Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_10-cv-00460/USCOURTS-casd-3_10-cv-00460-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 290
Nature of Suit: Other Real Property Actions
Cause of Action: 15:1601 Truth in Lending

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10cv460

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ERNESTO AMBRIZ,

Plaintiff,

v.

ACCREDITED HOME LENDERS, INC.,

et al.,

Defendants.

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Civil No. 10cv460 L(WMc)

ORDER DENYING AS MOOT

MOTION TO DISMISS FIRST

AMENDED COMPLAINT [doc. #13];

GRANTING MOTION TO

EXPUNGE LIS PENDENS [doc. #14];

and GRANTING EX PARTE

MOTION FOR REQUEST FOR

RULING [doc. #25]

On May 28, 2010, defendants Vericrest Financial, Inc. fka The CIT Group and The Bank

of New York Melon fka The Bank of New York filed motions to dismiss the first amended

complaint (“FAC”) and to expunge lis pendens. Plaintiff failed to oppose the motions as

required under the Civil Local Rules. Instead, on August 24, 2010, plaintiff filed a notice of

voluntary dismissal without prejudice under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a). The notice

of voluntary dismissal moots defendants’ motion to dismiss; however, dismissal of the complaint

does not expunge the recorded lis pendens. As a result, defendants request a ruling on the

motion to expunge the lis pendens.

Plaintiff recorded a lis pendens on the property at issue under California Civil Code §§

405.31 and 405.32. A lis pendens effectively prevents a sale or encumbrance of the property

until litigation is resolved or the lis pendens is expunged. See Kirkeby v. Superior Court, 33 Cal.

4th 642. 651 (2004). 

Case 3:10-cv-00460-L-WMC Document 27 Filed 09/08/10 Page 1 of 3
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A court "shall order the notice [of pendency] expunged if . . . the pleading on which the

notice is based does not contain a real property claim." CAL. CIV. CODE § 405.31. A "real

property claim" is defined, inter alia, as a cause of action "which would, if meritorious, affect . .

. title to, or the right to possession of, specific real property. . . ." CAL. CIV. CODE § 405.4. A

plaintiff bears the burden of establishing, by a preponderance of the evidence, the probable

validity of the claims. 

Because the operative complaint has been voluntarily dismissed, plaintiff has alleged no

"real property claim." Accordingly, the lis pendens is properly expunged.

Based on the foregoing, IT IS ORDERED 

1. Defendants’ motion to expunge lis pendens is hereby GRANTED [doc. #14];

2. Defendants’ motion to dismiss the first amended complaint is DENIED AS

MOOT [doc. #13];

3. The Lis Pendens recorded on December 24, 2009, as Instrument No. 20090301187

in the official records of San Diego County shall be expunged from the official records, and a

copy of this Order may be recorded in the official records. 

The Lis Pendens concerns the real property commonly known as 507 Twin Palm Circle,

Fallbrook, California 92028, located in San Diego County with the following legal description:

“PARCEL 1:

THAT PORTION OF THE WEST HALF OF THE SOUTHEAST

QUARTER OF THE SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF SECTION 24,

TOWNSHIP 9 SOUTH, RANGE 4 WEST, SAN BERNARDINO

MERIDIAN, IN THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO, STATE OF

CALIFORNIA, ACCORDING TO THE OFFICIAL PLOT

DESCRIED AS FOLLOWS: BEGINNING ON A POINT ON THE

WEST LINE OF SAID WEST HALF OF THE SOUTHEAST

QUARTER OF THE NORTHEAST QUARTER OF THE

SOUTHEAST QUARTER WHICH IS SOUTH 00 DEGREES

22/45" WEST, 136.92 FEET FROM THE NORTHEAST CORNER

THEREOF; THENCE ALONG SAID WEST LINE SOUTH 00

DEGREES 22'45" WEST 73.93 FEET; THENCE PARALLEL

WITH THE NORTH LINE OF SAID WEST HALF OF THE

SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF THE NORTHEAST QUARTER OF

THE SOUTHEAST QUARTER SOUTH 89 DEGREES 07"30"

EAST 134.35 FEET; THENCE NORTH 00 DEGREES 22'45"

EAST 79.79 FEET TO A LINE WHICH BEARS SOUTH 89

DEGREES 07'30" EAST FROM THE POINT OF BEGINNING;

THENCE NORTH 89 DEGREES 07'30" WEST 134 FEET TO THE

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BEGINNING.

PARCEL 2:

AN EASEMENT AND RIGHT OF WAY FOR ROAD AND PIPE

LINE PURPOSES TO BE USED IN COMMON WITH THE

GRANTORS AND OTHERS ACROSS A STRIP OF LAND 21.00

FEET IN WIDTH LYING NORTHERLY OF AND ADJOINING

THE NORTH LINE OF PARCEL 1, ABOVE.”

APN: 104-311-15-00; 

4. Defendants’ ex parte motion for request for ruling is GRANTED [doc. #25]; and

5. The Clerk of the Court shall maintain this case as an open case until resolution of

the order to show cause why sanctions should not be imposed upon plaintiff’s counsel Kent C.

Wilson.

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

DATED: September 7, 2010

M. James Lorenz

United States District Court Judge

COPY TO: 

HON. WILLIAM MCCURINE, JR.

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

ALL PARTIES/COUNSEL

Case 3:10-cv-00460-L-WMC Document 27 Filed 09/08/10 Page 3 of 3