Excerpt: ...CP S 425.16(b)(1) provides that a cause of action against a person "arising from any act of that person in furtherance of the person's right of petition or free speech under the United States Constitution or the California Constitution in connection with a public issue" shall be subject to a special motion to strike, unless the court determines that the plaintiff has established that there is a probability that the plaintiff will prevail on the c...

Excerpt: ...der late-filed opposition papers for good cause if there is no undue prejudice to the moving party." (Correia v. NB Baker E/ec„ Inc. (2019) 32 Cal.App.5th 602, 613.) "The circumstances surrounding an untimely opposition to a petition or motion to compel arbitration should be viewed under 'the strong policy of the law favoring the disposition of cases on the merits . (Correia, at 613.) The Court exercises its discretion to consider Respondent's ...

Excerpt: ...d by the defense in support of the motion is so scant that it fails to provide the Court with a full picture of the circumstances. An example of this includes the excerpts of Plaintiff's deposition provided in Exhibit F of Defendant's Index of Exhibits. While it is true that a party need not provide the Court with an entire deposition transcript, a party should not solely provide the Court with excerpts that include testimony that is most favorab...

Excerpt: ...lidity of the claims asserted against this specific defendant. Plaintiff asserts a cause of action for cancellation of instruments against Defendant Catamount, seeking to cancel Catamount's Trustee's Deed upon Sale ("TDUS") granting it title to the property underlying this conflict. Plaintiff asserts a related declaratory relief cause of acton as well. Title was formerly held by Plaintiff Plaintiff alleges that he has been erroneously deprived of...

Excerpt: ...ry Plaintiff's SAC asserts four causes of action for: (1) Discriminaton Based on Sex in Violation of FEHA; (2) Hostile Environment Harassment in Violation of FEHA; (3) Retaliation in Violation of FEHA; and (4) Failure to Prevent in Violation of FEHA. (SAC, 7-21.) These causes of action are brought due to events that occurred while she worked as a volunteer firefighter for Defendant. (Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Support of MS] ["MSJ MP...

Excerpt: ...intiff brought a Complaint for compensatory and Punitive Damages asserting seven causes of action against her ex-husband, Defendant, alleging he committed acts of domestic violence and sexual assault against her throughout the duration of their marriage. Defendant attempted to meet and confer with Plaintiff as to the third, fourth, and fifth causes of action in Plaintiff's Complaint finding them to be without merit via telephone on two dates in M...

Excerpt: ...h, states that Defendant confirmed his identity but that he "tried to refuse service by refusing to take documents and did not state reason for refusal." Mr. ujeh noted, "documents left, seen by subject." In his declaration, Defendant states that on the evening of May 24, 2023, he had returned to his home and was about to leave when he heard a man bellowing from his neighbor's driveway. (Ahlstrom decl., 92.) Defendant asked the man what he needed...

Excerpt: ...ry judgment or, in the alternative, summary adjudication, which is set for January 19, 2024. Motion Plaintiff moves the Court for leave to amend the complaint and file a First Amended Complaint ("FAC"). Defendants oppose the motion. Declaration and Proposed Pleading A moton for leave to amend a complaint must include a copy of the proposed amended complaint and state what allegations are being deleted or added, and "where, by page, paragraph, and...

Excerpt: ... for leave to file a First Amended Petition ("FAP"). There is no opposition. Declaration and Proposed Pleading A moton for leave to amend a complaint must include a copy of the proposed amended complaint and state what allegations are being deleted or added, and "where, by page, paragraph, and line number, the... allegations are located...." California Rule of Court ("CRC") 3.1324(a). The moving party also must provide a declaration that explains...

Excerpt: ... November 4, 2023, and defendant/cross-defendants John Kelly and William Kelly filed supplemental briefs on November 7, 2023 and 13, respectively. Moving party's argument is that, because the facts establishing Judge Pardo's disqualification arose prior to the orders issued by Judge Pardo, those orders are void or voidable, and that the CCP secton 170.3(b)(4) "good cause" provision does not apply to this situaton. John Kelly and William Kelly bot...

Excerpt: ...the SAC is MOOT based on the Court sustaining the entirety of the demurrer. Procedural History This action arises from a rental agreement between Plaintiff and Defendants of a compact RV and later a separate midsize RV. (SAC, '1 1.) As alleged in the SAC, Plaintiff's home burned down on September 12, 2021, in the Hopkins wildfire, and he was using this RV to temporarily live in while cleanup and repairs were done on his property. (SAC, 1.) Howeve...

Excerpt: ...easonable; Approving the Class Representative Service Payments in the amounts of $5ßnm; Approving the Attorneys' Fees in the amount of $393,333.33; Approving the Attorneys' Costs in the amount of $16,019.37; Approving the Settlement Administration Costs in the amount of $18,350m; Certifying the Class for settlement purposes; Finding that Class Members were given adequate notce of the Settlement and, in a reasonable manner, advised of their right...

Excerpt: ...(the "Property") in violation of applicable zoning codes, and filed this action to abate the conditions and uses as well as to recover civil penalties, abatement costs, attorneys' fees, and legal costs. It alleges that Defendants "William J. and Janet M. Freitas" (collectively, "Freitas Defendants") own, operate, possess, and control the Property while Defendant Jason Pierce, referring to himself in his pleadings as Jason Pearce ("Pearce") is the...

Excerpt: ...ing the complete details of the payment of settlement amounts within the next ten (10) calendar days. The declaration of Gomez, filed January 10, 2023, does not contain the necessary details. The Court reviewed the file and cannot locate another declaration. If Plaintiffs' counsel previously filed a declaration that addresses the concerns listed in this tentative, the Court requests Plaintiffs' counsel contact the Court. Following final approval,...

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: ...of $1,560.00 for each motion. Plaintiff's counsel shall submit a written order for each motion consistent with this tentative ruling. Due to the lack of opposition, compliance with Rule 3.1312 is excused. Request for Production of Documents A motion to compel further responses to a request for production of documents must "set forth specific facts showing 'good cause' justifying the discovery sought by the demand." (CCP S 2031.310(b)(1).) Absent ...

Excerpt: ...is granted. Plaintiff's counsel shall submit a written order consistent with this tentative ruling and in compliance with Rule 3.1312. The Court notes that Defendant has attached hundreds of pages to each of his oppositions without any declaration providing foundation for the documents submitted. There is also no accompanying request for judicial notice of anything that might purportedly be judicially noticeable within these attachments. The Cour...

Excerpt: ...ceive an opportunity to to it. Plaintiff seeks an order com#lling Defendant to turn over complete copies of the hard drives of Defendant's personal computer devices. Plaintiff alleges that, while Defendant Samuel Biasi was working as the general manager of Marr B. Olsen, Inc. (hereafter MBO), he transmitted MBO business data to his devices for use in establishing a competing business. Defendant objected to Plaintiff receiving unfettered access to...

Excerpt: ...OT given the sustaining of the demurrer to the Fourth and Fifth Causes of Acton. Defendants' counsel shall submit a written order consistent with this tentative ruling and in compliance with Rule 3.1312. Standard on Demurrer A demurrer tests whether the complaint sufficiently states a valid cause of action. (Hahn v. Merda 147 Cal.App.4th 740, 747.) Complaints are read as a whole, in context and are liberally construed. (Blank v. Kirwan (1985) 39 ...

Excerpt: ...stained with leave to amend as to Jane Does #3, #6, and #7's third cause of action against Defendant; 4. The Demurrer is sustained with leave to amend as to Jane Does #5 and #7's fourth cause of action against Defendant; 5. The Demurrer is sustained with leave to amend as to Jane Does #5 and #7's fifth cause of action against Defendant; 6. The Demurrer is sustained with leave to amend as to Jane Does #1, #2, #3, #5, and #7's eighth cause of actio...

Excerpt: ...147 Cal.App.4th 740, 747.) Complaints are read as a whole, in context and are liberally construed. (Blank v. Kirwan (1985) 39 cal.3d 311, 318; see also, stevens v. superiorcourt (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 contentions, deductions, or conclusions of fact or law, or the construction of instruments pleaded, or facts impossible in law. ...

Excerpt: ...Hahn v. Merda (2007) 147 Cal.App.4th 740, 747.) Complaints are read as a 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 sufficiency of a complaint, courts accept as true all material facts properly pleaded, but not contentions, deductions, or conclusions of fact or law, or the construction of instruments pleaded, or fa...

Excerpt: ...rgument that Petitioner must have sought costs with the arbitrator and therefore cannot now seek them in these judicial proceedings. While these cases did find that costs should have been sought with the arbitrator, these cases also involved "broad" arbitration agreements which did not limit the arbitrator's power in any way." If the parties' agreement does 'not limit the issues to be resolved through arbitration, the issue of [a party's] entitle...

Excerpt: ...Material Fact "UMF" 4-5,9.) Defendant Ben Zabinsky"s property is one of these parcels. (Ibid.) Plaintiffs' property is another of the parcels. (Ibid.) The portion of land in front of the parcels that is now at issue was owned by the former owners of all of the parcels of land, Mr. and Mrs. Estrella. (UMF 72.) Plaintiffs now own the portion of the easement that is directly in front of Defendant's property. (UMF 72.) The Estrellas sold what is now ...

Excerpt: ...Cal.4th 540, 643 ["We conclude that the FEHA, like similar federal statutes, allows persons to sue and hold liable their employers, but not individuals. Our conclusion also applies to common law actions for wrongful discharge."] Any amended pleading shall be filed not later than 10 court days after service of notice of an order on this motion. Given the grant of leave to amend, the trial date of October 13, 2023, is VACATED. The case is scheduled...