All of the Fees Could Be Deemed in Preparation for Trial. A trial court, much to a homeowner association’s chagrin (actually the insurer defending the HOA), denied its motion to tax costs, which was predicated on the argument that all expert witness fees claimed by the other side should not be awarded as […]
Appellate Court Followed Fish v. Guevarra, Finding It Was Rightly Decided. Many times in blogging over the years, we have stressed that postjudgment fees and costs rulings should be separately appealed as a preventive measure. The next case reinforces the prudence in following this general protocol. Pfeifer v. John Crane, Inc., Case
Plaintiff’s Inclusion of Acceptance Terms Being Filed With Court Meant 998 Offers Were Not Valid Statutory Offers, But Were Valid Non-Statutory Offers Not Accepted Correctly. Arreola v. Napole, Case No. B239467 (2d Dist., Div. 7 Oct. 15, 2013) (unpublished) is an interesting case of 998 offers which likely were not authorized, but in
Second District, Division 8 Is Not Going To Be First Court To So Hold to the Contrary. In Aguilar v. Gostischef, Case No. B238853 (2d Dist., Div. 8 Oct. 13, 2013) (published), a plaintiff losing a leg in an automobile accident made pre-trial offers to attempt to accept defendant’s insured’s $100,000 policy limits
No “Magic Language” of Acceptance Required. From our own local Santa Ana appellate court, CCP § 998 jurisprudence gained an important case in the form of Puerta v. Torres, 195 Cal.App.4th 1267 (2011), which requires some provision to allow the offeree to indicate acceptance of the offer by signing a statement that the
No “Magic Language” of Acceptance Required. From our own local Santa Ana appellate court, CCP § 998 jurisprudence gained an important case in the form of Puerta v. Torres, 195 Cal.App.4th 1267 (2011), which requires some provision to allow the offeree to indicate acceptance of the offer by signing a statement that the
$16,153 in Expert Witness Fees Sustained, Where Losing Party Failed to Beat $50,001 998 Offer. In Albert v. Satellite Management Co., Case No. E054601 (4th Dist., Div. 2 Sept. 30, 2013) (unpublished), plaintiff finally lost a bench trial in a personal injury case. Defendant had made a prior CCP § 998 offer for
Allocation of Costs Between Defendants Is Not Mandatory Under Section 998. In Hundal v. Singh, Case No. C071873 (3d Dist. Sept. 24, 2013) (unpublished), plaintiffs lost a car accident case against defendants, after sharply conflicting testimony in which the jury went with plaintiffs as far as negligence but found for the defense based
998 Accepted Offer Was $40,000, Chagrined Plaintiff Denied Requested $225,750 In Fees. Care of Justice Yegan and his colleagues in the Second District, Division 6, we have an interesting CCP § 998/Civil Code § 1717 decision in The DuPuis Group v. Atticus Information Systems, Inc., Case No. B242722 (2d Dist., Div. 6 Sept.
$97,145.71 Fee Award Out of Requested $488,521.45 Fees/Costs Request Was the Ultimate Result. The next case illustrates how appellate courts will avoid having to decide the clashing interests of two statutes if they can decide that the lower court showed equitable discretion so as to moot any decision on the “clash.” Overland
