On 03/08/2017 JESUS CASTREJON filed a Personal Injury - Motor Vehicle lawsuit against TORRES NUNEZ. This case was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Courts, Stanley Mosk Courthouse located in Los Angeles, California. The Judge overseeing this case is CHRISTOPHER K. LUI. The case status is Pending - Other Pending.
****2929
03/08/2017
Pending - Other Pending
Los Angeles County Superior Courts
Stanley Mosk Courthouse
Los Angeles, California
CHRISTOPHER K. LUI
CATREJON JESUS
NUNEZ TORRES
IRON CASTLE INC
ALAVIHARISI HAMIDREZA
DOES 1 TO 50
DUNN DWAYNE
CARPENTER ZUCKERMAN & ROWLEY LLP
RAFII DANIEL J. ESQ.
CARPENTER ZUCKERMAN & ROWLEY LLP
HAYNES-GARRETTY REETHA ESQ.
YEUNG MICHAEL L. ESQ.
ELDABE S EDMOND
DUNNE MARGARET ANN ESQ.
7/23/2018: ANSWER TO CROSS COMPLAINT OF DWAYNE DUNN
8/3/2018: ORDER AND STIPULATION TO CONTINUE TRIAL FSC AND RELATED MOTION DISCOVERY DATES PERSONAL INJURY COURTS ONLY CENTRAL DISTRICT
10/23/2018: Substitution of Attorney
12/12/2018: Request for Dismissal
2/8/2019: Ex Parte Application
1/17/2018: ANSWER TO CROSS COMPLAINT
11/30/2017: ANSWER TO CROSS-COMPLAINT
11/30/2017: CIVIL DEPOSIT
11/30/2017: NOTICE OF POSTING JURY FEES
11/30/2017: NOTICE OF ASSOCIATION
11/30/2017: Cross-Complaint
11/30/2017: Summons
10/4/2017: Unknown
3/8/2017: PLAINTIFF'S COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES AND PERSONAL INJURIES 1. NEGLIGENCE DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL
3/8/2017: SUMMONS
5/8/2017: PROOF OF SERVICE OF SUMMONS
7/28/2017: ANSWER TO COMPLAINT
7/28/2017: CROSS COMPLAINT FOR APPORTIONMENT OF NEGLIGENCE, CONTRIBUTION, INDEMNITY AND DECLARATORY RELIEF
at 08:30 AM in Department 4A, Christopher K. Lui, Presiding; Jury Trial - Not Held - Advanced and Continued - by Court
at 10:00 AM in Department 4A, Christopher K. Lui, Presiding; Final Status Conference - Not Held - Advanced and Continued - by Court
Notice of Ruling; Filed by Dwayne Dunn (Cross-Complainant)
at 08:30 AM in Department 4A, Christopher K. Lui, Presiding; Hearing on Ex Parte Application (to continue trial) - Held - Motion Granted
Ex Parte Application (to Continue Trial); Filed by Dwayne Dunn (Cross-Complainant)
Minute Order ( (Hearing on Ex Parte Application of Cross-Complainant Wayne Du...)); Filed by Clerk
at 08:30 AM in Department 4; Jury Trial - Not Held - Continued - Stipulation
at 10:00 AM in Department 4; Final Status Conference - Not Held - Continued - Stipulation
Request for Dismissal (Cross-Complaint of Dwayne Dunn); Filed by Dwayne Dunn (Cross-Complainant)
[Proposed Order] and Stipulation to Continue Trial, FSC (and Related Motion/Discovery Dates) Personal Injury Courts Only (Central District); Filed by Torres Nunez (Defendant)
Proof of Service (not Summons and Complaint); Filed by Jesus Catrejon (Plaintiff)
Proof of Service (not Summons and Complaint); Filed by Jesus Catrejon (Plaintiff)
PROOF OF SERVICE OF SUMMONS
PROOF OF SERVICE OF SUMMONS
PROOF OF SERVICE OF SUMMONS
Proof of Service (not Summons and Complaint); Filed by Jesus Catrejon (Plaintiff)
Proof of Service (not Summons and Complaint); Filed by Jesus Catrejon (Plaintiff)
SUMMONS
PLAINTIFF'S COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES AND PERSONAL INJURIES 1. NEGLIGENCE DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL
Complaint; Filed by Jesus Catrejon (Plaintiff)
Case Number: BC652929 Hearing Date: December 19, 2019 Dept: 4A
Motion to Set Aside Dismissal
Having considered the moving and opposing papers, the Court rules as follows. No reply papers were filed.
BACKGROUND
On March 8, 2017, Plaintiff Jesus Castrejon (“Plaintiff”) filed a complaint against Defendants Torress Nunez, Hamidreza Alaviharisi, Castle Iron Design, Inc., and Iron Castle, Inc. alleging negligence for an automobile collision that occurred on November 28, 2016.
On July 28, 2017, Defendants/Cross-Complainants Torress Nunez, Hamidreza Alaviharisi, Castle Iron Design, Inc., and Iron Castle, Inc. filed a cross-complaint against Cross-Defendant Dwayne Dunn alleging negligence and seeking contribution, indemnity, and declaratory relief.
On November 30, 2017, Cross-Defendant/Cross-Complainant Dwayne Dunn filed a cross-complaint against Defendants/Cross-Complainants/Cross-Defendants Torress Nunez, Hamidreza Alaviharisi, Castle Iron Design, Inc., and Iron Castle, Inc. alleging motor vehicle negligence, general negligence, and negligence per se and seeking indemnification and apportionment of fault.
On October 19, 2018, the Court dismissed the complaint with prejudice.
On December 18, 2018, the Court dismissed Cross-Defendant/Cross-Complainant Dwayne Dunn’s cross-complaint with prejudice.
On November 20, 2019, Cross-Defendant/Cross-Complainant Dwayne Dunn (“Moving Party”) filed a motion to set aside the December 18, 2018 dismissal pursuant to California Code Civil Procedure section 473.
PARTY’S REQUEST
Cross-Defendant/Cross-Complainant Dwayne Dunn (“Moving Party”) asks the Court to set aside the December 18, 2018 dismissal of his cross-complaint because the counsel who submitted the request for dismissal did not have authority to do so.
LEGAL STANDARD
“The court may, upon motion of the injured party, or its own motion, correct clerical mistakes in its judgment or orders as entered, so as to conform to the judgment or order directed, and may, on motion of either party after notice to the other party, set aside any void judgment or order.” (Code Civ. Proc. § 473, subd. (d).)
“A trial court has no statutory power under section 473, subdivision (d) to set aside a judgment that is not void: Once six months have elapsed since the entry of a judgment, ‘a trial court may grant a motion to set aside that judgment as void only if the judgment is void on its face.’” (Cruz v. Fagor America, Inc. (2007) 146 Cal.App.4th 488, 495-496.) “An order is considered void on its face only when the invalidity is apparent from an inspection of the judgment roll or court record without consideration of extrinsic evidence.” (Pittman v. Beck Park Apartments Ltd. (2018) 20 Cal.App.5th 1009, 1021 (citation omitted).) “If the invalidity can be shown only through consideration of extrinsic evidence, such as declarations or testimony, the order is not void on its face. Such an order must be challenged within the six-month time limit prescribed by section 473, subdivision (b), or by an independent action in equity.” (Ibid. (citations omitted).)
The judgment roll includes the following when the complaint is answered: “the pleadings, all orders striking out any pleading in whole or in part, a copy of the verdict of the jury, the statement of decision of the court, or finding of the referee, and a copy of any order made on demurrer, or relating to a change in parties, and copy of the judgment . . . .” (Code Civ. Proc. § 670, subd. (b).)
DISCUSSION
Moving Party’s counsel argues that the December 18, 2018 dismissal is void because Richardson, Fair, and Cohen represented Moving Party only in his capacity as a cross-defendant, and not as a cross-complainant at the time that the firm submitted the request for dismissal. (Motion, p. 5:3-5:27.) On November 30, 2017, Richardson, Fair, and Cohen represented Moving Party in answering a cross-complaint. (El Dabe Decl., ¶ 7, Exh. 1.) Another law firm, the Law Offices of Michael L. Yung, represented Moving Party in filing a cross-complaint at that time. (El Dabe Decl., ¶ 8, Exh. 2.)
The Court finds the motion is properly granted. Moving Party’s November 30, 2017 filings of both a cross-complaint and an answer to a cross-complaint by two separate law firms demonstrates that there was a clear division of labor in Moving Party’s legal representation.
Defendants/Cross-Complainants Torress Nunez, Hamidreza Alaviharisi, Castle Iron Design, Inc., and Iron Castle, Inc. correctly state that the Court is limited to viewing only the judgment roll in considering this motion because more than six months have passed since the dismissal was entered. However, simply viewing Moving Party’s pleadings, which are part of the judgment roll, the Court can reasonably conclude that Moving Party had specific counsel for specific tasks. Richardson, Fair, and Cohen’s assignment was to represent Moving Party as a cross-defendant, and the Law Offices of Michael L. Yung had exclusive authority to prosecute Moving Party’s cross-complaint. Richardson, Fair, and Cohen exceeded the authority it was given by Moving Party, which eviscerates the validity of the dismissal.
Because the dismissal ender on December 18, 2018 is void on its face, the motion to set aside is properly GRANTED.
The Court sets aside the December 18, 2018 dismissal of Moving Party’s cross-complaint and schedules a trial setting conference in this case for January 21, 2020 at 8:30 a.m. in Department 4A in the Spring Street Courthouse.
Moving Party is ordered to give notice of this ruling.