Excerpt: ... appeal. The appellate court affirmed the award of attorney fees awarded in accordance with Civil Code §1717, CCP §1032 and CCP 685.040 at pages 40-41 of its opinion. This decision is the law of the case; it controls the award of attorney fees on appeal. (MBNA America Bank NA Gonnman (2006) 147 Cal.App.4 th Supp 1, 13-14 [Where a contract or a statute creates a right for the prevailing party to recover attorney fees, the prevailing party is als...

Excerpt: ...from plaintiff's medical care providers. There was no discussion of plaintiff's vaccination status or comorbidities. Plaintiff ‘s ex parte application for a protective order was also not supported by any relevant declarations and was recently denied. The defendant has assured plaintiff that the conference room will accommodate distance between the deponent and other persons. Masks will be worn when persons are not speaking. No good cause was sh...

Excerpt: ...ime period of 1/12/2019 through 6/9/21] and 17.1 [facts underlying response, identity and description of documents to all responses not an admission to request for admission] is granted in part. The reply contends that neither the original, nor supplemental responses were verified. The responses shall be verified within 15 days from service of the notice of ruling. (Responses contained objections and some fact specific answers. Case law has held ...

Excerpt: ...aintiff's vehicle was T-boned by a vehicle driven by defendant Lopez. The city asks this court to sustain its demurrer to the complaint without leave to amend and to dismiss this complaint against the city with prejudice on the grounds that on the face of the complaint, and existing state statutes, it can be found as a matter of law that the city of Hanford does not own, control or maintain Highway 198. (Goddard v Department of Fish and Wildlife ...

Excerpt: ...enter and it has within its ability the authority to determine the identity of any person who may have spoken with plaintiff about a refund or replacement under the Song Beverly Act. Further verified responses are due 20 days from service of notice of ruling. Plaintiff's motion to compel a further response to special interrogatories Plaintiff's motion to compel further verified responses to special interrogatories ##14, 26, 27, 40-45, 51-56, 57 i...

Excerpt: ...3 [disputed], #4-10.) The FAC at ¶20 and plaintiff's discovery responses alerted defendant to her claim that defendant's failure to inspect, maintain and replace the chairs it provided to visitors created the dangerous condition. This supports a claim under Government Code §835, subdivision (a), whereby a public entity will be liable for an injury caused by a dangerous condition due to a negligent or wrongful act or omission of an employee of t...

Excerpt: ...e only affirmative defense clearly summarized was the third. The defendant is ordered to provide a further verified response 20 days from service of notice of ruling specifying the facts behind the collective bargaining agreement affirmative defense, identifying the witnesses and documents relevant to this defense. Sanctions are not ordered. Plaintiff's motion to compel further responses to special interrogatories Plaintiff's motion to compel fur...

Excerpt: ...elt system (designed to remove hulls and trash from the product) was the sole cause of plaintiff's injury. (Campbell v Southern Pacific (1978) 22 Cal.3d 51, 56.) Opposition to the summary judgment motion was filed by both the plaintiff and cross-defendant Roman Electric (the entity that located and installed the emergency stop buttons on the conveyor belt system). It is undisputed that after McDowell designed, manufactured and installed the conve...

Excerpt: ...ervice representatives are trained to respond to consumer inquires for repurchase or replacement in California]. The burden objection is not specific to the document requests. Moreover, defendant failed to support its burden objection with facts as to the quantum of work required to produce the requested training materials, and why the requests are unduly burdensome in relation to the relevance of the requests. (West Pico Furniture Co v Super Ct ...

Excerpt: ...icance of the doctor visit until the hospital's medical records were received by his office on 7/19/21 and reviewed. The exparte application to augment the expert witness list was noticed on September 13, 2021. (Naphcare attempted to notice Dr Smith's deposition prior to the 30 day cut off, but plaintiff objected to the deposition.) The court does not find inexcusable mistake or neglect in counsel not recognizing the need to name Dr. Smith as a n...

Excerpt: ...elius is engaging in a legal analysis. The conclusions go beyond offering expert opinion on a subject embraced by the issues in the case, and they lack foundation (Downer v Bramet (1984) 152 Cal App.3d 837, 841[the general rule is that opinion evidence which is otherwise admissible is not made inadmissible simply because it embraces the ultimate issue to be decided by the trier of fact. ( Evid. Code, § 805.) The cited rule does not, however, aut...

Excerpt: ...fied under modern discovery procedures].) It is alleged that plaintiff was terminated from his employment after regularly complaining of having to work overtime, and after he gave his employer a doctor note which diagnosed plaintiff as being overworked, and suffering from anxiety and panic attacks. The doctor placed plaintiff on medical leave for several weeks. While still on medical leave, defendant fired plaintiff. These facts support the cause...

Excerpt: ...he boundary of an “of” division of a lot commences its measurements from the side of the roadway. The notes on the Laguna de Tache Grant provide that, apart from the grant boundary on the north, “ All other lots are figured to center of roads and all measurements are to road centers except where otherwise noted.” This contrasts with the Hillard Tract (discussed in the Earl decision) that did not have such instruction. (Earl v Dutour (1919...

Excerpt: ...two causes of action (for attorney fees against Grace's estate and to declare a violation of a no contest clause by litigation filed in San Mateo) and to add two causes of action for enforcement of an alleged agreement between the siblings as to how to distribute the assets of their mother's trust, and for an order to sell the real property held in trust. The court finds that the motion to amend is untimely asserted. (Record v Reason (1999) 73 Ca...

Excerpt: ...und to have probable validity, it would be defendants that would have to post an undertaking to have the lis pendens expunged].) In terms of the standing objection asserted by defendants, Cashera Plaza LLC is the only plaintiff named in the SAC with regard to the causes of action to set aside the foreclosure sale, cancel the note, deed of trust and trustee's sale deed, quiet title, and for breach of contract. Plaintiff Khodadad, is a principal an...

Excerpt: .... The plaintiff obtained a right to sue letter from the FEHD before the original complaint was filed on 8/26/2019. The second cause of action in the original complaint contained a cause of action under the FEHA for disability/ medical condition discrimination. A FAC was filed on 10/4/2019. The complaint did not contain any causes of action brought under the FEHA. The first cause of action for termination in violation of public policy does not ref...

Excerpt: ...pportunities. The hospital objected to the declaration of plaintiff at ¶2. Plaintiff stated that was notified she was a match with the hospital and this meant to her that she was being offered a one year paid internship as a Clinical Lab Scientist (CLS) trainee. Plaintiff's belief that she was being offered this position was not a legal conclusion. Her belief she was being offered a paid intern ship position was based on the email from Washingto...

Excerpt: ...f uncertainty is overruled. The court does not find these affirmative defense so unclear as to prevent plaintiff from responding to them. (A.J. Fistes Corp v GDL Best Contractors Inc. (2019) 38 Cal.App. 5th 677, 695 [demurrers for uncertainty are disfavored and are granted only if the pleading is so incomprehensible that a party cannot reasonably respond].) Plaintiff argues that affirmative defense #9 [defendant acted in reliance on applicable la...

Excerpt: ...ntradicts plaintiff's contention that an applicant was required to sign the arbitration agreement in order to be hired. The arbitration agreement provides for an award of attorney fees and costs to a prevailing employee in a wage and hour action. The agreement provides for discovery and the right to seek judicial review “when the arbitrator's decision … is inconsistent with the protection of a party's statutory rights.” The court does not f...

Excerpt: ...e court chose not to adopt the tentative ruling, The order after hearing, back in 2019, granted defendant's bifurcation motion. It did not contain any “without prejudice” language. Now two and a half years later, after considerable discovery has been undertaken, plaintiff seeks reconsideration of that order. Defendant objects to reconsideration on the grounds that plaintiff has failed to present new or different facts. (CCP §1008.) Plaintiff...

Excerpt: ...iff's expert found that the examination of decedent after he returned to the jail from court in a restraint chair ( after having been found guilty by the jury and acting out in court) was negligent. The expert found that NaphCare's employee's failure to review plaintiff's mental health records maintained by NaphCare in its computer system would have alerted the employee to the fact that decedent was not telling her the truth when he denied a past...

Excerpt: ...filed in this matter on 11/24/20) or the opposition ( filed late on 12/31/20). At the hearing on the motion on 1/6/21, the court was informed the parties “had come to an agreement.” At the hearing on 3/17/21 plaintiff counsel represented they were still awaiting signed documents from the defendant. No additional pleadings have been filed. The court assumes the reply was filed by mistake. It appears that the parties have resolved this motion. ...

Excerpt: ... given the fact that a summary judgment has already been filed and trial is set to commence on July 19, 2021. The undue delay in seeking to add causes of action under the FEHA are noted. The plaintiff's original complaint filed on 8/26/19 contained a cause of action for disability discrimination and harassment under the FEHA. The last date of employment was alleged therein as August 14, 2018. The First Amended Complaint filed on October 4, 2019, ...

Excerpt: ...ies' father that Mark would sell to Randy after the estate was finalized and distributed by order of the court in a probate case. The complaint sought to enforce the agreement through breach of contract, specific performance, and breach of implied covenants of good faith and fair dealing. Mark's answer contained 28 affirmative defenses (including breach of contract by Randy, fraud, mistake of fact, mutual mistake, unilateral mistake). Mark's cros...

Excerpt: ...ed. Plaintiff admitted at her deposition that before her purchase of the subject vehicle on May 29, 2017, she did not see or hear any marketing materials from GM, she did not ever communicate with GM concerning any transmission issues, and she did not believe that GM ever concealed any information from her, lied to her, or misrepresented anything to her. (UMF 10, 1, 15, 17). A cause of action for negligent misrepresentation requires a positive as...

Excerpt: ...12.4, subd. (c), the board has 45 days to act on the claim. If the board does not act on the claim, the claim is deemed rejected. Under Government Code § 945.6 (a)(2), if notice of rejection is not given, a plaintiff has two years from accrual of the cause of action to sue. The original complaint herein was filed on October 2, 2020, a date less than two years from accrual of the cause of action. Because facts were alleged in the FAC asserting th...

Excerpt: ...Cal.4th 1, 12.) Any fraud or perjury alleged to have taken place within a civil suit may be addressed through jury instructions, or by other measures. (Id. at 11-13.) Defendant's motion to compel plaintiff's deposition; Plaintiff's motion to quash or modify plaintiff's deposition The court intends to set the deposition of plaintiff. The parties shall be prepared to discuss dates and whether the deposition will be by zoom, or some other means nece...

Excerpt: ..., 61-64) Plaintiff was following GPS map information on his cell phone. (UMF 11, 12.) As plaintiff was driving, he was looking from his cell phone in his left hand to the road. (UMF 11) Plaintiff was driving too fast for conditions. (UMF 13) Plaintiff did not successfully navigate a 90 degree turn in the private road, left the roadway and hit the tank. (UMF 13.) Plaintiff has sued defendants for liability based on negligence and premises liabilit...

Excerpt: ... insignificant, risk of injury when the property is used with due care in the manner in which it is reasonably foreseeable it will be used. Government Code §830.2 states a condition is not dangerous if the court after review of all the evidence most favorable to plaintiff determines as a matter of law that the condition was of such a minor or insignificant nature that no reasonable person would conclude it created a substantial risk of injury. T...

Excerpt: ...urity for the loan. The court is unable to determine from the pleadings if defendant lender participated in this fraud. The court is of the opinion that the merits of this motion to expunge lis pendens cannot be resolved without oral testimony. It is apparent that plaintiff was kept in ignorance about the foreclosure action and was even induced to pay over $27,000 in property taxes after the property had been lost in foreclosure. The defendant le...

Excerpt: ...nd considers itself a third party beneficiary of the agreement between the plaintiff and the Franchisee. The fact that the complaint names Denny's Inc as a defendant, but the agreement is not signed by a representative of Denny's Inc, does not preclude court resolution of the franchisee's motion to compel arbitration. (Boucher v Alliance Title Co (2005) 127 Cal.App.4 th 262, 271-273 [a nonsignatory of an arbitration agreement may compel its terms...

Excerpt: ...e documents are to be identified by the last four numbers of the employee's social security number (or other mutually agreed “unique qualifier.”) The parties are also to enter into a protective order to provide further confidentiality to these records. The court does not find merit to defendant's objection that this precertification discovery is premature. Defendant argues that this discovery should not be permitted until the conclusion of th...

Excerpt: ...ivery (or downloaded on a thumb drive and physically delivered to plaintiff counsel) at least 24 hours before the deposition is scheduled to commence. The documents are to be identified as responding to the specific category of document requested in the notice of deposition (## 1-48.). The parties shall be prepared to designate potential deposition dates at the hearing on the motion. The court intends to specify a deposition date at the hearing. ...

Excerpt: ...ions of law and fact that are common to the class. (Beckstead v Superior Court (1971) 21 Cal.App.3d 780, 784.) If there is a reasonable possibility the plaintiffs can plead a prima facie community of interest among class members, the preferred course is to defer decision on the propriety of the class action until an evidentiary hearing has been held on the appropriateness of class litigation. (Tucker v Pacific Bell Mobile Services (2012) 208 Cal ...

Excerpt: ...ion for reconsideration was served by mail on petitioner on July 16, 2019 (Complaint ¶14.) The petition for writ of administrative mandamus was filed in this court on July 8, 2020. The demurrer is on the grounds that this writ petition is time barred under that part of Government Code section 19630 that provides, “Any petition for a writ challenging a decision of the board shall be filed within six months of the date of the final decision of t...

Excerpt: ...the privacy rights of its personnel and to deter any others from surreptitiously recording confidential conversations with personnel in the future. This purpose could have been achieved by handing over the prosecution of a potential violation of Penal Code §632 to the District Attorney. Attorney fees under CCP §12021.5 will only be awarded when private enforcement was necessary and public enforcement was not sufficiently available. (Collins v C...

Excerpt: ...mpanying plaintiff's government claim, or personal knowledge with respect to the mailing of the 8/6/2019 letter advising the claimant of the insufficiency of the claim and the requirement to submit a $25 filing fee. Defendant's motion for summary judgment is denied. A triable issue of fact exists if plaintiff sent the $25 filing fee with the government claim. (Plaintiff's additional fact ##1-5 and the declaration of the law firm's long-time paral...

Excerpt: ...jected to in the motion ( in part due to defendant's submission of the documentation supporting the costs requested). Both parties recognize that travel expenses to attend depositions are allowed under Code of Civil Procedure section 1033.5, subdivision (a)(3) (C). However, plaintiff objects to the hotel room expenses incurred before some of the depositions which were described as having been incurred for deposition prep. The parties are to meet ...

Excerpt: ...Jones. The severance for purposes of trial and discovery was discussed during the severance motion heard 2/24/20. The stay on Jones' case was due to the pending criminal prosecution. The order encompassed a stay on discovery directed to Jones. The defendant has failed to present persuasive evidence that Jones is a critical witness in the Weaver case, and that trial in the Weaver case cannot go forward without taking Jones' deposition. In terms of...

Excerpt: ...ication: Plaintiff's motion is denied on procedural grounds. 1) Plaintiff LLC lacks the requisite standing to initiate this case as it is currently plead, 2) The Declaration of Jerald Munn fails to comply with the necessary requirements for a declaration Page 5 of 5 executed in the State of California pursuant to CCP Section 2015.5. Based on the deficiency, any evidence supported by the declaration is inadmissible, 3) The Separate Statement of Un...

Excerpt: ...cussions improperly included in the cross-complaint in violation of Evidence Code §1152. These paragraphs also set forth Patino's legal assertions in support of their claim to the disputed strip of land, but these legal arguments are not “ultimate facts” that are required to be alleged to state the causes of action asserted by the cross-complaint. (Code Civ. Proc. §425.10, subd. (a)(1) [a complaint shall set forth a statement of facts const...

Excerpt: ... limit the scope of time from 2010 to the present. The court finds this offer reasonable, given that Form interrogatories ## 11.0 and 11.2 go back 10 years from the present. Moreover, as noted by defendant, one plaintiff had an MRI of his spine in 2013 due to complaints of back pain with radiating pain down his body. This is a physical condition at issue in this case. The request for medical records relating to plaintiffs' physical conditions at ...

Excerpt: ...not capable of judicial notice. (People v Jones (1997) 15 Cal.4th 119, 171 fn.17, disapproved on another ground in People v Hill (1998) 17 Cal.4th 800, 823 Fn1.) The traffic collision report was properly objected to on the basis of lack of relevance (Evid. Code §350), hearsay (Evid. § Code 1200) , lack of personal knowledge (Evid. Code §702), and lack of foundation (Evid. Code §702). Plaintiff's objection to the mental competency report from ...

Excerpt: ...ation and the correspondence between the parties is not supported by statutory or case law. Claimants set forth the amount of principal and interest in their timely claims to excess tax sale proceeds submitted pursuant to R&TC §4675. The County approved payment of the principal, but not the interest. Claimants are entitled to accumulated interest on the note; the interest did not become unsecured on the death of the trustor/obligor. (Huckell v M...

Excerpt: ...of negligence (duty, breach of duty, causation and damage) but also 1) actual or constructive knowledge of the peril to be apprehended 2) actual or constructive knowledge that injury is probably, as opposed to possible result of the danger and 3) conscious failure to act to avoid the peril. It is not just a mere absence of care, but a more positive intent to harm another or act with a positive, active and absolute disregard of its consequences. (...

Excerpt: ...ty on whose behalf the complaint was filed, nor does it specify facts to support plaintiff's standing to bring the complaint. The court sustains the demurrer for uncertainty and for lack of standing. (Cloud v Northrop Grumman Corp. (1998) 67 Cal. App. 4th 995, 1004.) The demurrer to the two- paragraph complaint is also sustained on the grounds that defendant has no obligation to produce documents under any of the legislation alleged i.e. the Publ...

Excerpt: ...mage to the real property may have been caused by the trespass and possibly also the market value cost of the water diverted from the Kings River. (Complaint at ¶9 alleged that the identified users of the Kings River included the District, but not Verboon or Van Groningen.) The court agrees with defendant that if the prayer in the complaint was to be amended, this would require responsive pleadings to the First Amended Complaint be filed, as wel...

Excerpt: ...k v Kirwan (1985) 39 Cal.3d 311, 318.) The court does not find that the underlying basis for the first three causes of action is a sham, or that the allegations set forth in ¶31 and ¶39 in the FAC are fatally inconsistent. Plaintiff alleged that his termination was substantially motivated by his perceived disability and/or engagement in protected activities. The emphasis in the FAC that the complaints about not receiving meal and/or rest breaks...

Excerpt: ...at only a writ of mandate may be brought to resolve this dispute are distinguishable. In the cases relied on by defendant, an administrative remedy existed which the court found had to be exhausted before the dispute could be brought before the court. Here, defendant conceded no such administrative remedy exists. The parties are in agreement that the standard of review of defendant's interpretation of the Vehicle Code §34501.2 is set forth in Ya...

Excerpt: ...lifornia Highway Patrol interpreting the statute and regulations to preclude plaintiff from relying on the longer hours of driving allowed for truck drivers of specialized farm products. Defendant concedes that there is no administrative procedure available to plaintiff to challenge defendant's interpretation as it applies to plaintiff's intra-farm silage operations (with occasional use of the highways to get to another part of the farm). Defenda...

Excerpt: ...dency of the litigation that party may recover only costs actually incurred by a party or in its behalf in prosecuting or defending the case.) The declaration of plaintiff counsel supports the finding that apart from the first appearance fee by Ceja, the remaining costs were the total costs incurred by all four defendants, three of whom remain in this litigation. The cost bill is reduced from $8,165.24 to $2,367.55. Plaintiff sought a reduction t...

Excerpt: ...on, which rendered her unable to perform her regular work duties. (UMF 26, 27.) The report described the condition as a permanent condition and stated it should be considered for permanent disability. (UMF 38.) At the same time plaintiff presented this report to her employer, plaintiff applied for social security disability. (Reply UMF 26.) Plaintiff was placed on paid leave for the 100 work days (five months), which was required under the school...

Excerpt: ...ween the attorney and the examining physician. (Gonzi v Sup Ct (Daily News Co. Ltd.) (1959) 51 Cal.2d 586, 589; Weil & Brown, Cal. Practice Guide: Civil Procedure Before Trial (The Rutter Group 2020 ¶ 8:1586 through 8:1590.) It is unclear if anyone other than the examinee is entitled to audio record the examination. This is because under the Gonzi case, either party had the right to have a court reporter present to record a physical examination....

Excerpt: ...ranted. The demurrer is sustained without leave to amend as to defendant Christopher T Fisher. Defendant Fisher was alleged to be the owner of the building where the law office is located. (Complaint ¶5) Fisher was not alleged to be an attorney, he is not registered as an attorney in California, and no facts were alleged that he took any action or failed to take any action that caused plaintiff damages. The demurrer for uncertainty is sustained ...

Excerpt: ...iable issue of fact that the trailer was defective or contributed to the motor vehicle accident in any way. (Reply Separate Statement Facts ## 4, 5, 7 Torres Deposition at pages 22 [when you work for yourself as a truck driver, how do you find work] 24-25 [language interpreter questions how to define rental of trailer, but response was Torres was renting trailer from Rivera and Torres owned the tractor] 26 [Torres did not always accept work from ...

Excerpt: ...ff failed to timely file a government claim. This failure would preclude plaintiff from raising any state law tort claims, if leave to amend was granted. The FAC purports to be a complaint for violation of plaintiff's federal civil rights as a result of the alleged perjury by Officer Welch at his trial for driving in excess of the speed laws on a state highway. The perjury is alleged to have stemmed from the officer's assertion that a traffic and...

Excerpt: ...he continued hearing date. Plaintiff's motion to compel further responses was continued from 7/30/20. The same tentative ruling set forth below applies. The parties appear to be in agreement that defendant has set forth in verified discovery responses that: 1) defendant admits liability for the accident; 2) defendant admits having driven while intoxicated; 3) defendant admits she was convicted of one misdemeanor drunk driving charge stemming from...

Excerpt: ...t after the accident with plaintiffs. The discovery requests have been reviewed by the court with an aim at balancing the plaintiff's right to discovery against the defendant's right to privacy and the fact that at trial, it would be error to allow evidence of the circumstances of the accident, when defendant has admitted liability and the only issue is the extent of plaintiff's injury. ( Boler v Superior Court (1987) 201 Cal.App.3d 467, 472; Fue...

Excerpt: ...asserts that no claim has been made under the FEHA. Plaintiff agrees that the claim for conversion set forth in the 10th Cause of Action does not state facts sufficient to state a cause of action. (Voris v Lampert (2019) 7 Cal.5th 1141 [failure to pay wages due under the Labor Code does not support a tort claim for conversion].) The motion for judgment on the pleadings is granted without leave to amend as to the 10th cause of action. Given that p...

Excerpt: ...ts and manipulated data from the lab supervisor, Mr. Fleming. Labor Code §1102.6 sets for the burden of proof for recovery of damages under this code section. The plaintiff must demonstrate, by a preponderance of evidence, that the activity proscribed under 1102.5 was a contributing factor in the alleged prohibited action against the employee. The employer then has the burden of demonstrating by clear and convincing evidence that the termination...

Excerpt: ...e court makes the following observations: Defendant has represented and the court accepts that defendant has (or is willing to) set forth in verified responses to the discovery that defendant admits liability for the accident, that defendant admits having driven while intoxicated, defendant admits she was convicted of one misdemeanor drunk driving charge stemming from the accident with plaintiff, defendant asserts she has not been charged or conv...

Excerpt: ...has dismissed without prejudice defendant Ceja. The remaining defendants' motions for summary judgment are denied. Defendants' motions for summary adjudication as to each cause of action are discussed below. Defendant Topete and defendant Gonzalez' motions for summary adjudication of the first cause of action for sexual harassment are denied. (Gov Code §12940 (j)(3) [an employee is personally liable for sexual harassment].) There is a triable is...

Excerpt: ...ched as an exhibit. The note allowed for a line of credit up to $81,000 and required minimum monthly payments of $75. The note provided that the final payment was due 10/10/16. Plaintiff cites authority that even though it was a sold out junior due to the foreclosure of the first lien on the property, it may still seek collection on the promissory note. (Bank of America v Graves (1996) 51 Cal App. 4th 607, 611.) The parties are in disagreement wh...

Excerpt: ...ement, breach of fiduciary duty in not properly representing the true value of the partnership assets] . These allegations are not necessarily inconsistent, or result in a finding that a complaint is a sham pleading. (Steiner v Rowley (1950) 35 Cal.2d 713, 718-719 [complaint may plead inconsistent causes of action/ or counts, if there are no contradictory or antagonistic facts].) The demurrer to the second cause of action for illegal and unfair b...

Excerpt: ...ions under Section 1102.5 are predicated upon an employer/employee relationship. See Cal. Lab Code § 1102.5. The relevant portions of the statute clearly indicate that the statute is meant to establish prohibited activity by employers, rather than individuals]; Jones v Lodge at Torry Pines Partnership (2008) 42 Cal.4th 1158, 1173 [Retaliation under the FEHA].) The demurrer to the 4th and 5th causes of action on the grounds of failure to file a t...

Excerpt: ...se documents in support of its demurrer. The court sustains petitioner's lack of foundation objection to the note, deed of trust, and certificate of death and sustains the hearsay, improper opinion testimony, and matter not capable of judicial notice under Evidence Code §451 and 452 objections as to the letter. The court does not find merit to the argument that this court does not have jurisdiction of the dispute due to the absence of an adminis...

Excerpt: ...of proving that party's liability for the loss or damage. Here, the discussion of defendant's financial situation was in the context of why plaintiff reasonably believed that defendant intended to continue to discuss settlement of this class action lawsuit. The statements may be considered in this motion in accordance with Evidence Code §1120 (b)(2) [an exception to the mediation privilege is if it relates to an agreement to extend the time to a...

Excerpt: ...re due 10 days after service of the notice of ruling. The court has considered the submission of plaintiff's supplemental responses which were forwarded to opposing counsel on the same day the motions to compel further responses were filed. The offer to consider further responses made by defendant counsel related to answers without objections. (Letter dated May 12, 2020.) The supplemental responses for the most part continue to object to the requ...

Excerpt: ...that, “I was not impeded by security.” If the process server had an escort, it is likely this would be described in the declaration. Defendants also dispute the assertion that the process server served Jane Doe as a person “apparently in charge” in an office left of the secretary in what the process server believed were defendants' administrative offices. Defendants assert in a declaration from the casino's chief financial officer, that t...

Excerpt: ...ause of action are discussed below. Defendant Topete and defendant Gonzalez' motions for summary adjudication of the first cause of action for sexual harassment are denied. (Gov Code §12940 (j)(3) [an employee is personally liable for sexual harassment].) There is a triable issue of fact if the daily sexual comments and frequent physical touching of plaintiff by Topete (8 to 10 times a day) was sufficiently pervasive and severe to constitute sex...

Excerpt: ...d to the complaint as an exhibit, and no facts were alleged or implied that the hospital offered a paid trainee position to plaintiff in its hospital science lab for the 2018 semester. All the communications in the email chain, obtained by defendant after meet and confer discussions with plaintiff, were between plaintiff and SJSU. The plaintiff presents an alternative theory of liability, but no facts are contained in the complaint to support a c...

Excerpt: ...ng papers at footnote 3 page 5 also asserted hospital is engaged in interstate commerce. (Patterson v Tenet Healthcare Inc (8th Cir 1997) 113 Fed 3d 832, 835-37 [FAA governs arbitration of disputes of employees involving interstate commerce [excluding maritime or railroad employees]; Willis v Prime Healthcare Services Inc (2014) 231 Cal.App.4 th 615, 626 [payments of Medicare or Medicaid funds are transactions involving commerce; receipt of Medic...

Excerpt: ... are persuasive that the process server could not have obtained service by serving Mr. Nolan at the address on the loan documents. Mr. Nolan denies being present at the alleged service address. Mr. Nolan denies being an agent for service of process for the company. There is no declaration from the process server to contradict these assertions. The few facts set forth in the process server's declaration of due diligence concerning the appearance o...

Excerpt: ...arent from the delay in filing. The court takes judicial notice of 17CM0213 in accordance with Evidence Code section 452, subdivision (d). Defendant was convicted of a misdemeanor drunk driving charge stemming from the accident at issue. Prior convictions were not alleged. The defendant was ordered to complete a first offender 3 month DUI program. This contradicts the allegation in the first amended complaint that plaintiff was a DUI repeat offen...

Excerpt: ...ity against a concurrent tortfeasor, 'there can be no indemnity without liability].; Civ. Code §2778 (2) [the person indemnified is not entitled to recover without payment thereof].) This applies to the first three causes of action in the cross- complaints for equitable indemnity, equitable apportionment, declaratory relief. The claims set forth in the cross-complaints in any event duplicate affirmative defenses in the answers of defendants/cros...

Excerpt: ...ffirmative defenses in defendant's 3/29/19 answer. Plaintiff's motion fails to address the statute of limitation defense. Due to the above defects, the plaintiff's motion for summary judgment did not shift the burden to defendant. The motion for summary judgment must be denied. (Rawlings v DM Oliver Inc (1979) 97 Cal.App.3d 890, 896.) ...

Excerpt: ...nahue v State of California (1986) 178 Cal.App.3d 795). The claim in Donahue was premised on the theory that the Department of Motor Vehicles negligently permitted an uninsured driver to take a licensing test. The complaint alleged that the testing officer failed to use due care in directing the operation of the vehicle. Donahue is distinguishable. A claimant need only include a general description of the loss, so far as it may be known at the ti...

Excerpt: ...facts requisite to a valid service].) Defendant has filed a declaration challenging the purported substitute service on the casino and the individual defendants on the basis of: 1) failure to supply details as to why the process server believed he had served a person apparently in charge in light of defendant's declaration that no person described by the process server was employed by defendant and could have been considered a person in charge an...

Excerpt: ...ement provided any dispute was to be construed under Colorado law; there is no equivalent statute in Colorado; 3) by its unambiguous language, indemnity for defense costs is not precluded under Labor Code §3864. For the reasons discussed below, the court declines to consider the first or second argument as a basis for its ruling. Instead, the court finds that by its unambiguous language, Labor Code §3864 does not prevent a third party from seek...

Excerpt: ...should be taken into consideration in setting the date and conditions of the deposition.) No sanctions are ordered. ...

Excerpt: ...of 2019. The FAC alleged that a false and defamatory blacklist letter was placed in plaintiff's personnel file with the intent to prevent plaintiff from pursuing a career as a firefighter. It was alleged that the placement of this letter in plaintiff's personnel file without giving plaintiff the opportunity to challenge the facts alleged therein was contrary to defendant's written policy and procedures. The court finds that the discovery of the f...

Excerpt: ...drawn there from and must view such evidence and such inferences 'in the light most favorable to the opposing party.” (Aguilar v. Atlantic Richfield Co. (2001) 25 Cal.4th 826, 843.) In making this determination, trial courts usually follow a three‐step analysis: identifying the issues as framed by the pleadings; determining whether the moving party has established facts negating the opposing party's claims and justifying judgment in the movan...

Excerpt: ...oreign taxpayer in this state may be forfeited, if a taxpayer fails to file a tax return required by this part].) Plaintiff has not submitted any documentation which would rebut this inference. Instead, plaintiff argues that its suspended/ forfeited status was known before it renewed its sister state judgment and should have been raised within the 30 day period provided by Code of Civil Procedure section 1710.40, subdivision (b ). Plaintiff argue...

Excerpt: ...1048 (b) ]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 asserted in a cross–complaint, or of any separate issue or of any number of causes of action or issues, preserving the right of trial by jury required by the Constitution or a statute of this state or of the United States.] Th...

Excerpt: ...ill accept as true the proof of service that reflects service on that date. The court finds that the right to object was not waived by plaintiff. However, the court orders plaintiff to produce a privilege log as to any document in plaintiff's possession or control that is privileged as a result of work produce, attorney client privilege, which objection plaintiff asserted in response to requests ##76-81 and 83-92. The privacy objection made as to...

Excerpt: ...t exists if responding to telephone calls on plaintiff's days off was “required” by defendant employer. ( Cochran v Schwans Home Serv (2014) 228 Cal.App.4th 1137, 1145.) Plaintiff testified to receiving telephone calls of five minutes or so several times a week. The court has reviewed the additional plaintiff deposition excerpts, which reflect that plaintiff did not always answer the telephone call from defendant. Sometimes she would listen t...

Excerpt: ... complained they could not see. The lights were not turned back on. (FAC ¶ 12) Another danger was that there were no accessible walkways through the premises to a parking area for persons in a wheelchair. (FAC ¶15) A five to six inch lip between the gravel parking lot and street had to be negotiated by plaintiff. Plaintiff was forced to travel backwards in his wheelchair due to the fact it was the easiest way for him to maneuver through gravel....

Excerpt: ... fee could never be determined until after the patient is evaluated and for this reason, the law does not require a hospital to provide an estimate of the cost of treatment at an emergency room. (H&SC §1339.585.) The court has already found that the legislature has spoken as to the requirements of a hospital to disclose its charges for fees and services. (H&SC §1339.51.) Plaintiff concedes that she is not alleging that defendants failed to comp...

Excerpt: ...rino for injury to an employee of Collins Air. (Ex 5) The answer to the cross- complaint does not expressly raise Labor Code 3864 as an affirmative defense. The cross complaint does raise an affirmative defense of failure to state facts sufficient to state a cause of action. The motion for summary adjudication seeks an order that Collins Air is contractually liable for the defense costs incurred by Leprino. Summary adjudication of the duty to def...

Excerpt: ...the Cotton project. Notice was not given by Soligent to any lender. Soligent is not asserting a stop notice or claim against a payment or performance bond, or bringing any claim against a construction lender. No authority is cited that a supplier may not file a mechanic lien under these circumstances. Soligent supplied the solar panels installed by AHE on a residence owned by Cotton. As a material supplier, Soligent has a statutory right to file ...

Excerpt: ...ailing party under Civil Code section 1717. The enforcement of this judgment was resisted by Pinedale. Pinedale asserted illegality of the contract between the parties and made a rescission argument. The City of Fresno is a prevailing party in its suit to enforce the judgment. The city is entitled to its attorney fees and costs under Civil Code §1717, CCP 1032, CCP §685.070 (a )(6) and §685.040. The authority cited by Pinedale to the contrary ...

Excerpt: ...he subpoena noting that it was subject to criminal penalties for releasing tax documents without a court order or consent from the taxpayer. Defendant contends this was not an “objection,” so this motion, directed to plaintiff after plaintiff failed to respond to letters seeking consent, filed 67 days after the CPA letter is not barred by the 20 day time limitation. No other code section was cited in support of the motion. The court does not ...

Excerpt: ...rastate business is not being conducted by a foreign limited liability company when it takes actions in California to collect a debt. (Conseco Marketing LLC v IFA & Ins Services (2013) 221 Cal.App.4 th 831, 840 [the SSFMJA does not contain a requirement that a judgment creditor which is a foreign corporation or foreign limited liability company, such as judgment creditor here, needs to qualify with the Secretary of State as a precondition to invo...

Excerpt: ...eed of trust. Defendant's demurrer to the 4 th and 6 th causes of action brought by Khodadad on the basis of lack of standing is sustained. The FAC at paragraph 55 alleges that Khodadad lost his investment and equity in Cashera as a result of the alleged fraud and wrongful foreclosure. The sole authority cited by plaintiff in opposition to the demurrer is distinguishable. (Munger v Moore (1970) 11 Cal.App.3d 1, 8 [a successor in interest to prope...

Excerpt: ... injury suffered by plaintiff could have been caused by the x-ray equipment due to an issue with the sensor and/or the wire connecting it to the computer. Defendants objected to Dr. Smith's declaration on the grounds that it lacked foundation because Dr. Smith did not state he had examined the x-ray machine and because Dr. Smith merely speculated that there was a possibility the digital detector and its attachments could have been the source of t...

Excerpt: ...: Civil Procedure Before Trial (The Rutter Group 2019) ¶ 9:106 at 9(i)-90.) The court finds that all parties stipulated that the code would be followed with reference to what would happen following the premature conclusion of plaintiff's deposition. (RT 104- 105.) CCP 2025.520 provides that the deponent has 30 days after notice by the deposition officer that the transcript is available to read, correct and sign the transcript. The deponent may �...

Excerpt: ...ve authority to accept service of process on behalf of the CHP. Accordingly, the motion to quash service of summons and complaint is granted. ...

Excerpt: ...oposed judgment submitted by the City of Fresno. Respondent objects to the court consideration of the City's motion for attorney fees and argues that the motion is premature. The court has no objection to continuing the hearing on the motion until after the statement of decision is filed and judgment is entered. (CRC 3.1700.) The parties may select a hearing on the motion. In the interest of expediency, the court has reviewed the pleadings of the...

Excerpt: ...was not given by Soligent to any lender. Soligent is not asserting a stop notice or claim against a payment or performance bond, or bringing any claim against a construction lender. No authority is cited that a supplier may not file a mechanic lien under these circumstances. Soligent supplied the solar panels installed by AHE on a residence owned by Cotton. As a material supplier, Soligent has a statutory right to file a mechanic lien for the non...

Excerpt: ...must be established to support the heightened need for supervision before school and during recess as set forth in the minor's IEP due to the minor's “challenged motor skills, energy level and his tendency to lose his balance and fall when accidently pushed or fatigued.” The extent of the minor's disabilities before the fall will necessarily be part of the evidence at the liability phase of trial. Any prejudice to defendant from jury sympathy...