On 07/20/2017 ALLSTATE NORTHBROOK INDEMNITY filed a Personal Injury - Motor Vehicle lawsuit against AJU, MIGUEL. This case was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Courts, Stanley Mosk Courthouse located in Los Angeles, California. The case status is Disposed - Other Disposed.
****8869
07/20/2017
Disposed - Other Disposed
Los Angeles County Superior Courts
Stanley Mosk Courthouse
Los Angeles, California
ALLSTATE NORTHBROOK INDEMNITY
ALLSTATE NORTHBROOK INDEMNITY DBA AMORSOLO BERRIENTOS
AJU MIGUEL
LAW OFFICES OF GREGORY LUCETT
7/20/2017: Summons - Summons
7/20/2017: Complaint - Complaint Auto
7/20/2017: Civil Case Cover Sheet - Civil Case Cover Sheet
8/28/2018: Request for Entry of Default / Judgment
9/7/2018: Notice of Rejection Default/Clerk's Judgment
9/17/2018: Request for Entry of Default / Judgment
9/17/2018: Proof of Service by Substituted Service - (Amended)
9/20/2018: Notice of Rejection Default/Clerk's Judgment
1/22/2019: Minute Order - Minute Order (Non-Jury Trial)
1/22/2019: Certificate of Mailing for - Certificate of Mailing for Minute Order (Non-Jury Trial) of 01/22/2019
5/29/2019: Minute Order - Minute Order (Order to Show Cause Re: Dismissal)
5/29/2019: Certificate of Mailing for - Certificate of Mailing for Minute Order (Order to Show Cause Re: Dismissal) of 05/29/2019
6/29/2018: Request for Entry of Default / Judgment
7/17/2018: Notice of Rejection Default/Clerk's Judgment
7/3/2018: Proof of Service by Substituted Service
DocketOrder to Show Cause Re: Failure to File Proof of Service scheduled for 07/20/2020 at 08:30 AM in Stanley Mosk Courthouse at Department 94 Not Held - Vacated by Court on 06/21/2019
DocketMinute Order (Order to Show Cause Re: Dismissal)
DocketCertificate of Mailing for Minute Order (Order to Show Cause Re: Dismissal) of 05/29/2019; Filed by: Clerk
DocketOn the Complaint filed by ALLSTATE NORTHBROOK INDEMNITY on 07/20/2017, entered Order for Dismissal without prejudice as to the entire action
DocketOrder to Show Cause Re: Dismissal scheduled for 05/29/2019 at 08:30 AM in Stanley Mosk Courthouse at Department 94 updated: Result Date to 05/29/2019; Result Type to Held
DocketOrder to Show Cause Re: Dismissal scheduled for 05/29/2019 at 08:30 AM in Stanley Mosk Courthouse at Department 94
DocketMinute Order (Non-Jury Trial)
DocketCertificate of Mailing for Minute Order (Non-Jury Trial) of 01/22/2019; Filed by: Clerk
DocketNon-Jury Trial scheduled for 01/22/2019 at 08:30 AM in Stanley Mosk Courthouse at Department 94 updated: Result Date to 01/22/2019; Result Type to Not Held - Taken Off Calendar by Court
DocketNotice of Rejection Default/Clerk's Judgment; Filed by: Clerk
DocketProof of Service by Substituted Service; Filed by: ALLSTATE NORTHBROOK INDEMNITY (Plaintiff); As to: MIGUEL AJU (Defendant); Proof of Mailing Date: 09/09/17; Service Cost: 64.00; Service Cost Waived: No
DocketRequest for Entry of Default / Judgment; Filed by: ALLSTATE NORTHBROOK INDEMNITY (Plaintiff); As to: MIGUEL AJU (Defendant)
Docket; Default not entered as to MIGUEL AJU; On the Complaint filed by ALLSTATE NORTHBROOK INDEMNITY on 07/20/2017
DocketCase reassigned to Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Department 77
DocketNON-JURY TRIAL SET FOR 01/22/19, 08:30 AM, DEPT 77
DocketA/C - COMPLAINT FILED REASON: OTHERS
DocketOSC SET 07/20/20, 08:30 AM, DEPT. 77 PURSUANT TO GENERAL ORDER
DocketCivil Case Cover Sheet; Filed by:
DocketCOMPLAINT FILED - AUTO Filing Fee: 225.00
DocketSUMMONS FILED
Case Number: 17K08869 Hearing Date: November 06, 2019 Dept: 94
Allstate v. Aju, et al.
MOTION TO VACATE DISMISSAL
(CCP § 473(b), mandatory)
TENTATIVE RULING:
Plaintiff Allstate Northbrook Indemnity Company a/s/o Amorsolo Barrientos’s Motion to Vacate Dismissal is GRANTED.
ANALYSIS:
I. Background
On July 20, 2017, Plaintiff Allstate Northbrook Indemnity Company a/s/o Amorsolo Barrientos (“Plaintiff”) brought this subrogation action against Defendant Miguel Aju (“Defendant”). Because Plaintiff failed to appear for his OSC Hearing re: Dismissal on May 29, 2019, the Court dismissed this action. On September 16, Plaintiff brought the instant Motion to Vacate Dismissal (the “Motion”) under the mandatory provision of CCP § 473(b) based on his counsel’s mistake, inadvertence, surprise, and neglect.
II. Legal Standard
“Section 473(b) provides for both discretionary and mandatory relief. [Citation.]” (Pagnini v. Union Bank, N.A. (2018) 28 Cal.App.5th 298, 302.) Plaintiff seeks relief under the mandatory provision of the statute based on its counsel’s mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or neglect. The mandatory provision states in pertinent part:
“[W]henever an application for relief is made no more than six months after entry of judgment, is in proper form, and is accompanied by an attorney’s sworn affidavit attesting to his or her mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or neglect, vacate any (1) resulting default entered by the clerk against his or her client, and which will result in entry of a default judgment, or (2) resulting default judgment or dismissal entered against his or her client, unless the court finds that the default or dismissal was not in fact caused by the attorney's mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or neglect.”
(CCP § 473(b).)
“The purpose of this mandatory relief provision is to alleviate the hardship on parties who lose their day in court due to an inexcusable failure to act by their attorneys. [Citation.]” (Rodriguez v. Brill (2015) 234 Cal.App.4th 715, 723, emphasis added.) Relief under CCP § 473(b) is also available to plaintiffs because dismissal is the “practical equivalent of a default judgment.” (Aldrich v. San Fernando Valley Lumber Co., Inc.
III. Discussion
Plaintiff timely brought this Motion under the mandatory provision of CCP § 473(b) less than six months after the dismissal.
Plaintiff submits a sworn affidavit from his counsel Bruce Mao (“Mao”), who attests that he neglected to calendar the OSC Hearing and, as a result, failed to appear for it. (Motion, Mao Decl. ¶ 3.) “[A]s this text [of the mandatory provision of Section 473(b)] indicates, what must be attested to is the mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or neglect—not the reasons for it. [Citation.]” (Martin Potts & Associates, Inc. v. Corsair, LLC (2016) 244 Cal.App.4th 432, 438.) In light of the foregoing, the Court finds that the dismissal was a result of Plaintiff’s counsel’s mistake, inadvertence, surprise, and neglect. Accordingly, the Court has no discretion but to grant the Motion under the mandatory provision of Section 473(b).
IV. Conclusion & Order
The unopposed Motion is GRANTED. The dismissal of this action is hereby VACATED.
Trial is set for May 11, 2020 at 8:30 a.m. in Department 94. All discovery cut-off dates follow the new trial date.
Moving party is ordered to give notice.
Parties who intend to submit on this tentative must send an email to the Court at SMCdept94@lacourt.org as directed by the instructions provided on the court website at www.lacourt.org. If the department does not receive an email and there are no appearances at the hearing, the motion will be placed off calendar.