Excerpt: ...enancy was waived. Id. at ¶8(c)(1). The 60‐Day Notice of Termination of Tenancy attached to the FAC as Ex. 2, indicates: “Possession of the premises is sought pursuant to California Civil Code § 1946 and California Code of Civil Procedure § 1161(1). Possession of the premises is also sought pursuant to California Civil Code § 1946.2 (b)(2)(A)(i) Intent to occupy the residential real property by the owner or their spouse, domestic partner,...

Excerpt: ... of Action for Negligent Misrepresentation and Tenth Cause of Action for Negligent Misrepresentation in the Second Amended Complaint by Plaintiffs Vincent Pluvinage and VPV LLC (“Plaintiffs”), is OVERRULED. Defendants demur that these causes of action fail to state facts sufficient to support them because Plaintiffs fail to plead the alleged misrepresentations with the requisite specificity. These Causes of Action are based on the same allege...

Excerpt: ...ws: On a motion for preliminary injunction the court evaluates two interrelated factors: (1) the likelihood that the plaintiff will prevail on the merits of the claim at trial, and (2) the interim harm the plaintiff would be likely to suffer if the injunction is denied as compared to the harm that the defendant would be likely to suffer if the injunction is granted. (Amgen Inc. v. Health Care Services (2020) 47 Cal.App.5th 716, 731.) The weighing...

Excerpt: ...on or defenses).) The Court reminds Defense Counsel to comply with all Rules of Court in the future. “Rules of Court have the force of law and are as binding as procedural statutes . . . .” (R.R. v. Superior Court (2009) 180 Cal.App.4th 185, 205.) I. PLEADING DEFECTS AS TO ALL CAUSES OF ACTION GENERALLY Demurrer is SUSTAINED WITH LEAVE TO AMEND. Defendant City's demurrer on the ground that the Complaint fails to allege a statutory basis for l...

Excerpt: ...s initial, 1‐3‐19 Complaint has not been previously amended. On 7‐12‐21, the Court denied, without prejudice, Plaintiff's previously‐filed motion for leave to amend the Complaint, on grounds that Plaintiff had not complied with CRC 3.1324. The Court's 7‐12‐21 Order stated in part: Subsection (a) of Rule CRC 3.1324 states that a motion to amend must … state what allegations are proposed to be added and where, by page, paragraph and...

Excerpt: ...ritten settlement agreement (AGREEMENT) providing LIU/AN pay IMUSIC a total of $53,767.33 in 20 monthly payments of $2,688.37 starting in January 2015.” Cross‐Complaint, p.8. The Cross‐Complaint further alleges that Cross‐Defendants Xiao Chen Liu and Peide An breached the settlement agreement by failing to make any payments following the first two installment payments. Id. As a result, the Cross‐Complaint indicates that the settlement a...

Excerpt: ...ing papers also contend that there are no facts in the FAC to support an award for punitive damages. In Mr. Duong's reply, he contends that Plaintiff does not have standing to assert a claim under the FDCPA because Plaintiff is not a “consumer” within the meaning of the Act. Mr. Duong also contends that he “cannot be liable for any of LEC's alleged misconduct because LEC is a California corporation and as such it bears its own liabilities, ...

Excerpt: ...d in an order for restitution in a prior criminal proceeding. According to Defendant, “There is privity between Plaintiffs and the State of California.” MPA, p.10. Defendant, however, presents no authority supporting the claim that victims or participants in a criminal trial are in “privity” with the State for purposes of application of res judicata or collateral estoppel in a subsequent civil proceeding. In his reply, Defendant acknowled...

Excerpt: ... Second Amended Complaint is OVERRULED. Plaintiff's FAC alleged violations of RESPA as the Fifth COA, and Defendants' demurrer to that pleading was sustained with leave to amend as to that COA so that Plaintiff could allege the alternate theory of violations of Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §17200 et seq (UCL), as Plaintiff has done here in the SAC. Particularity Defendants argue that Plaintiff's UCL claim is not pled with sufficient particularity beca...

Excerpt: ...rer to each cause of action in the FAC based on uncertainty is OVERRULED. The “uncertainties” must be specified (Fenton v. Groveland Comm. Services Dist. (1982) 135 CA3d 797, 809), but Defendants fail to address this demurrer in their papers. The demurrer to the First Cause of Action for Quiet Title based on failure to state a claim is SUSTAINED WITHOUT LEAVE TO AMEND. This cause of action is based on Plaintiff's claim that his lease may only...

Excerpt: ...s because it omits Defendant's apartment number. Defendant states in her declaration that she never received the notice of renewal of judgment in the mail and that she only learned about this case when Plaintiff started to garnish her wages. Fuentes Decl., ¶¶ 8‐9. Under these circumstances, Plaintiff's service of the notice of renewal is invalid. (See Moghaddam v. Bone, 142 Cal. App. 4th 283, 288 (2006).) Thus, the 30‐ day deadline to file ...

Excerpt: ... based on: (1) an open book, (2) an account stated, (3) money lent, and (4) money expended. However, Plaintiff's memorandum in support of the motion attempts to demonstrate that Plaintiff has established claims for (1) an open book, and (2) an account stated. (MPA, p.3‐5.) Accordingly, because Plaintiff has addressed only two of its four claims, Plaintiff has not demonstrated it is entitled to summary judgment. Nonetheless, the Court finds that...

Excerpt: ...he reason(s) stated below. The meet and confer requirement set forth in Code Civ. Proc. Sect. 430.41, which governs demurrers, is intended to ensure that the parties discuss, either in person or by phone, at least five days before a demurrer is filed, the issues to be raised in a demurrer, in the hopes that the parties can resolve their issues/objections informally and without the need for Court intervention. Here, the Zulch declaration supportin...

Excerpt: ...led with the Court. Although Defendant provides a copy of it with his reply, there is no indication that it was ever filed. Therefore, the Court has not considered it and proceeds to rule on the merits of this Demurrer. (2) In reviewing the FAC, the Court finds that the exhibits referenced in the FAC are missing. Defendant assumes that these missing exhibits are the same exhibits attached to the original Complaint for purposes of this Demurrer. H...

Excerpt: ... a complaint or cross‐complaint has been filed may object, by demurrer or answer as provided in Section 430.30, to the pleading on any one or more of the following grounds: … (e) The pleading does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action. …” Cal. Code of Civ. Proc. § 430.30(e). With respect to the cause of action for breach of contract, the Court rules as follows. The FAC does not specify a particular contract term that...

Excerpt: ...� 452(d). Specially Appearing Defendants' Special Motion to Strike is GRANTED pursuant to Cal. Code of Civ. Proc. § 425.16. This Motion was initially set for August 23, 2021. The Court posted a tentative ruling for that hearing date indicating that the issues raised by the Special Motion to Strike were moot due to filing of FAC, which omitted the challenged causes of action. On the Court's own motion, that tentative order was vacated and hearing...

Excerpt: ...nts and Cross‐ Complainant's Motion to Compel Arbitration and Stay the Proceedings is GRANTED. The Build Contract contains the arbitration clause pursuant which the parties have agreed to arbitration. As California has a strong public policy in favor of arbitration, any doubts of arbitrability are resolved in favor of arbitration. Rice v. Downs (2016) 248 Cal.App.4th 175, 185. Thus, arbitration should be upheld “unless it can be said with ass...

Excerpt: ...hat the People have not presented sufficient facts to establish that Yi may be held liable under the “Responsible Corporate Officer Doctrine” (RCOD). The People respond that “On June 8, 2021, Plaintiff filed its First Amended Complaint (attached hereto as Exhibit 3). In paragraph 5, Plaintiff amended the description of Defendant Yi and specifically included the language ordered by the court in its ruling on the demurrer.” The State has al...

Excerpt: ...oena for business records is GRANTED for the reasons set forth below. On January 15, 2021, Defendants served Dr. Barbara Berglund Sokolov with a subpoena seeking production of her communications with third parties. (Gasaway Decl., Ex. 3.) Before producing those communications, the Commissions' counsel, pursuant to Civil Code section 1798.24, subdivision (k), notified all individuals whose personal information might be produced that their personal...

Excerpt: ...t al. (“Plaintiffs”) for Preliminary Injunction is GRANTED IN PART, as follows: Plaintiffs' Memorandum fails to comply with California Rules of Court Rule 3.1113(f), as it does not include a table of contents and table of authorities. However, the Court declines to deny the Motion on this ground or to strike the Memorandum, but CAUTIONS Plaintiffs to comply with this rule in the future. Plaintiffs' proposed preliminary injunction seeks the fo...

Excerpt: ...written First Amended Complaint (FAC) is very difficult to read and understand. Plaintiff may wish to remedy this issue/problem if a further amended Complaint is filed. Allegations. The FAC purports to assert claims against Defendants Gregory Menzel, an attorney, and Earl Daly, an alleged client of Menzel's, for negligence, fraud, “intentional tort,” “common count.” The FAC also makes references to Menzel's alleged “fiduciary duties,”...

Excerpt: ...ed a supplemental briefing schedule on the issue of Defendant's contestation of the Court's tentative ruling. The parties focused much of their briefing on the element of permanency pursuant to the ruling in Richards v. CH2M Hill, Inc., (2001) 26 Cal.4th 798 (excerpted at length in Plaintiff's sup. brief, pgs. 3‐4), which held that a continuing violation occurs when an employer's unlawful actions are (1) sufficiently similar in kind, (2) have o...

Excerpt: ...t forth below. Defendant's demurrer based on uncertainty is SUSTAINED with leave to amend. Plaintiffs have not cured some of the defects from their prior complaints, rendering the Fourth Amended Complaint fatally uncertain. First, the FAC alleges that Plaintiff Mayer agreed at the December 3, 2017 meeting with Pepe that the noise level was acceptable. This allegation appears to contradict the allegation that the meeting was part of Defendants' co...

Excerpt: ...as a declaratory judgment and a permanent injunction enjoining Defendant Palo Alto Park Mutual Water Company (PAPMWC) from further attempts to shut off Plaintiff's water in an attempt to collect amounts incurred by other account holders, including the property owner, for water service to 227 Green Street. Public Utilities Code section 777, subdivision (b) requires Defendant PAPMWC to “make every good faith effort to inform the residential occup...

Excerpt: ...Opposition papers were untimely filed per Code Civ. Proc. Sect. 1005(b), the Court, in its discretion, has considered them in addressing the motion's merits. The Court recognizes that, according to Husain's Opposition papers, he assigned the 2012 CIT Judgment to his son on 9‐9‐21, two days after Husain's Opposition papers were due. Code Civ. Proc. Sect. 1005. The timing of that purported assignment raises concern, to say the least. Nonetheles...

Excerpt: ...t Co. (1937) 24 Cal.App.2d 220, 221‐223 [where an individual defendant resides in a different county from that in which a corporate defendant's principal place of business is located and the action is brought in a third county, the individual defendant is entitled to a change of venue to the county in which the corporate defendant's principal place of business is located].) It is ordered that venue of this action be transferred to Los Angeles C...

Excerpt: ...Court finds that Rona Maskan's motion to quash service of summons is MOOT in light of the Court's ruling on the motion to dismiss, as set forth below. Rona Maskan's motion for an order dismissing Plaintiff Proud Thai Massage, LLC's (“Plaintiff”) Fourth Amended Complaint against Rona Maskan is GRANTED on the ground that Plaintiff did not obtain leave to add Rona Maskan as a Defendant in the Fourth Amended Complaint after voluntarily dismissing...

Excerpt: ...s set forth below. The original hearing on Plaintiff's motion for attorney's fees was held on April 12, 2021. At the hearing, the Court ordered the parties to submit further briefing regarding issues raised during oral arguments. Following the continued hearing, held on June 28, the Court issued an order granting Plaintiff's motion for attorney's fees in the amount of $166,009.00 and permitting further briefing on Plaintiff's request for addition...

Excerpt: ... constitutional law.” (R.R. v. Superior Court (2009) 180 Cal.App.4th 185, 205.) The Separate Statement of Undisputed Facts for a motion for summary adjudication of issues must identify each cause of action subject to the motion. Plaintiff improperly combines claims for account stated and open book account into a single issue. Because of the relatively uncomplicated nature of this motion, the Court overlooks the defective paper. Plaintiff's requ...

Excerpt: ...GARWAL TENTATIVE RULING: Plaintiff/Cross‐Defendant BootUp Ventures, LLC's Motion to Compel, filed 5‐17‐21, which pertains to BootUp's original sets of Request for Production of Documents, Special Interrogatories, and Requests for Admission to Defendants/Cross‐Complainants Tarun Gaur, Jinigram, LLC, and Dial2Buy.com LLC, is DENIED. Commission Halperin's 3‐30‐21 IDC Minute Order made clear that the parties were required to participate i...

Excerpt: ...as to the fact that the FAC was filed and not the contents therein, which are hearsay in the present action. Day v. Sharp (1975) 50 Cal.App.3d 904, 914. 2) Order sustaining Facebook's Demurrer to the First Amended Complaint filed in Balsam v. Facebook, Inc., et al. Case No. CGC‐20‐ CIV‐02559 (S. M. Super. Ct. November 30, 2020). Exh. B. GRANTED. Pursuant to Evid. Code §452(d), the Court may take judicial notice of its own records. Judicial...

Excerpt: ...the Court notes that Defendant Essex has filed, and Defendant Suffolk has requested joinder in, a “Motion to Release Mechanic's Liens (Lambert Motion).” However, the property at issue has been released from the mechanic's liens by the release bonds filed by Defendant Suffolk pursuant to Civ. Code, § 8424, which provides that “On recordation of the bond, the real property is released from the claim of lien and from any action to enforce the...

Excerpt: ...d Simon under Code of Civil Procedure section 36(a). However, they fail to present admissible evidence as to their age and health. Plaintiffs' counsel submits his own declaration in support of this Motion, with exhibits attached. A declaration supporting a motion for preference under section 36(a) “may be signed by the attorney for the party seeking preference based upon information and belief as to the medical diagnosis and prognosis of any pa...

Excerpt: ...position brief requests, as an alternative to the Court ruling on the motion, a continuance of the hearing to allow Plaintiffs additional time to conduct discovery. See Code Civ. Proc. Sect. 437c(h). Plaintiffs contend they have been denied an opportunity to depose, or at least to fully depose, Defendant Robert Scott. The request for a continuance is DENIED. Portions of Defendant Scott's deposition have been filed with Plaintiffs' Opposition brie...

Excerpt: ...fendant Rajiv Agarwal seeks to quash the service of summons and set aside the entry of his default under CCP § 473(d) on the grounds that the summons was not properly served on him in compliance with CCP § 415.20. According to Defendant, Plaintiff did not properly effectuate substituted service in accordance with CCP § 415.20 because Defendant was not served at his “dwelling house, usual place of abode . . . or usual mailing address.” Defe...

Excerpt: ... states that if a contract provides for attorney's fees incurred to enforce the contract to be awarded to one of the parties or to the prevailing party, the party who is determined to be the party prevailing shall be entitled to fees whether he or she is the party specified in the contract. Here, ¶40 of the lease provides for an award of reasonable attorney's fees to the prevailing party in an action arising out of the lease, except as provided ...

Excerpt: ...n evidentiary hearing. Due process and notice of opportunity to be heard does not require a public evidentiary hearing. “In general, ‘something less' than a full evidentiary hearing is sufficient prior to adverse administrative action.” (Today's Fresh Start, Inc. v. Los Angeles Cty. Off. of Educ. (2013) 57 Cal. 4th 197, 228 [quoting Cleveland Bd. of Educ. v. Loudermill (1985) 470 U.S. 532, 545.) “The extent to which procedural due process...

Excerpt: ...tle, unjust enrichment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, forcible detainer, loss of consortium, conspiracy against civil rights, violation of civil rights, violation of RICO, and conspiracy to violate RICO against over 30 recently named Doe Defendants. According to Plaintiff, “The facts concerning the new defendants who were previously sued as Does require additional Causes of Action in addition to facts to supplement each cause of...

Excerpt: ...and Inventions Assignment Agreement is substantively unconscionable and, if so; (ii) whether that provision may be severed from the Agreement. Upon review of the parties' original moving papers and opposition, as well as the parties' supplemental briefs and the authorities cited therein, the Court rules that Defendant Snowflake, Inc.'s Petition to Compel Arbitration and Stay Proceedings is GRANTED for the reasons set forth below. Defendant has me...

Excerpt: ...ssional negligence claim. (Mot. at 16:28‐17:20.) The “Plaintiff has no evidence” rule for summary judgment is that “the plaintiff does not possess, and cannot reasonably obtain, evidence that would allow such a trier of fact to find any underlying material fact more likely than not.” (Aguilar v. Atl. Richfield Co. (2001) 25 Cal. 4th 826, 845.) Though Plaintiff's answers to Defendant's first set of Special Interrogatories largely reitera...

Excerpt: ...ble Statute of Limitations (“SOL”) is one year pursuant to Cal. Gov. Code § 12960, as it was in effect prior to January 1, 2020 when it was modified by the SHARE Act to a three‐year period. According to Plaintiff, the SOL began to run only when SamCERA granted her application for disability retirement in December 2019 with a lessened lump sum payment because of Plaintiff's return to work in 2015. Plaintiff alleges that Defendant County act...

Excerpt: ... DENIED. Attorney's Fees Authorized by Contract The parties settled this matter following Plaintiff's acceptance of Defendants' CCP § 998 offer to compromise. The offer provided that Defendants would pay Plaintiff $160,000.00 “to resolve fully and finally all of the parties' respective claims against one another, exclusive of costs and fees.” McDonald Decl., Ex. P, p.2; McLennon Decl. ¶ 25. The offer also provided that Plaintiff “shall di...

Excerpt: ...f Action are OVERRULED. Demurrer to the fourth and fifth causes of action are SUSTAINED WITH LEAVE TO AMEND. The reasons for this ruling are set forth below. A. 1st and 2nd Causes of Action (Rescission). Demurrer is OVERRULED as to the 1st and 2nd causes of action (rescission). Service of the Complaint serves as the required notice and offer to restore benefits in this case. (Civ. Code § 1691; Wong v. Stoler (2015) 237 Cal.App.4th 1375, 1385‐1...

Excerpt: ...nd Cause of Action for breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, the Demurrer is SUSTAINED WITH LEAVE TO AMEND. Code Civ. Proc. Sect. 430.10(e). The Complaint does not allege the existence of any contract between Plaintiff(s) and Defendants Treacy Group LLC, Kieran Treacy, and Kelly Treacy. Accordingly, it fails to state a cause of action against these three defendants for breach of contract and breach of the implied covenant...

Excerpt: ...g. Defendant's argument hinges on the assertion that Plaintiff's allegations in ¶11 of the Complaint create a factual basis for the SOL to begin running on August 22, 2018. That paragraph alleges: By letter dated August 22, 2018, BLUE SHIELD denied PLAINTIFF's claim for benefits under the Policy, citing lack of medical necessity despite BLUE SHIELD's receipt of extensive documentation evidencing PLAINTIFF's health care providers' determination o...

Excerpt: ...equately pleads a negligence claim against Defendant Liang based on vicarious liablity. The TAC sufficiently alleges that Defendant Ma was Defendant Liang's agent and was acting within his authority at the time he allegedly committed the wrongful acts. Id., ¶15. The allegations show that Defendant Ma accepted “a $500 deposit for rent” from Plaintiff so that he could move in a couple of days early. TAC, ¶¶11, 21‐22. Despite this agreement...

Excerpt: .... Plaintiff does not dispute that the clerk accepted and filed Defendant's motion to quash in 20‐UDU‐00113 on January 5, 2021 and set the matter for a hearing on February 1, 2021. At the hearing on Defendant's motion to vacate default in this matter, Plaintiff's counsel contended that the clerk had notified Defendant that the motion to quash had been filed in 20‐ UDU‐00113. Notwithstanding this fact, however, no competent evidence was int...

Excerpt: ...�), and Defendant's Answer does not state facts sufficient to constitute a defense to the Complaint. Plaintiff appears to contend that Defendant's Answer is insufficient because it constitutes a negative pregnant, and therefore does not effectively deny the allegations in the Complaint. However, a negative pregnant is explained as when a defendant “makes the denial in the exact words of the statement [alleged in the Complaint], it is possible t...

Excerpt: ... Posting Bond indicating compliance with that order. The Court's reasoning as to the denial of the consolidation motion follows. "When actions involving a common question of law or fact are pending before the court, it may order a joint hearing or trial of any or all the matters in issue in the actions; it may order all the actions consolidated and it may make such orders concerning proceedings therein as may tend to avoid unnecessary costs or de...

Excerpt: ...e claim for violation of Business and Professions Code section 17200, contending that Defendants WooSung Corporation and Yi unlawfully possessed and sold skate wing in violation of Fish and Game Code sections 2021 and 2021.5. (See Complaint ¶¶ 10, 12.) Yi demurs that the Complaint fails to allege facts sufficient to support his liability because Plaintiff seeks to hold him liable under the “Responsible Corporate Officer Doctrine” (“RCOD�...

Excerpt: ...nctions,” filed 3‐12‐21, is GRANTED‐IN‐ PART and DENIED‐INPART, as set forth below. The motion to compel further responses to the post‐ Judgment Requests for Production (RFPs) is GRANTED, but will become moot if Plaintiff pays the $2,832.07 in costs within 10 days of this Order. This Order should be read together with the related Order of this same date, granting Defendant's motion to compel further responses to post‐Judgment Inte...

Excerpt: ...ompel Compliance. This discovery dispute arises from a New York personal injury action titled Louis Christophides and Cara Christophides v. Subaru Distributors Corp., New York State Supreme Court, Orange County, Case No. 004941/2018. The subpoenas seek discovery of the contents of the Facebook and Instagram accounts of the Plaintiffs in the New York action. On April 30, 2020, the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Orange County, issued an or...

Excerpt: ...the evidence, and that Plaintiff's claims are governed by the agreement. The arbitration provision at issue, which was contained in the parties' Employee Proprietary Information and Inventions Assignment Agreement, provides as follows: Any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to either: (a) this Agreement, its enforcement, arbitrability or interpretation, or because of an alleged breach, default, or misrepresentation in connec...

Excerpt: ...gal Contract is SUSTAINED WITH LEAVE TO AMEND based on failure to allege facts sufficient to support this claim and uncertainty. Plaintiffs assert that Defendant failed to comply with Business and Professions Code section 7159 and thus the contract is void. (Complaint ¶ 21.) It is unclear what claim Plaintiffs are attempting to allege though, as they fail to offer any authority to support that a claim for “Illegal Contract” exists. Further, ...

Excerpt: ...tated below. First, all six asserted claims are uncertain because they do not identify, with sufficient clarity, the specific plaintiff(s) asserting each claim and the specific defendant(s) against whom each claim is asserted. Code Civ. Proc. Sect. 430.10(f); CRC 2.112 (each cause of action shall identify the plaintiff(s) asserting it and the defendant(s) against whom it is asserted). This should be made explicit. CRC 2.112. Further, given that t...

Excerpt: ...ell as Plaintiff's amended opposition, filed April 19, in which Plaintiff claims that Defendants did not meet and confer in good faith. Plaintiff alleges a breach of his lease based on the claim that he had an “indefinite and perpetual” lease term that Defendants could not terminate. Complaint, ¶ 36. As alleged in the Complaint, however, the lease specified a one‐year term and stated that a 60‐day notice could be used to terminate the le...

Excerpt: ...DOE 19) AND GREGORY D. HANSEN(DOE 30) TENTATIVE RULING: A. The Complaint Fails to State any Cause of Action against the DEMURRING DEFENDANTS. The demurrers by Defendants MAINS, SLOAN, SHREWSBERRY, FRANCESCONI, WT CAPITAL LENDERS SERVICES, BERG, POWELL, NUNEZ, WELLS FARGO & CO., SULLIVAN, FITZGERALD, and HANSEN to the seventh and eighth causes of action are sustained. Neither the seventh nor eighth cause of action alleges any wrongful acts by thes...

Excerpt: ...), DEBORAH SULLIVAN(DOE 18), KAREN FITZGERALD(DOE 19) AND GREGORY D. HANSEN(DOE 30) TENTATIVE RULING: The Court grants Defendants' Request for Judicial Notice as to all 31 matters. The Motion to Strike, filed by Defendants MAINS, SLOAN, SHREWSBERRY, FRANCESCONI, WT CAPITAL LENDERS SERVICES, BERG, POWELL, NUNEZ, WELLS FARGO & CO., SULLIVAN, FITZGERALD, and HANSEN is DENIED. The 12 moving defendants were substituted into this matter in place of Doe...

Excerpt: ... et. al.'s “Motion to Dismiss or Stay on the Ground of Inconvenient Forum,” filed 3‐29‐21, is DENIED. Code Civ. Proc. Sects. 410.30; 418.10. Assuming it applies, the forum selection clause is permissive, not mandatory Defendants first argue the Court should dismiss the case because the forum selection clause in the referenced 2008 “Limited Tenancy In Common Agreement” (TIC Agreement) (10‐23‐20 Klimp Decl., Ex. A) “requires” th...

Excerpt: ...h of contract resulting from Defendants' alleged failure to properly maintain a water heater, which caused the ceiling in the premises leased by Plaintiff to collapse. Plaintiff asserts these claims against Defendant Louis Matteucci, the lessor of the subject premises, as well as Defendants David Clark and Lagomarsino Property Management, Inc. (the “property manager Defendants”). The Court will address the arguments with respect to each Defen...

Excerpt: ... share of arbitration fees or waive arbitration. The parties do not dispute that Luchetti did not agree to pay Butte's share of arbitration fees by December 4, 2020, or at any date thereafter. Luchetti has therefore waived its right to arbitrate Butte's claim. The Court's order was expressly based on the controlling authority of Roldan and Weiler, which each held in relevant part as follows: “[I]f the trial court determines that any of these pl...

Excerpt: ...AINED WITHOUT LEAVE TO AMEND based on failure to state facts sufficient to support a cause of action. All five causes of action in the Cross‐Complaint arise out of the same allegations that Gonzalez purportedly entered into an agreement with Matson for Matson to rig the bidding for the property in exchange for Gonzalez paying Matson $10,000. (See Cross‐Complaint ¶¶ 4, 5, 15‐19.) Matson claims that he was never paid the $10,000, and furthe...

Excerpt: ...lings on the Demurrer by Defendant FPT follow: A. Sixth Cause of Action Demurrer to the sixth cause of action (interference with contract) is OVERRULED. The original MSA and the Amendment No. 1 expressly provide that the MSA is an at‐will agreement. (MSA para. 9; Amendment No. 1 sect. 1(B).) Pursuant to the Settlement Agreement and MSA, the Parties entered into the 2019 Work Order, which provides that “this Addendum shall continue for a minim...

Excerpt: ...s from selling the Property. The standard for a preliminary injunction is set forth in Code of Civil Procedure section 525 et seq. To obtain a preliminary injunction, the plaintiff must establish that the defendants should be restrained from the challenged activity pending trial. See Code Civ. Proc. § 526, subd. (a); see also Trader Joe's Co. v. Progressive Campaigns (1999) 73 Cal.App.4th 425, 429. In seeking a preliminary injunction, the burden...

Excerpt: ...The parties settled this matter following Plaintiff's acceptance of Defendants' CCP Section 998 offer to compromise. The offer provided that Defendants would pay Plaintiff $160,000.00 “to resolve fully and finally all of the parties' respective claims against one another, exclusive of costs and fees.” McDonald Decl., Ex. P, p.2; McLennon Decl. ¶ 25. The offer also provided that Plaintiff “shall dismiss all of its claims alleged in its oper...

Excerpt: ...th respect to the First Cause of Action for Wrongful Foreclosure and Fifth Cause of Action for Violations of RESPA pursuant to Cal. Code of Civ. Proc. § 430.10(e). The Demurrer is OVERRULED with respect to Plaintiff's remaining causes of action. Any amended pleading is to be filed within 20 days of this order. First COA for Wrongful Foreclosure The elements of a wrongful foreclosure cause of action are: “ ‘(1) [T]he trustee or mortgagee caus...

Excerpt: ...dant must either pay overdue rent covering the time period from Nov. 1, 2020 to Dec. 15, 2020, “or quit and deliver up possession of the premises.” See Complaint, Ex. II. Thus, the Complaint is based on tenant's alleged non‐payment of rent. Per Code Civ. Proc. Sects. 1179.01‐ 1179.07 (The Covid‐19 Tenant Relief Act of 2020, or “Relief Act”), Notices that seek to terminate a tenancy based on the non‐payment of rent that was due dur...

Excerpt: ... reasons set forth below. Both the First Cause of Action for Breach of Contract and Second Cause of Action for Negligence are barred because Facebook is immune from liability under section 230(c)(1) of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 (“CDA”). (See 47 U.S.C. § 230(c)(1).) Section 230(c)(1) states that “[n]o provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by ...

Excerpt: ...icipated in an informal discovery conference on December 1, 2020, but did not resolve the issues raised herein. Kawahito Decl. ¶23‐24. This, and the subsequent communications detailed in the Kawahito Decl., satisfies the meet and confer requirement. Defendant argues that Dr. Scott cannot participate in a deposition because of health issues, based on a November 24, 2020 letter from Dr. Gilbert Goodman of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation which s...

Excerpt: ...tion to quash subpoenas based on litigation taking place in New York. The underlying New York action is a personal injury action. The Defendant in that action, Subaru Distributors Corp., served the subpoenas on non‐party Petitioner Facebook, Inc. The subpoenas seek discovery of the contents of Plaintiffs' Facebook and Instagram accounts. The Stored Communications Act (“SCA”) bars disclosure of the contents of the subpoenaed accounts. The SC...

Excerpt: ...torney's fees is DENIED. Respondent contends, first, that the arbitrator lacked statutory authority to issue the December 18, 2019 “Amended Ruling.” According to Respondent, “the arbitrator had no statutory authority or power to change, ‘amend,' or otherwise ‘clarify' his December 17, 2019, decision, regardless of his desire to do so or whether the parties requested ‘clarification' during a telephone call.” Opposition, p.5. Pursuant...

Excerpt: ...ber 16, 2020 is denied. (Code Civ. Proc., sec. 473(d); see Ellard v. Conway (2001) 94 Cal.App.4th 540, 544 [default judgment entered against a defendant who was not served with a summons in the matter prescribed by statute is void].) Pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 415.20(b), plaintiff's process server attempted service on defendant at the Fremont apartment, the address defendant gave as his home address at the scene of the accident, ...

Excerpt: ...min Darrow (“Plaintiff”), is ruled on as follows: (1) Defendant's Request for Judicial Notice is GRANTED, pursuant to Evidence Code section 452(d). (2) The Demurrer to the First through Fifth Causes of Action as barred by the statute of limitations is OVERRULED. Defendants argue that these claims are barred by the three‐year statute of limitations under Code of Civil Procedure section 338(d). The statute commences to run only after one has ...

Excerpt: ... “material continuing violations of your lease (smoking, unapproved dog, noise),” “material failure to carry out obligations under state landlord and tenant law (nuisance and interfering with quiet enjoyment of neighbors),” and “other good cause (harassment of neighbors, smoking, noise).” (Complaint, Ex. 2.) Defendant's tenancy is a Section 8 tenancy. (Complaint, Ex. 1.) The Complaint does not allege facts that would permit terminatio...

Excerpt: ...icle negligence arising from a collision on the 280 Freeway in San Mateo County. It alleges Defendant “was engaged in a race on the freeway with his motor vehicle with another unknown individual …. [and] caused his motor vehicle to strike Plaintiff's vehicle with such force that it caused Plaintiff's vehicle to fly off the highway and to rollover multiple times.” The Complaint refers to Defendant's actions as “despicable conduct, intentio...

Excerpt: ... Plaintiffs have demonstrated the records they seek to seal contain proprietary or confidential information. The records consist of testimony and documents furnished to the San Mateo County Assessment Appeals Board in conjunction with an application for changed assessment. Complaint, ¶ 10. Plaintiffs cite to Rev. and Tax. Code § 451, which provides that “All information requested by the assessor or furnished in the property statement shall be...

Excerpt: ... Alexander Mayer (“Mayer”) (collectively “Plaintiffs”), is ruled on as set forth below. The demurrer to the second, third, fourth, ninth, and tenth causes of action is SUSTAINED WITH LEAVE TO AMEND as to Defendant Pepe Pimentel (“Pimentel”). Plaintiffs have not alleged facts to support these causes of action. There is no alleged misrepresentation by Pimentel to support the Second Cause of Action for Intentional Misrepresentation and T...

Excerpt: ...for Wrongful Foreclosure and Fifth Cause of Action for Violations of RESPA pursuant to Cal. Code of Civ. Proc. § 430.10(e). The Demurrer is OVERRULED with respect to Plaintiff's remaining causes of action. Any amended pleading is to be filed within 20 days of this order. First COA for Wrongful Foreclosure: The elements of a wrongful foreclosure cause of action are: “ ‘(1) [T]he trustee or mortgagee caused an illegal, fraudulent, or willfully...

Excerpt: ...h Plaintiff, the existence of which is established by the Complaint and judicially noticeable facts. Contrary to Defendant's contention, the contract does not need to be in writing since it falls under the exception set forth in Commercial Code section 2201(3)(a). Paragraphs 42 and 43 of the Complaint establishes the remaining elements of this claim. See CACI No. 2201. Defendant also contends this cause of action is barred by res judicata based o...

Excerpt: ...g to Defendants, “when dealing with injuries of the magnitude at issue in this case, the effect of sympathy and passion in the jury's deliberations on the subject of liability may well result in a miscarriage of justice.” MPA, p.8. Defendants assert that “Should the facts and evidence support a conclusion that Defendants are not liable for decedent's and Plaintiffs' injuries, presentation of evidence and argument regarding the tragic result...

Excerpt: ...s”) to Strike Portions of the First Amended Cross‐ Complaint (“FACC”) of CrossComplainants Tarun Gaur, Tringapps, Inc., Jinigram, LLC, Dial2Buy.com, LLC, and Ravi Kumar (“Cross‐ Complainants”), is ruled on as follows: (1) The Motion to Strike the portions of Paragraphs 1 and 2 in the Prayer for Relief on page 36, lines 21 and 24 that read “and that Gaur be restored all consideration” is GRANTED WITHOUT LEAVE TO AMEND. CrossCompl...

Excerpt: ...ed by a means guaranteeing no later than next‐day delivery. See Code Civ. Proc. Sect. 1005(c). The Complaint properly states a cause of action for unlawful detainer (UD). Code Civ. Proc. Sect. 430.10(e). The Complaint alleges that after the initial lease term expired and a month‐to‐month tenancy was created, Plaintiffs served Defendants with a 60‐day Notice of Termination of Tenancy (Complaint, Ex. B), which stated that Plaintiffs intende...

Excerpt: ...itz LLC. The pleading alleges that Plaintiffs are members of Fox Investments, LLC. It does not allege, however, whether any Plaintiff is one of the “certain partners” of Fox Investments (Complaint para. 8) who purchased DeRitz LLC. The Complaint does not identify any member of DeRitz LLC. Further, the Complaint fails to state a cause of action for an accounting. “An action for an accounting may be brought to compel the defendant to account ...

Excerpt: ...vely “Cross‐Defendants”) to the First Amended Cross‐Complaint (“FACC”) of Cross‐Complainants Tarun Gaur (“Gaur”), Tringapps, Inc., Jinigram, LLC, Dial2Buy.com, LLC, and Ravi Kumar (collectively “CrossComplainants”), is ruled on as follows: (1) Demurrer to the Fourth Cause of Action for Declaratory Relief based on failure to state facts sufficient to support this claim, is OVERRULED. Cross‐Defendants fail to show that all o...

Excerpt: ...nor any facts suggesting Defendant engaged in “despicable conduct,” as is required by Section 3294. Specifically, Plaintiff alleges he dined at Defendant's restaurant, informed Defendant he had a peanut allergy, inquired whether the food he had ordered contained peanuts, and was told it did not. (Complaint, p. 5). Plaintiff alleges he became ill after consuming the food, which it turns out contained peanut ingredients. Id. For the reasons sta...

Excerpt: ...or Summary Judgment or in the alternative, Summary Adjudication, is ruled on as follows: Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment is DENIED since they have failed to establish that there are no triable issues of material fact as to an essential element for each cause of action. Summary Adjudication is DENIED as to the First, Second, Fourth, Sixth and Seventh Causes of Action and GRANTED as to the Third and Fifth Causes of Action for the reasons se...

Excerpt: ... mail and electronic mail, respectively, to Consumer First Legal at 416 Hillview Drive in Milpitas, CA and to [email protected]. The email address is identified in the parties' stipulation as the address where Defendant may be notified of default. However, no appearance has been entered on behalf of Defendant in this action, and there is no indication in the record that the physical or email address to which the papers were served belong to Defend...

Excerpt: ...ek to invalidate the settlement agreement. “'Ordinarily where the rights involved in litigation arise upon a contract, courts refuse to adjudicate the rights of some of the parties to the contract if the others are not before it.'” Deltakeeper v. Oakdale Irrigation Dist., 94 Cal. App. 4th 1092, 1106 (2001) (quoting Nat'l Licorice Co. v. N.L.R.B., 309 U.S. 350, 363 (1940)). “Such a judgment or decree would be futile if rendered, since the co...

Excerpt: ...and the forum state to justify imposition of personal jurisdiction. Elkman v. National States Ins. Co. (2009) 173 CA4th 1305, 1313. In this case, Plaintiffs contend the Court has specific personal jurisdiction over Defendants Hart and HME Legal because Defendants (1) accepted payment out of funds administered in California; (2) intentionally offered their services to Plaintiffs in California; and (3) proposed California dispute resolution in a te...

Excerpt: ... Darrow (“Plaintiff”) and Defendant providing that any action arising out of the agreement be brought in Florida. (See Barnes Decl., Exh. A, ¶ 18.f.) A mandatory forum selection clause is valid and enforceable absent a showing that enforcement of such a clause would be unreasonable. (CQL Original Products, Inc. v. National Hockey League Players' Assn. (1995) 39 Cal.App.4th 1347, 1353–1354.) The plaintiff bears the burden of demonstrating t...

Excerpt: ...tiff paid $15,000 against a surety bond it issued to Defendant. Plaintiff contends it is entitled to reimbursement of the $15,000 payment on the grounds that it made payment out of the surety bond in good faith, that Defendant waived his right to contest the payment when he failed to specifically instruct Plaintiff not to make payment, and that Plaintiff has a statutory right to reimbursement under Civil Code section 2847. However, the pleadings ...