Excerpt: ...ted two additio nal supplemental briefs and this tentative addresses those additional arguments and evaluates several authorities not cited in the last tentative and expands upon some authorities cited before. The Court very much appreciates the parties' additional work. The Court GRANTS the parties' requests for judicial notice. Evid. C. §§451 - 453. This action concerns the founding of two aerospace companies: “Original Firefly,” in whic...

Excerpt: ...T, CORP. TEN TATIVE RULING: Defendants' Demurrer to Plaintiff's Complaint is OVERRULED. Defendants' Request for Judicial Notice is GRANTED, but only as to the existence of the documents and not to any particular construction of its terms or the truth of any matter the rein. (See MiddlebrookAnderson Co. v. Southwest Sav. & Loan Assn. (1971) 18 Cal.App.3d 1023, 1038.) Plaintiff's Request for Judicial Notice is GRANTED, but only as to the existence ...

Excerpt: ...tice (RJN) is GRA NTED. (Evid. Code Sect. 452(b) [regulations & legislative enactments]; 452(c) [official acts of legislative, executive, or judicial departments of federal or state government]; 452(d) [court records].) As with all documents subject to judicial notice, the Court takes judicial notice of their contents and filing dates, but not the truth of statements or allegations therein. Plaintiff's 4 -18 -24 RJN is GRANTED. (Evid. Code Sect....

Excerpt: ...nt San Bruno Park School District's Demurrer to Complaint (the “Davis Declaration”). The Davis Declaration was not filed “with the Demurrer” on March 13, 2024, as required by section 430.41(a)(3), though its exhibit meet -and -confer letter was. The Davis Declaration was filed the following day. b. Legal Standards for Demurrer California Code of Civil Procedure section 430.30 provides that an objection to a complaint may be made via dem...

Excerpt: ...promissory not e to Prieto in the amount of $260,000. Prieto — their real estate agent — had loaned cross -complainants $260,000 in connection with a real estate transaction. Cross -complainants contend that in November 2015, Prieto demanded repayment of the loan. They informed her that they were in the process of a cash- out refinance of their property and would repay the loan once that transaction closed. Prieto allegedly agreed to wait un...

Excerpt: ... RJN is GRA NTED pursuant to Cal. Evidence Code, section 452, subdivision (d). Plaintiffs' Objection No. 1 to paragraph 4 of the Declaration of Timothy Logue is SUSTAINED on the grounds of hearsay and lack of foundation. Plaintiffs' Objection No. 2 to paragraph 6 of the Declaration of Timothy Logue is SUSTAINED on the ground of lack of personal knowledge. Plaintiffs' Objection No. 3 to paragraph 7 of the Declaration of Timothy Logue is OVERRULED....

Excerpt: ...ired) conce rning, inter alia, Wu's notice of deposition of TPMG's persons most qualified to testify on specified topics and attendant requests to produce specified categories of documents at the depositions. (Sept. 7, 2023 Order Re: Discovery, at p. 1.) The Court s ustained and overruled certain objections to both the topics and requests and ordered TPMG to “immediately identify the Person(s) Most Knowledgeable immediately as to Topics Nos....

Excerpt: ...unfair compet ition, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud in the inducement, constructive fraud, and negligent misrepresentation in the First Amended Complaint (FAC). In the reply, defendants allege that plaintiffs failed to serve the opposition on them and, therefore, there is no opposition and the court should sustain the demurrer. Defendants also provided a substantive reply and because defendants have demonstrated no prejudice since they were abl...

Excerpt: ...e years of filing, ( 2) statute of limitations, and (3) discretionary dismissal for delay in service and prosecution. The court rules on the demurrer as follows: A. Legal Standard on Demurrer The purpose of a demurrer is to test the legal sufficiency of the facts alleged in th e operative complaint to see whether they state a cause of action under any legal theory, as a matter of law. (New Livable Cal. v. Association of Bay Area Gov'ts (2020...

Excerpt: ...facts by the parties cannot be resolved on plaintiffs' motion and in furtherance of the ends of justice, a trial should be set on the issue of damages. (See 7 Witkin, Cal. Proc. (6th ed., Mar. 2024 Update) Trial § 397; Fairbank, Cal. Prac. Guide: Civ. Trials & Ev. (Rutter, Oct. 2023 Update) ¶¶ 4:368 – 4:370.) While the court never issued a formal order of bifurcation, the parties agreed and the court conducted the February 16, 2023 on the is...

Excerpt: ...f Brian Dworetzky within five days after notice of entry of order. The parties are to meet -and -confer regarding modifying the deadlines in the court's pretrial order and the discovery cut -off and provide a stipulation and proposed order regarding the extending of any pretrial da tes. If the parties cannot agree, the parties will hold an informal conference, which can be arranged by the parties jointly emailing Department 4. In this case, plai...

Excerpt: ...Development and Javier Chavarria's motion to vacate. Preliminary Matters Initially, the court notes that real parties moved pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 633 (all further statutory references are to the Code of Civil Procedure) in their initial notice (no tice at p. 2), but corrected that typo in their amended notice (amended notice at p. 2.) The court considers the motion pursuant to the standards of section 663. Petitioners/Plaint...

Excerpt: ... (See Cal. R ules of Court, rule 3.1110 [the Notice “must specify” the location of the hearing].) Plaintiff Debt Management Partners, LLC's unopposed motion for entry of judgment pursuant to written stipulation of all parties is GRANTED pursuant to Code of Civil Proced ure section 664.6. Exhibit A to the declaration of plaintiff's counsel, John P. Kenosian, is the parties' conditional settlement agreement and stipulation for entry of judgment...

Excerpt: ...t culminated with j ury verdicts on February 29, 2024, awarding damages to Plaintiff as follows: • Late charges and interest • Tenant expenses • Lost rent from 11/2018 to 6/2022 • Repair and remediation expenses $5,0621 $91,284 $8,425 $9,875 Prior to trial, Plaintiff s ettled with co-defendants the Polettis, for $400,000, and Alexander Malaspina, for $187,500, for a total of $587,500. Plaintiff's First Amended Complaint (FAC) alleged a nu...

Excerpt: ...: BACKGROUND Plaintiff brings this action against her former real estate agent Cooper, arising from the sale of her former residence at 236 24th Avenue in San Mateo (“property”). At the time Plaintiff lived at the property for over 50 years and was 87 years old. Plaintiff retained Cooper, who worked for Dwell at the time, to assist her with selling the property. Plaintiff claims that Cooper pressured her not to list the property on the multip...

Excerpt: ...plaint (“FAC”) by Pla intiffs 400 Concar Drive Tenant LLC (“Tenant”) and WeWork Companies U.S. LLC (“WeWork”) (also collectively “Plaintiffs”) is ruled on as follows: (1) Demurrer to the First Cause of Action for Breach of Contract and Second Cause of Action is OVERRULED on the ground that WeWork lacks standing to bring this action. “Every action must be prosecuted in the name of the real party in interest, except as otherwise p...

Excerpt: ...ED in part. On April 6, 2023, the Court ordered Defendant Omar A. Hernandez Sr. aka Omar Hernandez Lopez aka Omar Alberto Hernandez Sr. aka Alberto Lopez aka Omar Alberto Hernandez Lopez (“Hernandez”) to serve verified and objection -free responses to CAB's document requests and to special interrogatories, no later than April 28, 2023, or fourteen (14) days after the service of CAB's Notice of Ruling. This Court also ordered Hernandez to pay...

Excerpt: ...rnatively Summary Adjudication Re: the First Amended Cross -complaint and Each of Its Causes of Action is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part as set forth below. Cross -defendants Thomas Del Sarto's, Rollen Steele's, and Angela Steele's Request for Judicial Notice is GRANTED as to all items. This landlord- tenant case arises out of the lease of commercial real property located at 1129 Old County Road in San Carlos (the “Premises”) by Plaintiff...

Excerpt: ...anctions (“Supplemental Sanctions Order”) and the [Supplemental] Order Granting City of Half Moon Bay's Motion to Quash the Deposition Notice and Subpoena of Deborah Q. Ruddock and for a Protective Order (“Supplemental Order re Motion to Quash”; together, “Proposed Orders ”). A. Reconsidering the Supplemental Order Granting City of Half Moon Bay's Motion to Compel Further Discovery Responses and For Sanctions The order entered by this...

Excerpt: ...hen no substantial e vidence and no reasonable inference therefrom support the jury's verdict. Hauter v. Zogarts (1975) 14 Cal.3d 104, 110. If the evidence viewed in the light most favorable to the party securing the verdict cannot support that verdict, then may a JNOV motion be granted. Ibid. In ruling on a JNOV motion, a court cannot weigh the evidence or judge the credibility of witnesses. Ibid. (citing Quintal v. Laurel Grove Hosp. (1964) 62 ...

Excerpt: ...ontinued t he hearing to the instant hearing date: [T]o permit plaintiff to depose declarant Alberto Germano for the limited purpose of inquiring into the two screenshots at Paragraph 5 at of his two otherwise identical declarations filed on December 28, 2023 and Feb ruary 13, 2024, respectively, and explanation regarding a printing error. (See Reply, filed February 13, 2024, at p. 3:25 -28, fn. 2; Defendant's Response, filed February 21, 2024...

Excerpt: ... any terms as may be proper.” (Code Civ. Proc., § 473, subd. (a)(1).) There is a policy of “great liberality” in allowing amendments to pleadings at any stage of the proceeding so as to dispose of cases upon their merits where the authorization does not prejudice the substantial rights of others. (Board of Trustees v. Superior Court (2007) 149 Cal.App.4th 1154, 1163.) When considering whether to permit amendments to pleadings, court should...

Excerpt: ... on uncertain ty is OVERRULED. Legal Standard on Demurrer A party may demur to a pleading on any one or more of the grounds laid out in Code of Civil Procedure, section 430.10, including that the pleading does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action. (Code Civ. Proc., § 430.10.) A court must “treat the demurrer as admitting all material facts properly pleaded, but not contentions, deductions or conclusions of fact or law [an...

Excerpt: ... of Danie l D. Geoulla (Geoulla Decl.) ¶¶ 3-4; id., exh. C.) Petitioner seeks relief from the requirement of presenting a claim for personal injury within six months of accrual of his cause of action before bringing an action against Burlingame. There is no dispute that he did not present a claim to Burlingame within six months, but Rhodes contends his failure was due to his mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable neglect. A. Legal Standa...

Excerpt: ...rbitration. The Court finds defendant has met its initial burden to show there is an arbitration agreement between the parties (De la Torre Dec., filed Nov. 13, 2023, ¶ 5, Ex. A), and Plaintiff has not met his shifting burden to demonstrate ground for denial by a preponderance of the evidence. (Knight, Cal. Prac. Guide: Alt. Disp. Res. (Rutter, Dec. 2023 Update) ¶¶ 5:320, 5:321, 5:322. See Reply, filed Jan. 8, 2024, at p. 4:2- 3 [arguing �...

Excerpt: ...ase no. 24UD U00101, for all purposes. The former involves claims and cross -claims for breaches of contract and various torts arising out of an alleged oral agreement to sell a business and lease the premises to Vargas. The latter involves a claim for unlawful detainer arising out of an alleged termination of the lease of the premises. As a preliminary matter, there are multiple procedural defects in the moving papers. The notice of motion does ...

Excerpt: ...ek before th e conference proposing dates before the end of 2024 for a court trial on defendants' issue preclusion defense and including a trial estimate for the trial on this affirmative defense. Defendants litigated this case extensively in federal court with CVS Pha rmacy, Inc., who defendants claim is the parent of plaintiff Aetna, Inc. The court denied defendants' issue preclusion motion for judgment on the pleadings and defendants now seek ...

Excerpt: ...scaffolding t hat had been erected as part of the construction. Defendants' operative First Amended Cross -Complaint (“FACC”) alleges causes of action against certain subcontractors, including defendant/crossdefendant James P. Silva Construction, Inc. (Silva) for express indemnity, implied indemnity, equitable indemnity, apportionment/contribution, duty to defend, and declaratory relief. Cross -defendant Silva for moves for summary judgment o...

Excerpt: ...dence are rule d upon as follows: • Obj. No. 1. SUSTAINED. (Evid. Code, §. 702 [lacks personal knowledge]; id., § 403 [lacks foundation].) • Obj. No. 2. SUSTAINED to the extent Plaintiff purports to testify as to whether DOE 4 was employed by the church, or held any off icial position as a pastor. (Evid. Code, § 702 [lacks personal knowledge]; id., § 403 (lacks foundation). Otherwise OVERRULED. • Obj. No. 3. OVERRULED as to Plaintiff's ...

Excerpt: ...he damages to th e principal amount sought for the 2018 and 2019 policy periods and second, to add treble damages to the prayer for relief pursuant to Insurance Code section 11760.1 subdivision (a) for defendants alleged failure to complete a physical audit for the 2020 po licy. The motion is unopposed. Initially, the court notes that plaintiff has yet again provided the improper address for the hearing. Department 4 is not located in Redwood Cit...

Excerpt: ...orandum in supp ort of the petition and by subsequent motion filed April 8, 2024, petitioners also requested this court seal the personal identification information in the operating agreement which is attached to the petition as attachment 4(b). The Motion to seal is GRA NTED. This court in exercising its discretion, after considering and balancing all the factors in California Rules of Court, rule 2.550 and NBC Subsidiary (KNBC -TV), Inc. v. S...

Excerpt: ...roduction of Documents, Set Two, and Requests for Admission, Set One from Defendant Herbert Perez is DENIED. As a preliminary matter, the motion is untimely. Notice of a motion to compel further responses must be given “given within 45 days of the service of the verifi ed response, or any supplemental verified response” otherwise “the requesting party waives any right to compel a further response to the” request for production or reques...

Excerpt: ...Laws and Disgorg ement Per Business and Professions Code section 7031(b). “Except as provided in subdivision (e), a person who 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.” (Bus. & Prof. Code § 7031(b).) “Section 7031 is directed at precluding unlicensed contract...

Excerpt: ...y appear t o have been served by regular mail, in violation of Code Civ. Proc. Sect. 1005(c). The Court will overlook the violation in this instance, but may continue future hearings, or disregard filings, for non- compliance with Sect. 1005(c). Legal standard. A demu rrer is used to challenge defects that appear on the face of the pleading, or from matters outside the pleading that are judicially noticeable. (Blank v. Kirwan (1985) 39 Cal.3d 31...

Excerpt: ...ossession of the Property without permission of Plaintiff. Defendant's Demurrer is SUSTAINED with leave to amend. A. Legal standard on demurrer The purpose of a demurrer is to test the legal sufficiency of the facts alleged in the operative complaint to see whether they state a cause of action under any legal theory, as a matter of law. New Livable California v. Association of Bay Area Governments (2020) 59 Cal.App.5th 709, 714 –715. The demurr...

Excerpt: ...ortation Holdings, L LC's and Akira Takei's Unopposed Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Prosecution, joined by Cross -Defendants Philip White and Brandon Lawrence, dba Sportscars Italiano, is GRANTED. Code of Civil Procedure § 583.360 provides than an action shall be brought to tr ial within five years after it was commenced. The five- year period begins to run on the date the action is filed against the defendant. Davalos v. County of Los Angele...

Excerpt: ...alleged in th e operative complaint to see whether they state a cause of action under any legal theory, as a matter of law. (New Livable California v. Association of Bay Area Governments (2020) 59 Cal.App.5th 709, 714 –715.) The demurrer may be made to the entire complai nt or to any of the cause of action therein. (CCP § 430.50(a).) To properly state a cause of action, a complaint must allege every element of that cause of action. (Shaeffer v...

Excerpt: ... - 437.) Defendants' No tice of Motion incorrectly states that the hearing on this Motion will take place in Department 21. This matter will be heard in Department 24, located of 400 County Center, Redwood City, Ca. Defendants' Request for Judicial Notice (RJN) is GRANTED as foll ows: As to the document(s) filed in prior court proceedings, and as to the documents recorded with a County Recorder's office, the RJN is GRANTED. (Evid. C. § 452(...

Excerpt: ...tled law that e ach party to a lawsuit must pay its own fees absent an applicable statute or an attorney fees provision in a valid contract. (Code Civ. Proc., § 1021; Amtower v. Photon Dynamics, Inc. (2008) 158 Cal.App.4th 1582, [as modified Feb. 15, 2008]; see also Royst er Construction Co. v. Urban West Communities (1995) 40 Cal.App.4th 1158, 1170 [“A contract which provides for the payment of ‘costs' alone does not usually include attorn...

Excerpt: ...April 25, 202 4. Sanctions as imposed below shall be paid no later than May 2, 2024. Plaintiff Jane Doe moves here to compel further responses and compel production with respect to three requests for production of documents nos. 10 and 13 –14 propounded to Defendant Gold en Gate Bell, LLC (“GGB”). Each seeks documents relating to the respective personnel files and background checks of three employees of GGB, who purportedly sexually harass...

Excerpt: ... a staffing agency wh ich placed her for a work assignment with its client, Alcon. Defendants now jointly move to compel arbitration of Plaintiff's claims. For the reasons set forth below, the motion is DENIED. As a preliminary matter, the Court SUSTAINS the evidentiary objecti ons raised by Plaintiff as to Mr. Gohil's declaration, and OVERRULES the evidentiary objections raised by Defendants as to Plaintiff's declaration. California law, like fe...

Excerpt: ...iving under the influence of alcohol. He was admonished that his driving privilege would be administratively suspended for one year or administratively revoked for two or three years by the DMV if he refused or failed to take a chemical test. Subsequently, Llanes ref used to take a chemical test of his breath or blood. Llanes timely exercised his right to request an administrative hearing regarding the suspension, and the DMV held a hearing via ...

Excerpt: ...Compel Further Responses to Requests for Production of Documents, Set Two, nos. 88, 89, 90 and 97 (“RFP”), from Defendant Vinod Bhardwaj (“Defendant”), is DENIED. This Motion appears to be untimely. The IDC Minute Order states that the parties agreed that any motion as t o these RFP would be timely if filed by February 29, 2024. (See December 19, 2023 Minute Order.) This Motion was not filed until March 1, 2024 though. Further, even if ...

Excerpt: ...order gra nting terminating sanctions against co -defendant Ramson Mumba, Lugo's spouse or former spouse based upon a hearing held on October 31, 2023. On April 25, 2022, Lugo in pro per filed her answer to the first amended complaint. She did not include her telepho ne number or an email address. The court does not remember her ever appearing at any hearing or conference. Mumba has represented to the court that Lugo does not have an email addr...

Excerpt: ...edwood City, CA, which is part of the Lynda Lake Gardens (“LLG”) development. In short, this action concerns Plaintiffs' access to the central lake in their housing development (“Lot A”) and its surrounding pathway easements. Among other matters, Plaintiffs primarily contend that the actions of the Homeowners' Association (“HOA”) and in particular, Defendant Gary Ernst as owner of the plot in between Plaintiffs' and the lake, prevent ...

Excerpt: ... Equity Growth Asset Management (“EGAM”) did not attempt to meet and confer with him before filing this motion. Under penalty of perjury, he denies EGAM's counsel's declaration that she called Suafai on four separate days, that no one picked up, that the number does not permit leaving a message, and that she sent an email a week before filing the motion. (See Jan. 16, 2024 Declaration of Joanna Kozubal, ¶¶ 3 –7.) Without weighing the cr...

Excerpt: ...plaint (“SAC”) is SUSTAINED WITHOUT LEAVE TO AMEND. (Code Civ. Proc. Sect. 430.10(e).) Hearing location. Defendants' 12 -28 -23 Notice of Demurrer incorrectly states that the hearing on this Demurrer will take place in the San Mateo courthouse. The hearing will take pla ce in Department 23, which is located to 400 County Center, Redwood City, Ca. Defendants' 12 -28 -23 Request for Judicial Notice (RJN) is GRANTED. (Evid. Code Sect. 452(d).) T...

Excerpt: ...er than five (5) days after service of written notice of this order. Defendants demur to the Complaint under Code of Civil Procedure section 430.10, subdivision (e). They argue that the three -day notice to pay rent or quit (referred to as the “Notice”) served to them should have specified that payment of the overdue rent could be made by mail, rather than solely by personal delivery. “A valid three -day pay rent or quit notice is a prere...

Excerpt: ...r. (CCP § 430.41.) Cross -D efendant also failed to file a declaration regarding its meet and confer obligations. (CCP § 430.41(a)(3).) Since insufficient meet and confer efforts are not grounds to overrule or sustain a demurrer (CCP § 430.41(a)(4)), and Cross - Defendant's special dem urrer is without merit, the Court will reach those merits and OVERRULE the demurrer on those ground separate and apart from the failure to meet and confer. Col...

Excerpt: ... of Action for Medical Malpr actice is SUSTAINED with leave to amend based on failure to allege facts sufficient to support this cause of action. The elements of a cause of action for medical malpractice are: “(1) the duty of the professional to use such skill, prudence, and diligence as other members of his profession commonly possess and exercise; (2) a breach of that duty; (3) a proximate causal connection between the negligent conduct and t...

Excerpt: ... Song and Kooyeon Son g (collectively, “the Songs”). On January 18, 2023, the Songs crosscomplained against Streamlined and added Cross -defendant Paul Hugh Johnson, “the principal and officer” of Streamlined, in his personal capacity. (Jan. 31, 2024 Declaration of Paul Johnson (“Johnson Decl.”), ¶ 2; see id., at ¶¶ 4– 5 [referring to Streamlined as “my corporation”].) The Songs attempted to serve process on Johnson via Strea...

Excerpt: ...in April 2019, ab out five years ago. In February 2020, Defendant served Plaintiff with Form Interrogatories, Special Interrogatories, and Requests for Production of Documents, which broadly asked Plaintiff to explain the claims that Plaintiff was asserting against Defendan t, and the basis therefore. Plaintiff did not … and has never … serve(d) responses to the discovery requests. In May 2020 and again in Jan. 2021, Defendant's counsel sent...

Excerpt: ...re not recovera ble as of right or otherwise barred by statute. Id. at § 1033.5(c)(4). An award of costs is subject to the court's determination that those costs: (1) are reasonably necessary to the conduct of the litigation rather than merely convenient or beneficial to its purpose; and (2) that the costs are reasonable in amount. Id. at § 1033.5(c)(2) –(3). To claim costs, the prevailing party must serve and file a memorandum of costs wit...

Excerpt: ...hether the se rvice provided to Defendant Caixing Xie is sufficient. Prior filings with this court show that Xie is likely incarcerated in China. Notice of Dismissal of Involuntary Bankruptcy Petition, filed Mar. 29, 2024, Ex. A, at 1 –2. However, Plaintiffs have only pr ovided notice to Xie's United States -based counsel. The due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution requires that if a person is entitle...

Excerpt: ...ests for Admi ssions, Set One, to be deemed admitted. Defendants also request monetary sanctions. The motion to compel and for sanctions is GRANTED in its entirety, as set forth in further detail below. Interrogatories Defendants seek to compel responses, not compel f urther responses, as they contend that no response to their interrogatories was ever received. (Declaration of William H. Coke (“Coke Decl.”) in support of Motion.) Therefore, t...

Excerpt: ...an action or proce eding if it is contended that the action has no merit or that there is no defense to the action or proceeding.” (Code of Civ. Proc., § 437c, subd. (a)(1).) Summary judgment will only be granted “if all the papers submitted show that there is no triable iss ue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” (Id., at subd. (c).) A defendant moving for summary judgment has an...

Excerpt: ... admissions (“RFAs”) were denied without objection or explanation from Plaintiffs Robert Michael and Ellen Williams (“the Williamses”). Having successfully defended himself from all twelve causes of action in the Williamses' suit, he claims that he is entitled to cost of proof sanctions. If a party is requested to admit the truth of any matter and fails to do so, and the propounding party subsequently proves the truth of that matter, the ...

Excerpt: ...action pending between the same parties due to the wrongful foreclosure of the property. Defendant claims that a wrongful foreclosure action (“foreclosure action”) was filed on August 22, 2023. (See Steven Yu v. FCI Lender Services, Inc. (Super. Ct. San Mateo County No. 23C IV03933).) Defendant has not requested judicial notice of the operative pleading in the foreclosure action to support this argument though. A demurrer may be used to chal...

Excerpt: ...shall be verifie d and allege all of the following: (a) The date of recordation of the claim of lien. A certified copy of the claim of lien shall be attached to the petition. (b) The county in which the claim of lien is recorded. (c) The book and page or series number of t he place in the official records where the claim of lien is recorded. (d) The legal description of the property subject to the claim of lien. (e) Whether an extension of cred...

Excerpt: ...nopposed motion for summary judgment against defendant Andreas Tzortiz (“Defendant”). This Court denied plaintiff's first motion for summary judgment due to procedural deficiencies with the proof of service. As to plaintiff's second motion for summary judgment, the Court fin ds that a rebuttable presumption of proper service has been established, and therefore proceeds to consider the merits of the motion for summary judgment. In ruling on...

Excerpt: ...Proc., § 437c.) Accordingly, defendants' alternative Motion for Summary Adjudication is DENIED AS MOOT. (Code Civ. Proc., § 437c.) Hearing location. Defendants' January 11, 2024 Notice of Motion incorrectly states that the April 10, 2024 hearing will take place in the Redwood City courthouse. The hearing will take place in Department 28 in the San Mateo courthouse, which is located at 800 North Humboldt St., San Mateo, California 94401. Defenda...

Excerpt: ...20(g); Code Civ. Proc. § 472b.) Defendant City of San Mateo's Request for Judicial Notice is GRANTED as to all items for the purposes of this demurrer. The Complaint asserts a single cause of action against defendant City of San Mateo (City) for dangerous conditio n of public property. It alleges that plaintiff William Trapp was riding his bicycle along the Bay Trail in San Mateo when he “encountered orange barrier fencing that had entered his...

Excerpt: ... forth below. (1) Initial ly, the court notes that Plaintiff has provided the improper address for the hearing. Department 4 is not located in Redwood City as the notice states, but instead at the Central Courthouse, Courtroom G, 800 North Humboldt St., San Mateo, CA 94401. (See Cal. Rules of Court, Rule 3.1110 [the Notice “must specify” the location of the hearing].) Plaintiff is cautioned to comply with this rule in the future. (2) Defendan...

Excerpt: ...fers to the Ca lifornia Rules of Court).) A motion for continuance is addressed to the sound discretion of the trial court. (Oliveros v. County of Los Angeles (2004) 120 Cal.App.4th 1389, 1395 (Oliveros).) Rule 3.1332(c) sets forth seven grounds for continuance upon a showing of good cause, mostly related to the unavailability of a party, essential lay or expert witness, or trial counsel due to death, illness, or other excusable circumstances. Th...

Excerpt: ...by 4:00 p.m. on April 8, 2024 that the tentative is contested, then the Court will adopt the tentative at the April 9, 2024 hearing and there will be no oral argument on the motion. Defendant Xuan Xu's Demurrer to Plaintiff Yifan Jiang's Verified First Amended Comp laint for Partition of Real Property is SUSTAINED in part with leave to amend and OVERRULED in part. Defendant Xuan Xu's Request for Judicial Notice is GRANTED as to all items. Plaint...

Excerpt: ...dently dete rmine whether a settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate. (Kullar v. Foot Locker Retail, Inc. (2008) 168 Cal.App.4th 116, 129 (Kullar) [“ ‘The court has a fiduciary responsibility as guardians of the rights of the absentee class members when deciding whether to approve a settlement agreement.' ”]; In re Microsoft I -V Cases (2006) 135 Cal.App.4th 706, 723.) After conducting its independent review, the court concludes that pl...

Excerpt: ...s Third Cause of Action for Breach of Implied Warranties of Fitness and Merchantability under the SongBeverly Consumer Warranty Act (“Act”) based on failure to allege facts sufficient to support this claim. Defendant argues that Plaintiff has not alleged facts sufficient to support that he gave Defendant pre -suit notice to allow Defendant an opportunity to repair or replace the bicycle, as required under the Act. However, Defendant fails to ...

Excerpt: ...matter, Defendant The Charles Armstrong School (“the School”) fails to demonstrate it satisfied its meet -and -confer obligations. The Declaration of Kellie M. Murphy reveals that the parties' counsel only exchanged correspondence and did not “meet and confer in person, by t elephone, or by video conference” as required. (Code of Civ. Proc., § 430.41, subd. (a).) “A determination by the court that the meet and confer process was insuf...

Excerpt: ...graph 3 of the lease, Defendant PCHRG agreed to pay initial base rent of $15,500.00 monthly for the first two years of the lease, with annual increases thereafter. (See Compl. Ex. 1.) Under paragraph 3, the base rent increased to $17,505.00 on Jan. 1, 2023 and again to $ 18,030.00 on Jan. 1, 2024. Under paragraph 5 of the lease, PCHRG agreed to pay Plaintiff 100% of all real estate taxes assessed against the Premises as additional rent. Accordin...

Excerpt: ... liberal allow ance of amendments should prevail. Nestle v. Santa Monica (1971) 6 Cal.2d 920, 939. California courts have held that for an original complaint, whether or not the plaintiff has requested leave to amend, denial of leave to amend constitutes an abuse of disc retion unless the complaint is clearly incapable of amendment. Tarrar Enterprises, Inc. v. Associated Indemnity Corp. (2022) 83 Cal.App.5th 685, 688 (quoting King v. Mortimer (19...

Excerpt: ...g Plaintiff's time as a student at a high school run by the District, he was sexually assaulted by Perpetrator after being sent to be evaluated by Perpetrator, a psychiatrist, as part of a special education program. Plaintiff's claim against the District is brought under Govt. Code § 81 5.2, alleging negligent supervision and protection of a minor student. The District demurred to the FAC on the basis that Assembly Bill (“AB”) 218, which mod...

Excerpt: ...ileged documen ts no later than April 18, 2024 or a date agreed upon in writing by Oracle Corp. and Oracle America, Inc. and Plaintiff David Weiner. On December 1, 2023, Weiner served on non- parties Oracle Corp. and Oracle America, Inc. (collectively, “Oracle”) Oracle a subpoena for production of business records issued on November 30, 2023. Neither Weiner nor Oracle raises a relevant distinction between Oracle Corp. and Oracle America, Inc....

Excerpt: ...�Motion Number One for Determination of Evidentiary and Legal Issues Affecting the Determination of Compensation,” filed Feb. 20, 2024, is DENIED. The Gearings' 2- 20-24 Request for Judicial Notice (RJN) is GRANTED. (Evid. Code Sect. 452(d).) The Gearings request judicial n otice of 22 documents previously filed with this Court. The RJN provides no explanation as to their significance/relevance, although of these documents are referenced in ...

Excerpt: ...d Complaint is SUSTAINED WITHOUT LEAVE TO AMEND. The Second Amended Complaint (the “SAC”) asserts six causes of action, for: (1) reversal of the void deed of trust and/or novation of the mortgage loan based on a theory of fraud and cancellation of instruments; (2) cancellation of foreclosure action; (3) quiet title; (4) declaratory relief; (5) accounting; and (6) preliminary and permanent injunction. Defendants Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc...

Excerpt: ...l amend the J udgment to find that Shuppe materially breached Section 2.4 and the Estate of Georgy Shuppe is ORDERED to perform the obligations set forth in Section 2.4 of the 2012 Agreement, within 30 days of notice of entry of this Order. The Court GRANTS - IN -PART th e Libermans' Motion for a New Trial, or Additur, as to the SOD's award of damages to the Libermans as to the acquisition of Darberry by Groupon, and finds that the Court should...

Excerpt: ... sued various defendants including cross-complainants Real Advantage Title Insurance Company, Orange Coast Title Company of Northern California, and Orange Coast Title Company (Orange Coast parties); Donald M. Bronstein; Donald M. Bronstein, Trustee of the Don and Chery l Bronstein Family Trust Account 125; Donald M. Bronstein, Trustee of the Nicole Bronstein Living Trust; Donald M. Bronstein, Trustee of the Kimberly Bronstein Living Trust; and I...

Excerpt: ... effective Janu ary 1, 2020. (See former Code. Civ. Proc., § 340.1, repealed by Stats. 2022, c. 444 (A.B. 2959), § 1, eff., Jan. 1, 2023, and then repealed by Stats. 2023, c. 655 (A.B. 452), § 1, eff., Jan. 1, 2024.) Doe 1 seeks to stay this action on the ground that this same issue is currently under review by the First District Court of Appeal in Jane Doe v. Acalanes Union High School District (A169013) (MPA, at p. 2.) Appeals frequently tak...

Excerpt: ...d final order submitted on February 9, 2024. The court modifies Local Rule 3.403(b)(iv) (amended effective January 1, 2024) regarding the wording of proposed orders. Plaintiff shall submit an order which incorporates the tentative and the non -contradictory language in the submitted proposed order. On October 31, 2023, the court granted preliminary approval to this class and PAGA (Private Attorney General Act) settlement. The action alleges wag...

Excerpt: ...efendants do not o ppose a motion on the good faith issue, a barebones motion which sets forth the ground of good faith, accompanied by a declaration which sets forth a brief background of the case is sufficient. (City of GrandTerrace v. Superior Court (1987) 192 Cal.App.3d 1251, 1261.) The Court has reviewed Defendants' counsel's declaration and the attached exhibits, and finds that the settlement meets the criteria for good faith settlement un...

Excerpt: ...matter, the court notes that Patelco has filed documents with plaintiff's confidential information. Patelco shall take immediate steps to have that confidential filed under seal and file public documents with the confidential information redacted. The court has ord ered the clerk of the court to seal the Declaration of Jade Luong filed February 15, 2024 in the interim to protect plaintiff's privacy. California law strongly favors arbitrati...

Excerpt: ...nants Christopher Campanile's and David Espie's Request for Judicial Notice is GRANTED as to all items. Amiseq moves here to dismiss Cross - complainants' operative cross -complaint for a failure to serve process within three years. A summons and complaint must be served within thr ee years after the action is commenced, and the proof thereof must be filed within sixty days thereafter. (CCP §583.210.) When service has not been made within this ...

Excerpt: ...the Court notes that although both Plaintiffs bring the present Motion to Compel (see 1 -12- 24 Notice of Motion [Plaintiffs Leonidas and Nestor Quezada will move this Court … for an Order compelling Defendant Jing Yuan to provide further response …]), Plaintiff Nestor Quezada did not serve the subject Special Interrogatories, and therefore has no standing to bring this Motion. This is noteworthy given Plaintiffs' repeated argument, both duri...

Excerpt: ...olo now moves for s ummary judgment (the “Motion”) pursuant to CCP § 437c as to the only cause of action in the Complaint on grounds that Lawrence is an independent contractor rather than Wonolo's employee, and thus Wonolo cannot be held vicariously liable for her torts. Plaintiff does not oppose the Motion. Only co - defendant Good Eggs opposes the Motion. For the reasons set forth below, the motion is GRANTED. Defendant's request for judic...

Excerpt: .... Code Sect. 329 4.) Defendant's 2-16-24 Request for Judicial Notice is GRANTED. (Evid. Code Sect. 452(d).) Defendant Liao's Motion to Strike the Complaint's request for punitive damages against defendant Liao is GRANTED with leave to amend. (Code Civ. Proc. Sect. 435, 436; Civ. Code Sect. 3294.) To survive a motion to strike, a complaint that seeks punitive damages must allege facts, not conclusions, that could support a finding that the defend...

Excerpt: ...4 hearing of t his Motion will take place in the Redwood City courthouse. Department 28 (Judge Healy) is, in fact, located at Courtroom I, 800 North Humboldt St., San Mateo, California 94401. Background. The following “facts” are taken from the parties' recently filing s, and are intended only to describe the general background of this case and the present Motion. Plaintiff Xin Li and defendant Oded Haner each hold a 50% interest in FC4X Rea...

Excerpt: ...al Notice is GRAN TED. (Evid. Code Sect. 452(d).) Plaintiff's request to “strike” the entirety of CalTrans' Memorandum of Costs is DENIED. Plaintiff seeks to strike, in its entirety, Defendant CalTrans' Memorandum of Costs, filed Jan. 23, 2024, or alternatively, to tax the costs claimed therein. CalTrans' Memorandum of Costs seeks total costs of $15,089.20, consisting of $11,639.20 in deposition costs (subpoenas seeking Plaintiff's medical r...

Excerpt: ...otion 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 de fense, it is not only error but an abuse of discretion.” (Morgan v. Superior Court (1959) 172 Cal.App.2d 527, 530.) Plaintiff's motion is timely and in compliance with the ...

Excerpt: ...Judicial Noti ce is GRANTED as to all items. Initially, the court notes that the moving parties have not provided the address for the hearing. Department 4 is located at the Central Courthouse, Courtroom G, 800 North Humboldt St., San Mateo, CA 94401. (See Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.1110 [the notice “must specify” the location of the hearing].) The moving parties must contact Plaintiffs Nathaniel Basola Sobayo and Elizabeth Basola Shoaga by ...

Excerpt: .... (“SPS”) and U.S. Bank, N.A. (“US Bank”) (collectively, the “Lender Defendants”) regarding a mortgage loan relating to real property located in Daly City, CA. The Lender Defendants demur to each cause of action in the Complaint. Defendants' Request for Judicial Notice (“RJN”) is GRANTED pursuant to Cal. Evid. Code § 452(c), but only as to their existence and not as to the truth of the factual matters contained therein. For the r...

Excerpt: ...cted free speech under the common interest doctrine set forth in Civil Code § 47(c)(1). The County seeks to strike paragraphs 38 through 43 and 61 through 68 of Plaintiff Steven Heindel's First Amended Complaint. The alleged defamatory statements are contained in paragrap hs 38 through 40 of the First Amended Complaint, which state: 38. Several senior ranking members of the Sheriff's Office have spread rumors that Sergeant Heindel was “walked ...

Excerpt: ...s Complaint asserts six causes of action against her employer, Defendant Visa Technology & Operations LLC (“Visa”), for gender, race, and national origin discrimination and retaliation in violation of California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”). (Govt. Code Sect. 1 2940 et. seq.) The Complaint alleges that at all relevant times, Plaintiff resided and worked in Virginia. (Cmplt., para. 4.) It alleges that “[Visa's] office overs...

Excerpt: ...oss- Defendant”). The original Cross-Com plaint was served on Cross - Defendants on August 14, 2023. On October 12, 2023, Cross -Defendant Stiles timely filed his special motion to strike (“anti -SLAPP motion”) pursuant to CCP §425.16, directed at the tenth cause of action for abuse of process allege d against him in the original Cross -Complaint. After the Court sustained in part and overruled in part Cross -Defendants' separate demurrer...

Excerpt: ...r Responses to Special Interrogatories, Set One, is GRANTED IN PART. Plaintiff seeks to compel further responses from Defendant Ampex Engineering and Construction, Inc. (“Defendant”) to Special Interrogatories nos. 1 through 12, contending that Defendant's supplemental responses are insufficient. Specifically, Plaintiff argues that none of Defendant's objections have merit and the substantive portion of Defendant's supplemental responses are...

Excerpt: ...tional distress (“IIED”). Vinogradova demurs here to the second cause of action for IIED on the grounds of uncertainty and a failure to state facts sufficient to state a cause of action. (CCP §430.10(e) –(f).) A. Legal Standard on Demurrer The purpose of a demurrer is to t est the legal sufficiency of the facts alleged in the operative complaint to see whether they state a cause of action under any legal theory, as a matter of law. (New Li...

Excerpt: ... 5 Palms, LLC, an d Natural Software Systems, Inc. Money Purchase Pension Plan (the “Dakota Parties”) have here moved to expunge three lis pendens recorded by Plaintiffs/CrossDefendants/Cross -Complainants Nariman Teymourian, Gail Teymourian, and 2700 Middlefield Road, LLC (the “Teymourian Parties”) against 66 Barry Lane in Atherton (the “Barry Property”). Counsel for both parties is ORDERED TO APPEAR at the hearing on this motion. A...

Excerpt: ...kins' Form I nterrogatories (Sets One and Two), Special Interrogatories (Set One), and Demand for Production (Set One). Defendant served the requests on February 14, 2023 and October 17, 2023. (Declaration of David E. Hunter III in Support of the Motion, ¶¶ 3 -5, 7.) (“Hunter Decl.”) Counsel for Defendant wrote Plaintiff's counsel repeatedly to request verified answers, but to no avail. (Id. at ¶ 6.) After Plaintiff failed to appear at th...

Excerpt: ...tiffs in settlements with other defendants. Plaintiffs are the prevailing party and on January 23, 2024, filed a memorandum of costs, seeking a total of $68,368.87. (Code Civ. Proc., § 1032.) Defendants have filed a motion to tax costs. In their opposition, plaintiffs agreed that certain of their requested costs are not supported and reduced the total requested to $53,066.35. Defendants have argued that $838.48 for “Court -ordered transcript...

Excerpt: ...alifornia Rules of C ourt, rule 2.550. Accordingly, the motion to seal is DENIED WITHOUT PREJUDICE. Specifically, defendant has moved to seal the following documents: • Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Support of Defendant Timothy Logue's Motion for Summary Judgmen t; • Separate Statement of Undisputed Material Facts in Support of Defendant Timothy Logue's Motion for Summary Judgment; • Declaration of Timothy Logue; • Declaration ...

Excerpt: ...rt state d that plaintiff had waived a jury trial by failing to pay the fees, but set a jury trial based on defendants' payment. (Note, however, that the parties represented at paragraph 12 in their joint case management and trial setting conference statement, fil ed on April 7, 2023, that “[a]ll parties have demanded a jury trial on all issues.”) Plaintiff's counsel admits that he did not understand that jury trial fees are due at the time ...

Excerpt: ...as it relates to a motorhome vehicle plaintiffs purchased from defendant. As part of the purchase process, the parties agree there is contained in the agreement of purchase a forum selection and choice -of -law clause providing that exclusive jurisdiction for deciding le gal disputes relating to the warranty shall be within the state or federal courts of Ohio, and that Ohio law will apply. (Declaration of Rick March, Ex. B at page 2.) Defendant n...