Assembly Bill (AB) 1289 recently made several changes to real estate disclosure requirements. These changes are effective January 1, 2019. One decidedly positive change the new law has made is to move legislative language away from the more antiquated terms, “selling agent” and “listing agent” in favor of the clearer and more universally recognized “buyer’s agent” and […]
No Age Discrimination By Athletic Club.
An athletic club offers a range of membership levels, providing various privileges at one or more locations. The Young Professional program—at issue in this litigation—offers a reduced-cost membership for individuals ages 18 to 29, in recognition of the reduced financial resources of the under-30 age group. Launched in 2003, the program is offered at all but two of defendant’s facilities, and restricts access hours at two of defendant’s other facilities.
Contract Negotiated In A Foreign Language.
Plaintiffs purchased a used automobile after negotiations were conducted in Spanish. When a dispute arose, plaintiffs sued the automobile sales company. Defendant moved for arbitration, attaching a Spanish translation of the underlying sales contract, which included an arbitration agreement, in its petition. Plaintiffs produced a Spanish translation of the underlying sales contract, which contained no arbitration agreement.
Unconscionability Findings In Arbitration Agreements Still Possible In Other Than Class Action Waivers.
When the named plaintiff in a class action against a holding company purchased a car, he signed an arbitration agreement which contained a class action waiver. The trial court denied the defendant’s motion to compel arbitration, finding the class waiver unenforceable on the ground the California Legal Remedies Act [CLRA; Civil Code sections 1750-1784] declares the […]
I Know What You’re Watching: Federal Video Privacy Protection Act.
When Netflix subscribers, family members, friends or guests of a Netflix subscriber log onto the subscriber’s account, the viewing history of each is available. The federal Video Privacy Protection Act [VPPA; 18 U.S.C. 2710] was enacted in 1988 in response to a newspaper’s publication of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork’s video rental history. The […]
Lemon Law.
Plaintiff purchased a used automobile from a private party, and thereafter sued Ford Motor Co. alleging violations of the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act [Civil Code section 1790 et seq.]. Ford’s motion for summary judgment was granted because Civil Code section 1791(l) requires the seller to be a “retail seller” engaged in the business of selling […]
Disabled Plaintiff May Proceed Under Both Disabled Persons Act And The Unruh Civil Rights Act.
Plaintiff, who is disabled, was denied service at defendant’s restaurant due to presence of plaintiff’s service dog. After hearing various motions, the trial court concluded plaintiff could assert a claim under the Disabled Persons Act [DPA; Civil Code section 54055.3], but not under the Unruh Civil Rights Act [Civil Code sections 51, 52]. Plaintiff voluntarily […]
Take My Word For It. . .The Foreclosure Sale Was Canceled.
A notice of default had been recorded against plaintiffs’ residential property, and a notice of trustee sale was also recorded. Plaintiffs retained a lawyer to negotiate a loan modification with the lender. In their complaint for promissory estoppel, plaintiffs allege the lender agreed to continue the scheduled trustee sale and negotiate a loan modification. Discussions […]
Probate Court Refused To Honor Lien For Attorney Fees After Client’s Death.
An underlying action involved a claim to trust funds; that action was settled, and the settlement was approved by the probate court. But then the underlying plaintiff died too. The plaintiff in the present action was the lawyer for the underlying plaintiff. The lawyer had negotiated the settlement on behalf of the client who later died. […]
Think Twice Before Suing; You Might End Up Paying Six Figures In Fees & Costs After You’ve Calmed Down.
Plaintiff brought this action alleging that defendant misappropriated a trade secret, or was in the process of doing so, by seeking to hire away specialists in touchscreen technology, a field in which plaintiff and defendant compete. Defendant responded that it was entitled to solicit prospective employment candidates in plaintiff’s workforce and that there was no […]