Excerpt: ...l to be entered correcting these two errors. The court in all other respects DENIES the motio n . Fact s and Hist ory Plaintiffs obtained a verdict against Defendant Martin Reilley (“Martin”) for various claims of fraud and negligent misrepresentation after a trial which ended in March 2005. Judgment was entered in favor of Plaintiffs against Martin. Th e surviving co urt records show a judgment in Plaintiffs' favor of $621,336.26. Se e Judgm...

Excerpt: ...in Napa County. Defendants have not yet answered, or appeared in this action in any way. On October 31, 2023, Plaintiffs filed the instant motion for venue change, averring that “This suit was inadvertently and erroneously filed in Sonoma County Superior Court.” II. Napa County is the appropriate venue for this lawsuit “[I]f a defendant has contracted to perform an obligation in a particular county, the superior court in the county where th...

Excerpt: ...D. Cross -Co m p la in a n t Th o m a s Ke lly , III (hereafter, “Thomas”)'s objection to John's oversized opening brief is SUSTAINED. While John's opening brief is only one page over the limit of the Ru le s o f Court, there is a pattern of John filing oversized briefs without first obtaining leave of Court. Thus, the Court exercises its discretion not to consider the last page of John's opening brief. Thomas's request for judicial notice is...

Excerpt: ...ourt of the status of the Goodwin action. Unless ordered otherwise, the parties shall attend a status conference on August 27, 2024, at 3:00pm. The parties may attend the status conference remotely. Defendant shall prepare the order for the Court in compliance with CRC 3.1312. I. Governing law A. Standard on demurrer A demurrer tests whether the complaint sufficiently states a valid cause of action. (Hahn v. Merda (2007) 147 Cal.App.4th 740, 747....

Excerpt: ... Underlying facts Plaintiff M.A. Silva Corks (“Silva”), a manufacturer of wine packaging, began leasing a warehouse in north Santa Rosa from defendant Ursus Development (“Ursus”) in 2014 with an option to buy. Ursus agreed to make improvements to the building, including modification of the roof and installation of batt insulation under the roof. Ursus hired defendant and moving party DES Architect and Engineer (“DES”) to provide the a...

Excerpt: ...iginal beneficiary of the Deed of Trust (DOT) for this property, Defendant Deutsche Bank National Trust Company (Deutsche) is the current beneficiary of the DOT, Defendant Nationstar Mortgage LLC dba Mr. Cooper (Mr. Cooper) is the servicer of the loan secured by the DOT, and Defendant The Mortgage Law Firm, PLC is the Trustee of the DOT. After Plaintiff's wife passed away, Plaintiff's daughter began managing Plaintiff's financial matters. After r...

Excerpt: ...lying Facts: Carmen Marinsik (hereafter, “Marinsik”) was the owner of 1928 Camino Del Prado, Santa Rosa, California. (Undisputed Material Fact “UMF”, 1.) This residence was destroyed in the October 2017 Tubbs Fire. (UMF, 2.) Marinsik intended to rebuild the residence on the Camino Del Prado property and hired Defendant Gregory Mitchell dba Mitchell and Company as her general contractor to handle all aspects of rebuilding the residence. (U...

Excerpt: ...tentative ruling and in compliance with Rule 3.1312. Analysis: CCP § 1048 states that “[w]hen 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 delay.” (CCP § 1048(a).) “The court...

Excerpt: ...rder on this motion. Defendants' counsel shall submit a written order consistent with this tentative ruling. Due to the lack of opposition, compliance with Rule 3.1312 is excused. Analysis: Requests for Production of Documents A party to whom a document demand is directed must respond to each item in the demand with an agreement to comply, a representation of inability to comply, or an objection. (CCP S 2031.210(a).) If only part of an item or ca...

Excerpt: ...earing 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 awid unnecessary costs or delay." (CCP S 1048(a).) "The court, in furtherance of convenience or to avoid prejudice, or when separate trials will be conducive to expedition and economy, may order a separate trial of any cause of action, including a cause of action ass...

Excerpt: ...: Standards on Demurrer A demurrer tests whether the complaint sufficiently states a valid cause of achon. (Hahn v. Merda (2007) 147 Cal.App.4th 740, 747.) Complaints are read asa whole, in context and are liberally construed. (Blank v. Kirwan (1985) 39 cal.3d 311, 318; see also, stevens v. superior court (1999) 75 cal.App.4th 594, 601.) In reviewing the suffciency of a complaint, courts accept as true all material facts properly pleaded, but not...

Excerpt: ...cial policy favors resolution of all disputed matters between the parties in the same lawsuit, and courts are bound to apply a policy of great liberality in permitting amendments to the complaint "at any stage of the proceedings, up to and including trial," absent prejudice to the adverse party. (Atkinson v. Elk Corp. (2003) 109 Cal.App.4th 739, 761.) "Generally, leave to amend must be liberally granted (Nestle v. City of Santa Monica (1972) 6 Ca...

Excerpt: ... is addressed below. Defendants' counsel shall submit a written order consistent with this tentative ruling and in compliance with Rule 3.1312. Request for Judicial Notice: Defendants' request for judicial notice of Exhibit A and Exhibit 8 is GRANTED. As for the remainder of the request, the Court will take judicial notice of each version of Plaintiffs' complaint and the date on which it was filed. However, the Court will not judicially notice th...

Excerpt: ...tions in the amount of $1,000. Plaintiff's counsel shall submit a written order consistent with this tentative ruling and in compliance with Rule 3.1312. Analysis: "California law prov-des parties with expansive discovery rights." (Lopez v. Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of N.Y., Inc. (2016) 246 Cal.App.4th 566, 590-591.) Specifically, the Code of Civil Procedure provides that "any party may obtain discovery regarding any matter, not privileged...

Excerpt: ...ndant's objections to the Declaration of Jaimee Modica are OVERRULED. Plaintiffs' counsel shall submit a written order consistent with this tentatve ruling and in compliance with Rule 3.1312. Defendant Gudgel Roofing, Inc.'s opposition requests that the Court consider his Motion for Protective Order as his opposition to Plaintiffs' Motion to Compel. Defendant's motion for protective order is not scheduled to be heard until April. Defendant did no...

Excerpt: ...vil cases. Analysis: Government Code S 53069.4(b)(1) states, Notwithstanding Section 1094.5 or 1094.6 of the Code of Civil Procedure [regarding Writs of Mandate] ...a person contesting that final administrative order or decision may seek review by filing an appeal to be heard by the superior court, where the same shall be heard de novo, except that the contents of the local agency's file in the case shall be received in evidence. A proceeding und...

Excerpt: ...e for either opposition. Furthermore, the oppositions do not respond substantively to the arguments made by Defendants in their opening brief; they do not provide any law for the Court's consideration; and they do not explain how the defects in the pleading can be cured by amendment. Analysis: Standards on Demurrer A demurrer tests whether the complaint sufficiently states a valid cause of acton. (Hahn v. Merda (2007) 147 Cal.App.4th 740, 747.) C...

Excerpt: ...th 556, 604; CCP S 2023.030.) As pertinent here, "misuse of the discovery process" includes "failing to respond to or to submit to an authorized method of discovery," and "disobeying a court order to provide discovery." (CCP S 2023.010(d) & When confronted with such misuse, a court may impose (1) monetary sanctions; (2) sanctions that deem specified issues to be 'established' or that 'prohibit' the non-compliant party from raising 'opposing claim...

Excerpt: ...ought a Complaint for damages as against defendants Edwards Lifesciences LLC, Edwards Lifesciences (U.S.) Inc., Santa Rosa Memorial, moving defendant Vishal Patel, M.D., and Does One through One Hundred. (Defendant's undisputed Material Fact "UMF," 1.) The First Amended Complaint alleges a single cause of action for Medical Negligence as to moving defendant Patel. Plaintiffs allege that decedent Joseph Bouckaert (hereafter "Mr. Bouckaert") presen...

Excerpt: ...iling Party Pursuant to the parties' settlement agreement, the parties have agreed that Plaintiff is the prevailing party under Civil Code 1794 and that Defendant will pay reasonable attorney's fees and costs in an amount to be determined by the Court upon noticed motion if the parties could not agree on the amount. Plaintiff has duly served this motion upon Defendants and Defendants have not filed an opposition. Lodestar The standard for calcula...

Excerpt: ...quired to be given, evidence is required to be taken, and discretion in the determination of facts is vested in the inferior tribunal, corporation, board, or officer, the case shall be heard by the court sitting without a jury. "The inquiry in such a case shall extend to the questions whether the respondent has proceeded without, or in excess of, jurisdiction; whether there was a fair trial; and whether there was any prejudicial abuse of discreti...

Excerpt: ...1312. Analysis: Pursuant to CCP 128.5(a), A trial court may order a party, the party's attorney, or both, to pay the reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees, incurred by another party as a result of actions or tactics, made in bad faith, that are frivolous or solely intended to cause unnecessary delay„. Pursuant to subdivision (b), "'Actions or tactics' include, but are not limited to, the making or opposing of motions or the filing and ...

Excerpt: ...laintiffs' non- opposition in which Defendants argue that the Court should consider Plaintiffs' failure to file an opposition as a concession of the merits of the Demurrer. Plaintiffs filed an objection to Defendants' response to the non-opposition, citing Rule 8.54(c) which says "A failure to oppose a motion may be deemed a consent to the granting ofthe motion." (Italics added .) Plaintiffs state that they do not consent to the granting of the m...

Excerpt: ... IRP Fund II Trust 2A; IRP REO II, LLC; and Servis One, Inc. dba BSI Financial Services (all represented by same counsel) obtained an order for summary judgment in their favor. The fourth defendant (Entra Default Solutions) never appeared in the achon and their default was taken on November 29, 2021. On July 28, 2023, defendant IRP REO II, LLC (the property owner) filed and served a CCP section 405.30 motion to expunge the lis pendens and for att...

Excerpt: ...s to the Second Amended Complaint into this ruling. In that ruling, the Court explained in detail why the Third Amended Complaint would be the Plaintiffs' final opportunity to properly plead their case. Plaintiffs did not challenge that tentative ruling. Plaintiffs have not at any point attempted to meet their burden of provng how they can fix the deficiencies in their pleading by amendment. (Goodman v. Kennedy (1976) 18 Cal.3d 335, 349.) Still, ...