Judge: Michael E. Whitaker, Case: 20STCV22635, Date: 2023-05-15 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 20STCV22635    Hearing Date: May 15, 2023    Dept: 32

PLEASE NOTE:   Parties are encouraged to meet and confer concerning this tentative ruling to determine if a resolution may be reached.  If the parties are unable to reach a resolution and a party intends to submit on this tentative ruling, the party must send an email to the Court at sscdept32@lacourt.org indicating that party’s intention to submit.  The email shall include the case number, date and time of the hearing, counsel’s contact information (if applicable), and the identity of the party submitting on this tentative ruling.  If the Court does not receive an email indicating the parties are submitting on this tentative ruling and there are no appearances at the hearing, the Court may place the motion off calendar or adopt the tentative ruling as the order of the Court.  If all parties do not submit on this tentative ruling, they should arrange to appear in-person or remotely (which is highly encouraged).  Further, after the Court has posted/issued a tentative ruling, the Court has the inherent authority to prohibit the withdrawal of the subject motion and adopt the tentative ruling as the order of the Court. 

TENTATIVE RULING

MOTION

            Proposed Intervenor State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (Intervenor) seeks leave to intervene in this action per Code of Civil Procedure section 387.  The motion is unopposed.

ANALYSIS

Per the Code of Civil Procedure, “[a]n intervention takes place when a nonparty, deemed an intervenor, becomes a party to an action or proceeding between other persons by doing any of the following: (1) Joining a plaintiff in claiming what is sought by the complaint[;] (2) Uniting with a defendant in resisting the claims of a plaintiff[; or] (3) Demanding anything adverse to both a plaintiff and a defendant.”  (Code Civ. Proc., § 387, subd. (b).)  “A nonparty shall petition the court for leave to intervene by noticed motion or ex parte application. The petition shall include a copy of the proposed complaint in intervention or answer in intervention and set forth the grounds upon which intervention rests.”  (Code Civ. Proc., § 387, subd. (c).)   

“The court shall, upon timely application, permit a nonparty to intervene in the action or proceeding if either of the following conditions is satisfied:  (A) A provision of law confers an unconditional right to intervene[; or] (B) The person seeking intervention claims an interest relating to the property or transaction that is the subject of the action and that person is so situated that the disposition of the action may impair or impede that person's ability to protect that interest, unless that person's interest is adequately represented by one or more of the existing parties.  [Also] The court may, upon timely application, permit a nonparty to intervene in the action or proceeding if the person has an interest in the matter in litigation, or in the success of either of the parties, or an interest against both.  (Code Civ. Proc., § 387, subd. (d)(1)-(2).) 

Here, Intervenor advances the declaration of counsel for Intervenor, Kathryn Saldana   (Counsel). [1] Counsel states that Intervenor is the insurer for defendant Dunia Harb (Harb) at the time of the incident giving rise to the action.  (Declaration of Kathryn Saldana, ¶¶ 2-4.)  Counsel thus states that Intervenor has a direct and immediate interest in the action:  “To avoid the preclusive effect of any judgment that may ultimately be entered against Dunia Harb, State Farm requests leave to intervene in this action as a party to litigate causation and damages. This motion was made after waiting a short time to again attempt to locate Ms. Harb. My office has been unable to locate an address for Ms. Harb in the United States or in Lebanon and does not have a valid phone number for Ms. Harb.” (Declaration of Kathryn Saldana, ¶ 8.)  Counsel further avers “Intervention by State Farm will be in alignment with the interests of Dunia Harb and allow State Farm to defend the manner on the same grounds permitted by Dunia Harb.”  (Declaration of Kathryn Saldana, ¶ 9.) 

Based on Counsel’s representations, the Court finds that Intervenor has met its burden to establish a factual and legal basis to intervene in the action of Harb per Code of Civil Procedure section 387.  To wit, Intervenor has adequately shown that “that the disposition of the action may impair or impede [Intervenor’s] ability to protect” its related interests.

CONCLUSION AND ORDER

Accordingly, the Court grants Intervenor’s unopposed motion for leave to intervene pursuant to per Code of Civil Procedure section 387, and orders Intervenor to file and serve its Answer (In Intervention) as required under Code of Civil Procedure section 387, subdivision (e), within 20 days of the hearing on the motion. 

Intervenor shall provide notice of this Court’s orders and file a proof of service of such.