Excerpt: ...nd attached Exh. A.) California law favors arbitration. (Armendariz v. Foundation Health Psychcare Services, Inc. (2000) 24 Cal.4th 83, 97.) Plaintiff Mark Smoot (“Plaintiff”) argues that the arbitration provision in the offer letter is unenforceable because it is unconscionable. The party opposing arbitration has the burden of proving that the arbitration provision is unconscionable. (Ajamian v. CantorCO2e, L.P. (2012) 203 Cal.App.4th 771, 7...

Excerpt: ... fraud, oppression or malice by Defendant to support punitive damages. The Court rules on the motion as follows: Defendant's unopposed motion for judicial notice is GRANTED. Plaintiff's objection to Defendant's Exhibit L is SUSTAINED based upon hearsay, lack of personal knowledge and authentication. Plaintiff alleges that Defendant failed to: (1) warn about permanent collagen destruction; (2) properly train purchasers; and (3) advise that the dev...

Excerpt: ...arties' briefing and finds that the 11‐08‐19 Watanabe declaration sufficiently demonstrates the default occurred because Tesla's in‐house counsel mistakenly/inadvertently failed to promptly assign the matter to local litigation counsel. The Court strongly favors resolving cases on their merits. The 08‐ 19‐19 default should be and HEREBY IS SET ASIDE. Where relief is based on attorney fault, §473(b) requires the Court to direct the atto...

Excerpt: ... Code Civil Procedure §437c. The Motion for Summary Judgment and Summary Adjudication of the Loves' claims is DENIED as moot, in light of the voluntary dismissal of the Loves' Cross‐Complaint on 12/11/19. Sereno has established each of the elements of its cause of action for breach of contract. The Loves agreed to pay Sereno 5% of the purchase price of the subject property if buyers completed the transaction or were prevented from doing so by ...

Excerpt: ... and did not cause Plaintiff's injuries. The Court denied Defendants' motion on June 24, 2019. (See June 24, 2019 Minute Order, of which the Court takes judicial notice on its own motion.) Now, in this motion, Defendants once again assert that they complied with the applicable standard of care and did not cause Plaintiff's injuries. However, Defendants have not presented any newly discovered facts or circumstances, or law, that support reconsider...

Excerpt: .... §430.10(e). The Fourth Cause of Action sufficiently alleges the elements of fraud by intentional misrepresentation. See CACI 1900; FAC, ¶¶40‐49. Defendants appear to argue they cannot or should not be held liable for their alleged false representations because they signed the 2016 forms in their capacity as purported Director or Partners of the LLC. Even if this argument otherwise had merit, it fails here because, as alleged, the LLC disso...

Excerpt: ...o Strike Punitive Damages decided. Code Civ. Proc. §1281.4. The Court finds that resolution of this issue will not frustrate the arbitrator's jurisdiction since WIN is not a party to the arbitration and whether WIN faces exposure for punitive damages will not impact any issue in the arbitration. However, the pending punitive damages' exposure to WIN, which is not covered by insurance, does have a substantial impact on WIN. Therefore, the Court l...

Excerpt: ...c. Code § 438(h). 1 st COA – Breach of Express Warranty Defendant contends Plaintiffs have failed to assert a cause of action for breach of express warranty because Plaintiffs have not alleged the “latent defect” in the timing chain system manifested itself during the five‐year express warranty period. According to Defendant, “the warranty expired over six months before Plaintiffs filed their First Amended Complaint on January 18, 2019...

Excerpt: ...cted with the requisite intent to cause damage to Plaintiff. See CACI No. 1320. Defendant Michael Solomon's Demurrer to the “motor vehicle” negligence cause of action is OVERRULED. Plaintiff has asserted factual allegations in the Complaint sufficient to constitute a cause of action for motor vehicle negligence. Though the allegations are contained in an attachment labeled “general negligence,” Plaintiff's form Complaint asserts only inte...

Excerpt: ... an open book account and an account stated. However, Plaintiff also asserts claims for goods sold and delivered and credit extended on account. The alternative Motion for Summary Adjudication is GRANTED as to the claim based on an open book account. Plaintiff has met its burden to show that there is no defense to this cause of action. CCP §437c(p)(1). See Undisputed Material Facts 1‐8; LaRosa Declaration ¶¶5 ‐8, 10‐12 and Exs. A‐C. Th...

Excerpt: ...tered a dismissal he signed, which requested dismissal of the ‘Entire action of all parties and all causes of action.” The filing of a dismissal has immediate effect, rendering subsequent proceedings void. Aetna Cas. & Sur. Co. v. Humboldt Loaders, Inc. (1988) 202 Cal.App.3d 921, 931. The dismissal has caused confusion since only Xie signed it. It may be that this dismissal was meant to dismiss plaintiff Wang's claims, but there is no evidenc...

Excerpt: ...ny cause of action and also cannot be determined at the demurrer stage. The Court has jurisdiction over the case because Business & Professions Code section 6200 et seq. does not divest the Court of jurisdiction to hear the case. Business & Professions Code section 6201 provides: “[A]n attorney shall forward a written notice to the client prior to or at the time of service of summons or claim in an action against the client.... The written noti...

Excerpt: ...licies favor of arbitration and, courts are to “indulge every intendment to give effect to such proceedings.” Moncharsh v. Heily & Blase (1992) 3 Cal.4th 1, 9. Defendants have established the existence of an arbitration agreement, and there is no basis to deny enforcement of the agreement under CCP § 1281.2. Plaintiffs contend Defendants' motion should be denied because (1) Defendants failed to present competent evidence showing the existenc...

Excerpt: ... to “indulge every intendment to give effect to such proceedings.” Moncharsh v. Heily & Blase (1992) 3 Cal.4th 1, 9. Defendants have established the existence of an arbitration agreement, and there is no basis to deny enforcement of the agreement under CCP § 1281.2. Plaintiffs contend Defendants' motion should be denied because (1) Defendants failed to present competent evidence showing the existence of valid arbitration agreements, and (2) ...

Excerpt: ...nts have submitted 19 exhibits, consuming approximately 400 pages. Plaintiffs have submitted 13 exhibits across more than 200 pages. Both parties failed to comply with the Rules of Court that require exhibits to be tabbed. (CRC Rule 3.1110(f)(3). Rules of Court have the force of law to the extent that they are not inconsistent with legislative enactments and constitutional provisions. (In re Richard S. (1991) 54 Cal. 3d 857, 863.) By failing to c...

Excerpt: ...gations that have been voluntarily assumed.” Burger King Corp. v. Rudzewicz, 471 U.S. 462, 474 (1985). Cross‐Defendant Salamakhin has purposefully availed himself of the benefits of the laws of the state of California and created sufficient minimum contacts with the state of California to support personal jurisdiction of this Court by sending a debt collection letter to Cross‐ Complainant which is the subject of the allegations in the First...

Excerpt: ...��Car, Inc. (“Defendant”) on non‐party Hertz Corporation (“Hertz”). Plaintiff argues that Defendant failed to obtain a commission to conduct an out‐of‐state deposition. Specifically, Plaintiff contends that Hertz is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Florida, and thus a commission is required to depose Hertz. Plaintiff has not provided any evidence in support of this contention though. Moreover, Defendant...

Excerpt: ...entry of the order. Interrogatory No. 19 asks Defendant/Cross‐ Complainant Dellanini to identify each instance in which he solicited work for himself or on behalf of TCS while he was employed by Preferred. The request appears to be directed at a core issue in this case – whether Dellanini improperly competed with Preferred for commercial cleaning jobs. Although Dellanini asserted a number of boilerplate objections to the request, the primary ...

Excerpt: ...udgment in the amount of $10,000, less any amounts which BRUCE TASSI has paid (Defendants TASSI, INC. and BRUCE TASSI assert that $6,000 was paid on March 27, 2019, but provide no evidence of that fact and admit that the payment was late). Plaintiff is also entitled to $1,500 in attorneys' fees, $60 in costs for the cost of the motion, and pre‐judgment interest. Even though Plaintiff has not submitted facts, such as his counsel's hourly rate or...

Excerpt: ...elements of a breach of contract claim are: (1) the existence of the contract; (2) plaintiff's performance or excuse for failing to perform; (3) the defendant's breach; and (4) plaintiff's damages. (Amelco Electric v. City of Thousand Oaks (2002) 27 Cal.4th 228, 243.) This claim alleges that Plaintiff and Defendant Palermo entered into an oral and written contract. (Complaint ¶ 52.) Plaintiff fails to allege sufficient facts to support either an...

Excerpt: ...he offer. (See Meissner v. Paulson (1989) 212 Cal.App.3d 785, 791.) Defendants' offer does not identify which Plaintiff to whom it is made. To the extent Defendants intended the offer to be made to Plaintiffs UHI and Lavine jointly, it is ineffective. Either Plaintiff's or both Plaintiffs' failure to accept the offer does not support a motion for post‐offer costs under Code of Civil Procedure section 998. If the tentative ruling is uncontested,...

Excerpt: ... unless it finds that an objection to the request was sustained, the admission was of no substantial importance, the responding party had reasonable ground to believe that the party would prevail on the matter, or there was a good reason for the failure to admit. (Id. sect. 2033.420, subd. (b).) The moving party is only entitled to the reasonable expenses, including attorneys' fees “incurred in making the proof, i.e., proving the matters denied...

Excerpt: ...to the credentialing of Scott Chang, MD is GRANTED and the deponent shall appear for deposition within 15 days of the date of the service of notice of ruling. Plaintiff's motion to compel production of documents is DENIED without prejudice. CCP § 2025.410 provides, in pertinent part, as follows: (a) Any party served with a deposition notice that does not comply with Article 2 (commencing with Section 2025.210) waives any error or irregularity un...

Excerpt: ...ning unusual maintenance and consultant's fees, and the prayer for professional and technical fees, is GRANTED WITHOUT LEAVE TO AMEND. Plaintiff fails to oppose the motion as to these fees, and thus has not established she will be able to amend to allege facts to support she may recover these fees. The Motion to Strike paragraph 50 and the prayer for exemplary and punitive damages is GRANTED WITH LEAVE TO AMEND. As pled, Plaintiff fails to allege...

Excerpt: ...means to protect the privacy interest. Absent sealing, the private information would be publicly available. If the tentative ruling is uncontested, it shall become the order of the Court. Thereafter, counsel for petitioner County of San Mateo shall prepare a written order consistent with the Court's ruling for the Court's signature, pursuant to California Rules of Court, Rule 3.1312, and provide written notice of the ruling to all parties who hav...

Excerpt: ...ot required when the claim arises from an allegation that the foreclosing defendant failed to comply with the requirement of contacting the borrower before recording Notice of Default. (Mabry v. Superior Court (2010) 185 Cal. App. 4th 208, 225–26.) The basis of Plaintiff's claim is the allegation that Defendants did not contact him before initiating foreclosure proceedings. (Complaint para. 16.) Since the complaint is based on the allegation of...

Excerpt: ...ought, the Memorandum of Points & Authorities argues that the Court may dismiss or strike the Complaint when it fails to allege facts sufficient to state a cause of action against a particular defendant, or where there is a lack of subject matter jurisdiction, citing Code Civ. Proc. §§ 437c – 439. These are the Code sections pertaining to motions for summary judgment and motions for judgment on the pleadings. As the moving papers do not inclu...

Excerpt: ...rt finds the New Hampshire forum selection clause in the parties' arbitration agreement is unconscionable, and thus unenforceable. The remainder of the parties' arbitration agreement, however, is valid and unenforceable. As set forth in Defendant's moving papers and not disputed by Plaintiff, California, New Hampshire, and federal law all favor the enforceability of arbitration agreements. See, e.g., California Arbitration Act (“CAA”), codifi...

Excerpt: ... as a matter of law. Code Civ. Proc. § 437c(c). Specifically, Defendant is unable to establish the assumption of risk doctrine as a complete defense to Plaintiff's First cause of action for negligence. Defendant contends that her admitted conduct of cutting across the jumping lanes in the warm‐up arena, approaching Plaintiff from behind without warning, and bringing her horse into close proximity with Plaintiff's horse was within the range of ...

Excerpt: ....2 in that the Motion alleges the existence of a written agreement to arbitrate a controversy and that a party to the agreement refuses to arbitrate that controversy. The Court therefore will treat the Motion as a petition to compel arbitration and motion to stay the action pending arbitration. The Court finds that an agreement to arbitrate exists based on the parties' agreement that the credit agreement underling this action contains an arbitrat...

Excerpt: ...ummary adjudication. A summary judgment may be granted where it is shown that either the action has no merit, or that there is no defense to the action or proceeding. (Code of Civ. Proc. § 437c(a).) The court must determine from the evidence presented that there is no triable issue as to any material fact, and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. (Code of Civ. Proc. § 437c(c).) Thus, if one single material fact is d...