlement. An agreement of the parties is not sufficient to establish a class for settlement purposes. There must be an independent assessment by a neutral court of evidence showing that a class action is pro#r. (Luckey v. Superior Court (2014) 228 Cal. App. 4th 81 (rev. denied); see also Newberg, Newberg on Class Actions (T. R. Westlaw, 2017) Section 7:3: "The parties' representation of an uncontested motion for class cer...

Excerpt: ...d from these records, are confidential and shall not be disclosed in any criminal or civil proceeding except by discovery pursuant to Sections 1043 and 1045 of the Evidence Code." Evidence Code secton 1043 requires a noticed motion which identifies the records sought, and "affidavits showing good cause for the discovery or disclosure sought, setting forth the materiality thereof to the subject matter involved in the pending litigation and stating...

Excerpt: ...ased risk that the named plaintiffs and class counsel will breach the fiduciary obligations they owe to the absent class As a result, such agreements must withstand an even higher level of scrutiny for evidence of collusion or other conflicts of interest than is ordinarily required under Rule 23(e) before securing the court's approval as fair." (Koby v. ARS National Services, Inc. (9th Cir. 2017) 846 F. 3d 1071, 1079.) "[l]n the final analysis it...

Excerpt: ...l Prmædure section 473, subdivision (b), prov-des for discretionary relief from a default or default judgment that has been entered due to mistake, surprise, inadvertence, or excusable neglect. Civ. Proc. S 473, subd. The party seeking relief must bring his or her moton within a reasonable time, not to exceed six months from the date of entry of the default or default judgment. (Ibid.) "Where the mistake is excusable and the party seeking relief...

Excerpt: ...Restoration International DRI, Inc. to Respond to Form Interrogatories, Set One, and Imposing Monetary Sanctions 3) Moton by Plaintiff CVE Contracting Group, Inc. for Order Compelling Defendant Disaster Restoration International — DRI, Inc. to Respond to Request for Production of Set One, and Imposing Monetary Sanctions Tentative Ruling: To grant plaintiff's motion to deem requests for admission admitted. The truth of the matters specified in t...

Excerpt: ... Civil Procedure section 1281.2, On petition of a party to an arbitration agreement 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 ...

Excerpt: ...minute order. Given this order, plaintiff's default prove-up, with evidentiary hearing is ordered off calendar as moot. Explanation: Timeliness of Motion to Set Aside Default The court fails to understand plaintiff's argument that the set aside motion was not timely filed (Opposition, p. 5:11). The only basis offered for this, as far as the court can see, is that defendants "unreasonably" waited until after the defaults were entered to seek relie...

Excerpt: ...udgment pursuant to the terms of the settlement." It also provides that the parties may request that the court "retain jurisdiction over the parties to enforce the settlement until performance in full of the terms of the settlement." (Code Civ. Proc. S 664.6.) Due to the summary nature of the statute authorizing judgment to enforce a settlement agreement, strict compliance with its requirements is prerequisite to invoking the power of the court t...

Excerpt: ... a subpoena requires the attendance of a witness or the production of books, documents, electronically stored information, or other things before a court, or at the trial of an issue therein, or at the taking of a deposition, the court, upon motion reasonably made by any person described in subdivision (b), or upon the court's own motion after giving counsel notice and an opportunity to be heard, may make an order quashing the subpoena entirely, ...

Excerpt: ... of the total amount actually paid to the class members, pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 384, subdivision (b), so that the judgment can be amended and the distribution of any cy pres funds can be ordered. Documentation as to the amount paid to class members must be filed on or before March 12, 2024. Explanation: Final Approval of Settlement California Rules of Court, rule 3.769(g) states: "Before final approval, the court must conduct...

Excerpt: ...tement of Damages Tentative Ruling: To grant defendant's moton to deem requests for admissions admitted, and to award sanctions in the amount of $430 against plaintiff, payable within 20 days of the date of this order, with the tme to run from the service of this minute order by the clerk. The truth of the matters specified in the Request for Admission, Set One, are to be deemed admitted, unless plaintiff serves, before the hearing, a proposed re...

Excerpt: ...ys of the date of service of this order. All new allegations shall be in boldface. Explanation: First Cause of Action: Plaintiff has not alleged any facts showing how defendants are liable for violating the FDCPA. Plaintiff has not alleged any facts at all with regard to defendants West Coast Capital Group, Inc. or California TD Specialists, or made any attempt to show how they violated the FDCPA. Thus, he has not stated a claim against West Coas...

Excerpt: ...and request for production of documents, set one. (Code Civ. Proc. SS 2030.290; 2031.300.) Plaintiff is deemed to have waived all objections to the discovery requests. (Ibid.) Plaintiff shall serve her verified responses to the discovery requests without objections within 15 days of the date of this order. To grant the defendant's motion for sanctions against plaintiff and her attorney, in the amount of $720. Plaintiff shall pay sanctions within ...

Excerpt: ...oval, the court must conduct an inquiry into the fairness of the proposed settlement." Subsection (h) states: "If the court approves the settlement agreement after the final approval hearing, the court must make and enter judgment. The judgment must include a provision for the retention of the court's jurisdiction over the parties to enforce the terms of the judgment. The court may not enter an order dismissing the action at the same time as, or ...

Excerpt: ...d settlement. An agreement of the parties is not sufficient to establish a class for settlement purposes. There must be an independent assessment by a neutral court of evidence showing that a class action is proper. (Luckey v. Superior Court (2014) 228 Cal.App.4th 81, 93-95.) "Class certification requires proof (1) ofa sufficiently numerous, ascertainable class, (2) of a well-defined community of interest, and (3) that certification will provide ...

Excerpt: ...he motion for summary judgment is untimely, "highly prejudicial," and violates due process. (Opp. at p. 3:17.) However, the authority offered as support for proposition that - Gamble v. Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power (2W2) 97 Cal.App.4th 253 (Gamble) - specifically conditioned its reversal on the record's absence of a suggestion that the judge presiding over the summary judgment motion was unavailability. (ld. at p. 259.) Here, in light of ...

Excerpt: ...of judgment pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure, section 724.050. If a money judgment has been satisfied, the judgment debtor, the owner of real or personal property subject to a judgment lien created under the judgment, or a person having a security interest in or a lien on personal property subject to a judgment lien created under the judgment may serve personally or by mail on the judgment creditor a demand in writing that the judgment credito...

Excerpt: ...terms of Code of Civil Procedure section 474 have not been complied with, the purported defendant has not been named as such in the complaint. A service upon one not named in a complaint does not confer jurisdiction to proceed upon the complaint against him, and a motion to quash is proper.” (Maier Brewing Co. v. Flora Crane Service, Inc. (1969) 270 Cal.App.2d 873, 875; see also McClatchy v. Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass, LLP (2016) 247 Cal.App...

Excerpt: ...), which Plaintiff propounded on the Defendant on December 17, 2021, within 10 days of service of this Order. To order Defendant to provide objectionless and verified responses to Form Interrogatories, Set One (1), which Plaintiff propounded on the Defendant on December 17, 2021, within 10 days of service of this Order. To order that the matters set forth in Plaintiff's Request for Admissions, Set One (1), which Plaintiff propounded on Defendant ...

Excerpt: ..., plaintiff signed a Retail Installment Sales Contract (“RISC”) which contained an arbitration clause. Problems with the vehicle ensued, and this “lemon law” action was filed on 2/23/21, against both Clovis Chrysler and FCA. The Complaint alleges the following causes of action: (1) Violation of Subdivision (d) of Civil Code section 1793.2; (2) Violation of Subdivision (b) of Civil Code section 1793.2; (3) Violation of Subdivision (a)(3) o...

Excerpt: ... clerk of the minute order. Explanation: Statutory Relief: The trial court has broad discretion to vacate the judgment and/or the clerk's entry of default that preceded it. However, that discretion can be exercised only if the moving party establishes a proper ground for relief, by the proper procedure, and within the statutory time limits. (Cruz v. Fagor America, Inc. (2007) 146 Cal.App.4th 488, 495.) The court is empowered to relieve a party �...

Excerpt: ...30 p.m. in Department 403 for the defendant corporation to obtain counsel. Explanation: Corporations may not represent themselves before the court in propria persona, nor can corporations represent themselves through their officers, directors, or any other employee who is not an attorney. (CLD Construction, Inc. v. City of San Ramon (2004) 120 Cal.App.4th 1141, 1145.) Corporations must be represented by an appropriately licensed attorney in court...

Excerpt: ...nd request for stay, set to be heard on March 1, 2023. On December 8, 2022, defendant filed the instant motion for stay pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 1281.4. Code of Civil Procedure section 1281.4 provides, in pertinent part: If an application has been made to a court of competent jurisdiction, whether in this State or not, for an order to arbitrate a controversy which is an issue involved in an action or proceeding pending before a...

Excerpt: ... (a).) Moreover, “[e]xcept as otherwise expressly provided by statute, a prevailing party is entitled as a matter of right to recover costs in any action or proceeding.” (Code Civ. Proc., § 1032, subd. (b).) “A prevailing party who claims costs must serve and file a memorandum of costs within 15 days after the date of service of the notice of entry of judgment or dismissal by the clerk under Code of Civil Procedure section 664.5 or the dat...

Excerpt: ...ion agreement 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 t...

Excerpt: ...o 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 the 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 cla...

Excerpt: ...Thursday, February 16, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. in Dept. 403. Explanation: Because Plaintiff does not dispute Giumarra's request for its “Filing and Motion fees” ($1,115.00), “Jury Fees” ($150.00), or “Deposition Costs” ($1,777.85), those costs are not taxed. At issue are Defendant Giumarra's request for its expert witness fees under Code of Civil Procedure section 998, subdivision (c)(1) ($27,485.50), its “Fees for Electronic Filing or Se...

Excerpt: ...ursuant to [PAGA]. The proposed settlement shall be submitted to the agency at the same time that it is submitted to the court.” (Lab. Code, § 2699, subd. (i)(2).) The statute does not explain what exactly the trial court should consider when reviewing a proposed PAGA settlement. However, recently the Court of Appeal in Moniz v. Adecco USA, Inc. (2021) 72 Cal.App.5th 56 did provide some guidance. The court explained that “many federal distri...

Excerpt: ...b) and 2031.300, subd. (b).) To impose monetary sanctions in favor of Plaintiff Noe Aguilar and against Defendant Erik Scott. (Code Civ. Proc. §§ 2030.290, subd. (c) and 2031.300, subd. (c).) Defendant is ordered to pay monetary sanctions in the amount of $600 to the Grossman Law Offices, APLC law firm within 30 days of the clerk's service of the minute order. Explanation: A party that fails to serve a timely response to a discovery request wai...

Excerpt: ...ting the tentative ruling on defendant's demurrer to the complaint pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 1008, subdivision (a). As a preliminary matter, section 1008 requires a motion for reconsideration to be heard by the judge or court who made the order. The statute's requirement for the motion to be addressed to the “same judge or court” has been interpreted to mean that if the original judge is unavailable, another judge of the sam...

Excerpt: ...nation: 1. Class Certification a. Standards First, the court must determine whether the proposed class meets the requirements for certification before it can grant preliminary approval of the proposed settlement. An agreement of the parties is not sufficient to establish a class for settlement purposes. There must be an independent assessment by a neutral court of evidence showing that a class action is proper. (Luckey v. Superior Court (2014) 22...

Excerpt: ...n before it can grant preliminary approval of the proposed settlement. An agreement of the parties is not sufficient to establish a class for settlement purposes. There must be an independent assessment by a neutral court of evidence showing that a class action is proper. (Luckey v. Superior Court (2014) 228 Cal. App. 4th 81 (rev. denied); see also Newberg, Newberg on Class Actions (T.R. Westlaw, 2017) Section 7:3: “The parties' representation ...

Excerpt: ...ended Complaint by plaintiff be filed by an attorney licensed to practice law in California. Plaintiff is granted 30 days' leave to a First Amended Complaint within the limitations above. The time in which the answer can be filed will run from service by the clerk of the minute order. To grant the Request for Judicial Notice Explanation: 1. Demurrer based on Res judicata Because there has already been Small Claims litigation and a judgment betwee...

Excerpt: ...precede the trial of any other issue or any part thereof in the case….” (Code Civ. Proc., § 598.) Similarly, Code of Civil Procedure section 1048 provides that “[t]he court, in furtherance of convenience or to avoid prejudice, or when separate trials will be conducive to expedition and economy, may order a separate trial of any cause of action…or of any separate issue or of any number of causes of action or issues.” (Code Civ. Proc., �...

Excerpt: .... Defendant Rudy Holguin is ordered to serve verified responses, without objections, to plaintiff Sylvia Kissing's Form Interrogatories, Set One, Special Interrogatories, Set One, and Request for Production of Documents, Set One, no later than 20 days from the date of this order, with time to run from the service of this minute order by the clerk. To impose monetary sanctions in favor of plaintiff Sylvia Kissing, and against defendant Rudy Holgui...

Excerpt: ...t does not resolve the issues, defense counsel shall file a declaration, on or before February 10, 2023, stating the efforts made. Explanation: Defendant did not satisfy the requirement to meet and confer prior to filing the demurrer and motion to strike. Code of Civil Procedure sections 430.41 and 435.5 make it very clear that meet and confer must be conducted “in person or by telephone.” (Id., subd. (a) as to both.) Sending written communic...