Court Opinion

ID: 9685170
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 14:25:20.367205+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:18:02.973702
License: Public Domain

SPENCE, J.
I dissent. The question presented here is not whether the trial court would have been justified, under the facts alleged, in overruling the demurrer and in granting declaratory relief, but whether the trial court was compelled, under the facts alleged, to overrule the demurrer and to grant such relief.
Section 1061 of the Code of Civil Procedure provides: “The court may refuse to exercise the power granted by this chapter in any case where its declaration .or determination is not necessary or proper at the time under all the circumstances.' ’ The majority opinion fails to give effect to the provisions of this section and fails to consider numerous authorities dealing with the discretionary power thereby vested in the trial court, such as City of Alturas v. Gloster, 16 Cal.2d 46 [104 P. 2d 810]; Rapaport v. Forer, 20 Cal.App.2d 271 [66 P.2d 1242]; Sunset Scavenger Corporation v. Oddou, 11 Cal.App.2d 92 [53 P.2d 188]; Welfare Inv. Co. v. Stowell, 132 Cal.App. 275 [22 P.2d 529]; Hamburger & Sons v. Kice, 129 Cal.App. 68 [18 P.2d 115]; and Stenzel v. Kronick, 102 Cal.App. 507 [283 P. 93].
In my opinion, the trial court was not compelled to overrule the demurrer and grant declaratory relief under the allegations of the complaint before it. It affirmatively appeared from said allegations that plaintiff’s cause of action, if any, had fully accrued by reasons of defendant’s alleged breach of the contract. Assuming the validity of the alleged contract, plaintiff had the alternative remedies of an action for damages or of an action for injunctive relief. (Civ. Code, §3423(5); Code Civ. Proc., §526.) These alternative remedies were clearly available; were both speedy and adequate; and were equally, if not better, suited to plaintiff’s needs than the remedy by way of mere declaratory relief. The question of the validity of the alleged contract could have been determined in any action brought in pursuit of any of the traditional remedies, and the trial court was therefore justified in determining that a preliminary action for mere declaratory relief was wholly unnecessary. To entertain an action for mere declaratory relief under the circumstances would encourage a multiplicity of actions where but one action would suffice.
*764The case of Maguire v. Hibernia Savings and Loan Society, 23 Cal.2d 719, cited in. the majority opinion, recognized the existence of discretionary power in the trial court but on page 732 the court said: “Defendants do not point out, nor are we able to ascertain, upon what theory the suggested alternative remedies would be available to plaintiffs, or, if available, that they would be speedy or adequate or serve as well as or better than the remedy invoked.” Such is not the situation here.
In my opinion, the trial court properly exercised the discretionary power vested in it and the judgment should therefore be affirmed.
Edmonds, J., concurred: