Source: http://www.fresno.courts.ca.gov/civil/faq.php
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 12:33:31+00:00

Document:
Welcome to Frequently Asked Questions about Civil cases. On this page you will find Frequently Asked Questions for the following matters.
When referred to either a Local Rule or California Rules of Court, click on the Rules button above to access either.
For forms, click on the Forms button to access.
Fresno Superior Court provides interpreting services to all trial court proceedings in criminal, traffic, and juvenile delinquency proceedings. The use of State Certified and State Registered Interpreters are provided to assist the non-English party in their court proceeding. However, due to a shortage of certified/registered interpreters statewide the court may provide a provisionally qualified interpreter (non-certified, non-registered).
Furthermore, through a grant provided by the Judicial Council, Administrative Office of the Courts, we are currently providing interpreters for indigent litigants in family law cases where a Domestic Violence restraining order was sought or issued.
If you are involved in a proceeding for a criminal, traffic, juvenile, or domestic violence matter, you may ask the clerk at the counter or the clerk in the courtroom for an interpreter. If an interpreter is not available at the time of your hearing, the Court may continue your case until an interpreter can be assigned.
If you need an interpreter in any language other than Spanish, you should notify the court as soon as possible as to your language need. If you wait until your court date, you may have to wait until an interpreter can be contacted, or your matter may be continued to a future date.
For information on obtaining an interpreter, please contact the Interpreters' Office at (559) 457-4910.
If you require the services of a sign language interpreter, you may request one at any facility, for any type of hearing you may have. This includes civil hearings, small claims hearings and jury duty. For further information on this and other Access and Accommodation needs please visit the ADA page of this site.
If you are interested in becoming a Certified Interpreter, visit AOC's Becoming an Interpreter home page.
Papers opposing a motion or replying to an opposition are to be served so that delivery is ensured to be made to the other parties no later than the close of the next business day. (CCP §1005(c).) This time frame includes motions for summary judgment/adjudication as well.
What Judicial Council form must the Plaintiff file to obtain DEFAULT against a defendant who has failed to timely answer the complaint?
What Judicial Council form must the Plaintiff file to obtain DEFAULT JUDGMENT against a defendant whose default has been entered?
Counsel should also file a Proposed Judgment. (CRC 3.1800 (a)(6).) It may be most convenient to use Judicial Council form JUD-100. However, if a case is particularly complex, involving multiple defendants and significant amounts of overlapping and non-overlapping damages, it may be preferable for counsel to draft a Proposed Judgment tailored to that specific case, which explains precisely how damages are to be awarded and whether each of the multiple defendants is solely liable, or jointly and severally liable for each particular element of the damages award.
Are there any relevant statutes the Plaintiff should review before seeking entry of default and default judgment?
Yes. CRC 3.1800 sets forth a list of specific requirements, which the Applicant must satisfy when seeking entry of default judgment, on declarations. CCP 585. CCP 586. Appendix A to the Local Rules. And Civil Code sections 1717 and 1717.5.
Must the Plaintiff include interest calculations?
Yes. Please submit a declaration showing in specific detail how the interest was calculated, so that the court may verify the accuracy of the calculation. (CRC 3.1800 (a)(3), 3.1802.) Please show the applicable interest rate per annum, the starting and ending dates for which interest was calculated, and the total number of days for which interest was calculated, the per diem rate of interest, and the total interest. Failure to include such calculations is a common oversight.
Must the Plaintiff complete the Declaration of Mailing at ¶ 6 of the form CIV - 100 Request for Entry of Default?
Yes, this Declaration is required by CCP 587 when seeking entry of DEFAULT. Absent filing of this declaration, the clerk may not enter defendant's default. The Declarant should remember to sign the declaration, enter the date, and check the appropriate box under paragraph 6. If applicable Declarant should provide the last known addresses for each of the defaulted defendants under paragraph 6 (b).
Must the Plaintiff complete the information at ¶ 2, ¶ 7, and ¶ 8 of the Request for COURT JUDGMENT form, relating to damages, costs, and fees; the memorandum of costs; and the declaration of military status?
In what types of actions may the Plaintiff obtain a DEFAULT JUDGMENT solely on DECLARATIONS, without any hearing?
Under CCP 585 (a), Plaintiff may seek DEFAULT JUDGMENT on DECLARATIONS in an action arising upon contract or judgment for the recovery of money damages, IF the defendant(s) have NOT been served by publication.
In what types of default actions must the Plaintiff set a LIVE HEARING to PRESENT EVIDENCE OF DAMAGES?
In quiet title actions and in cases where the defendant has been served by publication and is a non-California resident. (CCP 764.010; Winter v. Rice (1986) 176 Cal.App.3d 679, 683; CCP 585 (c).
Must the Plaintiff serve a Statement of Damages?
If the action is one for personal injury or wrongful death, a Statement of Damages must be PERSONALLY SERVED on the defendant BEFORE entry of default. (CCP 425.11 (c), (d)(1).) Plaintiff should file the proof of service with the court as soon as possible.
Must the Plaintiff serve a Statement of Punitive Damages?
If the action seeks punitive damages under Civil Code section 3294, a Statement of Punitive Damages must be PERSONALLY SERVED on the defendant BEFORE entry of default. (CCP 425.115 (f), (g)(1).) Plaintiff should file the proof of service with the court as soon as possible.
In an action brought against multiple defendants, as a general rule, may the Plaintiff obtain default judgment against a single defendant, where there are co-defendants whose defaults have not been entered?
May the Plaintiff obtain judgment on claims that are not well-pleaded?
May the Plaintiff obtain a type of relief or an amount of money damages not pleaded in the complaint?
A demurrer is a pleading that challenges the sufficiency of the complaint, cross-complaint or answer. It raises issues of law, not fact.
When must demurrers be filed?
How and when must demurrer papers be filed and served?
What papers must be filed?
Request for judicial notice, if the demurrer is based on matters of which the court may or must take judicial notice.
When must a demurrer be taken off calendar?
The moving party must immediately notify the court if the demurrer will not be heard on the scheduled date. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.1304(b).) Plaintiff may file a first amended complaint while a demurrer to the original complaint is pending; the first amended complaint supersedes the original and renders the demurrer moot. (Code Civ. Proc. § 472.) If a first amended complaint is filed, the demurring party must notify the court and take the demurrer off calendar.
The following consists of very general information concerning Discovery. It is not all-inclusive and is meant to be a guide only. Litigants representing themselves are still encouraged to seek the advice of counsel.
Discovery is the term used for obtaining information that will help a litigant prosecute or defend the action from other parties to the lawsuit and in some instances, from persons and entities that are not parties to the lawsuit.
How do I obtain this information?
By propounding (picking and choosing from among pre-formatted questions or forming your own) and serving form interrogatories, specially prepared interrogatories, requests for admissions, inspection demands and notice of depositions. Various types of form interrogatories, requests for admissions, inspection demands and notices of depositions can be obtained from the Book of Judicial Council Forms or books of discovery forms available from legal publishing companies. The rules for discovery and for each different type of discovery are set forth in the Code of Civil Procedure § 2016 et seq.
Generally, a case must be pending before discovery can begin. See CCP § 2017. Plaintiffs must obtain a court order based upon a showing of "good cause" to begin discovery during the first 10 days (20 days for a deposition) after a defendant is served with the summons or has appeared in the action (in most cases by filing an Answer.) No such "waiting period" applies to defendants. The right to discovery (seek more information) is "cut-off" 30 days before trial. A motion concerning discovery must be heard by the Court at least 15 days before trial. If the trial date is continued, this does not mean that the "cut-off" dates concerning discovery are continued as well. See CCP § 2024. Unless permission is obtained from the Court, the discovery "cut-off" dates are calculated from the initial trial date.
CCP § 2017.010 states that the information sought must be (1) "not privileged", (2) "relevant to the subject matter of the action", and (3) either admissible or "reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence." There are many categories of information that are protected by statute or by the constitutional right of privacy from discovery. It is advisable to consult a treatise concerning the scope of discovery.
IF YOU ARE REPRESENTING YOURSELF SEVERE CONSEQUENCES CAN RESULT FROM A FAILURE TO RESPOND TO DISCOVERY SERVED UPON YOU BY THE OTHER PARTIES TO THE LAWSUIT. If you are the plaintiff, your lawsuit can be dismissed. If you are a defendant, default can be entered. See CCP § 2023. To reiterate, it is advisable to consult with an attorney if you wish to sue or if you are sued.
In general, two types of motions to compel are commonly filed. A motion to compel initial responses is addressed to one or more of the following types of discovery: form interrogatories, specially drafted interrogatories, inspection demands (not "requests for production"), and requests for admission. The governing statutes are CCP §§ 2030.290, 2031.300 and 2033.280 respectively. (CCP § 2030 applies to both form and specially drafted interrogatories.) This type of motion is filed when a party fails to serve a verified response. Verification means that the party providing the responses (answers) states under penalty of perjury of the laws of the State of California that the responses are true and correct. See CCP § 2015.5. The qualification "verified" is used because an unverified response is tantamount to no response at all. See Appleton v. Sup. Ct. (Cook) (1988) 206 Cal.App.3d 632, 636. Responses are served on the attorney for the opposing party or the opposing party if it is representing itself. They are not filed with the Court. See CCP §§ 2030.280, 2031.290 and 2033.270. Failure to respond timely results in a waiver of objections (subject to a few exceptions not dealt with here). See CCP § 2030.290, 2031.300 and 2033.280.
A motion to compel initial responses to requests for admission is a special type of motion. Failure to respond before the hearing on the motion to compel means that all of the "matters" (facts) set forth in the requests for admission are deemed established as true. See CCP § 2033.280. For example, one party requests (asks) the other party to admit that he or she "ran the red light". No response is served. At the hearing, the Court will deem the fact as established--the party did "run the red light". Moreover, sanctions are mandatory for failure to respond to requests for admission. See Appleton v. Sup. Ct. (Cook) (1988) 206 Cal.App.3d 632, 636.
The second type of motion is a motion to compel further responses. It is also addressed to one or more of the following types of discovery: form interrogatories, specially drafted interrogatories, inspection demands (not "requests for production"), and requests for admission. The governing statutes are CCP §§ 2030.300, 2031.310 and 2033.290 respectively. This type of motion is filed when the party that propounded the questions is not satisfied with the responses received. All of the statutes governing motions to compel further responses require a "meet and confer in good faith" effort to resolve the dispute prior to filing the motion. All of the statutes also require that the motion to compel be served within 45 days of service of the unsatisfactory responses (plus five days extension of time if responses served by mail). The only exception requires a written agreement between the parties involved extending time to file the motion. The deadline has been held to be "quasi-jurisdictional"--court cannot rule on motion filed beyond 45-day limit or without written agreement extending time. See Vidal Sassoon, Inc. v. Sup.Ct. (1983) 147 Cal.App. 3d 681; Sperber v. Robinson (1994) 26 Cal.App.4th 736, 745 and Sexton v. Sup. Ct. (Mullikin Med. Ctr.) (1997) 58 Cal.App.4th 1403, 1410. See also Standon Co., Inc. v. Sup.Ct. (Kim) (1990) 225 Cal.App.3d 898, 903.
There are common mistakes regarding motions to compel initial and further responses to inspection demands. First, a motion to compel initial responses to inspection demands seeks a written response within the parameters of CCP § 2031.240. Producing documents in lieu of serving a written response is not compliance. See CCP § 2031.240 and 2031.260. Second, if in the written responses, the other party agreed to produce the documents for inspection and copying and then that party fails to produce, the remedy is a motion to compel compliance "as agreed upon". It is governed by CCP § 2031.320. It does not fall within the parameters of subsection (m). Third, any motion to compel further responses to inspection demands must show "good cause" for inspection. See CCP § 2031.310. This showing requires the moving party to set forth specific facts addressing the need to inspect the particular documents in dispute. It is insufficient to state that they need to be reviewed for context or similar reason. See Fireman's Fund Ins. Co. v. Sup. Ct. (Paine Webber Real Estate Securities) (1991) 233 Cal.App.3d 1138.
There are also various types of motions governing other means of discovery--depositions, physical examinations, mental examinations, expert witness designation, etc. These are more complicated motions and are not dealt with here.
When is an "Ex Parte" application appropriate?
An ex parte application for a court order, being an exception to the general requirement of serving a regularly noticed motion under CCP 1005, is permitted only in limited circumstances. In every case, the application must make the necessary "affirmative factual showing" to support the particular relief being obtained on an ex parte basis [See, CRC Rule 3.1202c].
Ex parte relief is most frequently sought in situations where there is a pressing need for immediate relief such that waiting to hear the matter on regularly noticed motion would cause prejudice or harm. However, to obtain ex parte relief on this basis, the party must make an affirmative showing to justify the departure from the standard noticed motion procedure set forth at CCP 1005. An example of this type of ex parte request is an application for an order shortening time to serve notice of an urgently needed motion. An application for an order shortening time must be supported by a declaration that makes an adequate showing of "good cause" for such relief. [CRC Rule 3.1300(b)]. Another example of this sort is an application for an ex parte writ of attachment, temporary restraining order or other provisional remedy needed on an urgent basis. Whenever provisional remedies are sought, the application must show full compliance with all requirements of the applicable statute or other law authorizing such provisional relief on an ex parte basis.
Of course, ex parte relief may be sought in many other circumstances, and only the most common situations have been enumerated here. Other examples of when ex parte relief may be appropriate include (but are not limited to) certain preliminary matters in which no adverse party is affected by the relief (e.g., applications to appoint a guardian ad litem or for service by publication), and where applicable law specifically permits the relief to be obtained on an ex parte basis (e.g., CRC Rule 3.1320(h) [request for dismissal for failure to amend after demurrer sustained]).
Parties making ex parte applications shall obtain a date and time for the hearing of the application from the Clerk (Civil Calendar Division). The court requests that the party seeking an ex parte order submit the application and all supporting papers and fees to the Clerk (in Room 401 at main courthouse) for filing not later than 9:00 on the date of the hearing. (See, Fresno County Superior Court, Local Rule 2.7).
Time of Notice. A party seeking an ex parte order must notify all parties no later than 10:00 a.m. the court day before the ex parte appearance, absent a showing of exceptional circumstances that justify a shorter time for notice. (CRC Rule 3.1203). If the party believes that notice to the opposing party should not be required, the reasons must be clearly specified. (CRC Rule 3.1204(b)(3)).
Contents of Notice. When notice of an ex parte application is given, the person giving notice must state with specificity the nature of the relief to be requested and the date, time, and place for the presentation of the application, and must attempt to determine whether the opposing party will appear to oppose the application. (CRC Rule 31204(a)).
Contents of Declaration. An ex parte application for an order must be accompanied by a declaration showing that the notice requirements under Rule 312 et seq. have been fully complied with. (CRC Rule 3.1201, 3.1203 and 3.1204). The declaration regarding notice must include the following: (1) the notice given, including the date, time, manner, and name of the party informed, the relief sought, any response, and whether opposition is expected; or (2) why notice should not be required; or (3) if notice was provided later than 10:00 a.m. the court day before the ex parte appearance, the exceptional circumstances that justify the shorter notice. (CRC Rule 3.1203(a)).
Affirmative Factual Showing Required. An application must make an affirmative factual showing in a declaration containing competent testimony based on personal knowledge of irreparable harm, immediate danger, or any other statutory basis for granting relief ex parte. (CRC Rule 3.1202(c)).
Service of Papers. Parties appearing at the ex parte hearing must serve the ex parte application or any written opposition on all other appearing parties at the first reasonable opportunity. Absent exceptional circumstances, no hearing may be conducted unless such service has been made. (CRC Rule 3.1206).
When a party applies to the court for an ex parte order to shorten the time for filing and service of notice of motion (See, CCP 1005), the request must be adequately supported by a declaration showing "good cause" to justify the relief. (CRC Rule 3.1300(b)). Failure to show "good cause" is one of the most frequent grounds for denial of such ex parte applications.
When should I serve a motion for summary judgment/adjudication?
Motions for summary judgment/adjudication may be served at any time after 60 days have elapsed since the general appearance of the party against whom the motion is directed. (CCP § 437c(a).) Also, the motion must be served at least 75 days before the hearing date, increased by 5 days if service is by mail if the address is within California, 10 days if the address is outside California but within the United States, and 20 days if the address is outside the United States. (Ibid.) The court does not have jurisdiction to hear motions that are not served in a timely manner.
When should I serve and file opposition?
Any opposition must be served and filed at least 14 days before the hearing date, unless the court for good cause orders otherwise. (CCP § 437c(b)(2).
When should I serve and file the reply?
Can I obtain an order shortening time for service on a motion for summary judgment/adjudication?
Can I file a joinder to another party's motion for summary judgment/adjudication?
What constitutes a valid separate statement?
What constitutes a valid opposing separate statement?
May I obtain summary adjudication when the notice of motion specifies only a request for summary judgment?
How long can my points and authorities brief be?
Can an attorney file a declaration in support of or in opposition to a motion for summary judgment/adjudication?
May I submit new evidence in my reply?

References: §1005
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 § 472
 § 2016
 § 2017
 § 2024
 § 2017
 § 2023
 § 2030
 § 2015
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 § 2030
 § 2033
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 v. 
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 v. 
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 § 2031
 § 2031
 § 2031
 § 2031
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 § 437
 § 437