On 10/30/2018 WESTLAKE SERVICES, LLC filed a Contract - Other Contract lawsuit against T A ELITE AUTO SALE LLC. This case was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Courts, Spring Street Courthouse located in Los Angeles, California. The Judge overseeing this case is WENDY CHANG. The case status is Pending - Other Pending.
*******3723
10/30/2018
Pending - Other Pending
Los Angeles County Superior Courts
Spring Street Courthouse
Los Angeles, California
WENDY CHANG
WESTLAKE SERVICES LLC
WESTLAKE SERVICES LLC DBA WESTLAKE FINANCIAL SERVICES A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
T & A ELITE AUTO SALE LLC
ISHAK AZZAM
YADEGARI ARASH E.
FRIEDMAN JOSHUA P
2/4/2021: Minute Order - Minute Order (Hearing on Motion to Vacate Motion to Vacate Default Judgment)
12/10/2020: Proof of Service (not Summons and Complaint) - Proof of Service (not Summons and Complaint)
12/10/2020: Opposition (name extension) - Opposition JUDGMENT CREDITORS OPPOSITION TO JUDGMENT DEBTORS MOTION TO SET ASIDE DEFAULT AND JUDGMENT
1/21/2021: Minute Order - Minute Order (Hearing on Motion to Vacate Motion to Vacate Default Judgment)
9/14/2020: Declaration (name extension) - Declaration Decaration of Becky Ishak iso Motion to Set Aside DJ
9/14/2020: Motion to Set Aside/Vacate Judgment - Motion to Set Aside/Vacate Judgment
9/14/2020: Declaration (name extension) - Declaration Declaration of Azzam Ishak iso Motion to Set Aside DJ
6/17/2020: Default Judgment - Default Judgment
5/5/2020: Request for Dismissal - Request for Dismissal
5/5/2020: Request for Entry of Default / Judgment - Request for Entry of Default / Judgment
5/5/2020: Declaration Pursuant to 585 CCP in Support of Default Judgment - Declaration Pursuant to 585 CCP in Support of Default Judgment
5/5/2020: Summary of the Case - Summary of the Case
2/4/2020: Substitution of Attorney - Substitution of Attorney
3/30/2020: Notice Re: Continuance of Hearing and Order - Notice Re: Continuance of Hearing and Order
4/10/2020: Request for Dismissal - Request for Dismissal
10/30/2018: Summons - Summons on Complaint
10/30/2018: Complaint - Complaint
10/30/2018: Notice of Case Assignment - Limited Civil Case - Notice of Case Assignment - Limited Civil Case
DocketMinute Order (Hearing on Motion to Vacate Motion to Vacate Default Judgment)
DocketOn the Complaint filed by Westlake Services, LLC on 10/30/2018, Default entered on 05/05/2020, Vacated - .
DocketUpdated -- On the Complaint filed by Westlake Services, LLC on 10/30/2018, judgment entered on 06/17/2020 is vacated
DocketOn the Complaint filed by Westlake Services, LLC on 10/30/2018, judgment entered on 06/17/2020 as to Azzam Ishak is
DocketHearing on Motion to Vacate Motion to Vacate Default Judgment scheduled for 02/04/2021 at 10:00 AM in Spring Street Courthouse at Department 26 updated: Result Date to 02/04/2021; Result Type to Held - Motion Granted
DocketHearing on Motion to Vacate Motion to Vacate Default Judgment scheduled for 02/04/2021 at 10:00 AM in Spring Street Courthouse at Department 26
DocketMinute Order (Hearing on Motion to Vacate Motion to Vacate Default Judgment)
DocketThere being no judge available this date, Hearing on Motion to Vacate Motion to Vacate Default Judgment scheduled for 01/21/2021 at 09:00 AM in Spring Street Courthouse at Department 26 Not Held - Continued - Court's Motion was rescheduled to 02/04/2021 10:00 AM
DocketReply Reply iso Motion to Set Aside Default and Default Judgment Against Azzam Ishak; Filed by: Azzam Ishak (Defendant)
DocketOpposition JUDGMENT CREDITOR?S OPPOSITION TO JUDGMENT DEBTOR?S MOTION TO SET ASIDE DEFAULT AND JUDGMENT; Filed by: Westlake Services, LLC (Plaintiff)
DocketReset - Court Unavailable, Non-Jury Trial scheduled for 04/28/2020 at 08:30 AM in Spring Street Courthouse at Department 26 Not Held - Rescheduled by Court was rescheduled to 10/01/2020 08:30 AM
DocketProof of Service by Mail; Filed by: Westlake Services, LLC (Plaintiff); As to: Azzam Ishak (Defendant)
DocketSubstitution of Attorney; Filed by: Westlake Services, LLC (Plaintiff)
DocketNon-Jury Trial scheduled for 04/28/2020 at 08:30 AM in Stanley Mosk Courthouse at Department 94
DocketOrder to Show Cause Re: Failure to File Proof of Service scheduled for 11/02/2021 at 08:30 AM in Stanley Mosk Courthouse at Department 94
DocketComplaint; Filed by: Westlake Services, LLC (Plaintiff); As to: T & A Elite Auto Sale LLC, (Defendant)
DocketCivil Case Cover Sheet; Filed by: Westlake Services, LLC (Plaintiff)
DocketSummons on Complaint; Issued and Filed by: Clerk
DocketNotice of Case Assignment - Limited Civil Case; Filed by: Clerk
DocketCase assigned to Hon. Wendy Chang in Department 94 Stanley Mosk Courthouse
Case Number: 18STLC13723 Hearing Date: February 04, 2021 Dept: 26
Westlake Services, LLC v. T&A Elite Auto Sale, LLC, et al.
MOTION TO VACATE DEFAULT JUDGMENT
(CCP § 473(b), 473.5)
TENTATIVE RULING:
Defendant Azzam Ishak’s Motion to Vacate Default and Default Judgment is GRANTED. DEFENDANT AZZAM ISHAK’S ANSWER IS TO BE FILED WITHIN 20 DAYS’ SERVICE OF THIS ORDER. TRIAL DATE IS RESET FOR OCTOBER 29, 2021 AT 10:00 AM IN DEPARTMENT 26 IN THE SPRING STREET COURTHOUSE.
ANALYSIS:
Plaintiff Westlake Services, LLC (“Plaintiff”) filed the instant action for breach of contract and common counts against Defendants T&A Elite Auto Sale, LLC and Azzam Ishak (“Defendant Ishak”) on October 30, 2018. Following Defendants’ failure to file a responsive pleading, the Court entered their default on May 5, 2020 and default judgment on June 17, 2020.
Defendant Ishak filed the instant Motion to Vacate Default on September 14, 2020. Plaintiff filed an opposition on December 10, 2020 and Defendant Ishak replied on January 12, 2021.
Discussion
Defendant Ishak move for relief from the default pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure, section 473, subdivision (b) and section 473.5. The Court will consider each basis in turn.
Code of Civil Procedure section 473, subdivision (b)
Under this statute, an application for relief must be made no more than six months after entry of the order from which relief is sought, and must be accompanied by an affidavit of fault attesting to the mistake, inadvertence, surprise or neglect of the moving party or its attorney. (Code Civ. Proc., § 473, subd. (b); English v. IKON Business Solutions (2001) 94 Cal.App.4th 130, 143.) The motion is brought pursuant to discretionary relief prong of section 473, subdivision (b) for Defendant Ishak’s own mistake, inadvertence, surprise or neglect.
The Court finds relief is timely sought under the statute. Default was entered on May 5, 2020 and the instant Motion was filed four months later on September 14, 2020. The Motion is also supported by the declaration of Defendant Ishak who states that he was not aware that his wife signed for service of the Summon and Complaint back in March 2020. (Motion, Azzam Ishak Decl., ¶¶3-5.) Defendant Ishak does not remember his wife giving him those documents. (Ibid.) The declaration of Becky Ishak corroborates this by attesting that she does not remember giving the documents to Defendant Ishak. (Motion, Becky Ishak Decl., ¶¶2-3.) This sufficiently demonstrates that Defendant Ishak was surprised by the entry of default and subsequent default judgment.
Finally, the Motion is accompanied by a copy of Defendant Ishak’s proposed Answer to the Complaint. (Motion, Exh. A.) All the requirements under Code of Civil Procedure section 473, subdivision (b) having been satisfied, relief from the entry of default and default judgment is proper.
The opposition fails to address the evidence regarding Becky Ishak’s failure to notify Defendant Ishak of this action. Also, any argument the opposition makes regarding the sufficiency of the proposed Answer should be addressed by demurrer to the pleading.
Code of Civil Procedure section 473.5
The Motion is also brought under Code of Civil Procedure section 473.5, subdivision (a):
When service of a summons has not resulted in actual notice to a party in time to defend the action and a default or default judgment has been entered against him or her in the action, he or she may serve and file a notice of motion to set aside the default or default judgment and for leave to defend the action.
(Code Civ. Proc., § 473.5, subd. (a).) Additionally, the motion “shall be accompanied by an affidavit showing under oath that the party's lack of actual notice in time to defend the action was not caused by his or her avoidance of service or inexcusable neglect. The party shall serve and file with the notice a copy of the answer, motion, or other pleading proposed to be filed in the action.” (Code Civ. Proc., § 473.5, subd. (b).)
There is no indication in the Court’s records that written notice of the entry of default was served on Defendant Ishak, making June 17, 2022 the outer deadline to file a motion under Code of Civil Procedure section 473.5. However, there is also reasonabless requirement in bringing a motion under this staute. As noted above, the instant Motion was filed little more than four months after entry of default and just three months after default judgment. The Court finds the timing of the Motion to be reasonably diligent under section 473.5.
Additionally, Defendant Ishak provides information from which the Court can determine that lack of actual notice was not caused by his own avoidance of service or inexcusable neglect. Specifically that his wife signed for the papers but apparently did not understand their significance and did not give them to Defendant Ishak. (See Azzam Ishak Decl., ¶¶3-5.) The last requirement under this statute is submission of a proposed Answer, which the Court has already found to be satisfied.
Therefore, the request for relief under Code of Civil Procedure section 473.5 is also appropriate.
Conclusion
Defendant Azzam Ishak’s Motion to Vacate Default and Default Judgment is GRANTED. DEFENDANT AZZAM ISHAK’S ANSWER IS TO BE FILED WITHIN 20 DAYS’ SERVICE OF THIS ORDER. TRIAL DATE IS RESET FOR OCTOBER 29, 2021 AT 10:00 AM IN DEPARTMENT 26 IN THE SPRING STREET COURTHOUSE.
Moving party to give notice.
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