Excerpt: ...pearance in the instant action based upon the filing of their motion to disqualify. (See In re Strong's Estate (1942) 54 Cal.App.2d 604, 611 [process is waived by a general appearance, in person or by attorney, entered in the action, or by some act equivalent thereto, such as the filing of a pleading in the case or by otherwise recognizing the authority of the court to proceed in the action].) However, the Court also finds that there are no proof...

Excerpt: ...187 Cal.App.4th 1017, 2 of 5 1030, fn. 7; American Indian Model Schools v. Oakland Unified School Dist. (2014) 227 Cal.App.4th 258, 275–276.) Cross‐ defendant's request for judicial notice in support of reply is DENIED. (Jay v. Mahaffey (2013) 218 Cal.App.4th 1522, 1537 [“The general rule of motion practice, which applies here, is that new evidence is not permitted with reply papers.”]; see also People v. Rowland (1992) 4 Cal.4th 238, 268...

Excerpt: ...served and filed separately from the other papers…in opposition to the motion.” (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.1354(b).) The Court declines to rule on defendant's evidentiary objections to plaintiff's evidence as the evidence objected to is not germane to the disposition of defendant's motion for summary judgment. (Code Civ. Proc., § 437c, subd. (q).) Defendant's motion for summary adjudication as to the first cause of action for wrongful term...

Excerpt: ...w when the educational institution makes a specific promise to provide an educational service, such as a failure to offer any classes or a failure to deliver a promised number of hours of instruction.” (Kashmiri v. Regents of University of California (2007) 156 Cal.App.4th 809, 826.) However, unless there was a formal agreement between defendant and its students or an express statement by defendant that it intends to be bound, any alleged agree...

Excerpt: ...leyea v. Campbell (1994) 8 Cal.4th 975, 980 [“Because the law favors disposing of cases on their merits, any doubts in applying section 473 must be resolved in favor of the party seeking relief from default.”]; Colderbank Decl., ¶¶ 2‐14.) Further, defendant has shown “diligence in making the motion after discovery of the default.” (Hopkins & Carley v. Gens (2011) 200 Cal.App.4th 1401, 1410; Colderbank Decl., ¶¶ 16‐40.) Defendant's...

Excerpt: ...ey Boosalis, Mara Getz, and Eric Parise's first amended complaint seeks relief for conversion of the same property identified in plaintiff First Centaur's conversion cause of action for Case No. CV‐2018‐ 1444. (Compare defendant's RJN, no. 3, ¶¶ 59‐61 and defendant's RJN, no. 5, ¶¶ 61‐66, 68.) Moreover, defendant's cross‐complaints filed in each case seek nearly identical factual and legal determinations, only against different part...

Excerpt: ...'s discovery requests and pay monetary sanctions warrants terminating sanctions. (Department of Fair Employment & Housing v. Ottovich (2014) 227 Cal.App.4th 706, 712 – 713.) Defendant's answer is stricken and a judgment by default against defendant Stcyr shall be entered. (Code Civ. Proc., § 2023.030, subd. (d)(1), (4).) Plaintiffs' request for monetary sanctions is GRANTED, in the amount of $740.00 against defendant Stcyr. By continuing to di...

Excerpt: ... § 1281.2, 1284.) The case of Felisilda v. FCA US LLC ((2020) 53 Cal.App.5th 486) is binding on this Court. The Court thus finds that plaintiff is estopped from repudiating defendant's enforcement of the express arbitration provision found in the Retail Installment Sales Contract (“Contract”) between plaintiffs and Hoblit Chrysler Jeep Dodge. (Felisilda, supra, 53 Cal.App.5th 486, 495 – 499; Universal Decl., Ex. A.) The Court finds that ba...

Excerpt: ...he Court finds that plaintiff Hossam Buzgheia failed to record his mechanic's lien pertaining to the work of improvement he performed on defendants' property within the requisite statutory time frame; thus, has waived his right to bring the instant action. (Civ. Code, §§ 8180, subd. (a), 8412, subds. (a)(1), (a)(3); Howard S. Wright Construction Co. v. BBIC Investors (2006) 136 Cal.App.4th 228, 237, 240; See Stanislaus Lumber Co. v. Pike (1942)...

Excerpt: ...roducts, Inc. (2008) 165 Cal.App.4th 1568, 1586–1587.) The Court finds that defendant did not act with diligence in obtaining a hearing to compel plaintiff's compliance. (Code Civ. Proc., § 2024.050, subd. (b)(2).) Specifically, plaintiff produced the subject spreadsheet, CTGA‐0002507, on August 17, 2020 and the corresponding privilege log on October 19, 2020. (Campbell decl., ¶¶ 8, 10.) Defendant waited until July 9, 2021 to request an un...

Excerpt: ...re due on or before June 11, 2021. (Schoech Decl., ¶ 6.) Plaintiffs' request for monetary sanctions is GRANTED, in the amount of $900.00 against defendant. (Code Civ. Proc., §§ 2023.010, 2023.020, 2033.280, subd. (c); Schoech Decl., ¶ 9.) Defendant shall pay these sanctions by October 3, 2021. Motion for terminating sanctions or an order to show cause re contempt against defendant: Plaintiffs' request for judicial notice is GRANTED. (Evid. Co...

Excerpt: ...Proc., § 1211; Koehler v. Superior Court (2010) 181 Cal.App.4th 1153, 1169 [stating that “indirect contempt requires there be an initiating affidavit, and without one any contempt order is void.”].) Contempt requires “(1) a valid order, (2) knowledge of the order, (3) ability to comply with the order, and (4) willful failure to comply with the order.” (In re Ivey (2000) 85 Cal.App.4th 793, 798; see also Lyon v. Superior Court of Los Ange...

Excerpt: ...tions to plaintiff's evidence as the evidence objected to is not germane to the disposition of defendant's motion for summary adjudication. (Code Civ. Proc., § 437c, subd. (q).) Defendant's motion for summary adjudication as to the first cause of action (breach of contract) is GRANTED. (Code Civ. Proc., § 437c, subd. (p)(2).) Defendant has shown that there was not “an actual withholding of benefits due” and therefore, there can be no breach...

Excerpt: ...ndoza Decl., ¶ 4, Ex. A.) Defendant/cross‐complainant's motion to compel defendant Anytime Fitness, LLC's further responses to special interrogatories, set two, is DENIED AS MOOT. (Code Civ. Proc., § 2030.300.) Defendant Anytime served second supplemental responses to special interrogatories, set two, numbers 34 – 40, on July 15, 2021. (Mendoza Decl., ¶ 4, Ex. A.) The Court declines to rule upon the adequacy of defendant Franchise's or def...

Excerpt: ...iffs have sufficiently pled allegations in the first amended complaint to support a prayer for punitive damages. (Civ. Code, § 3294; Taylor v. Superior Court (1979) 24 Cal.3rd 890, 895 – 896, 899; Pfeifer v. John Crane, Inc. (2013) 220 Cal.App.4th 1270, 1299; Compl., second cause of action‐general negligence, ¶ GN‐1.) The notice of motion provides notice of this Court's tentative ruling system; however, the notice cites to previous Local ...

Excerpt: ...that NGEC has failed to show good cause for responsive documents after 2016. (Code Civ. Proc., §§ 2031.310, subd. (b)(1), 2017.020, subd. (a); FACC, ¶ 30.) Therefore, the Court limits the timeframe of subject requests from 2014 to 2016. In all other respects, the Court finds that NGEC is entitled to the sought documents. Based on the allegations in the FACC, the subject discovery is relevant to defendants' determination of damages. (Code Civ. ...

Excerpt: ...ministrative remedies regarding this cause of action by not filing an administrative complaint with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (“DFEH”) that included a charge of sexual harassment, or conduct corresponding thereto, within one year of the date the alleged unlawful practice occurred. (Former Gov. Code, § 12960, subd. (d), amended by stats. 2019, c. 709 (A.B.9), § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2020; Wills v. Superior Court (2011) 195 Cal....

Excerpt: ...or judgment on the pleadings is DENIED. (Code Civ. Proc., § 438.) The Court finds that plaintiff Manzar Qayyum's allegation in the complaint that a partnership existed is a question of fact that cannot be determined upon motion for judgment on the pleadings. (Billups v. Tiernan (1970) 11 Cal.App.3d 372, 379; see Spier v. Lang (1935) 4 Cal.2d 711, 716; Compl., ¶ 10.) Defendants' motion to bifurcate is DENIED. (Code Civ. Proc., §§ 598, 1048, su...

Excerpt: ... second amended complaint (“SAC”) is DENIED. (Code Civ. Proc., § 438, subd. (c)(1)(B).) Defendant has failed to establish that plaintiffs' SAC does not state facts sufficient to constitute causes of action against defendant. (Ibid.) The first cause of action is not mooted by Casey Boosalis' removal as a director of Capay Valley Floriculture because plaintiffs also seek a determination as to whether defendant was properly removed as director....

Excerpt: ...5.) On balance, the Court concludes that non‐party Rebecca Kozlowski's (“Kozlowski”) privacy interest in her financial documents is outweighed by the sought documents' direct relevance and unavailability through less intrusive means. (SCC Acquisitions, Inc. v. Superior Court (2015) 243 Cal.App.4th 741, 754‐755; Barrett decl., ¶¶ 11, Exhibit 9.) However, the Court finds the requests overbroad as to time. (See Code Civ. Proc., § 2017.010...

Excerpt: ...ITHOUT PREJUDICE. (Code Civ. Proc., §§ 473, 576.) Defendant has not stated what allegations are proposed to be added and/or deleted and where, by paragraph and line number. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.1324(a).) Further, defendant has failed to file a supporting declaration stating: (1) the effect of the amendment; (2) why the amendment is necessary and proper; (3) when the facts giving rise to the amended allegations were discovered; and (4) t...

Excerpt: ...1) when the facts giving rise to the amended allegations were discovered; and (2) the reasons why the request for amendment was not made earlier. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.1324(b).) Further, plaintiff has failed to show justification for the long, unexcused delay in seeking amendment, and the proposed amendments would require the parties to conduct additional discovery. (Rainer v. Buena Community Memorial Hosp. (1971) 18 Cal.App.3d 240, 258 [�...

Excerpt: ...rt to determine “the validity of any election or appointment of any director” and therefore, plaintiffs cannot obtain relief under Corporations Code section 709. (Morrical v. Rogers (2013) 220 Cal.App.4th 438, 452, 457; FAC, ¶¶ 32‐44.) While the FAC also cites to other sections of Corporations Code, these statutes do not provide a basis for plaintiffs to obtain the requested relief. (Corp. Code, §§ 12360, 12362; FAC, ¶¶ 42‐44.) As t...

Excerpt: ...8 to the Brazier declaration is OVERRULED. 3 of 4 • Objections nos. 1‐6 to the Teixeira declaration are OVERRULED. • Objections nos. 7‐13 to the Teixeira declaration are SUSTAINED. The Court does not reach Andersen's other evidentiary objections as the evidence objected to is not germane to the disposition of the instant motion. (Code Civ. Proc., § 437c, subd. (q).) Andersen's motion for summary adjudication is GRANTED. (Code Civ. Proc.,...

Excerpt: ...Proc., §§ 2023.010, 2023.020, 2030.290, 2031.300, 2033.280.) The Court finds that plaintiff did not misuse the discovery process, acted with substantial justification, and other circumstances make the imposition of the sanction unjust. (Code Civ. Proc., §§ 2023.010, 2023.020, 2030.290, subd. (c), 2031.300, subd. (c); DeSantis Decl., ¶¶ 2 – 4.) The Court also finds that plaintiff served a response in substantial compliance with Code of Civ...