Excerpt: ...17 Cal.App.4th 218, 227.) A defendant challenging a complaint must show either (1) the court has no jurisdiction over the subject matter within the complaint or (2) the complaint fails to state sufficient facts to constitute a cause of action. (Code of Civil Procedure section 438(c)(1)(B).) “[J]udgment on the pleadings must be denied where there are material factual issues that require evidentiary resolution. (Schabarum v. California Legislatur...

Excerpt: .... (Picton v. Anderson Union High School (1996) 50 Cal.App.4th 726, 733.) All properly pleaded facts are assumed to be true as well as those that are judicially noticeable. (Blank v. Kirwan (1985) 39 Cal.3d 311, PLACER COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT THURSDAY, CIVIL LAW AND MOTION DEPARTMENT 42 THE HONORABLE MICHAEL W. JONES TENTATIVE RULINGS FOR MAY 5, 2022 AT 8:30 A.M. PLACER SUPERIOR COURT – DEPARTMENT 42 Thursday Civil Law and Motion – Tentative Rul...

Excerpt: ...er identified as DR6045‐6120 (“the Draft Agreement”), ordering the continued deposition of Michael Devereaux, and appointing a discovery referee to oversee the continued deposition. The Draft Agreement was produced in discovery by plaintiff Donyne Ranch LLC, in response to a request for production of documents served by defendant. As described by defense counsel, it contains handwritten notations. Defense counsel believes that the notations...

Excerpt: ...rt has jurisdiction to consider defendant's motion for attorney's fees. Defendant is the prevailing party in this action, as the court granted defendant's motion for summary judgment. Defendant requests attorneys' fees pursuant to Civil Code section 1717 totaling $51,595, plus $60 in costs incurred in the filing of the current motion. The first amended complaint alleged a single cause of action against defendant for breach of written contract. Th...

Excerpt: ...om the parties regarding the issue of whether a private right of action existed under Health and Safety Code section 1280.18, or CCR, Title 16, § 1881(d). The court's file reflects that plaintiffs filed a supplemental brief on March 28, 2022, and that defendants filed a supplemental brief on March 29, 2022. The parties reference an earlier supplemental brief purportedly filed by defendants on or about March 22, 2022. However, the court's file re...

Excerpt: ...atutes governing unlawful detainers are to be strictly construed. (WDT‐Winchester v. Nilsson (1994) 27 Cal.App.4th 516, 526.) Code of Civil Procedure section 1179.11(a) states a summons shall not be issued unless the plaintiff submits a filing stating, among other things, plaintiff has received no communication from the tenant that the tenant has applied for governmental rental assistance to cover the unpaid rental debt demanded from defendant ...

Excerpt: ...personal representative and the defendant's estate as defendants after the death of the defendant. The court has broad discretion in granting leave to amend a pleading with such discretion exercised liberally to permit amendments. (Howard v. County of San Diego (2010) 184 Cal.app.4th 1422, 1428.) Liberality is warranted here, especially in light of the unique factual circumstances. Contrary to defendants' assertions, the complaint is not barred o...

Excerpt: ...ommissioner was “vested with the authority to hear any future or further hearings or the trial in this case, whether contested or uncontested, as Judge Pro Tempore.” Upon stipulation of the parties, a court commissioner is empowered to adjudicate a “cause” until its final determination. Cal. Const., art. VI, § 21. The determination of a cause encompasses subsequent proceedings that are its “direct progeny,” but not those considered �...

Excerpt: ...cluding (1) delays and last‐minute cancellations of the deposition of Cross; (2) inadequate document productions; (3) failure to cooperate with the Receiver; (4) late payment of sanctions and non‐payment of other charges requested by plaintiff; (5) unprofessional and uncivil correspondence from defense counsel; and (6) the failure to respond to meet and confer letters. Terminating sanctions are an extreme sanction for those cases where misuse...

Excerpt: ...sing out of plaintiff Greg Boas's purchase of a 2008 Ford F250 on or about January 1, 2009. The complaint in this action was filed on April 29, 2019. A notice of settlement was filed August 30, 2021. Defendant agreed to pay plaintiff $66,335 in exchange for surrender of the subject vehicle, plus fees and costs to be determined by motion. Plaintiff now moves for an award of attorneys' fees and costs. Civil Code section 1794(d) authorizes the recov...

Excerpt: ... Rulings on Pride's Request for Judicial Notice and Edelweiss's Objection Pride's request for judicial notice is granted. Edelweiss's objection to Pride's April 12, 2022, filing is sustained. 11 Ruling on the Motion Pride's motion is denied. The settlement of fewer than all joint tortfeasors must be made in good faith with respect to the remaining defendants. (Code Civ. Proc., §§ 877, 877.6.) “The party asserting the lack of good faith shall ...

Excerpt: ... 652, 656. Where discovery seeks to invade the constitutional right to privacy, the party seeking the discovery must show that the information sought is directly relevant to claims at issue in the litigation, there is a compelling need for the information, and the information is essential to a fair resolution of the lawsuit. Alch v. Superior Court (2008) 165 Cal.App.4th 1412, 1425. The subject subpoena seeks the following documents: 14 1. Your Fi...

Excerpt: ... Health Sacramento Sierra Region dba Sutter Roseville Medical Center (“Sutter”) in the memorandum of costs filed February 2, 2022. The memorandum of costs states total costs in the amount of $53,788.39. However, the court notes that this total does not include expert witness fees in the amount of $38,944.37, which are set forth only in the memorandum of costs worksheet. Sutter's opposition to the motion confirms that Sutter also seeks expert ...

Excerpt: ...e SSUMF as required for a motion for summary adjudication. (Id. at subd. (d)(1)(A).) Due to these procedural deficiencies, the court limits its review to a motion for summary judgment only. Ruling on the Motion The motion for summary judgment is denied. Defendant seeks summary judgment or summary adjudication against all four causes of action in plaintiff's complaint. A party is entitled to bring a motion for summary judgment where PLACER COUNTY ...

Excerpt: ...cribed conduct. (Bader v. Anderson (2009) 179 Cal.App.4th 775, 787.) The allegations in the pleading are deemed to be true no matter how improbable the allegations may seem. (Del E. Webb Corp. v. Structural Materials Co. (1981) 123 Cal.App.3d 593, 604.) The court, however, does not accept the truth of contentions, deductions, or conclusions of law. (Genesis Environment Services v. San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (2003) 1...

Excerpt: ...urchased medical device from defendant Cynosure, LLC (“Cynosure”), which was financed by a loan obtained from MMP pursuant to an Equipment Finance Agreement (“EFA”). Plaintiff alleges breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, fraud, and unfair competition claims against Cynosure. Plaintiff alleges breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and unfair competit...

Excerpt: ...exatious because of his connections with vexatious litigant Rodney Quigley (“Quigley”). To that end, defendants provide evidence that Quigley has involved himself in the current action by corresponding with defendants and counsel under the auspices of “representing” Harmoning's interests, or having been directed by Harmoning to send communications. Defendants also note that the formatting and style of pleadings filed by Harmoning and corr...

Excerpt: ...al sufficiency of the pleadings, not the truth of the plaintiff's allegations or the accuracy of the described conduct. Bader v. Anderson (2009) 179 Cal.App.4th 775, 787. The court assumes the truth of all facts properly pleaded, and accepts as true all facts that may be implied or reasonably inferred from facts expressly alleged, unless they are contradicted by judicially noticed facts. Evans v. City of Berkeley (2006) 38 Cal.4th 1, 6. However, ...

Excerpt: ...son (2009) 179 Cal.App.4th 775, 787. The allegations in the pleadings are deemed true no matter how improbable they may seem. Del E. Webb Corp. v. Structural Materials Co. (1981) 123 Cal.App.3d 593, 604. The court does not assume the truth of contentions, deductions, or conclusions of facts or law. Evans v. City of Berkeley (2006) 38 Cal.4th 1, 6. The court previously sustained a demurrer to the verified petition and complaint as to the claims as...

Excerpt: ...r to reopen discovery, which include (1) the necessity and reason for the discovery; (2) the diligence or lack of diligence in seeking the discovery and the reason it was not completed earlier; (3) the likelihood that granting the motion will delay trial; and (4) the length of time that has elapsed between the prior trial date and the current trial date. (Code of Civil Procedure section 2024.050(b).) The court has carefully reviewed the motion an...

Excerpt: ... motion. The court declines to provide any further continuance for the purposes of discovery. While plaintiffs do have a right to conduct discovery of the jurisdictional facts necessary to sustain their burden of proof, they must also demonstrate that discovery will likely lead to the production of evidence establishing jurisdiction. (In re Automobile Antitrust Cases I and II (2005) 135 Cal.App.4th 100, 127.) Plaintiffs make a general request for...

Excerpt: ...cle XI, Section 1(b) of the California Constitution by depriving the Placer County Board of Supervisors of its constitutional authority to set employee compensation. Respondent goes on to challenge the second and third causes of action as derivative of the first cause of action, failing to allege additional facts to support any separate legal theory. A demurrer is reviewed under well‐established principles. A party may demur where the pleading ...

Excerpt: ...75, 787.) The allegations in the pleading are deemed to be true no matter how improbable the allegations may seem. (Del E. Webb Corp. v. Structural Materials Co. (1981) 123 Cal.App.3d 593, 604.) Further, a complaint must be liberally construed with all inferences drawn in favor of plaintiff. (Code of Civil Procedure section 452; Quelimane Co. v. Stewart Title Guaranty Co. (1998) 19 Cal.4th 26, 43, fn. 7; Perez v. Golden Empire Transit Dist. (2012...

Excerpt: ...se of action, a demurrer is reviewed under wellestablished principles. A party may demur to a complaint where the pleading does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action, testing the sufficiency of the pleading and not the truth of the allegations or the accuracy of the described conduct. (Code of Civil Procedure section 430.10(e); Bader v. Anderson (2009) 179 Cal.App.4th 775, 787.) The allegations in the pleading are deemed to b...

Excerpt: ...Superior Court (1975) 15 Cal.3d 652, 656. Where discovery seeks to invade the constitutional right to privacy, the party seeking the discovery must show that the information sought is directly relevant to claims at issue in the litigation, there is a compelling need for the information, and the information is essential to a fair resolution of the lawsuit. Alch v. Superior Court (2008) 165 Cal.App.4th 1412, 1425. The subject subpoena seeks the fol...