Judge: Ronald F. Frank, Case: 23TRCV00031, Date: 2023-08-16 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 23TRCV00031    Hearing Date: August 16, 2023    Dept: 8

Tentative Ruling¿ 

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HEARING DATE:                 August 16, 2023¿ 

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CASE NUMBER:                  23TRCV00031

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CASE NAME:                        Cherida Abram v. Hector Moreno, et al.  

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MOVING PARTY:                (1) Plaintiff, Cherida Abram

RESPONDING PARTY:       (1) Defendant Hector Moreno (No Opposition) (Joint Motion)

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TRIAL DATE:                        Not Set.

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MOTION:¿                              (1) Joint Motion for Change of Venue

Tentative Rulings:                  (1) GRANTED

I. BACKGROUND¿¿ 

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A. Factual¿¿ 

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On January 5, 2023, Plaintiff, Cherida Abram (“Plaintiff”) filed a Complaint against Defendant, Hector Moreno (“Defendant”). The Complaint alleges causes of action for; (1) Motor Vehicle Negligence; and (2) General Negligence.

The parties now brings a Joint Motion for Change of Venue.

B. Procedural¿¿ 

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            On August 2, 2023, Plaintiff filed a Joint Notice of Motion and Motion Transfer Venue. To date, no opposition has been filed.  

II. ANALYSIS

A.    Legal Standard  

In a personal injury action, venue is proper in the county in which the defendant resides or suffered an injury.  (Code of Civil Procedure §§ 395(a), 395(b).)  Plaintiff’s choice of venue is presumptively correct.  (Battaglia Enterprises, Inc. v. Superior Court of San Diego County (2013) 215 Cal.App.4th 309, 313-14.)  Thus, the moving party has the burden to establish that the venue selected by Plaintiff is improper “negating the propriety of venue as laid on all possible grounds.”  (Karson Industries, Inc. v. Sup. Ct. (1969) 273 Cal.App.2d 7, 8-9; Fontaine v. Superior Court (2009) 175¿Cal.App.4th 830, 836.) 

If the plaintiff files an action with an improper court, that court must transfer the action to a proper court, either upon the defendant’s motion or on its own motion. (Code of Civ. Proc. §§¿396a(b), 396b.)  Defendant’s motion must be made within 30 days after service, unless extended by stipulation or court order.  (Code of Civ. Proc. § 396b.) 

A court may, on motion, transfer an action if (a) the action was filed in the improper court; (b)¿an impartial trial cannot be held therein; (c) for the convenience of witnesses and to promote justice; (d) where no judge therein is qualified to act; or (e) where a dissolution of marriage action has been filed in the county in which the defendant has resided for three months.  (Code of Civ. Proc. § 397(a)-(d).)  If a court orders a transfer based on §§397(b)-(d), that court must transfer the action to a court with subject matter jurisdiction upon the written agreement of the parties.  (Code of Civ. Proc. § 398.)  The prevailing party shall recover the “costs and fees of the transfer, and of filing the papers…” for an action brought under CCP §§ 397(b)-(e).  (Code of Civ. Proc. § 399(a).)  A court may, on motion, transfer an action to another court to coordinate actions involving a common question of fact or law.  (Code of Civ. Proc. § 403.) 

B.     Discussion

Here, the parties have filed a joint Motion for Change of Venue. Plaintiff notes in the motion that the Complaint in this matter correctly indicates that the incident upon which this pending action is based occurred within the County of Los Angeles, however, due to an inadvertent filing error, the matter was filed in the Inglewood Courthouse. Plaintiff further notes that upon notice of the Court, and a closer examination of the location of the incident giving rise to the present matter, the parties have identified and agreed that the incident occurred within the jurisdictional boundaries of the Stanley Mosk Courthouse.

The Court GRANTS the parties’ joint motion, and transfers this case to the Stanley Mosk Courthouse.  The parties will be notified by the transferee court of the new courtroom and bench officer assignment. 

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