Excerpt: ...ENT 12 JUDICIAL OFFICER: CHARLES S TREAT HEARING DATE: 05/04/2023 7 Facts ["UMF"] No. 1; Neeno Decl. par. 3; Defs.' Additional undisputed Material Fact ["AUMF"] No. 1.) The Neeno Property is located near the top of the Martinez Ridge in or adjacent to the Muir Oaks subdivision of Martinez and was undeveloped when plaintiff purchased it. (AUMF No. 3.) The only paved access to the Neeno property is from Alhambra Avenue, a public road, is by using f...

Excerpt: ...ment facilities. Plaintiff was employed at one of them in various hourly capacities between 2019 and 2021. SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY MARTINEZ, CA DEPARTMENT 12 JUDICIAL OFFICER: CHARLES S TREAT HEARING DATE: 05/04/2023 20 The original complaint was filed on August 27, 2021 as a class action. It was later amended to add a PAGA claim. The settlement would create a gross settlement fund of $395,000, payable in two equal insta...

Excerpt: ...al among wage-and-hour cases, in that its sole focus is on a failure- of-reimbursement claim rather than any allegations as to payment for time worked. Plaintiff alleges that defendant failed to reimburse employees for the cost of obtaining personal protective gear (such as masks) during the COVID crisis. The original complaint was filed on October 8, 2020. After a demurrer ruling, an amended SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY MART...

Excerpt: ... CALIFORNIA, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY MARTINEZ, CA DEPARTMENT 36 JUDICIAL OFFICER: CLARE MAIER HEARING DATE: 05/04/2023 and S 430.50(a) on the grounds that "the underlying Notice of Termination is fatally defective because it failed to serve the appropriate Tenant and the Landlord is estopped from enforcing the Sublease." (Notice at 1:27-28.) For the following reasons, the Demurrer is overruled. Legal Standard "The function of a demurrer is to test th...

Excerpt: ...ice Kugler (collectively "Defendants")'s Demurrer to Plaintiff Maureen Mbadike-obiora, MD ("Plaintiff" or "Dr. Mbadikeobiora")'s Fourth Amended Complaint for (1) breach of contract, (2) accounting, (3) breach of fiduciary duty, (4) breach of implied covenant of gtnd faith and fair dealing, (5) intentional and negligent misrepresentation, and (6) declaratory relief. For the following reasons, Defendants Demurrer is sustained, with leave to amend. ...

Excerpt: ... CONTRA COSTA COUNTY MARTINEZ, CA DEPARTMENT 36 JUDICIAL OFFICER: CLARE MAIER HEARING DATE: 05/04/2023 Factual Background Plaintiff owns a 2008 GMC Yukon 1500 (the "Vehicle"). The Vehicle was towed to Defendant Lehmer's Concord Buick GMC ("Defendant") on or about May 13, 2020 as it was having engine problems. This included sputtering of the engine and an illuminated 'check engine' light. Defendant inspected the Vehicle and determined there was an...

Excerpt: ...ckhawk Meadows. From the time the Evanses purchased their home, disputes arose with the developer, S&S Constructon (sometimes the "Developer"), over alleged construction defects. In September 2020, Plaintiff Blackhawk Meadows Homeowners Association (sometimes the "HOA") filed this action for breach of the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions for Blackhawk Meadows (the "CC&Rs") by Defendants. Plaintiff seeks: (1) injunctive relief...

Excerpt: ...ng on the same day, Line 9.) Defendant develops and operates assisted living facilities, and plaintiff was employed as a server at one of those facilities. Since preliminary approval was granted, the administrator has mailed notices to 1,149 class members. 119 packets were returned by the post office. Follow up resulted in 112 new addresses, leaving 7 non-deliverable. No objections or requests to opt out have been received. SUPERIOR COURT OF CALI...

Excerpt: ...is sustained with leave to amend. SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY MARTINEZ, CA DEPARTMENT 12 JUDICIAL OFFICER: CHARLES S TREAT HEARING DATE: 04/27/2023 4 Standard A court assessing a demurrer accepts as true the facts pleaded in the complaint, but rejects contentions, deductions and conclusions of fact or law. (Blank v. Kirwan (1985) 39 Cal.3d 311, 318; Aubry v. Tri-City Hospital Dist. (1992) 2 Cal.4th 962, 956-67.) he Court giv...

Excerpt: ...-Fraudulent Inducement-concealment." Defendant demurs to this fourth cause of action for fraud on the basis that the complaint fails to state facts sufficient to constitute a SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY MARTINEZ, CA DEPARTMENT 36 JUDICIAL OFFICER: CLARE MAIER HEARING DATE: 04/27/2023 cause of acton. (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. S 430.10(e).) Defendant's Demurrer is sustained. Plaintiff is granted leave to amend. Defendant's moton t...

Excerpt: ...Jnbud Dawod Hadu ("Sister" for convenience) alleges she is the sister of Sabiha Campbell ("Campbell" or "Decedent") who died in May 2022. (First Amended Complaint ("FAC") 4, 19.) Plaintiff Francis George Yacoub ("Nephew" for convenience) alleges he is the Decedent's nephew. (FAC '14.) Campbell lived in Basra, Iraq, moved to California in approximately 1976, and married John Campbell approximately two years later. (FAC 5-7.) John Campbell died in ...

Excerpt: ...otion for preliminary of her wage-and-hour case and settlement (MSC20- 00452), set for hearing on the same day, Line 8.) Defendant develops and operates assisted living facilities, and plaintiff was employed as a server at one of those facilities. Since preliminary approval was granted, the administrator has mailed notices to 7,873 class members. 1,298 packets were returned by the post office. Follow up resulted in 1,189 new addresses, leaving 10...

Excerpt: ...ions or other issues requiring ruling as to these categories. Kalamas's counsel has informed defendants' counsel that Kalamas has no documents (or no documents not already SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY MARTINEZ, CA DEPARTMENT 12 JUDICIAL OFFICER: CHARLES S TREAT HEARING DATE: 04/27/2023 2 produced) responsive to these categories. Defendants' counsel basically offer to take that as an answer, provided Kalamas gives them a writt...

Excerpt: ...Gate Project consistent with various applicable laws. They also seek a determination from this Court that the Project is consistent with the City's standards, and that the City cannot require a zoning amendment. The Court previously requested supplemental briefing to address several questions concerning Chapter 17.486 of the City's Municipal Code, the "blank map" located at section 17.486M8 of that Chapter, ripeness and the issues before the Plan...

Excerpt: ...ders, LLC (the general contractor) when it filed its complaint on November 17, 2020 against Defendant ProFrame, Inc. (the framing subcontractor). The initial Complaint contained a single cause of action for breach of contract. Exhibit 1 to the Complaint is the Subcontract between West Creek and ProFrame — drafted by West Creek — which contains the arbitration clause at issue. Thereafter, there were a number of pleadings filed as outlined belo...

Excerpt: ...urt of Alameda County. For the following reasons, Plaintiffs motion is granted and Defendant's moton is denied. Analysis The default venue for civil actions is "the superior court in either the county where the injury occurs or the injury causing death occurs or the county where the defendants, or some of them reside at the commencement of the action," but this rule may be overridden by other statutory provisions and is subject to the Court's pow...

Excerpt: ...on Tovar-Gonzales. These facts are taken from Plaintiff's SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY MARTINEZ, CA DEPARTMENT 21 (925) 608 1121 JUDICIAL OFFICER: JILL C FANNIN HEARING DATE: 04/26/2023 statement of Additional Material Facts in Opposition to Motion for Summary Judgment ("AMF"). Defendants do not dispute these facts. On January 14, 2020, Plaintiff was seen by Defendant Dr. Davis at the Pinnacle Healthcare Clinic in Los Banos, ...

Excerpt: ...Plaintiff owns a single-family home located at 859 Mountain View Drive in Lafayette, California (the "Property"). In approximately 2016, Plaintiff determined that the Property was having problems with subsidence and cracking. Plaintiff contracted with Defendant EagleLift, Inc. ("Defendant" or "Eaglelift") to perform foundation work on the Property to fix the issues. In accordance with the contract, the plans for the work were to be prepared by Al...

Excerpt: ...DATE: 04/24/2023 Page 25 of 27 vacated. Defendant shall file and serve a responsive pleading within 10 days of the date of this order. Background Plaintiff filed this action for breach of contract and common counts on June 7, 2022. Plaintiff alleges he purchased a 2018 Honda Accord for $27,487.19 and that Defendant Kallista Sauer-minder agreed to pay Plaintiff $900 per month in exchange for the use of the vehicle until the purchase price was paid...

Excerpt: ...t if the Court granted performance, the only claim on which a lis could be based. Plaintiff contested the tentative ruling and requested leave to submit supplemental briefing and evidence of Plaintiff's ability to #rform. The Court continued the hearing to April 24, 2023 for the submission of supplemental evidence and briefing. What follows is the Court's tentative ruling issued in advance of the March 27, 2023 hearing, a summary of the parties' ...

Excerpt: ...m Complaint, the Complaint also includes a narrative attachment along with several exhibits. It does not identify causes of action by title, but Plaintiff has not objected to Defendant's characterization of the Complaint as one for (1) retaliation under California public policy, (2) retaliation under Labor Code S 1102.5, (3) discrimination under Title VII, (4) discrimination under FEHA, (5) disability accommodation, (7) retaliation under FEHA, an...

Excerpt: ...uest for judicial notice is granted, but unnecessary as the Court can review its own files without need for judicial notice. Legal Standard The standard for granting a motion for judgment on the pleadings is essentially the same as that applicable to a general demurrer. (Burnett v. Chimney Sweep (2004) 123 Cal.App.4th 1057, 1064.) As a consequence, it may be granted if, from the pleadings, together with matters that may be judicially noticed, it ...

Excerpt: ...o amend as to all causes of action except the second, which is without leave to amend. The motion to strike is moot. Plaintiff may file and serve an amended complaint by May 4, 2023. l. Background According to the complaint, plaintiff is the rightful owner of 4022 Salem Street, Concord, CA 94521. (Complaint, 91.) Plaintiff owned the home subject to a 2005 deed of trust, which was assigned several times between 2005 and 2023, most recently to SC6 ...

Excerpt: ...at they were added without leave of Court. Argus also moves to strike the request and prayer for punt-ive damages on the grounds that they were added without leave of Court and that the SAXC contains no factual allegations against Argus to support an award of punitive damages. For the following reasons, the motion is granted. Judicial Notice Argus's unopposed Request for Judicial Notice is denied. The Court does not require judicial notce for doc...

Excerpt: ...d on behalf of the People. Plaintiffs allege that defendants Monsanto Company, Solutia, Inc. and Pharmacia LLC are successors to a prior corporate iteration of Monsanto Company. (For purposes of this demurrer, the corporate distinctions among these entites is irrelevant and will be ignored; they will all be referred to as Monsanto.) Plaintiffs allege that Monsanto sold the chemical compound polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and products containing P...

Excerpt: ... six causes of action, four against Ford under the Song- Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, Civil Code secton 1790, et seq. (the "Song-Beverly Act which includes California's "Lemon Law;" a cause of action against Ford for fraudulent inducement-concealment; and a sixth cause of action against the dealership for negligent repair. Both Ford and the dealership filed concurrent motons to compel arbitration on February 27, 2023. On April 6, 2023, Plaintif...

Excerpt: ...granted. Pursuant to the Evidence CtNle, "courts have taken judicial notice of the existence and recordation of real property records, including deeds of trust, when the authenticity of the duuments is not challenged." (Fontenot v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (2011) 198 Cal.App.4th 256, 264.) "[A] court may take judicial notice of the fact of a document's recordation, the date the document was recorded and executed, the parties to the transaction refl...

Excerpt: ... MARTINEZ, CA DEPARTMENT 18 JUDICIAL OFFICER: DANIELLE K DOUGLAS HEARING DATE: 04/17/2023 within a development in Danville, CA known as Blackhawk Meadows. From the time the Evanses purchased their home, disputes arose with the developer, S&S Construction (sometimes the "Developer"), over alleged construction defects. In September 2020, Plaintiff Blackhawk Meadows Homeowners Association (sometimes the "HOA") filed this action for breach of the Dec...

Excerpt: ...ce S. Chou ("Defendant") was negligent in providing medical care in February 2018. (Defendant Stanford Health Care was dismissed prior to settlement conference discussed below.) On June 21, 2022, the Parties attended a Mandatory Settlement Conference ("MSC"), wherein the Partes reached a verbal agreement to resolve the dispute. The general terms of the agreement were reduced to writing in a document titled: "Settlement Agreement." Each of the Par...

Excerpt: ...m an auto versus pedestrian accident in which Plaintiff was injured. Plaintiff now moves to amend the complaint to include punitive damages allegations against Defendant Teresa Maria Tam. Plaintiff claims she learned in discovery that Defendant was intoxicated at the time of the accident, with a BAC of .255. Defendant opposes the motion. Defendant argues the Plaintiff unduly delayed in seeking the amendment, which is not based on newly discovered...

Excerpt: ...und Plaintiffs Robert Mortiz and 80b Moritz Reliable Plumbing Service, Inc. ("Plaintiffs") allege they purchased a new 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 on January 23, 2019. (Compl. 8, 33.) (Though named in the Complaint and other pleadings as "Robert Mortiz," the correct name appears to be "Robert Moritz" according to the vehicle purchase agreement, Exhibit 1 attached to the Complaint.) The vehicle is manufactured by defendant General Motors, LLC ("...

Excerpt: ...n for a civil harassment restraining order. This case was originally filed as an unlawful detainer complaint on October 6, 2020. Prior to trial, Defendant vacated the property. This case was then reclassified as an ordinary civil case on January 12, 2021. Defendant filed a cross-complaint on February 23, 2021. Plaintiffs filed a first amended complaint on September 16, 2022, which included the claims at issue in this demurrer. Plaintiffs then fil...

Excerpt: ...since 1997. Plaintiffs have participated in the PCFMA farmers market in Union City since that time by paying to occupy a selling area and selling their vegetables to the general public. The problems that underly the instant lawsuit began in 2017 when a new Market Manager started working at that location. At that time, the new Manager demanded that Plaintiffs move their SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY MARTINEZ, CA DEPARTMENT 18 J...

Excerpt: ...hment / quantum meruit; (8) promissory estoppel; and (9) civil conspiracy. Defendant demurs to all Plaintiff's causes of action on several grounds pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure ("CCP") S 430.10(e) and (f). For the following reasons, the Demurrer is overruled. Legal Standard "The function of a demurrer is to test the sufficiency of the complaint as a matter of law." (Holiday Matinee, Inc. v. Rambus, Inc. (2004) 118 Cal.App.4th 1413, 1420.) A...

Excerpt: ...ic facts are not in dispute. Lena and Defendants entered into a written lease for a commercial property in San Ramon in May 2014. That lease was set to expire in May 2024. In early 2022, Defendants vacated the premises and returned possession to Lena. Subsequently, Lena sued Defendants, seeking, inter alia, recovery for past due unpaid rent, costs to restore the property, and future uncollected rent. The suit also seeks attorneys' fees and legal ...

Excerpt: ... breach of written agreements, (4) breach of oral contract, (5) breach of implied-in-fact contract, (6) breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, (7) unjust enrichment/quantum meruit, (8) promissory estoppel, and (9) civil conspiracy. The Complaint arises out of a real estate transacton for the property at 1406 G Street, Antioch, California 94509. Plaintiffs seek an order for issuance of a writ of attachment against Defendant...

Excerpt: ...ned, the manner of partition." (Code Civ. Proc., S 872.720, subd. (a).) The manner of partition may be in kind or by sale. (Code Civ. Proc., SS 873.210- 873.50.) Partiton in kind is favored. (Butte Creek Island Ranch v. Crim (1982) 136 Cal.App.3d 360, 365.) In lieu of dividing the property among the parties, the court shall order the property be sold and the proceeds divided among the parties [if] the court determines sale and division of the pro...

Excerpt: ...ofers and Allied Workers, AFL-CIO and Associated Roofing Contractors of the Bay Area Counties attached as Exhibit A to the Bernal Declaration. Defendant's request for dismissal of the action in connection with the motion is denied; the Court in its discretion orders the action stayed pending completion of the arbitration. The parties shall appear at the further case management conference set at 8:30 a.m. on October 2, 2023 and advise the Court of...

Excerpt: ...e class consists of employees who directly provide those services. Preliminary approval of the proposed settlement was granted on November 28, 2022. Since preliminary approval was granted, the administrator has mailed notices to 2,141 class members. 133 packets were returned by the post office. Follow up resulted in 88 new addresses, leaving 46 non-deliverable. No objections or requests to opt out have been received. The motion for final approval...

Excerpt: ...e Notice of Exemption, pending compliance with CEQA. It did not direct respondent as to what must be done to comply with CEQA. Judgment was filed the same day. On March 30, the Court granted Reabold's application to modify the Peremptory Wrt of Mandate to extend the return date from April 3, 2023, to May 15, 2023. The matter is not automatically stayed pending appeal. (Daly v. San Bernardino County Bd. Of Supervisors (2021) 11 Cal.5th 1030, 1034....

Excerpt: ...tained with leave to amend. Fairfield shall file and serve an appropriately numbered, amended cross-complaint within 30 days of this order. (2) James shall file and serve an answer or other responsive pleading within 30 days of service SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY MARTINEZ, CA DEPARTMENT 35 JUDICIAL OFFICER: CLARE MAIER HEARING DATE: 04/13/2023 Page 2 of 8 of the amended cross-complaint. Background On June 30, 2020, Plaintiff...

Excerpt: ...employee of Defendant Matternet, Inc., a drone manufacturer and operator. Plaintiff was hired on February 28, 2022 as a drone "Visual Observer." On March 1, 2022, Plaintiff electronically signed various onboarding documents. Among them was an "At-Will Employment, Confidential Information, Invention Agreement, and Arbitration Agreement" ("Agreement"), which stated: "...l AGREE THAT ANY AND ALL CONTROVERSIES, CLAIMS, OR DISPUTES THAT I MAY HAVE WIT...

Excerpt: ...wart and Cross-complainant Agra Tech, Inc. designates the Civil Court in Rotterdam, the Netherlands as the exclusive forum for litigation between them. For the following reasons, the motion is denied. Evidentiary Matters Zwart's unopposed Request for Judicial Notice is denied. The Court does not require judicial notice for documents already in its own case file. The Court need not address Zwart's objections to the Sinke declaration. The Court has...

Excerpt: ...ble neglect". And in the alternative, plaintiffs invoke the later provision of the subdivision, for vacating any dismissal based on "an attorney's sworn affidavit attesting to his or her mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or neglect". The motion is granted on the second of these alternative grounds. The statute provides, in relevant part: The court may, upon any terms as may be just, relieve a party or his or her legal representative from a judgmen...

Excerpt: ...c.'s Petition. However, given the issues related to requested attorney fees and costs, the Parties are required to appear to discuss. Procedural Background Plaintiff filed her Complaint commencing this action on November 22, 2019. Defendant moved to compel arbitration on June 16, 2021 based on an arbitration provision contained in Plaintiff's employment contract ("Arbitration Agreement"). That motion was granted on August 18, 2021. It appears the...

Excerpt: ...rdan Yudien that Yudien affirmatively misrepresented to the parties in the Prior Litigation that he had submitted the quitclaim deed executed by the Menascos for recording after he received it in September 2018, that he falsely stated in a declaration filed in the Prior Litigation that the County recorder misplaced the quitclaim deed and that he had corrected the quitclaim deed without Plaintiffs' knowledge or consent, and that Yudien recorded th...

Excerpt: ...pport of Motion to Consolidate, 2:17-22, 3:8-14.) The second is a Motion to Transfer and Consolidate Cases for All Purposes filed by Defendants Stephanie Rabbitt and Ryan Friesen (collectively "Defendants"), also pursuant to Code of Civil Prc„cedure S1048(a), to also have the instant action consolidated with Case No. P23-W096 on the grounds that both actons involve common questions of law or fact. (See Defendants' Motion to Transfer and Consoli...

Excerpt: ...nt on the complaint is denied. The Court's order is without prejudice. Disputed and undisputed Material Facts This is an action for breach of contract and common counts arising from breach ofa vehicle lease. Plaintiff Wintrust Specialty Finance, N.A. ("Wintrust") seeks a deficiency judgment after allegedly selling the vehicle. Wintrust prov-des a declaration from its Vice President of Asset Management, with custody and control of its business rec...

Excerpt: ...isrespect is intended.) Jerome died of lung cancer on May 22, 2015. The complaint was filed May 16, 2018, and contains a single cause of action brought under the Federal Employers' Liability Act ("FELA"), codified at 45 USC section 51 et seq. In essence, the complaint alleges that Jerome's lung cancer was caused by employment-related exposure to various chemicals or substances, and that such exposure was a result of BNSF's negligence. The MS] arg...

Excerpt: ...etween neighbors. Plaintiffs Brian McCarthy and Renee Covi through their revocable trust are the owners of a residence at 17 Cumorah Lane in Alamo. (Comp'. '1 1.) Defendants Kevin Mack and Olga Mack are their neighbors who live at 24 Cumorah Lane. (Comp'. '1 2.) Plaintiffs allege that in 2021, Defendants built an electrified gate across a driveway, a related electrical box and electrical lines for the electrical service to the gate, a pedestrian ...