Source: https://www.scribd.com/doc/57475976/56885717-Herrera-v-Deutsche-Bank-w
Timestamp: 2017-10-23 14:20:04
Document Index: 503757112

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 437', '§ 437', '§ 450', '§ 437', '§ 1271', '§ 1561', '§ 1015']

56885717 Herrera v Deutsche Bank w | Deed Of Trust (Real Estate) | Summary Judgment
Filed 5/31/11
Herrera v. Deutsche Bank Nat. Trust CA3
Plaintiffs and Appellants, v.
DEUTSCHE1 BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY et al., Defendants and Respondents.
Plaintiffs Robert and Gail Herrera lost their house in South Lake Tahoe to a nonjudicial foreclosure sale. brought suit to set aside that sale.
They challenge whether
The name of defendant Deutsche Bank National Trust Company was misspelled “Deutsch” by plaintiffs in the complaint and other filings. We use the correct spelling in our opinion.
C065630 They
National Trust Company (the Bank) and California Reconveyance Company (CRC), were in fact the beneficiary and trustee,
respectively, under a deed of trust secured by their property, and thus had authority to conduct the sale. Plaintiffs also
contend that they are entitled to be repaid for the expenses
they incurred in repairing and insuring the property and paying back taxes if defendants are successful in establishing their interest in the property.
their motion, they requested that the trial court take judicial notice of recorded documents, including an Assignment of Deed of Trust and a Substitution of Trustee. Defendants asserted
that these documents established the authority of the Bank and CRC to conduct the foreclosure sale. Defendants also provided
a declaration by a custodian of records for CRC, in which the
beneficiary and CRC the trustee.
custodian did not expressly declare that the Bank was the Instead, she merely declared
that an Assignment of Deed of Trust and a Substitution of Trustee had been recorded and these recorded documents indicated the Bank had been assigned the deed of trust and that CRC had been substituted as trustee.
granted defendants’ motion for summary judgment.
Plaintiffs appeal from a judgment after the trial court They contend
defendants failed to carry their burden in moving for summary judgment and the trial court erred in taking judicial notice of and accepting as true the contents of certain recorded 2
the parties that conducted the sale, defendants Deutsche Bank
the reasons discussed herein, we affirm the judgment as to the fourth cause of action, plaintiffs’ claim of unjust enrichment.
In June of 2008, plaintiffs purchased the property at 739 Alameda Avenue, South Lake Tahoe (the Property) at a foreclosure sale. On February 27, 2009, CRC recorded a
“Notice of Default and Election to Sell [the Property] Under Deed of Trust.” Trustee’s Sale. On May 29, 2009, CRC recorded a Notice of On July 6, 2009, CRC recorded a Trustee’s
Deed upon Sale, showing the Property had been conveyed to the Bank, as foreclosing beneficiary. Plaintiffs brought suit
against the Bank, CRC and others to set aside the sale, cancel the trustee’s deed, quiet title to the Property, and for unjust enrichment.
aside the trustee’s sale.
In the first cause of action, plaintiffs sought to set Plaintiffs alleged they purchased
“this run-down, filthy, distressed property” at a foreclosure sale, rehabilitated and repaired the Property and paid over $4,000 in back property taxes. They had no idea there might be
a deed of trust from 2003, as it did not appear in the title
repair work on the Property, the Bank, “some mega-too-big-to-
fail recipient of billions of tax payer dollars” asserted an ownership interest in the Property. The Bank claimed to be the
About a year later, after plaintiffs had completed
We agree and reverse the judgment in part.
“by an entity purporting to be the trustee.” In seeking to set aside the trustee’s sale, plaintiffs alleged that during the year they were the owners of the Property, they never received any notices of assignment
of trustee’s deeds or notices of deficiency, nor did they receive any notices of trustee’s sale or trustee’s deeds.
They alleged, on information and belief, that “CRC may be, or have been the Trustee, on a purported Trustee’s sale of
the subject property, to an entity which may have transferred whatever interest may have been acquired in the trustee’s sale to Defendant Deutsch[e].” Plaintiffs alleged CRC
was not the trustee and had no authority to conduct a trustee’s sale, and believed no such sale had taken place. They further alleged any promissory note supporting the 2003 deed of trust was “time barred by the statute” and the maker,
taken to enforce the 2003 [deed of trust] because no collection actions were taken within a reasonable time and no legally required notices of deficiency were sent or recorded.”
In the second cause of action, plaintiffs sought to cancel
note and deed of trust no longer existed and the Bank’s deed was
invalid “as it is based solely upon purported copies which have no force and effect.”
the trustee’s deed.
if any, “was lulled into believing that no action would be
Plaintiffs alleged the original promissory
owner of the Property by virtue of a trustee’s deed recorded
Plaintiffs alleged defendants had no original,
verifiable promissory note or deed of trust and had no standing to foreclose. They further alleged all rights, title and
interest asserted by defendants “were sublimated into a non-
functional ‘security’ instrument that gives no one entity rights in individual notes and deeds of trust.” No defendant had an
interest in the Property, but they had placed a cloud upon plaintiffs’ title.
In the fourth cause of action, entitled unjust enrichment, plaintiffs alleged they had paid back taxes, insured the Property, and repaired deferred maintenance. If defendants
were successful in claiming an interest in the Property, plaintiffs wanted to be repaid for their expenditures. The Bank and CRC moved for summary judgment or summary adjudication on each cause of action, contending there was no
claimed the undisputed evidence showed that the loan was in default, the Bank was the beneficiary under the deed of trust and CRC was the trustee. The default was not cured and CRC Notice of the sale was
properly noticed the trustee’s sale.
sent to plaintiffs and California law did not require the
contended that to quiet title, plaintiffs must allege tender, or
an offer of tender, of the amount owed.
original promissory note to foreclose.
triable issue of fact as to any of plaintiffs’ claims.
The Bank and CRC further
there was no evidence of unjust enrichment.
They They also contended
The third cause of action was to quiet title to the
the court take judicial notice of certain documents pursuant to Evidence Code sections 451, subdivision (f) and 452, subdivisions (d), (g) and (h). These documents were:
under which the Bank substituted CRC as trustee under the 2003 deed of trust;
(6) a “Notice of Default and Election to Sell [the Property] Under Deed of Trust” recorded February 27, 2009; (7) a Notice of Trustee’s Sale under the 2003 deed of trust
which the Bank, as foreclosing beneficiary, was the grantee of the Property.
recorded May 29, 2009; and (8) a Trustee’s Deed upon Sale recorded July 6, 2009, under
(5) a Substitution of Trustee recorded February 27, 2009,
In support of their motion, defendants requested that
declaration of Deborah Brignac.
Brignac was a vice-president
of CRC and a custodian of records for CRC.
custodians of records for the loan that was the subject of plaintiffs’ complaint.
She declared that the CRC loan records
were made in the ordinary course of business by persons with a duty to make such records and were made about the time of the events reflected in the records. In April of 2003, “Shelia”
[sic] Kotz2 obtained a $340,000 loan from Long Beach Mortgage Company, and the loan was secured by a deed of trust on the Property.
The 2003 deed of trust provided for a power of sale It
if the borrower defaulted and failed to cure the default. also provided that successor trustees could be appointed.
Brignac further declared that as of February 26, 2009, $10,970.50 was “owed” on the note.3 An assignment of the 2003
deed of trust was recorded February 27, 2009, indicating the
A Substitution of Trustee was recorded the same date.
transfer of all interest in the 2003 deed of trust to the Bank. According
to Brignac’s declaration, the Bank’s substitution “substitutes the original trustee, Long Beach Mortgage Company for [CRC].”
Because Brignac later stated in her declaration that the total unpaid debt and costs amounted to $336,328.10, we assume Brignac intended to state that payments were $10,970.50 in arrears, not that $10,970.50 was “owed.” 7
The recorded documents attached to Brignac’s declaration indicate that the first name of Ms. Kotz is “Sheryl,” not “Shelia.”
To support their motion, defendants also provided the
Election to Sell under Deed of Trust was recorded on February 27, 2009, and copies were sent to plaintiffs on
March 4, 2009, as shown in the affidavits of mailing attached to her declaration. May 29, 2009.
A Notice of Trustee’s Sale was recorded on
Copies of this notice were mailed to plaintiffs, The loan was
as shown in the attached affidavits of mailing.4 not reinstated. June 25, 2009. $336,328.10.
The Property was sold at a trustee’s sale on
At the time of sale, the total unpaid debt was
At no time before the trustee’s sale did
plaintiffs tender the unpaid debt.
The Bank and CRC filed a separate statement of undisputed facts setting forth the facts as stated in Brignac’s declaration.
In response, plaintiffs admitted the description of the Property and that they purchased it on June 24, 2008, at a
They asserted that the Brignac declaration was without foundation and contained hearsay and that all of the recorded documents contained hearsay. In their opposition to the motion for summary judgment, plaintiffs began with a diatribe against the “Foreclosure
The affidavits of mailing attached to Brignac’s declaration showed the Notice of Default and the Notice of Trustee’s Sale were mailed to plaintiffs at a post office box and at the address of the subject property by both first-class and certified mail. 8
foreclosure sale; they disputed all of the remaining facts.
Brignac further declared that a Notice of Default and
Code, the law of contracts, assignments, deeds of trust and foreclosure are merely optional.”
They contended defendants
failed to meet their burden of proof for summary judgment because their request for judicial notice and Brignac’s declaration were inadmissible hearsay.
They further contended
the notice of default and the notice of trustee’s sale failed to meet statutory requirements of California law. Finally, they
asserted defendants lacked standing to foreclose because they had not produced even a copy of the promissory note.
Plaintiffs moved to strike the declaration of Brignac as lacking foundation and containing hearsay. the request for judicial notice. documents were all hearsay. They also opposed
Evidence and federal case law grounded on the federal rules, plaintiffs argued a court cannot take judicial notice of
disputed “virtually everything” in the recorded documents, arguing one can record anything, regardless of its accuracy or correctness.
The trial court overruled plaintiffs’ hearsay objections, denied plaintiffs’ motion to strike the Brignac declaration,
defendants’ motion for summary judgment, finding no triable
issue of material fact. Bank and CRC.
granted defendants’ request for judicial notice, and granted
disputed facts contained in a hearsay document.
Citing only the Federal Rules of
They argued the recorded
Industry,” asserting the industry operated “as if the Evidence
Law of Summary Judgment and Standard of Review
A defendant “may move for summary judgment in any action or proceeding if it is contended that the action has no merit.” (Code Civ. Proc., § 437c, subd. (a).)
“A defendant . . . has
met his or her burden of showing that a cause of action has no merit if that party has shown that one or more elements of the cause of action, even if not separately pleaded, cannot be
established, or that there is a complete defense to that cause of action. Once the defendant . . . has met that burden, the
burden shifts to the plaintiff . . . to show that a triable issue of one or more material facts exists as to that cause of action or a defense thereto.” (Id., subd. (p)(2).) “The
motion for summary judgment shall be granted if all the papers submitted show that there is no triable issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a
“When the defendant moves for summary judgment, in those circumstances in which the plaintiff would have the burden of proof by a preponderance of the evidence, the defendant must present evidence that would preclude a reasonable trier of fact from finding that it was more likely than not that the material
an element of the claim cannot be established, by presenting
evidence that the plaintiff ‘does not possess and cannot reasonably obtain, needed evidence.’” (Kahn v. East Side Union A defendant
High School Dist. (2003) 31 Cal.4th 990, 1003.) 10
fact was true [citation], or the defendant must establish that
(Id., subd. (c).)
simply point out that the plaintiff does not possess, and cannot reasonably obtain, needed evidence.” (Aguilar v. Atlantic
Richfield Co. (2001) 25 Cal.4th 826, 854, fn. omitted.) We review a grant of summary judgment de novo. Superior Court (1997) 16 Cal.4th 35, 60.)
independent review of the evidence submitted, we apply the same three-step analysis as the trial court. [Citation.] First, we
identify the issues framed by the pleadings.
whether the moving party has established facts justifying judgment in its favor. Finally, if the moving party has carried
its initial burden, we decide whether the opposing party has demonstrated the existence of a triable, material fact issue. [Citation.]” 1432 (Bono).) II. (Bono v. Clark (2002) 103 Cal.App.4th 1409, 1431-
it seeks to undo the foreclosure sale.
While plaintiffs’ complaint is hardly a model of clarity, The first three causes
of action -- to set aside the sale, cancel the trustee’s deed and quiet title -- claim, among other things, that the Bank and CRC had no authority to conduct the foreclosure sale. On this
point, plaintiffs allege the Bank claims to be the owner of the
purporting to be the trustee.”
Property by virtue of a trustee’s deed recorded “by an entity They further allege CRC was not
the trustee and had no authority to conduct the sale; the sale did not take place or was improperly held. The first three
causes of action of plaintiffs’ complaint are based on the 11
(Buss v. “In undertaking our
Next, we determine
moving for summary judgment must “present evidence, and not
CRC was not the trustee and had no authority to conduct a trustee’s sale.
Thus, initial issues framed by the pleadings
are whether the Bank was the beneficiary under the 2003 deed of trust and whether CRC was the trustee under that deed of trust. The fourth cause of action for unjust enrichment raises
different issues and will be discussed separately in part III. of the Discussion, post.
Defendants moved for summary judgment on the basis that plaintiffs’ allegations were not supported by the undisputed facts. They asserted CRC was the trustee pursuant to the
Substitution of Trustee recorded by the Bank as beneficiary under the 2003 deed of trust.
To establish that CRC was the trustee and thus had authority to conduct the trustee’s sale, defendants requested that the trial court take judicial notice of the recorded
take judicial notice of the recorded Substitution of Trustee, which showed the Bank, as beneficiary, had substituted CRC as trustee.
Matters that may be judicially noticed can support a motion
However, plaintiffs contend the trial court erred in taking
judicial notice of the disputed facts contained within the recorded documents. We agree.
Assignment of Deed of Trust, which showed the Bank was the Defendants also requested that the trial court
(Code Civ. Proc., § 437c, subd. (b)(1).)
allegations that the Bank had no interest in the Property and
court, for use by the trier of fact or by the court, of the existence of a matter of law or fact that is relevant to an issue in the action without requiring formal proof of the matter.’”
(Lockley v. Law Office of Cantrell, Green, Pekich,
Cruz & McCort (2001) 91 Cal.App.4th 875, 882.)
“Judicial notice may not be taken of any matter unless authorized or required by law.” (Evid. Code, § 450.)
that are subject to judicial notice are listed in Evidence Code sections 451 and 452. A matter ordinarily is subject to
judicial notice only if the matter is reasonably beyond dispute. [Citation.]” (Fremont Indemnity Co. v. Fremont General Corp.
(2007) 148 Cal.App.4th 97, 113.)
“Taking judicial notice of a document is not the same as accepting the truth of its contents or accepting a particular interpretation of its meaning.”
judicial notice of public records, they do not take notice of the truth of matters stated therein. 226 Cal.App.2d 378, 403.) (Love v. Wolf (1964)
Brokerage (1986) 184 Cal.App.3d 369, 374.)
“When judicial notice is taken of a
document, . . . the truthfulness and proper interpretation of the document are disputable.”
(StorMedia, Inc. v. Superior
recorded document in Poseidon Development, Inc. v. Woodland Lane Estates, LLC (2007) 152 Cal.App.4th 1106 (Poseidon). “[T]he
fact a court may take judicial notice of a recorded deed, or 13
Court (1999) 20 Cal.4th 449, 457, fn. 9 (StorMedia).) This court considered the scope of judicial review of a
(Joslin v. H.A.S. Ins. While courts take
“Matters
“‘Judicial notice is the recognition and acceptance by the
factual matters stated therein.
First Substitution recites that Shanley ‘is the present holder of beneficial interest under said Deed of Trust.’ By taking
judicial notice of the First Substitution, the court does not
take judicial notice of this fact, because it is hearsay and it cannot be considered not reasonably subject to dispute.” at p. 1117.) The same situation is present here. (Id.
of Trustee recites that the Bank “is the present beneficiary under” the 2003 deed of trust. As in Poseidon, this fact is
hearsay and disputed; the trial court could not take judicial notice of it. Nor does taking judicial notice of the Assignment
of Deed of Trust establish that the Bank is the beneficiary under the 2003 deed of trust. The assignment recites that
JPMorgan Chase Bank, “successor in interest to WASHINGTON MUTUAL
assigns all beneficial interest under the 2003 deed of trust to the Bank. The recitation that JPMorgan Chase Bank is the
successor in interest to Long Beach Mortgage Company, through Washington Mutual, is hearsay. Defendants offered no evidence
to establish that JPMorgan Chase Bank had the beneficial
The truthfulness of the contents of the Assignment of Deed of
Trust remains subject to dispute (StorMedia, supra, 20 Cal.4th at p. 457, fn. 9), and plaintiffs dispute the truthfulness of the contents of all of the recorded documents. 14
interest under the 2003 deed of trust to assign to the Bank.
BANK, SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO LONG BEACH MORTGAGE COMPANY”
similar document, does not mean it may take judicial notice of
that the Bank was the beneficiary or that CRC was the trustee under the 2003 deed of trust. Defendants failed to establish
“facts justifying judgment in [their] favor” (Bono, supra,
103 Cal.App.4th at p. 1432), through their request for judicial notice.
Defendants also relied on Brignac’s declaration, which
declared that the 2003 deed of trust permitted the beneficiary to appoint successor trustees.
Brignac, however, did not simply
declare the identity of the beneficiary and the new trustee under the 2003 deed of trust. Instead, she declared that an
Assignment of Deed of Trust and a Substitution of Trustee were recorded on February 27, 2009. These facts add nothing to the
judicially noticed documents; they establish only that the documents were recorded.
Brignac further declared that “[t]he Assignment of Deed
interest to Washington Mutual Bank, successor in interest to Long Beach Mortgage Company, transfers all beneficial interest in connection with the [deed of trust] to Deutsche Bank National Trust Company as Trustee for Long Beach Mortgage Loan Trust 2003-4.”
of Trust indicates that JPMorgan Bank [sic], successor in
2003 deed of trust.
insufficient to show the Bank is the beneficiary under the A supporting declaration must be made
on personal knowledge and “show affirmatively that the affiant is competent to testify to the matters stated.” Proc., § 437c, subd. (d).) (Code Civ.
Brignac’s declaration does not 15
Judicial notice of the recorded documents did not establish
is the beneficiary under the 2003 deed of trust.
At most, her
declaration shows she can testify as to what the Assignment of Deed of Trust “indicates.” But the factual contents of the
assignment are hearsay and defendants offered no exception to the hearsay rule prior to oral argument to make these factual matters admissible.
At oral argument, defendants contended that the recorded documents were actually business records and admissible under the business record exception.
provide any information in her declaration establishing that the sources of the information and the manner and time of preparation were such as to indicate trustworthiness. Code, § 1271, subd. (d).)5 (Evid.
“1. I am a Vice President of California Reconveyance Company (‘CRC’). I am also a custodian of records for CRC and am one of the custodians of records for the loan which is the subject of plaintiffs’ Complaint in this case. These records include computer records and written correspondence. I make this declaration based on my review of these records, as well as plaintiffs’ Complaint. If called as a witness in this case, I am competent to testify of my own personal knowledge, to the best of my recollection, as to the matters set forth in this Declaration. [¶] 2. The CRC loan records were made in the ordinary course of business by individuals who had a business duty to make such entries and records, and were made at or about the time of the events reflected in the records.” No further attempt was made to establish the foundational elements for the business record exception. 16
Brignac stated the following in her declaration concerning the foundational elements for the business records exception:
We note that Brignac did not
affirmatively show that she can competently testify the Bank
information was critical in light of the evidentiary gap
establishing the purported assignments from Long Beach Mortgage Company to Washington Mutual Bank to JPMorgan Chase Bank. The
records used to generate the information in the Assignment of Deed of Trust, if they exist, were undoubtedly records not
prepared by CRC, but records prepared by Long Beach Mortgage Company, Washington Mutual and JPMorgan Chase.
not shown how Brignac could have provided information about the
source of that information or how those documents were prepared. (See Cooley v. Superior Court (2006) 140 Cal.App.4th 1039 [district attorney unable to attest to attributes of subpoenaed records in his possession relevant to their authenticity and trustworthiness]; Evid. Code, § 1561.)
those purported assignments relative to the recording of those events on the Assignment of Deed of Trust cannot be found in the
We also note that Brignac did not identify either the February 27, 2009 Assignment of Deed of Trust, or another key document, the February 27, 2009 Substitution of Trustee, as business records in her declaration. Rather, she referenced
Indeed, contrary to defendants’ assertion in the respondents’ brief that “Ms. Brignac attested to the validity of the documents attached as exhibits to her declaration . . . -documents which she declared under penalty of perjury were true and correct copies,” there is no statement by Brignac anywhere in her declaration that the documents were true and correct copies. 17
Brignac declaration or anywhere else in the record.
Moreover, the timing of
foundational element was conspicuously lacking.6
copy” was attached as an exhibit.
In light of the request for
judicial notice, we take this statement to mean that the
exhibits represented copies of records on file at the county recorder’s office.7 On a motion for summary judgment, the
affidavits or declarations of the moving party are strictly construed against the moving party. 38 Cal.3d 18, 35 (Mann).)
(Mann v. Cracchiolo (1985)
Of course, had the documents
reflecting the assignments and the substitution been offered
as business records, there would have been no need to request that the court take judicial notice of them. reject defendants’ newly advanced theory. Accordingly, we
Brignac’s declaration is lacking in yet another way. confusing as to the effect of the Substitution of Trustee. declares, “The Substitution by Deutsche Bank National Trust
Company as Trustee for Long Beach Mortgage Loan Trust 2003-4
for California Reconveyance Company.”
substitutes the original trustee, Long Beach Mortgage Company Brignac’s declaration
(and defendants’ statement of undisputed facts) can be read to state that the Bank substituted Long Beach Mortgage Company for
The only description she provided in her declaration concerning the business records upon which she relied was that “[t]hese records include computer records and correspondence.” (See fn. 4, ante.) This statement is ambiguous in that it could mean only computer records and correspondence were relied upon or that the records she reviewed included, but were not limited to, computer records and correspondence. In any event, she did not identify the recorded documents as business records. 18
both documents in her declaration by stating that “[a] recorded
Beach Mortgage Company.
We must strictly construe this
statement against the moving party. p. 35.)
(Mann, supra, 38 Cal.3d at
Even if we were to construe Brignac’s declaration to
state that the Bank substituted CRC as trustee under the 2003
deed of trust, it would be insufficient to establish CRC is the trustee. A declaration that the Substitution of Trustee by the
Bank made CRC trustee would require admissible evidence that the Bank was the beneficiary under the 2003 deed of trust and thus had the authority to substitute the trustee.
defendants failed to provide admissible evidence that the Bank was the beneficiary under the 2003 deed of trust. At oral argument, defendants asserted that plaintiffs’ hearsay objections to their separate statement of facts did not comply with the California Rules of Court. Court, rule 3.1354(b).) (See Cal. Rules of
objections complied with the rules of court is of no moment at this juncture. The trial court ruled on those objections in its
order granting summary judgment, stating “Plaintiffs’ hearsay objections are overruled.” The wording of the court’s order
(drafted by defendants) suggests the ruling was made on
there is no evidence in the record to the contrary.
that the Bank was beneficiary and CRC was trustee under the 2003 deed of trust, and therefore had authority to conduct the 19
substantive evidentiary grounds, not procedural grounds, and
Because defendants failed to present facts to establish
those objections should be ignored by this court.
From this, defendants impliedly suggest Whether the
As explained ante,
CRC as trustee, rather than that CRC was substituted for Long
the first three causes of action.
The trial court erred in
granting summary judgment and it would be error to grant summary adjudication as to any of those causes of action. III. Fourth Cause of Action
Defendants moved for summary judgment or, alternatively, for summary adjudication as to each cause of action.
Accordingly, we consider whether summary adjudication was proper as to the fourth cause of action.
The fourth cause of action is entitled “Unjust Enrichment.” Plaintiffs allege that, in the event the Bank is successful in asserting its claim to the Property, defendants should pay plaintiffs all monies they expended on the Property for back taxes, insurance and deferred maintenance.
summary judgment or summary adjudication, defendants contend there can be no claim of unjust enrichment because the Bank had
is “inconceivable” CRC was unjustly enriched once plaintiffs defaulted on their obligation. “There is no cause of action for unjust enrichment. Rather, unjust enrichment is a basis for obtaining restitution based on quasi-contract or imposition of a constructive trust.
§§ 1015, 1016, pp. 1104-1105.)”
(1 Witkin, Summary of Cal. Law (10th ed. 2005) Contracts, (McKell v. Washington Mutual, Plaintiffs fail to
Inc. (2006) 142 Cal.App.4th 1457, 1490.)
plead a basis for restitution; they allege only that they spent
a right to protect its security interest in the Property and it
In their motion for
foreclosure sale, triable issues of material fact remain as to
lose the Property.
The fourth cause of action pleads no recognizable legal claim and thus is subject to summary adjudication. “The
procedure for resolving a summary judgment motion presupposes that the pleadings are adequate to put in issue a cause of action or defense thereto. [Citation.]
may be defective in failing to allege an element of a cause of
action or in failing to intelligibly identify a defense thereto. In such a case, the moving party need not address a missing element or, obviously, respond to assertions which are unintelligible or make out no recognizable legal claim. The
summary judgment proceeding is thereby necessarily transmuted into a test of the pleadings and the summary judgment motion into a motion for judgment on the pleadings. In these
circumstances it has been said that a defendant’s ‘motion for
of the complaint and as such is in legal effect a motion for judgment on the pleadings.’ [Citation.]” (FPI Development,
Inc. v. Nakashima (1991) 231 Cal.App.3d 367, 382.) Since plaintiffs failed to properly plead a right to restitution on the basis of unjust enrichment, the trial court
did not err in granting summary adjudication as to the fourth
summary judgment necessarily includes a test of the sufficiency
The judgment is reversed with directions to vacate
the order granting summary judgment and to enter a new order 21
However a pleading
money on the Property and they would like the money back if they
adjudication of the fourth cause of action only. shall bear their own costs on appeal. rule 8.278(a)(3).)
(Cal. Rules of Court,
denying summary judgment, and granting defendants summary
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