The Reason Was That The Sanctions Order Was Made Payable To Defendants, Rather Than Properly To The Court.
Code of Civil Procedure section 177.5 does allow a court to sanction no more than $1,500 for a knowing violation of a court order, with the sanctions payable to the court. Cammas v. YMCA of the East Bay, Case No. A172620 (1st Dist., Div. 3 Oct. 16, 2026) (unpublished) involved a situation where a section 177.5 order was assessed against plaintiff for failing to attend a deposition. However, the award was made payable to defendants, not the court. The 1/3 DCA struck the award and refused to “blue pencil” it given that the wrong payee was mentioned in the sanctions order.