Court Opinion

ID: 9726821
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 13:09:54.867351+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:25:31.140564
License: Public Domain

ALLPORT, J.
I dissent.
In my opinion the trial court took the only rational, logical and legal course open to it in granting this five-year dismissal. Code of Civil Procedure section 583, subdivision (b) clearly, concisely and without ambiguity requires dismissal of any action that is not brought to trial within five years “except where the parties have filed a stipulation in writing that the time may be extended.” Here there was no such stipulation and the trial court’s duty was clear.
For some reason totally unclear to me the majority has taken an oral agreement extending time to file a responsive pleading confirmed unilaterally in writing and withdrawn some 18 months before the motion to dismiss was filed, to toll the running of the 5-year statute. I have once again examined General Ins. Co. v. Superior Court (1975) 15 Cal.3d 449 [124 Cal.Rptr. 745, 541 P.2d 289]. General had under consideration a dismissal under Code of Civil Procedure section 581a, subdivisions (a) and (c). In the course of the discussion the following comment was made at page 455: “A written stipulation extends section 583’s five-year term for bringing the action to trial if it expressly either waives the right to dismissal, or extends the time of trial to a date beyond the five-year period. But merely extending the time of trial to sometime within the five-year term—absent a showing the parties intended otherwise—will not extend the deadline.”
Neither General nor Meraia v. McCann (1978) 83 Cal.App.3d 239 [147 Cal.Rptr. 756], is permissive or persuasive authority for the result reached herein. On the contrary, as was said in Taylor v. Shultz (1978) 78 Cal.App.3d 192, 197 [144 Cal.Rptr. 114] (a § 583 subd. (b) case): “We disagree with plaintiff’s argument. Plaintiff contends the intent of the law, as expressed in J. C. Penney and General Ins. Co., was met in the present case by a series of determinations made by counsel at the trial setting conference of July 1, 1976; namely, a request for jury trial *133by all parties; waiver of notice of trial by all parties; and selection of a mandatory settlement conference date. Each of the above determinations, plaintiff contends, brings the court’s processes into play in one form or another, and should therefore be treated as tantamount to a written stipulation or oral stipulation entered in the minutes extending the five-year period. Plaintiff cites no authority for such a proposition and there is no language in J. C. Penney or General Ins. Co. to support it. First, the factual situations in said cases were far different from the factual situations faced here and in Singelyn and Wright. Second, there is no inconsistency between the four cases. If anything, J. C. Penney and General Ins. Co. support defendants’ argument because they stress the need for a written stipulation that clearly reflects the mutual understanding of all parties.”
Furthermore I do not agree that the parties can excuse themselves from diligent prosecution of the action by agreement once they have elected to resort to the use of the judicial process to resolve their difficulties.
I would affirm the order of dismissal.
A petition for a rehearing was denied February 20, 1981, and respondent’s petition for a hearing by the Supreme Court was denied March 18, 1981.