Court Opinion

ID: 9749932
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 14:06:24.888392+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:26:00.258857
License: Public Domain

MIHARA, J., Concurring.
I concur in the majority opinion’s analysis of the res judicata issue and in the judgment. Although I would also conclude that the trial court erred in granting summary judgment, I would premise this conclusion solely on the trial court’s erroneous acceptance of Pajaro Valley Water Management Adency’s (PVWMA’s) contention that McGrath was precluded from contesting the amount due because he had failed to exhaust his administrative remedies. While it appears to be undisputed that McGrath received the billings for the charges that had accrued up to the filing of the complaint and did not exercise his “right to an administrative appeal” regarding those charges, there is no evidence that he failed to do so as to the charges that accrued after the filing of the complaint.
*1111PVWMA did not establish that McGrath ever had the opportunity to administratively challenge these postcomplaint charges and therefore he could not be precluded from disputing the amount of those charges. Since McGrath submitted a declaration challenging all of the charges, there was at least a material factual dispute regarding the postcomplaint charges, and this factual dispute precluded the trial court from entering summary judgment for PVWMA for all of the charges. I see no need to address an evidentiary issue that has not been raised on appeal (Gov. Code, § 68081) and that is not likely to recur on remand.
A petition for a rehearing was denied May 26, 2005.