Excerpt: ...E: 04/11/ 2024 23 A. Background and Settlement Terms Defendant is in the business of providing extended vehicle service programs and ancillary finance and insurance products. This class -action case arises from its alleged former practice of recording consumer pho ne calls, made on cellular or wireless phones, without proper consent or notification. Plaintiff made two such calls in October and November 2022. The original complaint was filed on...

Excerpt: ...e defenses. For the following reasons, Plaintiff's Demurrer to Defendants First, Second, Ninth, Tenth, Twelfth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Affirmative Defense is overruled, and Plaintiff's Demurrer to Defendant's Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Eleventh and Fifteenth Affirmative Defense is sustained, with leave to amend as to all but the fifteenth affirmative defense. Legal Standard Code of Civil Procedure § 430.20(a) provides for...

Excerpt: ..., administr ation costs, and representative payment. The motion is granted. A. Background of the Case and Terms of Settlement The total settlement payment is $275,000. Out of this is to come attorney's fees of $91,667 (one -third of the recovery); $22,305 in litigation costs, and $3,950 in costs to the settlement Administrator. The This a PAGA case (not a class action), alleging a variety of violations of the Labor Code concerning failure to prov...

Excerpt: ...May 10 in which to file and serve a second amended complaint, if they choose to. In the event that they elect not to amend, defendants Puri and Compass are given to June 7 in which to answer the surviving contract count of the complaint. (If there is no amendment there will remain no claim pending against defendant Mehringer. There will also remain no live claim being asserted by plaintiff Kandola.) The Court further observes that although it is...

Excerpt: ...her verified responses to Form Interrogatory 17.1 and for sanctions on January 3, 2024. No opposition has been filed to the motion. The motion to compel and request for sanctions is granted for the reasons set forth below. The plaintiff, Niyogi Linzie, filed this action on November 17, 2021, alleging premises liability and damages for injuries sustained when she tripped and fell in the parking lot at the Willows shopping center in Concord, Cal...

Excerpt: ...tion of FEHA; (3) Retaliation in Violation of FEHA; (4) Failure to Prevent Discrimination, Retaliation, and Harassment in Violation of FEHA; (5) Negligent Hiring and Retention; (6) Constructive Discharge in Violation of Public Policy; (7) Failure to Pay Overtime; (8) Failure to Provide Accurate Wage Statements; and (9) Waiting Time Penalties. Plaintiff argues that the FAA applies to the 2017 Employment Agreement because the Supremacy Clause prohi...

Excerpt: ...form of judgment, separate from any order on the motion, for submission to the Court. I. Background According to the complaint filed by plaintiffs Pedro Gomez III and Brianda Gomez (collectively plaintiffs and individually referred to by first name for convenience only, no disrespect intended), on or about November 2, 2019, Pedro fell and sustained severe injuries. At the time, he was working on scaffolding at the Phillips 66 Rodeo Refinery. T...

Excerpt: ...eet his burden in opposition to raise a triable issue of fact. Background Plaintiff Klaus Kubler dba Klaus Kubler Construction (Kubler or plaintiff) filed this action for breach of a construction contract filed on April 27, 2022. Plaintiff alleges he is a licen sed general contractor and in July 2017 entered into a written home improvement contract with defendants James Knight and Paige Tomaselli (defendants), for the construction of improvemen...

Excerpt: ... for leave to amend Code of Civil Procedure § 473(a)(1) provides the Court discretion to permit a party to amend its pleadings. There is “a policy of great liberality in permitting amendments to the complaint at any stage of the proceedings, up to and including tria l [citations]…” (Magpali v. Farmers Group (1996) 48 Cal.App.4th 471, 487.) Leave to amend can be denied where there is “‘inexcusable delay and probable prejudice to the opp...

Excerpt: ... cognizable claims against Reyes. Defendant's motion to strike punitive damages allegations is granted with leave to amend. Plaintiffs shall have until April 29, 2024 to file and serve a first amended complaint. If plaintiffs cannot amend their punitive damages claim again st Reyes within the time stated, they may move to amend the complaint at a later time. The Complaint Plaintiffs Pamela Cooper and Carl Kelly filed their complaint on May 10,...

Excerpt: ...poses the motion to compel but agrees to produce a privilege log. The court denies the motion to compel and the request for sanctions but does order plaintiff to serve a privilege log by close of business on May 3, 2024. The plaintiff filed this action for bre ach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty. Plaintiff is a pharmacist and she entered into an agreement with defendant Jeff Morgridge to run a pharmacy in Moraga. The defendants, allege...

Excerpt: ...rty damages and personal injuries as to defendants Asghar, as well as references in the complaint to hospital/medical expenses, general damages, and references to injuries to her person on the basis that the complaint states that the personal injury claim relate d to the impact has been settled. Defendants also move to strike requests for attorneys fees and costs since plaintiff alleges no statutory authority for such an award. The motion to stri...

Excerpt: ...d Proced ural Background On January 2, 2024 Plaintiff Matthew Andrade filed this action against his employer, Defendant Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District and Chris Petlock (whom the Complaint describes as an administrator of Pleasant Hill). The First Amended Complaint alleges age discrimination and harassment toward Plaintiff among other claims. On January 16, 2024, Defendants filed a special motion to strike allegations from the FAC rel...

Excerpt: ...t by Denh am, LLC, Nikta, LLC, and Manning- NextBay Venture, LLC, and against the City of Richmond, is denied. Background In 2017, after the voters of Richmond passed the Richmond Hills Initiative, which limited development of Petitioners' property. (AR, Den2_00107. ) Petitioners filed a lawsuit, Case No. MSN170669, challenging the adoption of the Initiative (hereinafter “Denham I”). After finding that the City's general plan was inconsiste...

Excerpt: ...age in viol ation of Labor Code § 1194(a), and the fourth cause of action for failure to provide timely paystubs in violation of Labor Code § 226(e). Plaintiff's MSA is granted as to the fourth cause of action. As to the first cause of action, the motion is continued to April 11, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. for consideration of a supplemental and corrective submission by plaintiff as to the damages calculations. Request for Judicial Notice In support of...

Excerpt: ...oyed ther e as nurses – two of them from 2016 to 2020, though the third plaintiff's dates are not provided. The original complaint was filed on October 1, 2021 as a class action. Plaintiff Hudson separately filed a PAGA action on the previous day. The parties stipul ated to consolidate the actions. The settlement would create a gross settlement fund of $3,000,000. The class representative payments to the plaintiffs would be $10,000 each. Atto...

Excerpt: ...eged breach of confidential data. The proposed settlement terms involve an array of offered curative steps rather than the more typical cash payments. And, refreshingly, the items usually to be deducted from the gross settlement amount (such as attorney's fees, administrative costs, and representative payments) are being funded directly by the defendant outside of the settlement fund. A. Background , Subject Matter, and Course of Proceedings Cli...

Excerpt: ...tions. F or that reason the Court does not view this as cause for recusal. Plaintiff Nicole Paris moves for preliminary approval of her class action and PAGA settlement with defendant Allergy & Asthma Medical Group of the Bay Area, Inc.. The motion is granted. A. Background and Settlement Terms Defendant is a medical group treating patients in the specialty of allergies. Plaintiff was employed as a non -exempt employee, though her dates of employ...

Excerpt: ...remaining counts. Plaintiff alleges that she was rear -ended in a traffic accident by defendant Renee Thomas. Ms. Thomas said she was calling the Brentwood police, but the officer who actually showed up was a CHP officer who falsely identified himself as Officer Spe ars. Plaintiff alleges that in fact “Officer Spears” was Officer Donnie Thomas, Renee Thomas's husband. Officer Thomas engaged in various investigative steps such as taking plain...

Excerpt: ...nd amended cros s-complaint by April 19, 2024. This is a lawsuit between two former cohabitants, previously involved romantically and otherwise with each other; the female plaintiff is substantially younger than the male defendant. The male party has filed a first amende d cross-complaint against the female. This is her demurrer to his FAXC. The Court had previously sustained a demurrer to the original cross -complaint. The grounds for that rul...

Excerpt: ...e, but in which Judge Devine granted defendant's motion to designate plaintiff as a vexatious litigant. The present suit is not technically barred by that prefiling- screening order due to the overlapping timing; this suit was filed while the vexatious -litigant moti on was pending, but before it was granted. Nevertheless, this suit appears clearly to constitute a continuation of the same abusive litigation misconduct that caused Judge Devine t...

Excerpt: ...s of ac tion. SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY MARTINEZ, CA DEPARTMENT 27 JUDICIAL OFFICER: TERRI MOCKLER HEARING DATE: 03/27/2024 Defendant's Request for Judicial Notice is granted. (Evid. Code § 452(c).) Defendant's Demurrer is sustained in part and overruled in part. Allegations in the Complaint In April 2020, Plaintiff 3150 Garrity Way DE, LLC entered into a written Emergency Occupancy Agreement (“Agreement”) with the Co...

Excerpt: ...ate a cause of action and on uncertainty. (See, Defendant's points and authorities p.2.) In addition, Plaintiffs filed a substantive opposition. The Court will excuse the failure to file a demurrer because the points and authorities state the basis for the demurrer. S till, the section referencing Code of Civil Procedure section 430.10 states that Defendant is challenging the complaint, not specific causes of action. Thus, if there is any vali...

Excerpt: ...Counsel for plaintiff agreed to file supplemental responses. Plaintiff's counsel did serve supplemental responses on the defense on December 22, 2023. Plaintiff's counsel was served with this motion to compel on December 28, 2023. Defense counsel concede s in an email dated January 19, 2024, that the amended responses “satisfy her” and states she will file a declaration with the court to this effect. As of March 15, 2024, no such declaratio...

Excerpt: ...nfident ial legal and business analyses that would jeopardize plaintiffs' rights in this contractual dispute between plaintiffs, as tenants, and defendant, as the landlord. For the reasons laid out below, the motion is denied. Background This motion is in the c ontext of a Second Amended Complaint (SAC) alleging three causes of action: 1) declaratory relief; 2) reformation of contract for mistake, fraud and in equitable conduct; and 3) reformati...

Excerpt: ... acility. Ms. Lily was a resident at defendant Sunrise Senior Facility as a memory care patient from 2/12/21 to 4/1/22. She developed a severe case of decubitus while in the facility and this condition ultimately led to her death. Plaintiffs filed a wrong ful death, elder abuse, and negligence action in September 2022. Presently, plaintiffs have filed seven separate motions to compel. For the reasons stated below, all seven motions are denied. ...

Excerpt: ...r the fol lowing reasons Construction West's petition to vacate is denied. Construction West's petition to correct is denied. One Nine's petition to confirm the arbitration award is granted. Factual Background On February 21, 2021, PLAINTIFF submitted a proposal a nd was awarded a contract (“Contract”) as a general contractor for the construction of a car wash located on the commercial properly commonly referred to as 1755 Market Street, Con...

Excerpt: ... Implie d Contract, Breach of Written Contract, and Unfair Competition causes of action on the basis that they are uncertain and fail to state a claim. (Demurrer p. 2: 5 -13.) For the following reasons, the Demurrer is sustained with leave to amend. 16 Meet and Confer Requirement Defendant satisfied its meet and confer requirement regarding their demurrer in detailing their meet and confer efforts with Plaintiff in the Declaration of Jason Julia...

Excerpt: ...relevant h istory of this action, Plaintiff filed his complaint on October 7, 2020 alleging causes of action against Defendants Vinnie's Bar & Grill and David Marcos Perez for (1) battery, (2) false imprisonment, (3) negligent hiring, retention and supervision, (4) n egligence and (5) violation of the Bane Act (Civ. Code § 52.1). At the first Case Management Conference (CMC) on February 24, 2021, Plaintiff's counsel did not appear, and an Orde...

Excerpt: ... barred by the applicable statute of limitations is subject to a general demurrer for failure to state of cause of action. (SLPR, L.L.C. v. San Diego Unified Port Dist. (2020) 49 Cal.App.5th 284, 306.) A demurrer may be sustained based upon the statute of limitations only when the facts alleged in the complaint or matters which the judge took judicial notice clearly establish that the cause of action is barred. (Mitchell v. State of Dep't of Pub...

Excerpt: ...of contract (against Gomez), (2) misappropriation of trade secrets, (3) conversion, (4) unjust enrichment, (5) breach of fiduciary duty (against Gomez), (6) aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty (against Gold Star), (7) intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, (8) breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing (against Gomez), and (9) unfair business practice (against Gold Star). Gomez seeks summary adjudication a...

Excerpt: ...o s ustain serious injuries. According to her declaration in support of this motion, after she fell she was taken to the emergency department of Kaiser in Walnut Creek. She was diagnosed with zygomaticomaxillary complex fractures and orbital floor fractures, along with bruising to her right shoulder, shattered teeth, a concussion and neck pain. She continues to have problems related to the injuries. These include face numbness; painful mouth, te...

Excerpt: ...pondent” or “DMV”) order of suspension. For the following reasons, Petitioner's Writ of Mandate denied. Petitioner's request for payment of attorney's fees pursuant to Government Code §800 is also denied. Factual Background On September 6, 2022, CHP Officer Fuller observe d a Mercedes Benz travelling at a high rate of speed travelling northbound on I -680. (Administrative Record (AR), p. 0018.) Officer Fuller visually estimated that the ca...

Excerpt: ...ges, the facts alleged must show fraud, oppression or malice. (Civil Code section 3294.) Subdivision (c) of the statute contains the following definitions: “(1) 'Malice' means conduct which is intended by the defendant to cause injury to the plaintiff or despicable conduct which is carried on by the defendant with a willful and conscious disregard of the rights or safety of others. [P] (2) 'Oppression' means despicable conduct ...

Excerpt: ...endants' a ctions in the negligence cause of action; (2) the request for repayment of attorney fees paid to Defendant during the underlying representation in the Prayer; (3) the request for “attorney's fees pursuant to Civil Code sections 52, 52.4(a) and any other a pplicable statute,” in the Prayer; and (4) Paragraph 19, which reads: Defendant Wiener did not provide response to Jane Doe's Request to know if the attorney holds liability insur...

Excerpt: ...l Back ground According to the complaint filed by plaintiffs Pedro Gomez III and Brianda Gomez (collectively plaintiffs and individually referred to by first name for convenience only, no disrespect intended), on or about November 2, 2019, Pedro fell and sustaine d severe injuries. At the time, he was working on scaffolding at the Phillips 66 Rodeo Refinery. The scaffolding was allegedly negligently and improperly designed, constructed, assemb...

Excerpt: ...024 a ny factual allegations that could cure the defects in this cause of action, leave to amend is not granted. County's notice of motion was defective because it requests judgment on the pleadings as to the first cause of action for negligence and as to a non -existent fourth cause of action for “negligent hiring, retention and/or supervision.” County argues the Court should excuse the defect and dispose of all causes of action against it ...

Excerpt: ...Evalua tion of the parties' allocation of settlement proceeds is committed to the sound discretion of the trial court in the good faith settlement approval process. The court may rely on its own expertise and the opinions of experts in reaching a determination of the good or bad faith of a settlement. However, the court may not be able to do more than simply make a best estimate, and any challenge to the agreement's assigned value should ...

Excerpt: ... of motion to strike the whole or any part of the pleading. (Code Civ. Proc. (“CCP”) § 435(b)(1); Cal. Rules of Court, SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY MARTINEZ, CA DEPARTMENT 18 JUDICIAL OFFICER: DANIELLE K DOUGLAS HEARING DATE: 03/15/2024 Rule 3.1322(b).) The court may, upon a motion or at any time in its discretion and upon terms it deems proper: (1) strike out any irrelevant, false, or improper matter inserted in any ple...

Excerpt: ...defaul t was entered on August 21, 2023. On September18, 2023, Defendant filed her motion to set aside. Defense counsel states in his declaration that he was retained by defendant on June 27, 2023. Defendant counsel left a message for Plaintiff and faxed a lette r to Plaintiff on July 11, 2023. Defense counsel heard nothing from Plaintiff until he received a copy of the request for default in the mail around August 21, 2023. On August 22, 2023, ...

Excerpt: ... causes of action for 1) prof essional medical negligence and 2) loss of consortium. Defendants' Request for Judicial Notice of Plaintiffs' Complaint is granted. As discussed herein, the SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY MARTINEZ, CA DEPARTMENT 18 JUDICIAL OFFICER: DAN IELLE K DOUGLAS HEARING DATE: 03/15/2024 Court overrules Plaintiffs' objections to the Declaration of Cynthia Goodman, MD and sustains in part Defendants' objection...

Excerpt: ... 15, 2023 as a class action. PAGA claims were added by amendment on June 2. The settlement would create a gross settlement fund of $220,000. The class representative payment to the plaintiff would be $7,000. Attorney's fees would be $73,333 (one -third of the settlement). Litigation costs would not exceed $15,000. The settlement administrator's costs are estimated at $8,000. PAGA penalties would be $30,000, resulting in a payment of $22,500 to th...

Excerpt: ... resolved in t heir favor, it was the operative catalyst in securing the relief petitioners sought, namely the termination of the Tree Removal Agreement (TRA) between Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and the City of Lafayette. Although petitioners' present motion does not limit itself to seeking an award against only PG&E (rather than the City), only PG&E has filed an opposition. The Court would have welcomed the City's input on the issu...

Excerpt: ...mended complaint (FAC), namely count 3 (covenant of quiet enjoyment), count 4 (intentional infliction of emotional distress), and count 6 (covenant of good faith and fair dealing). The demurrer is sustained without leave to amend. FPI is given 21 days in which to a nswer the remaining causes of action against it. If plaintiff contests this tentative ruling to seek leave to amend, he should attend the hearing prepared to discuss in detail what am...

Excerpt: ...violation of the California family rights act; (7) failure to provide meal & rest periods; (8) failure to provide overtime wages; (9) unfair business practices; (10) retaliation and wrongful termination in violation of public policy; and (11) intentional infliction of emotional distress. Defendant demurs to Plaintiff's causes of action for (1) disability harassment and (11) intentional infliction of emotional distress pursuant to Code of Civil ...

Excerpt: ...n June 2022, Kruse filed this lawsuit seeking $308,642 for unpaid work. A first amended complaint was filed in November 2022. Thompson Builders filed this motion to compel arbitration on December 21, 2023. “ ‘ “ ‘[T]he threshold question presented by a petition to compel arbitration is whether there is an agreement to arbitrate.' ” ' [Citations.] … This initial issue also reflects the very plain principle that you cannot compel i...

Excerpt: ...onsumer W arranty Act, Civil Code § 1791, et seq., fails to state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action. (MTS p. 2: 3 -5.) 2. The claim for violation of the Magnusson -Moss Warranty Act, 15 U.S.C. § 2301, et seq., fails to state facts sufficient to consti tute a cause of action. (MTS p. 2: 6 -8.) 3. The claim for breach of express warranty under California Commercial Code, Cal. Com. Code § 2103, et seq., fails to state facts suffici...

Excerpt: ...Plaintiff Jaime Gonzalez Santiago alleges he was injured on June 9, 2022, while working for Defendant Georgia Langsam's horse breeding facility. SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY MARTINEZ, CA DEPARTMENT 27 JUDICIAL OFFICER: TERRI MOCKLER HEARING DATE: 0 3/13/2024 On June 7, 2023, Plaintiff filed an Application for Adjudication with the WCAB alleging injury on June 9, 2022, resulting from his employment with Defendant. On August 2...

Excerpt: ...aratory relief. Only th e first and third causes of action are alleged against the Kristons. For the following reasons, the motion for summary judgment is granted. Legal Standard Code of Civil Procedure (“CCP”) §§ 437c(o)(1) and 437c(p)(2) provide the relevant legal standard for deciding the MSJ. Section 437c(o)(1) provides, in relevant part: A cause of action has no merit if one or more of the elements of the cause of action cannot be sep...

Excerpt: ...UPERIOR CO URT OF CALIFORNIA, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY MARTINEZ, CA DEPARTMENT 27 JUDICIAL OFFICER: TERRI MOCKLER HEARING DATE: 03/13/2024 from Plaintiff Region Bank's predecessor in interest. Plaintiff now moves for summary adjudication as to its first cause of acti on for breach of the promissory note by Defendant Susan Hyde. Standard Summary adjudication is proper if all the papers submitted show that there is no triable issue as to any material f...