Excerpt: ... inten t to perform. “ ‘ “ Promissory fraud” is a subspecies of fraud and deceit. A promise to do something necessarily implies the intention to perform; hence, where a promise is made without such intention, there is an implied misrepresentation of fact that may be actionable fraud .' ” (Engalla v. Permanente Medical Group, Inc. (1997) 15 Cal.4th 951, 973−974, internal citations omitted.) “Under Civil Code section 1709, one is liab...

Excerpt: ...e untimely reply. All briefs should be filed as required by the code. First Cause of Action (Civil Conspiracy to Commit Extortion): This cause of action is not sufficiently pled. Initially, the court overrules the challenge this cause of action is barred by certain terms of the Settlement Agreement. Le's claims include a claim to rescind the Settlement Agreement. If Le succeeds in rescinding the Settlement Agreement, then its terms would not bar...

Excerpt: ..., (5) bre ach of implied in fact contract, (6) work, labor, and services rendered, (7) recovery of stolen property received pursuant to Penal Code §496, (8) intentional interference with contractual relations, (9) intentional interference with prospective economic relations, and (10) negligent interference with prospective economic relations. 1. Actual Fraud The elements of fraud are: "(a) [a] misrepresentation (false representation, conceal...

Excerpt: ...essor in interest to Leonel Cordova and the Estate of Leonel Cordova (collectively, Plaintiffs). As set forth below, the demurrer is SUSTAINED WITHOUT LEAVE TO AMEND. On October 2, 2023, the court sustained the Defendants' demurrer to the first cause of action for negl igence and allowed the Plaintiffs 20 days leave to amend. The basis for granting leave to amend was to allow Plaintiffs to either consolidate the negligence and premises liability...

Excerpt: ...e allegations are mere conclusions. [Citations.] Some particularized facts demonstrating a constitutional deprivation are needed to sustain a cause of action under the Civil Rights Act. [Citations.]” (Bach v. County of Butte (1983) 147 Cal.App.3d 554, 564) When address ing federal statutes, it is appropriate to apply federal law. (Bach v. County of Butte (1983) 147 Cal.App.3d 554, 563 [“we hold that the state courts of California should apply...

Excerpt: ...fer obligation pr ior to filing the motion, and further attempts to meet -and -confer would have been futile under the circumstances. The court notes the following: Defendant proffers evidence that her attorney, Mark S. Ashworth, sent Plaintiff a detailed initial meet- and-c onfer letter on at least three separate occasions – on September 27, October 5, and October 17, 2023. (Ashworth Decl., ¶ 2; Exh. A.) “At some point Plaintiff called [Mr...

Excerpt: ...1) the existen ce of the contract, (2) [the party's] performance or excuse for nonperformance, (3) the [other party's] breach, and (4) resulting damages to the [party].” (Maxwell v. Dolezal (2014) 231 Cal. App. 4th 93, 97- 98.) A complaint need only plead the legal effect or substance of the contract's material terms, even for oral contracts. (See, e.g., Khoury v. Maly's of California, Inc. (1993) 14 Cal.App.4th 612, 616 [“An oral contrac...

Excerpt: ...ustained without leave to amend. Aiding and Abetting Fraud or Breach of Fiduciary Duties (Seventh Cause of Action) The seventh cause of action is against the Starboard Defendants for "aiding and abetting fraud and/or breach of fiduciary duties". (TAC, at pp. 54 -57.) TPG alleg es Starboard had actual knowledge of Defendant Honarkar's planned fraud and breach of fiduciary duties, and that Starboard “actively concealed” that it was �...

Excerpt: ... Busine ss and Professions Code section 17200 (UCL) are both based on the same common nucleus of facts as the cause of action for misappropriation of trade secrets and are therefore superseded by the California Uniform Trade Secrets Act (CUTSA). (See K.C. Multimed ia, Inc. v. Bank of America Technology & Operations, Inc. (2009) 171 Cal.App.4th 939, 958959, 962 (K.C. Multimedia) [CUTSA preemption]; Angelica Textile Servs., Inc. v. Park (2013) 220 ...

Excerpt: ...aking or damaging by a public entity of a valuable property right; (2) that the taking or damaging was for a public use; and (3) that the invasion or appropriation directly and specifically affected the property owner to his or her injury. (City of Los Angeles (201 1) 194 Cal. App. 4th 210, 221.) Plaintiff alleges that the following constitute a taking: (1) Defendant's refusal to issue Plaintiff a business license for a four month period startin...

Excerpt: ...nes, and to maximize enforcement of state labor laws.” (Moniz v. Ade cco USA, Inc. (2021) 72 Cal.App.5th 56, 72.) Because it appears Defendant provided Pick Up Stix releases to employees in both English and Spanish, the Court will require that notice of this settlement be given in both English and Spanish. The Court approve s the following distributions: 1. Attorneys' fees and litigation costs in the amount of $108,750. The grounds for this awa...

Excerpt: ...eet their initial burden of establishing a written agreement exists between the parties that includes a prevailing party contract, as required under Civil Code section 1717. Civil Code section 1717(a) states, “In any action on a contract, where the contract specific ally provides that attorney's fees and costs, which are incurred to enforce that contract, shall be awarded either to one of the parties or to the prevailing party, then the pa...

Excerpt: ...of the defendant's allegations as being true.'” (People ex rel. Becerra v. Superior Court (2018) 29 Cal.App.5th 486, 499.) Here, as in Becerra, defendant has “denied all of [plaintiff's] allegations . . . . This alone should have precluded judgment on the pleadings.” (B ecerra, supra, 29 Cal.App.5th at p. 499; accord 8/14/23 answer at p. 2. [defendant “denies generally and specifically each and every cause of action and allegation”...

Excerpt: ...s should be prepared to discuss the deadline for answering or otherwise responding to the 3AC. EVIDENTIARY MATTERS Defendant Orange County Health Authority dba CalOptima (“CalOptima”) has filed unnumbered evidentiary objections to the Prime Hospitals' evidence. The Court numbers them sequentially for the purposes of ruling on them. 1. Overruled. 2. Overruled. 3. Sustained on hearsay grounds as to the sentence “The judgment was entered afte...

Excerpt: ...Complaint (the o perative pleading) filed by Plaintiff NANCY L. ROJO (“Rojo”). Rocha's alternative motion for summary adjudication of issues is therefore MOOT. Only the 5th and 6th causes of action of the Third Amended Complaint remain. 5th C/A (financial elder abuse) Th e fifth cause of action for financial elder abuse alleges, inter alia: Rocha used an expired Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to take, deprive, misappropriate, and retai...

Excerpt: ...glish is n ot his native language. (Pedraza Decl., ¶¶ 10 -12.) The DRP states in relevant part: Arbitration shall be the sole and exclusive remedy for any dispute, grievance, claim, or controversy of any kind or nature (a "claim") arising out of, related to, or con nected with your employment application with the Company, your employment relationship with the Company, your engagement with the Company, and the termination of your employm...

Excerpt: ... or to produc e any document, electronically stored information, or tangible thing under the deponent's control that is specified in the deposition notice or a deposition subpoena, the party seeking discovery may move the court for an order compelling that answer or pro duction.” A deponent who has objected to a question and refused to answer bears the burden of justifying such refusal on the motion to compel. (Weil & Brown, Cal. Practice ...

Excerpt: ...Eviden ce Code section 1157 preserves the secrecy of the proceedings and records of peer review bodies and of organized committees of hospital or professional associations charged with evaluating and improving the quality of care rendered by specified health care professionals. The burden is on the facility, as the party resisting discovery, to establish that the information falls within the class of material protected under Section 1157. (Santa...

Excerpt: ...des, “Any city receiving notice of the action filed against the board and the county may, within 30 days of the receipt of that notice, intervene in that action.” The court need not concern itself with what the statute might imply, because the text is unambiguous. The right of intervention belongs to a city, and DWA is not a city. As the court noted in Busse v. United PanAm Financial Corp. (2014) 222 Cal. App. 4th 1028, 1038, “The classic ...

Excerpt: ...s will be sp lit between the two law firms representing plaintiff and the class, so that the court can approve separate attorneys' fees awards. The initial preliminary approval papers stated there was no fee splitting, without any supporting citation. The Class Notic e said that Class Counsel is Kingsley and Kingsley, but Abramson Labor Group is on the caption and plaintiff declares in ¶6 of his declaration that he consented to a fee -splitting...

Excerpt: ...tion for summary judgment or adjudication is to allow a determination as to whether an opposing party cannot show evidentiary support for a pleading or claim and to enable an order of summary dismissal without the need for trial. (Aguilar v. Atlantic Richfield Co. (2001) 25 Cal.4th 8 26, 843.) BREACH OF ORAL CONTRACT – 1ST cause of action In this action, Plaintiff asserts that approximately 60 years ago, it entered into an oral contract with W...

Excerpt: ...nst him. Plaintiff asserts these causes of action against Defendant CITY only. The Court DENIES Defendants' request for judicial notice of Exhibits D and E. These documents are not the proper subject of judicial notice. As to Defendant's special demurrer, the Court OVERRULE S same. These causes of action are not so unintelligible that Defendants cannot reasonably respond. Any ambiguities can be clarified through discovery. (Lickiss v. Financial ...

Excerpt: ...day, December 13, 2023, on December 18, 2023, plaintiff and cross -defendant filed a declaration for an automatic extension. The extension expired on January 17, 2024, but the demurrer and motion to strike were not filed until March 1, 2024. And then, cross -defendant s et the matters for hearing on May 16, 2024, in violation of Rules 3.1320(d) and 3.1322(b) of the California Rules of Court [demurrer must be set for a hearing within 35 days of ...

Excerpt: ...iminary Appr oval (ROA 255) served on the LWDA? Plaintiff must file a proof of service with the court reflecting service of the August 26, 2020 order on the LWDA. 2. Has defendant paid all sums owed under the settlement? See Hernandez Decl. (ROA 265) ¶ 15. If not, w hen will defendant pay the outstanding sums owed? 3. Was the escalator clause triggered? 4. The settlement administrator should state whether any disputes were received. 5. The set...

Excerpt: ...lation of Class and PAGA Action Settlement, ¶ 4(A)). The release must be fairly tailored to the claims that were or reasonably could have been asserted in the lawsuit based on the facts alleged in the operative complaint. E.g., the word “reasonably” should be i nserted before “could have been pled”; “[t]he Complaints” should be replaced with “[t]he Second Amended Complaint”; and the phrase “(including the contemplated Second Am...

Excerpt: ...operly serve an amen ded Complaint by April 3, 2023, or thereafter; that at the May 4, 2023, Case Management Conference, Plaintiff had still not filed the First Amended Complaint and represented to the Court that one would be filed but that one had still not been filed and tha t Plaintiff never requested additional time to file and serve an amended complaint, and no extension was granted. Defendant asserts that the entry of default appears to...

Excerpt: ... A. Ju dgment Creditor can correct its name. A court of general jurisdiction has the power, after final judgment and regardless of lapse of time, to correct clerical errors or misprisions in its records, whether made by the clerk, counsel, or the court itself, so that the records will conform to and speak the truth. (Estate of Goldberg (1938) 10 Cal.2d 709, 713.) This inherent power is confirmed by statute. “The court may, upon motion of the ...

Excerpt: ...initial matter, the court not es Officer Clay was dismissed from Plaintiffs' Complaint on 03/21/24 and Officer Clay dismissed his Cross -Complaint on the same date. (ROA 117, 119.) Thus, Officer Clay is no longer a party to this action. Accordingly, Defendants' request for judgment in f avor of Officer Clay is DENIED AS MOOT. The City raises several arguments in support of its contention that it is entitled to summary judgment in its favor as to ...

Excerpt: ...urt Orde r Plaintiff's motion to compel compliance with this court's order of September 28, 2023, is DENIED. Further responses were served on October 4, 2023, but plaintiff complains the responses are “nearly identical” to the prior responses. The motion is not accompanied by a separate statement as required by Rule 3.1324 of the California Rules of Court, and the motion fails to establish how the responses were not compliant with the court's...

Excerpt: ...1, 2023 be deemed admi tted and conclusively established for all purposes in this action. Defendants additionally move for an order awarding monetary sanctions against Plaintiff in the sum of $690 each for three filed motions for a total of $2,070 for all motions. Defendants contend that Plaintiff has not served responses to the discovery at issue and that Plaintiff has asserted that she has already responded to the discovery via her complaint a...

Excerpt: ... must consider the objections to the interrogatories, the interrogatories themselves, the pleadings, and the contentions of the interrogating party as to the purpose and validity of the interrogatories. (Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc. v. Superior Court for Los Angeles C ounty (1968) 263 Cal.App.3d 12, 18- 19.) “If the interrogatories stray too far and seek information which cannot reasonably serve the acknowledge purposes of pretrial discov...

Excerpt: ...o effectua te personal service. Instead, Plaintiff served all Defendants by emailing the summons and complaint to Defendant Chavez. Defendants argue that Chavez did not agree to accept service of the summons and complaint by email and further did not agree to accep t service on behalf of the other Defendants. Defendants also argue that Plaintiff did not establish that she made diligent attempts to personally serve Defendants prior to serving them...

Excerpt: ...ion. For the followi ng reasons, defendants' motion is granted in part and denied in part. The sixth cause of action (failure to provide accurate wage statements) and the seventh cause of action (failure to reimburse for expenses) in plaintiff's complaint are ordered to arbitr ation. The remaining claims are stayed pending completion of the arbitration. Civ. Proc. Code § 1281.4. Defendants' motion to strike the class allegations is denied. The a...

Excerpt: ...802 for Defendant's fa ilure to reimburse necessary business expenses. (ROA 2.) On July 16, 2021, Plaintiff filed the operative First Amended Complaint (“FAC”) adding a PAGA claim. (ROA 17.) The class consisted of those employees who sought mileage/travel reimbursement. An Unlaw ful Business Practices claim is alleged on the same basis. The PAGA claim is based on violations of Labor Code sections 2802 and 204 (timely payment of wages). The L...

Excerpt: ...Cal.App.5th 356, 384.) Plaintiffs are granted limited leave to amend, however, to plead this remedy within the underlying cause of action they believe supports this relief. The demurrer to the second cause of action for conversion and the third cause of action for tr espass to chattel, is sustained, on the basis Plaintiffs have not alleged interference with Plaintiff's possession of the identified property. (PCO, Inc. v. Christensen, Miller, Fin...

Excerpt: ...Inc., M S Int ernational, Inc., Lotte Chemical California, Inc., and NGY Group (Orange County) Inc. demur to the fourth cause of action for fraudulent concealment. For the following reasons, the demurrers are overruled. In ruling on a demurrer, a court must accept as true all allegations of fact contained in the complaint. Blank v. Kirwan (1985) 39 Cal.3d 311, 318. A demurrer challenges only the legal sufficiency of the affected pleading, not the...

Excerpt: ...oval of the class action and PAGA settlement. UPCOMING EVENTS: None FACTS/OVERVIEW: This is a putative wage -and -hour class action and PAGA matter. The operative First Amended Complaint (“FAC”) was filed March 24, 2021 (ROA 55), and alleges the following eight causes of action: 1. Failure to Pay Minimum Wages; 2. Failure to Pay Overtime; 3. Failure to Provide Rest Breaks; 4. Failure to Provide Meal Periods; 5. Failure to Provide Accurate Wa...

Excerpt: ...ff requests be stricken. (Id., 3:20 -22.) The memorandum also seeks an order striking the separate statement and references in Defendants' brief to the facts contained in the separate statement. (Id., 8:14 -16.) The Court considers this a motion to strike the entire separate statement only. (Cal. Rules of Ct., Rule 3.1322(a).) “The paragraphs in a separate statement should be limited to facts that address the elements of a cause of action or an...

Excerpt: ...nt 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...

Excerpt: ... an ov erlong brief due to Defendant's improperly single -spacing and use of less than 12 point font for numerous footnotes. The court is inclined to continue the hearing, and trial as necessary, to order Defendant to file a compliant memorandum and permit Plaintiff to respond pursuant to Code Civ. Proc. §437c. The court will hear from counsel on this point. Issues with Defendants' Moving Papers The Memorandum For its memorandum in support of i...

Excerpt: ...hard moves to dismiss the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Causes of Action of the Complaint for Property Damages, Breach of Contract, Fraud and Punitive Damages filed by Plaintiff Daniel Escamilla. 1st Cause of Action (Willful Misconduct Resulting in Property Damage) The crux of Plaintiff's claim is that Defendant rented a 2018 Ford F- 150 Lariat vehicle and caused damage to it when he had a duty not to do to so. Defendant argues that Plaintiff lacks standing...

Excerpt: ...ing. Plain tiff Meadows Bank LP is ORDERED to pay to Defendant Kimberly Ann Gavin sanctions in the amount of $1,600 (4 hours x $400 per hour) within 30 days of service of the notice of ruling. If the sanctions are not paid in a timely manner, they shall accrue intere st at the legal rate of 10% per annum. Defendant Kimberly Ann Gavin (Defendant Gavin) moves to compel Plaintiff Meadows Bank to provide further responses to Requests for Production o...

Excerpt: ... On receipt of a response to interrogatories, the propounding party may move for an order compelling a further response if the propounding party deems that any of the following apply: [¶] (1) An answer to a particular interrogatory is evasive or incomplete. [¶] (2) An exercise of the option to produce documents under Section 2030.230 is unwarranted or the required specification of those d ocum en ts i s i n ad eq uate. [ ¶] ( 3 ) A n ob j ect...

Excerpt: ...electronic service RELIEF SOUGHT: Moving Plaintiffs move for an order to compel Defendants to provide responses to Requests for Production of Documents, and to impose monetary sanctions on Defendants. UPCOMING EVENTS: 1. Motion for Summary Judgment/Summary Adjudication – May 24, 2024 2. Status Conference – October 2, 2024 FACTS/OVERVIEW: This is an individual wage -and -hour action and representative PAGA action. This is not a class action. O...

Excerpt: ...and First A mended Complaint (FAC) for lack of personal jurisdiction due to defective service. Standard to Quash Service of Process A court lacks jurisdiction over a defendant if there has not been proper service of process upon that defendant.  (See Ruttenberg v. Ruttenberg (1997) 53 Cal.App.4th 801, 808.) Therefore, “[a] defendant, on or before the last day of his or her time to plead or within any further time that the court may for good c...

Excerpt: ...ent Reques ts 1-5. Non -Party Avalon Laboratory Services, LLC is ORDERED to serve full, complete, and verified responses and responsive documents to Document Requests 6 and 7 of the Deposition Subpoena for Production of Business Records Served on Nonparty Avalon Labo ratory Services, LLC, within 30 days of service of the notice of ruling. Defendant Integritox Laboratories, LLC (Defendant Integritox) and Defendant Laboratory Services, MSO, LLC (D...

Excerpt: ...rt ORDERS that the version of the Declaration of Jemma E. Dunn in Support of Plaintiff Jane Doe 7030's Opposition to NewportMesa Unified School District's Motion for Summary Judgment that does not redact Plaintiff's true name, (ROA #144), shall not be made available to the public without court order. The court ORDERS that the version of the Declaration of Jemma E. Dunn in Support of Plaintiff Jane Doe 7030's Opposition to NewportMesa Unified Sc...

Excerpt: ...he Estate o f Jeffrey Russell, Case No. 213400266 (the “Utah Probate Case”). Plaintiffs contend that the issues in the Utah Probate Case are substantively identical to these proceedings as it involves many of the same claims at issue and the same parties here. The C ourt disagrees. Plaintiffs' claims in the Utah action are as follows: (1) determining invalidity of purported trust; or in the alternative (1) enforcing decedent's contract to lea...

Excerpt: ...ive dam ages, Plaintiff must establish Defendants are guilty of oppression, fraud, or malice. (Civ. Code § 3294(a).) Moreover, Civil Code section 3294(b) provides, “An employer shall not be liable for damages pursuant to subdivision (a), based upon acts of an em ployee of the employer, unless the employer had advance knowledge of the unfitness of the employee and employed him or her with a conscious disregard of the rights or safety of others...

Excerpt: ...limited to t he “four corners” of the pleading (which includes exhibits attached and incorporated therein) or from matters outside the pleading which are judicially noticeable under Evidence Code §§ 451 or 452. Although California courts take a liberal view of inartfu lly drawn complaints, it remains essential that a complaint set forth the actionable facts relied upon with sufficient precision to inform the defendant of what plaintiff is c...