Excerpt: ...ne; Applies to Bar Plaintiffs' Negligence/Premises Liability Causes of Action; 3. Plaintiffs' Negligent/Premises Liability Causes of Action are barred, as Plaintiffs cannot establish that Superior had a duty, as there is no foreseeability of this third party criminal assault; 4. Plaintiffs' have no facts or theories to support a Cause of Action for Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress ("IIED"); 5. Plaintiffs' cannot seek Punitive Damages ...

Excerpt: ... were and how they could be used to deprive her of ownership of her real property and assets; She also denies signing two separate deeds on 10/12/18 that purportedly bear her signature; She now claims to be homeless; This is sufficient to support her claim for elder abuse; Overrule; 2 nd cause of action [fraud v Debra and Elmer Stone]: The intentional misrepresentations are unclear and not pled with the required specificity; Sustain with 10 days ...

Excerpt: ...on (CCP § 430.10(e)) Facts/Overview: The original complaint in this action was filed on 4/8/19. The operative verified First Amended Complaint was filed on 9/5/19 against defendants Servis One, Inc., dba BSI Financial Services [“BSI”], Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB, dba Christina Trust, as Trustee, for Brougham Fund I Trust, Zieve, Brodnax & Steele, LLP, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. s/b/m Wachovia Mortgage, FSB f/k/a World Savings Bank, FSB...

Excerpt: ...off calendar. The Trial and Pre-Trial Conference are vacated. The court sets a Review Hearing for March 19, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. to ensure the submission of a proposed Judgment. It is settled law in California that an insurer denying or delaying the payment of policy benefits due to the existence of a genuine dispute with its insured as to the amount of the insured's coverage claim is not liable in bad faith. Chateau Chamberay Homeowners Assn. v. As...

Excerpt: ...eek fees in the following amounts: Baldwin Park ($45,875); Rancho Palos Verde ($17,763.50); Signal Hill ($14,968); Carson ($8,122.50); and West Covina, Lakewood, Santa Fe Springs and Clarement (total of $363,180). This matter is currently on appeal. The notices of appeal automatically stayed proceedings on the judgment. Hayworth v. City of Oakland (1982) 129 Cal.App.3d 723, 727 (perfecting of an appeal stays proceedings in the trial court upon th...

Excerpt: ...es from respondents in the amount of $126,600. This matter is currently on appeal. The notices of appeal automatically stayed proceedings on the judgment. Hayworth v. City of Oakland (1982) 129 Cal.App.3d 723, 727 (perfecting of an appeal stays proceedings in the trial court upon the judgment granting a writ of mandate].) However, that stay does not divest the court of jurisdiction to consider these motions for fees. Robertson v. Rodriguez (1995)...

Excerpt: ...0) 184 Cal.App.4th 1422, 1428.) The policy favoring amendment is so strong that it is a rare case in which denial of leave to amend can be justified. Id. If delay in seeking the amendment has not misled or prejudiced the other side, the liberal policy of allowing amendments prevails. (Higgins v. Del Faro (1981) 123 CA3d 558, 564- 565.) Cabrillo seeks leave to amend the Cross-Complaint to add causes of action for breach of implied duty to perform ...

Excerpt: ...rt a meritorious cause of action or defense. The policy favoring amendment is so strong that denial of leave to amend can rarely be justified: “If the motion to amend is timely made and the granting of the motion will not prejudice the opposing party, it is error to refuse permission to amend and where the refusal also results in a party being deprived of the right to assert a meritorious cause of action or a meritorious defense, it is not only...

Excerpt: ... motion for summary judgment. The requests are denied. It is unnecessary to ask the court to take judicial notice of materials previously filed in this case. “[A]ll that is necessary is to call the court's attention to such papers.” (Weil & Brown, Cal. Practice Guide: Civil Procedure Before Trial (The Rutter Group 2018) ¶ 9:53.1a.) Plaintiff's Separate Statement is Noncompliant Plaintiff filed a document entitled “Plaintiff Jason Gardner's...

Excerpt: ...y judgment bears the burden of persuasion that there is no triable issue of material fact and that he is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." (Aguilar v. Atlantic Richfield Co. (2001) 25 Cal.4th 826, 850.) A "party moving for summary judgment bears an initial burden of production to make a prima facie showing of the nonexistence of any triable issue of material fact. . . ." (Aguilar v. Atlantic Richfield Co. (2001) 25 Cal.4th 826, 850.) "A p...

Excerpt: ...Civ. Proc., § 2025.420, subd. (a).) The motion shall be accompanied by a meet and confer declaration under Code of Civil Procedure section 2016.040. (Code Civ. Proc., § 2025.420, subd. (a).) The court, for good cause shown, may make any order that justice requires to protect any party “from unwarranted annoyance, embarrassment, or oppression, or undue burden and expense.” (Code Civ. Proc., § 2025.420, subd. (b).) The protective order may i...

Excerpt: ...bey an order compelling answers to discovery, the court may impose whatever sanctions are just, including issue sanctions, evidence sanctions, terminating sanctions, and monetary sanctions. (Code Civ. Proc., § 2023.030.) Imposition of sanctions for misuse of discovery lies within the trial court's discretion. (Doppes v. Bentley Motors, Inc. (2009) 174 Cal.App.4th 967, 991.) Once a party is ordered by the court to provide responses to discovery, ...

Excerpt: ...agraph 10 permitted limited discovery. Interrogatories was limited to identification of witness. Request for Production was limited to 25 requests. Depositions consisted of two eight-hour depositions of fact witnesses and one two eight-hour deposition of expert witnesses. Upon request of the parties, the arbitrator had authority to allow additional discovery. “The arbitration will be administered by the American Arbitration Association (‘AAA'...

Excerpt: ...for release of records. The motion is granted in part. The motion was properly served upon Bonar Law Group. No opposition was filed by Bonar Law Group. Plaintiff opposed the motion, but only as to the request for an order compelling him to execute authorization for release of records. Here, the subpoena seeks non-privileged records. (See Exh. B.) Therefore, Bonar Law Group's concerns of attorney-client privilege and attorney work product, are unw...

Excerpt: ...framework for evaluating potential invasions of privacy, explaining: “The party asserting a privacy right must establish a legally protected privacy interest, an objectively reasonable expectation of privacy in the given circumstances, and a threatened intrusion that is serious.” (Id. at 552). “The party seeking information may raise in response whatever legitimate and important countervailing interests disclosure serves, while the party se...

Excerpt: ...010) 559 U.S. 662, 686; Kinecta Alternative Financial Solutions, Inc. v. Superior Court (2012) 205 Cal. App. 4th 506, 510-11. This action is ordered stayed pending completion of the arbitration. The Case Management Conference set for March 20, 2020 is ordered off calendar. A Post-Arbitration Review Hearing is set for July 17, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. The parties must file a Joint Status Report at least a week before the hearing, and may request a contin...

Excerpt: ...ndi R Schwartz's Motion Compelling Defendant American General Life Insurance Company to Produce Further Documents in Response to Plaintiff's Document Demands 4) Plaintiff Sindi R Schwartz's Motion For Order Compelling Defendant American General Life Insurance Company to Produce Unredacted Emails Produced at Deposition in Response to Plaintiff's Document Demands Plaintiff Sindi R. Schwartz originally had four discovery motions (ROAs 288, 293, 304,...

Excerpt: ...ettlement agreement and/or proposed notice is submitted, a redline version showing all changes, deletions and additions must be submitted as well, including proof of service of the revised agreement on the LWDA Per the supplemental briefing, Plaintiff's valuation was based on a maximum exposure of $821,444, which was in turn based on alleged Labor Code violations affecting 65 employees over the period from August 15, 2015 to October 2016. The pre...

Excerpt: ...equest for judicial notice of the FAC in this action (ROA 25) is GRANTED. Plaintiff's evidentiary objections to the declaration of Albert Reynaldo (ROA 38) are OVERRULED. The discrepancies Plaintiff identifies between Mr. Reynaldo's declaration filed in support of the present petition (ROA 16) and his subsequent deposition testimony (Hatcher Decl. (ROA 39), Ex. A) go to weight, not admissibility. I. Factual Background A. Plaintiff's Hiring On Feb...

Excerpt: ...th, that are frivolous or solely intended to cause unnecessary delay.” To warrant sanctions under section 128.7(b)(1), a paper presented to the court must be presented “primarily” for an improper purpose. Cal. Civ. Proc. Code, § 128.7(b)(1). Sanctions may be imposed pursuant to section 128.7(b)(2) if a paper contains a claim, defense, or other legal contention that is not warranted by existing law or by nonfrivolous argument for the extens...

Excerpt: ...r money had and received and the second issue relates to the claim for punitive damages in the sixth cause of action for fraud. The motion is moot with respect to the first issue, because plaintiff dismissed the fifth cause of action for money had and received on January 2, 2020. With regard to the second issue, defendants contend that the claim for punitive damages fails because the gravamen of plaintiff's claim is really for breach of contract ...

Excerpt: ...s notice of motion for sanctions pursuant to section 128.7. Alliance appears to concede that the notice of motion served on October 28, 2019 did not contain a hearing date, ostensibly because Alliance could not reserve a hearing date more than 24 hours in advance, but the statute requires a 21-day safe harbor period. See Salisian Supp. Decl. ¶¶ 13-16. Alliance does not address why this issue could not have been raised with the court or court st...

Excerpt: ...fourth cause of action alleges trespass. This is a new cause of action that did not appear in Plaintiff's Complaint. Defendant correctly argues that following an order sustaining a demurrer or a motion for judgment on the pleadings with leave to amend, the plaintiff may amend his or her complaint only as authorized by the court's order. Harris v. Wachovia Mortgage, FSB (2010) 185 Cal.App.4 th 1018, 1023. A plaintiff may not amend a complaint to a...

Excerpt: ... utilizes the services of an unlicensed contractor may bring an action in any court of competent jurisdiction in this state to recover all compensation paid to the unlicensed contractor for performance of any act or contract.” “When the Legislature enacted section 7031(b), courts had long held that a contractor was not entitled to any compensation for any work performed unless the contractor was licensed during the entire project (absent a sh...

Excerpt: ...e only if the matter is reasonably beyond dispute. Post v. Prati (1979) 90 Cal.App.3d 626, 633, 153. Furthermore, matters subject to judicial notice have the same requirement of relevancy as any evidence sought to be introduced at trial. People v. Rowland (1992) 4 Cal.4 th 238, 268, n6; Evid. C. 350. The party making the request for judicial notice must also supply the court will sufficient information and source material to enable the court to d...

Excerpt: ...(See Plff's Opp. RJN; see also Friends of Shingle Springs Interchange, Inc. v. County of El Dorado (2011) 200 Cal.App.4th 1470, 1483; El Escorial Owners' Ass'n v. DLC Plastering, Inc. (2007) 154 Cal.App.4th 1337, 1350.) Wavy Clothing objects to judicial notice of the license information presented by the Plaintiff, but in the reply, Wavy offers the Court similar data and from a similar source (See Reply, RJN.) The Court will not address the licens...

Excerpt: ... it. Each side then explains what the various marks, and absence of marks, meant relative to that paragraph and the agreement. The plaintiff even accuses defendant Wendy Alexander of submitting a fabricated version of the agreement with a check mark next to Paragraph 6.6. She demands that Alexander bring the original to court, and she proposes to testify at the law and motion hearing, apparently to prove the document was altered. Alexander oppose...

Excerpt: ...o this by demonstrating the action has no merit, that plaintiff cannot prove an element of his or her claim, or that it has a complete defense entitling it to judgment as a matter of law. (Code Civ. Proc., § 437c(p)(2); Aguilar v. Atlantic Richfield Co. (2001) 25 Cal.4th 826, 850-851 (Aguilar).) “Once the defendant meets this burden, the burden shifts to the plaintiff to show that a triable issue of one or more material facts exists as to that...

Excerpt: ... court case, Horner v. Bank of New York Mellon, Case No. 8:16-cv-00557-CJC-DFM (USDC C.D. Cal.), and the other recorded in connection with this case. At any time after recording of a lis pendens, any party affected by it may apply “to the court in which the action is pending to expunge the notice.” Code Civ. Proc. §405.30. The person filing the lis pendens has the burden of proof to show that the lis pendens should not be expunged. Code Civ....

Excerpt: ...erd Industries v. Delta Packaging Products, Inc. (2008) 165 Cal.App.4 th 1568, 1588 A motion for leave to complete discovery closer to trial must be accompanied by a meet/confer declaration. [CCP §2024.050(a)] One of the factors to be considered by the court in making its discretionary ruling is “[t]he diligence or lack of diligence of the party seeking discovery or the hearing of the motion, and the reasons that discovery was not completed or...

Excerpt: ...sibility is not the test and information, unless privileged, is discoverable if it might reasonably lead to admissible evidence. [Citation.] These rules are applied liberally in favor of discovery [citation], and (contrary to popular belief), fishing expeditions are permissible in some cases.” (Gonzalez v. Superior Court (1995) 33 Cal.App.4th 1539, 1546.) However, “[c]ourts must insist discovery devices be used as tools to facilitate litigati...

Excerpt: ...otions meet the first prong. The third cause of action alleges protected activity under the First Amendment; i.e., the filing of an FPPC complaint during an election campaign about election activity. It is further undisputed that the third cause of action must be stricken because the filing of an FPPC complaint, even one that may contain false allegations, is protected speech that may not be subject to judicial oversight. The first two causes of ...

Excerpt: ...andings. On 08/16/19, this Court adopted the discovery referee's recommendation to strike defendants' answer to the operative pleading (3rd Amended Complaint), as well as their cross-complaint, following a series of discovery abuses. On 09/18/19, this Court entered a signed order striking defendants' appearances, and ordering defendants to pay fees for the discovery referee. Thereafter, plaintiffs filed and served default prove-up packages. Befor...

Excerpt: ...use of action is for legal malpractice. “If the allegedly negligent conduct does not cause damage, it generates no cause of action in tort. The mere breach of a professional duty, causing only nominal damages, speculative harm, or the threat of future harm—not yet realized—does not suffice to create a cause of action for negligence.” Jordache Enterprises, Inc. v. Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison, 18 Cal.4th 739, 749–750 (1998). Here, the all...

Excerpt: ...� 1102.5, violation of Labor Code § 6301, failure to authorize and provide meal and rest breaks, and wrongful termination in violation of public policy, respectively. Civil Code § 3294 provides that punitive damages may be awarded in an action for breach of an obligation not arising from contract, if the plaintiff proves by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant has been guilty of oppression, fraud, or malice. “Malice” means condu...

Excerpt: ..., the defendant must establish that the challenged claim arises from activity protected by section 425.16. [Citation.] If the defendant makes the required showing, the burden shifts to the plaintiff to demonstrate the merit of the claim by establishing a probability of success. We have described this second step as a ‘summary-judgment-like procedure.' [Citation.]” (Baral v. Schnitt (2016) 1 Cal.5th 376, 384, fn. omitted.) Protected activity: ...

Excerpt: ...on stating facts showing that the actions are complex, as defined by the Judicial Council and that the actions meet the standards specified in Section 404.1.” (Code Civ. Proc., § 404; Ford Motor Warranty Cases (2017) 11 Cal.App.5th 626, 634.) Petitioner has not established the Phan Action is complex. The Phan Action only involves three parties. The complaint filed by Robert Phan alleges that Phan gave Linh and Vy Nguyen a $52,000 loan, which t...

Excerpt: ... motion is denied. Special Interrogatories Nos. 48 through 55 seek (i) the identities (defined as names, last known residence and employment addresses, and telephone numbers) of each resident of Defendant's skilled nursing facility during the approximately three weeks (see Brief at 4:14- 16) Plaintiff resided at the facility; (ii) the identities of each “responsible party” (defined in a lengthy definition set forth in the interrogatories, and...

Excerpt: ...was struck by a vehicle driven by defendant Harris and owned by defendant O'Connell, while Harris was in the course and scope of employment. 2. County of Orange v. Harris, OCSC Case No. 2018-01033469 The complaint, filed on 11/19/18 by plaintiff County of Orange against defendants Steven A. Harris, O'Connell Landscape Maintenance, Inc., and Preston Edward Nunez-Ruiz, seeks subrogation for workers' compensation benefits paid to plaintiff Jennifer ...

Excerpt: ...p Place, Canyon Lake, CA 92587, as requested by Plaintiff. (Evid. Code, § 452(c) and (h).) Demurrer: The Judgment entered on March 8, 2016 in the Family Law Case was pursuant to Stipulated Judgment and addressed child custody/visitation/support, spousal support, division of community property, including the Canyon Lake Property and Mission Viejo Property, vehicles, personal items, debts, and costs in the divorce. (Defendant's RFJN, Exh. B, Stipu...

Excerpt: ...eat and ignite. As a result of the damage, the pole was burned due to a fire which ignited on the Anaheim Utilities Electrical Installation attached to the Pole, causing severe damage to the SCE Pole. MOTION NO. 1, DEMURRER TO FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT: Plaintiff Southern California Edison Company and defendant City of Anaheim have stipulated to permit plaintiff to file a Second Amended Complaint and that plaintiff will do so once the court has sig...

Excerpt: ...Response” to Form Interrogatory No. 15.1 on 5-24-19. On 8-6-19 the Court granted Plaintiff Raquel Pineda's unopposed motion to compel a further response to form interrogatory 15.1. On 8-20-19 Defendant served Further Supplemental Responses. Raquel appears to argue that despite these additional responses, Defendant has failed to comply with the Court's 4-15-19 and 8-6-19 Orders because such responses are still deficient. This is not well-taken. ...

Excerpt: ...n to an LLC in 2012 and general questions regarding LLC issues; Ganatra also attempts to offer hearsay testimony that a]Moore assisted with a buy out of the third owner of Poseidon, b]a ‘love contract', c]company software, and d]potentially suing employees; No evidence was presented to find that Moore had an attorney client relationship with Ruskey, either individually or as a shareholder of BrandRep; Finally, Ruskey argues for the first time o...

Excerpt: ... order in the amount of $440,308.14 Moving Party contends as follows: ParPro is a company specializing in electronics manufacturing services in the medical, aerospace/defense, industrial, and computing/communications markets. (K. Knight Decl. in support of Petition [“ParPro Dec.”], Para. 2.) Respondent Rogerson Kratos Corporation [“Rogerson”] is, and has been, a customer of ParPro - particularly with respect to aerospace electronics manuf...

Excerpt: ...wherein Plaintiff agreed to loan Defendant JB FIBER the principal sum of $35,902.05; Defendant JB FIBER agreed to make 60 monthly payments of $820.48 payable on the 2 nd of each month beginning on 9-2-16; that the last payment received by Plaintiff from Defendant JB FIBER pursuant to the VFA was on 12-2-17; that on 1-2-18, Defendant JB FIBER was in breach of the VFA for failing to make the requisite monthly payment; and that Defendant JB FIBER's ...

Excerpt: ...onetary sanctions. Motion #2: To compel defendant Artelier to provide further responses to Request for Production of Documents, Set One, Nos. 1-8, 11, 13-24, 27-39, 41-45, 49, 50, 53, 54, 56- 58; and for monetary sanctions. Facts/Overview: On 7/23/18, plaintiff Forespar Productions Corporation [“Forespar”] filed a complaint against defendants Artelier Studio, LLC [“Artelier”], Henry Goldman, Richard Joseph Benveniste, and Joseph Fitzgeral...

Excerpt: ... to Plaintiff's Inspection Demand, Set No. 1, and imposition of $2,134.95 in monetary sanctions against Defendant. Motion No. 3. For issuance of an order deeming Plaintiff's Requests For Admissions, Set No. 1, admitted against Defendant San Jacinto Z, LLC and imposition of $2,134.95 in monetary sanctions against Defendant. Motion No. 4. For issuance of an order deeming Plaintiff's Requests For Admissions, Set No. 2, admitted against Defendant San...

Excerpt: ...iff alleges that beginning on 2/9/16, Defendant breached the agreement by failing to pay for legal services in the sum of $247,290.44. Plaintiff filed its complaint on 7/24/19 against Defendant. The complaint alleges causes of action for: Breach of Contract; (2) Common Counts; (3) Account Stated; and (4) Quantum Meruit. The case is set for a continued CMC on 1/15/20. No trial date has been set. Analysis: Improper Extrinsic Evidence A demurrer is ...

Excerpt: ...to that cause of action. Once the defendant . . . has met that burden, the burden shifts to the plaintiff . . . to show that a triable issue of one or more material facts exists as to that cause of action or a defense thereto.” Code of Civil Procedure section 437c, subdivision (f)(1), provides, in part, “A party may move for summary adjudication as to one or more causes of action within an action, one or more affirmative defenses, one or more...

Excerpt: ...against the Cross-Complainants (filed on 5-7-19 under ROA No. 469.) Code of Civil Procedure section 916, subdivision (a), states, “Except as provided in Sections 917.1 to 917.9, inclusive, and in Section 116.810, the perfecting of an appeal stays proceedings in the trial court upon the judgment or order appealed from or upon the matters embraced therein or affected thereby, including enforcement of the judgment or order, but the trial court may...

Excerpt: ... 1-10. The court OVERRULES Respondent's Objections to [Petitioner's] Requests for Judicial Notice, filed on 10-15-19 (ROA No. 108). Respondent's Request for Judicial Notice: The court GRANTS Respondent's Request for Judicial Notice, filed on 10-15-19 (ROA No. 109) and 10-16-19 (ROA No. 104), pursuant to Evidence Code section 452, subdivisions (d) and (h), as to Exhibits A, B, C, and D. Petitioner's Evidentiary Objections (filed on 10-29-19 under ...

Excerpt: ...o arbitrate the controversy, the court itself must determine whether the agreement exists and, if any defense to its enforcement is raised, whether it is enforceable. Because the existence of the agreement is a statutory prerequisite to granting the petition, the petitioner bears the burden of proving its existence by a preponderance of the evidence. If the party opposing the petition raises a defense to enforcement--either fraud in the execution...

Excerpt: ... Third Cause of Action (Fraud). The demurrer to the third cause of action for fraud is sustained with leave to amend. Active concealment or suppression of facts is the equivalent of actual fraud. (Civ. Code, § 1572(3).) The elements of a cause of action for fraudulent concealment are: (i) concealment or suppression of a material fact; (ii) by a defendant with a duty to disclose the fact to the plaintiff; (iii) defendant's intent to defraud plain...

Excerpt: ...ff, within 30 days, the sum of $1,225, which is the amount the Court finds reasonable. The Request for Judicial Notice is denied as unnecessary. (See Cal. Prac. Guide, Civil Procedure before Trial §9:53.1a (“It is not necessary to ask the court to take judicial notice of materials previously filed in the case”; all that is necessary is to call the court's attention to such papers. Such papers however, are not necessarily admissible evidence....

Excerpt: ...nd/or Summary Adjudication is DENIED. Motion No. 1: Defendant C.G. Landscape, Inc.: An answer to the complaint is required to make “A statement of any new matter constituting a defense.” (CCP 431.30 (b) (2)). “'[A]ny issue on which defendant bears the burden of proof at trial is ‘new matter' and must be specially pleaded in the answer.'” Mountain Air Enterprises, LLC v. Sundowner Towers, LLC (2017) 3 Cal.5th 744, 756. On 4/30/18, Defend...

Excerpt: ...e interrogatories to request the identity and location of those with knowledge of discoverable matters.”). The party responding to interrogatories must answer in a manner as “complete and straightforward as the information reasonably available” permits; if the interrogatory cannot be answered completely, then it must be answered to the extent possible. Code Civ. Proc. § 2030.220(b). A party may file a motion to compel further responses to ...

Excerpt: ... overbroad, vague and ambiguous, seeks information outside the scope of discovery, and violates the privacy rights of both ASAS and Sadruddin; (2) the subpoena is overbroad, vague and ambiguous because it refers to “any named parties or entities” without defining who those named parties or entities are; (3) the subpoena is premature because it seeks Defendants' financial information in violation of Civil Code section 3295(c) and because there...

Excerpt: ...arch 21, 2015 through the date of production. Plaintiff/Cross-Defendant Kevin Garcia (“Garcia”) subpoena seeks documents protected by Defendant/Cross-Complainant Martin Arteaga's (“Arteaga”) right to privacy. (Fortunato v. Superior Ct. (2003) 114 Cal.App.4th 475, 480-81 [financial records are protected by individual's right to privacy]; Valley Bank of Nev. v. Superior Ct. (1975) 15 Cal.3d 652, 656 [individual has right to privacy in his o...

Excerpt: ...r Code Civ. Proc. § 425.16(c)(1) after Dismissal Section 425.16 of the Code of Civil Procedure (“CCP”) provides that a prevailing defendant on a special motion to strike is entitled to recover reasonable attorney fees and costs. Code Civ. Proc. § 425.16(c); City of Los Angeles v. Animal Defense League (2006) 135 Cal. App. 4th 606, 627. When a plaintiff voluntarily dismisses the action after the SLAPP motion has been filed and before the tri...

Excerpt: ...ld Co. (2001) 25 Cal.4th 826, 850.) A “party moving for summary judgment bears an initial burden of production to make a prima facie showing of the nonexistence of any triable issue of material fact. . . .” (Aguilar v. Atlantic Richfield Co. (2001) 25 Cal.4th 826, 850.) “A prima facie showing is one that is sufficient to support the position of the party in question.” (Id. at p. 851.) A defendant moving for summary judgment satisfies his ...

Excerpt: ...ply with Corporations Code section 2105, the court sustained the demurrers of Defendants DynaPass, Inc. (“DynaPass”) and Miguel Medina (“Medina”) (together, “Defendants”) on the basis that Plaintiffs lacked capacity to maintain the instant action. (Id.) On May 13, 2019, Plaintiffs filed their Fourth Amended Complaint (“4AC”). Defendants demur to the 4AC, inter alia, on the grounds that Plaintiffs lack capacity to sue. California l...

Excerpt: ...p. (2015) 242 Cal.App.4th 651, 659-660.) However, the truth of statements “may be accepted when made by a party but not those of third parties or an opponent.” (C.R. v. Tenet Healthcare Corp. (2009) 169 Cal.App.4th 1094, 1103.) In addition, “the contents of a document may only be accepted ‘where there is not or cannot be a factual dispute concerning that which is sought to be judicially noticed.'…And the general rule is that the truthfu...

Excerpt: ...cate any intent to seek relief pursuant to this provision. Applying the 3-year statute of limitation, the Complaint makes clear Plaintiffs were entitled to a reconveyance on or about July of 2015. (See ¶14 of the Complaint). While Plaintiffs' Opposition asserts the claim did not accrue until 2019, when Plaintiffs incurred legal costs in pursuing this action, the Complaint alleges the Deed of Trust damaged Plaintiffs by impairing the “vendibili...

Excerpt: ... beyond a broken contractual promise,” in order to recover tort damages]; see also Aas v. Superior Court (2000) 24 Cal.4th 627, 632 [economic loss rule bars an action in tort for purely economic losses in the absence of personal injury or damage to property other than the product itself], superseded by statute in construction defect actions as stated in Burch v. Superior Court (2014) 223 Cal.App.4th 1411, 1417; KB Home v. Superior Court (2003) ...

Excerpt: ...nctions pursuant to CCP § 128.7. This petition arises out of a Coastal Development Permit (“CDP”) relating to a development in Laguna Beach. The CDP has already been the subject of various challenges and litigation by Petitioner, including two prior petitions in Orange County Superior Court. Amended Petition, ¶¶ 15-30. The underlying CDP was approved, with conditions, on August 9, 2017. Amended Petition, ¶¶ 2, 10-23, 29 and 36. The condi...

Excerpt: ... Richfield Co. (2001) 25 Cal.4th 826, 850-51.) If a defendant does not meet this initial burden, the plaintiff need not oppose the motion and the motion must be denied. (Binder v. Aetna Life Ins. Co. (1999) 75 Cal.App.4th 832, 840.) If the defendant meets this initial burden, the burden shifts to the plaintiff to produce evidence demonstrating the existence of a triable issue of material fact. (Code Civ. Proc., § 437c(p)(2); Aguilar, 25 Cal.4th ...

Excerpt: ...l notice is GRANTED. Defendant has filed evidentiary objections (ROA 73) to Plaintiff's declaration in support of her opposition (ROA 68). Objections 1 and 3 are SUSTAINED. Objections 2 and 4 are OVERRULED. GROUNDS FOR RULING This is a putative wage-and-hour class/PAGA action in which Plaintiff alleges she and other employees of Defendant were regularly forced to work off the clock and were denied meal and rest breaks. She brings substantive clai...

Excerpt: ... bears an initial burden of production to make a prima facie showing of the nonexistence of any triable issue of material fact. . . .” (Ibid.) “A prima facie showing is one that is sufficient to support the position of the party in question.” (Id. at p. 851.) “A court identifies the issues framed by the pleadings, determines whether the moving party's showing has established facts which negate the opponent's claim and justify a judgment i...

Excerpt: ...essary is to call the court's attention to such papers.” (Weil & Brown, Cal. Practice Guide: Civil Procedure Before Trial (The Rutter Group 2018) ¶ 9.53.1a.) “[F]rom commencement to conclusion, the party moving for summary judgment bears the burden of persuasion that there is no triable issue of material fact and that he is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” (Aguilar v. Atlantic Richfield Co. (2001) 25 Cal.4th 826, 850.) “A prima ...

Excerpt: ...at p. 2.) Instead, Defendant offered to supplement responses on the condition that Plaintiff respond to a settlement offer by the next business day. (Id.) Plaintiff's decision not to accept that conditional offer does not evidence a failure to meet and confer in good faith. Code of Civil Procedure section 2033.220 provides that should the responding party give lack of information or knowledge as a reason for failure to admit all or part of an RFA...

Excerpt: ...g document requests and interrogatories, and defendants ask that these motions be continued to give them a chance to review plaintiffs' supplemental responses. Plaintiffs and the moving party defendants must file declarations or other papers at least two weeks before the new hearing date advising the court if these motions are still going forward, and if so, as to what issues. The tentative ruling is to continue the hearing on plaintiffs' Applica...

Excerpt: ...n the alternative, summary adjudication of the 1st-4th c/a against Plaintiffs William and Louise Debnam on the ground that in connection with a separate case relating to the servicing of the loan which forms the basis of the claims in this action, Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. YC072073, the Debnams waived all claims against Defendant. Exhibit 9 submitted in support of the motion establishes that on 11/8/17, William and Louise Debnam entered...

Excerpt: ...resentation of CTI and interests adverse to CTI. In the Mesa case Catanzarite is representing the plaintiffs in a derivative action on behalf of CTI, meaning that his representation is for the benefit of CTI. Thus, the same principles that warranted Catanzarite's disqualification in the FinCanna case apply to the Mesa case and compel disqualification here. The pending motion in the FinCanna case is to disqualify Catanzarite from representing thre...

Excerpt: ...urt assumes the parties' familiarity with the background of this long-running matter. This ruling sets forth only the facts necessary to dispose of the present motion. Through this motion, Cross-Defendants seek to recover an additional $926,000 in attorney's fees, which are broken down into three categories: “(1) attorney's fees incurred by Child and Amberhill, but not previously awarded, defending against claims concerning the SRA and claims f...

Excerpt: ...n of the United States and constitution of California, and any other financial privacy laws. Responding Party further objects to this interrogatory on the grounds that it is vague, ambiguous, burdensome, oppressive, not complete in and of itself, calls for the preparation of a compilation, and not reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence. Kuhar's burden on this Motion is to justify any objection or failure to fully an...

Excerpt: ...ific cause of action therein. (See Cal. R. Ct. Rule 3.1320(a).) As Plaintiffs correctly point out, Defendant's Demurrer is procedurally defective since he only demurred to the First Cause of Action. ROA 27. However, because Defendant did advise Plaintiff that he would demurrer to each cause of action (Supp. Jain Decl., Ex. A.) and included these arguments in his supporting memorandum, the Court exercises its discretion to consider the merits of D...

Excerpt: ...gs Plaintiffs have filed. That being said, the proof of mail service attached to the Demurrer itself appears proper. If Defendant seeks to serve by e-mail in the future, it will need to use the proper email address. As to the Demurrer itself, it is sustained pursuant to CCP §§ 430.10(e)-(g). “The [] reviewing court gives the complaint a reasonable interpretation, and treats the demurrer as admitting all material facts properly pleaded. [Citat...

Excerpt: ...Supplemental Jurisdiction statute, 28 USC § 1367. Under subdivision (a) of Code Civ. Proc. § 1008, any party affected by an order made upon application by the Court “may, within 10 days after service upon the party of written notice of entry of the order and based upon new or different facts, circumstances, or law, make application to the same judge or court that made the order, to reconsider the matter and modify, amend, or revoke the prior ...

Excerpt: ...ndant to make one payment of $1500 in November 2017, fifteen monthly payments of $3000 starting on 12/01/18, and one final payment of $1492.61 on or before 03/01/19. If defendant made late payments, plaintiff was authorized to collect a $100 late fee per payment. Defendant initially performed and then breached beginning in February 2018, thus damaging plaintiff in the amount of $39,255.70 plus interest from 01/05/18, late fees, and attorney's fee...

Excerpt: ...entry of judgment. CRC 3.1700; Daniels v. Robbins (2010) 182 Cal.App.4th 204, 228. The memorandum must include a supporting declaration affirming that the costs were reasonable and necessarily incurred. CRC 3.1700(a)(1). If the items in the cost bill appear on their face to be proper (by comparing the cost bill to the list of recoverable costs in CCP §1033.5), the verified memorandum of costs is prima facie evidence of their propriety. The burde...

Excerpt: ... manner. Each party shall select and appoint one arbitrator. The two arbitrators so appointed shall select and appoint a third arbitrator. The decision in writing of any two of the arbitrators so appointed shall be binding and conclusive as to both parties to this Agreement. Should either party to this Agreement fail to appoint an arbitrator as required by this paragraph within fifteen (15) days after receiving written notice from the other party...

Excerpt: ... M.S. On 9-25-19, plaintiff served a notice for Brualt's deposition on 10-7-19. The notice was sent with a letter asking for alternative dates if 10-7-19 was not available for either Brualt or counsel. On 10-2-19, defendant served an objection to the deposition notice. On 10-8-19, plaintiff's counsel emailed defense counsel and asked that the parties discuss an expert deposition schedule. Defense counsel responded by stating that counsel expected...

Excerpt: ...cant revenue for either plaintiff or defendant – but not both. Before the Court this day is a motion by plaintiff to secure a further response from defendant to eight (8) categories of documents contained in a first set of RPDs. According to defendant, the responses are Code-compliant. According to plaintiff, the responses are deceptive. The party receiving a demand for production of documents has two legitimate options: (1) move for a protecti...

Excerpt: ...ll, Shaw & Garcia is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part; and (3) Motion to Compel Further Responses from Defendant Madison Conrad to Requests for Production of Documents, Set One, and for Monetary Sanctions Against Defendant and/or Her Counsel of Record, Patricia Valenzuela of the law firm, McDowell, Shaw & Garcia is GRANTED as set forth below: The motions to compel are GRANTED as to Form Interrogatories (“FI”) Nos. 2.6, 12.4, 16.1, 17.1, 20....

Excerpt: ...(Id. at p. 1233.) “Once facts showing minimum contacts with the forum state are established, however, it becomes the defendant's burden to demonstrate that the exercise of jurisdiction would be unreasonable.” (Jewish Def. Org., Inc. v. Superior Court (1999) 72 Cal. App. 4th 1045, 1054-55). There two types of personal jurisdiction: (1) general jurisdiction; or (2) specific jurisdiction. A court with general jurisdiction may hear any claim agai...

Excerpt: ...esorts to Godwin's Law: “This was ‘the dog of the Nazis' in World War II. Hitler's dog, ‘Blondie,' was a German Shepherd.” (SAC, Attachment One.) It is not enough to allege that all German shepherds are vicious. (See Chee v. Amanda Goldt Property Management (2006) 143 Cal.App.4th 1360, 1371–1372 [breed characteristics insufficient]; see also Lundy v. California Realty (1985) 170 Cal.App.3d 813, 822 [“Neither do we believe judicial not...

Excerpt: ... a deed of trust need not be recorded. (See Haynes v. ENC Mortgage Corp. (2012) 205 Cal.App.4th 329, 336-37). The FAC also fails to allege facts showing plaintiffs have standing to challenge the assignment or that plaintiffs offered to tender the disputed loan proceeds. (See Kalnoki v. First American Trustee Servicing Solutions, LLC (2017) 8 Cal.App.5th 23, 43; Mendoza v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA (2016) 6 Cal.App.5th 802)). 2nd cause of action, wr...

Excerpt: ...ney Parks, Experiences and Products, Inc., are overruled. Moving Defendants demur to the entire complaint based on the contention “there are no factual allegations” against The Walt Disney Company and Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, Inc. The Complaint identifies Defendant The Walt Disney Company as “Doe 1.” The Complaint alleges that all Doe defendants participated in all the events alleged in the Complaint. (Compl. ¶ 38.) Defend...

Excerpt: ...led together and noticed for the same hearing. Filing a motion to strike does not extend the time within which to demur. [CCP § 435(b)(3), (d).] If both a demurrer and motion to strike are filed, they must be filed at the same time and noticed for hearing at the same time. [CRC 3.1322(b)]. Here, Defendant did not ensure that its Motion to Strike was concurrently set with the Demurrer. Further, failure to state facts sufficient to state a cause o...

Excerpt: ...acts that could allege in good faith to cure the defects noted below. The Insurer Defendants demur to Plaintiffs' first cause of action for reformation, second cause of action for declaratory relief, and third cause of action for breach of contract. In their FAC, Plaintiffs allege that the Insurer Defendants were the insurer for Defendants Ryan and Katherine Schierberl (the “Schierberls” or the “Schierberl Defendants”) and, as such, they ...

Excerpt: ...t; and may, upon like terms, enlarge the time for answer or demurrer. Code Civ. Proc. § 473(a)(1). The court may likewise, in its discretion, after notice to the adverse party, allow, upon any terms as may be just, an amendment to any pleading or proceeding in other particulars; and may upon like terms allow an answer to be made after the time limited by this code. Code of Civ. Proc. § 473(a)(1). Additionally, any judge, at any time before or a...

Excerpt: ...ief discussion of the pertinent case history is helpful. The case began with the Complaint filed by Plaintiff Golden Rain Foundation of Laguna Woods (“Golden Rain”) against Dickinson. Golden Rain ultimately dismissed its Complaint with prejudice on 12/27/2018. In the meantime, however, Dickinson had filed a Cross-Complaint against Plaintiff on 11/14/2018. Shortly after, Dickinson filed a First Amended Cross-Complaint (“FACC”) on 12/12/201...

Excerpt: ... and Mov. Ex. 11, p. 217-19, 214-15.) Regarding the asserted conversation with Dr. Kang, which happened perhaps in May of 2014, the attributed statements about the hospital being top notch, a good place, the best place, and having high standards (see Mov. Ex. 11 p. 206-207, 210-13, 214-15, 217; Opp. Ex. B, pp. 206-7, 252-53) are too general, vague, and nonspecific to form the basis of actionable fraud. (See Finch v. McKee (1936) 18 Cal.App.2d 90,...

Excerpt: ... the alternative, for summary adjudication on each cause of action, based solely on the primary assumption of risk doctrine. Primary assumption of the risk arises when a plaintiff voluntarily participates in a sport or “other activities involving an inherent risk of injury [ ] where the risk cannot be eliminated without altering the fundamental nature of the activity.” (Beninati v. Black Rock City, LLC (2009) 175 Cal. App. 4th 650, 658, inter...

Excerpt: ... two agreements. The first was the twelve page Employment Agreement (Exhibit A). The second was the three page Mutual Agreement to Arbitrate Claims (Exhibit B). These do Civ. Code, § 1642 provides that “Several contracts relating to the same matters, between the same parties, and made as parts of substantially one transaction, are to be taken together.” When two agreements are entered at roughly the same time, they treated as one transaction...

Excerpt: ...r as it was served by Plaintiff herself, Defendants appear to have received the responses and did not make an issue of the improper proof of service in their reply. This motion was filed and served after the date of service of Plaintiffs responses and is based on CCP §2030.290, which would have been proper if no responses had been served. As responses were served before the present motion was filed, the present motion is moot as argued. If Defen...

Excerpt: ...ntry of the judgment. Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 473(b). This limit is jurisdictional. (Austin v. Los Angeles Unified School Dist. (2016) 244 Cal.App.4th 918, 928 (“This six-month time limitation is jurisdictional; the court has no power to grant relief under section 473 once the time has lapsed.”).) Here, Defendant did not file the motion to vacate within 6 months of the March 27, 2019 entry of default. Instead, Defendant filed the motion on Oc...

Excerpt: ... seal. A court may order a record to be filed under seal only if it expressly finds facts establishing: 1) There exists an overriding interest that overcomes the right of public access to the record; 2) The overriding interest supports sealing the record; 3) A substantial probability exists that the overriding interest will be prejudiced if the record is not sealed; 4) The proposed sealing is narrowly tailored; and 5) No less restrictive means ex...

Excerpt: ...ed the phrase “INCIDENT”. The form interrogatories direct the propounding party to provide a definition of “INCIDENT”. Plaintiff may have done so when propounding the interrogatories, but the definition is not included in the separate statement in violation of Rule 31.345(c)(5) (the separate statement must include, “[i]f necessary, the text of all definitions, instructions, and other matters required to understand each discovery request...

Excerpt: ... not oppose the motion, it is granted as to Avila and judgment will be entered in CRH's behalf on Avila's complaint. CRH's request for judicial notice of Exhibit E to McDermed declaration re recommended standards of hygiene in dental clinics, is denied as irrelevant to the court's determination of the motion. At the outset, the court notes that CRH's motion does not address any claim of the CDG defendants' cross-complaint. Indeed, the Notice of M...