Judge: Lee W. Tsao, Case: 25NWCV00660, Date: 2025-06-10 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 25NWCV00660    Hearing Date: June 10, 2025    Dept: C

Luis Santiago Valencia v. Maria A. Valencia et al., Case No. 25NWCV00660

This is a quiet title action filed by Plaintiff Luis Santiago Valencia (“Plaintiff”) against Defendants Maria Valencia, Beatriz Elena Marin, Diego N. Valencia, Luis Fernando Valencia, and Alves E. Valle.  Defendant Maria Valencia has defaulted and a motion to set aside default is set for February 10, 2026.  Defendant Alves E. Valles filed a demurrer which is set for March 5, 2026.  Defendants Beatriz Elena Marin, Diego N. Valencia, and Luis Fernando Valencia filed motions to quash service of summons and quash international service of summons set for March 4, 2026 and March 17, 2026, respectively.  Three motions to compel further discovery responses and a motion for a protective order are set for September 2025, October 2025 and March 2026. 

Plaintiff applies ex parte to stay discovery “pending the resolution of service of summons of Defendant Luis Fernando Valencia, Diego N. Valencia, and Beatriz Elena Marin.”  Plaintiff argues all discovery should be stayed “[b]ecause four of the five defendants are refusing to participate in this lawsuit, and because the defense only propounded discovery with the intention of causing irreparable harm to Plaintiff and prejudicing his ability to understand, and develop his prosecution of the case.” 

Plaintiff’s ex parte application to stay discovery is DENIED.  Plaintiff cites to no authority supporting a stay under the circumstances of this case.  In the alternative, the Court makes the following orders: 1) Defendant Maria Valencia’s motion to set aside default is ADVANCED from February 10, 2026 to today’s date and CONTINUED to July 14, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. in Dept. SE-C; 2) Defendant Alves E. Valles’s demurrer is ADVANCED from March 5, 2026 to today’s date and CONTINUED to July 14, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. in Dept. SE-C; and 3) Defendants Beatriz Elena Marin, Diego N. Valencia, and Luis Fernando Valencia’s motion to quash service of summons and motion to quash international service of summons are ADVANCED from March 4, 2026 and March 17, 2026, respectively, to today’s date and CONTINUED to July 14, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. in Dept. SE-C.  Opposition and Reply briefs shall be filed and served in compliance with the July 14, 2025 hearing date. 

Furthermore, the parties are ORDERED to meet and confer regarding all outstanding discovery requests.  If no agreement is reached on some requests, the parties shall file and serve briefs, not to exceed three pages, summarizing their respective positions no later than July 9, 2025, and the Court will hold an Informal Discovery Conference on July 14, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. in Dept. SE-C.  No additional discovery motions may be filed pending the Informal Discovery Conference. 

Moving party to give notice.