Opinion ID: 1182211
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Error on the Face of the Arbitration Decision

Text: A review of the pertinent authorities yields no shortage of proclamations that a court may vacate an arbitrator's decision when (i) an error of law appears on the face of the decision, and (ii) the error causes substantial injustice. (See, e.g., Abbott v. California State Auto. Assn. (1977) 68 Cal. App.3d 763, 771 [137 Cal. Rptr. 580].) Indeed, some cases hold the error need only appear on the face of the award, with no mention of resulting injustice. (See, e.g., Park Plaza, Ltd. v. Pietz (1987) 193 Cal. App.3d 1414, 1420 [239 Cal. Rptr. 51].) As previously noted, however, the Legislature has set forth grounds for vacation (§ 1286.2) and correction (§ 1286.6) of an arbitration award and [a]n error of law is not one of the grounds. ( Nogueiro v. Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, supra, 203 Cal. App.3d at p. 1195, and cases cited.) Because Moncharsh contends that an additional exception to the general rule for errors of law is authorized by both common law and statute, we next determine the genesis of that notion as well as its continuing validity.