Amended by Stats. 2003, Ch. 149, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2004.
Except where changed by the provisions of this article, all provisions of law applicable to civil actions generally apply to actions subject to this article.
Article 2 - Economic Litigation for Limited Civil Cases
California Code of Civil Procedure — §§ 90-100
Sections (11)
Amended by Stats. 1998, Ch. 931, Sec. 36. Effective September 28, 1998.
(a)Except as otherwise provided in this section, the provisions of this article apply to every limited civil case.
(b)The provisions of this article do not apply to any action under Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 116.110) or any proceeding under Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 1159) of Title 3 of Part 3.
(c)Any action may, upon noticed motion, be withdrawn from the provisions of this article, upon a
showing that it is impractical to prosecute or defend the action within the limitations of these provisions.
Amended by Stats. 1983, Ch. 102, Sec. 2. Effective June 16, 1983.
(a)The pleadings allowed are complaints, answers, cross-complaints, answers to cross-complaints and general demurrers.
(b)The answer need not be verified, even if the complaint or cross-complaint is verified.
(c)Special demurrers are not allowed.
(d)Motions to strike are allowed only on the ground that the damages or relief sought are not supported by the allegations of the complaint.
(e)Except as limited by this section, all other motions are permitted.
Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 182, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 2005. Operative July 1, 2005, by Sec. 64 of Ch. 182.
(a)The plaintiff has the option to serve case questionnaires with the complaint, using forms approved by the Judicial Council. The questionnaires served shall
include a completed copy of the plaintiff’s completed case questionnaire, and a blank copy of the defendant’s case questionnaire.
(b)Any defendant upon whom a case questionnaire is served shall serve a completed defendant’s case questionnaire upon the requesting plaintiff with the answer.
(c)The case questionnaire shall be designed to elicit fundamental information about each party’s case, including names and addresses of all witnesses with knowledge of any relevant facts, a list of all documents relevant to the case, a statement of the nature and amount of damages, and information covering insurance coverages, injuries and treating physicians. The Judicial Council shall design and develop forms for case questionnaires.
(d)Approved forms shall be made available by the clerk of the court.
(e)If a party on whom a case questionnaire has been served under subdivision (a) or (b) fails to serve a timely or a complete response to that questionnaire, the party serving the questionnaire may move for an order compelling a response or a further response and for a monetary sanction under Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 2023.010) of Title 4 of Part 4. If a party then fails to obey an order compelling a response or a further response, the court may make those orders that are just, including the imposition of an issue sanction, an evidence sanction, or a terminating sanction under Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 2023.010) of Title 4 of Part 4. In lieu of or in addition to that sanction, the court may impose a monetary sanction under Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 2023.010) of Title 4 of Part 4.
Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 538, Sec. 61. Effective January 1, 2007.
Discovery is permitted only to the extent provided by this section and Section 95. This discovery shall comply with the notice and format requirements of the particular method of discovery, as provided in Title 4 (commencing with Section 2016.010) of Part 4. As to each adverse party, a party may use the following forms of discovery:
(a)Any combination of 35 of the following:
(1)Interrogatories (with no subparts) under Chapter 13
(commencing with Section 2030.010) of Title 4 of Part 4.
(2)Demands to produce documents or things under Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 2031.010) of Title 4 of Part 4.
(3)Requests for admission (with no subparts) under Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 2033.010) of Title 4 of Part 4.
(b)One oral or written deposition under Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 2025.010), Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 2026.010), or Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 2028.010) of Title 4 of Part 4. For purposes of this subdivision, a deposition of an organization shall be treated as a single deposition even though more than one person may be designated or required to testify pursuant to Section 2025.230.
(c)Any party may serve on any person a deposition
subpoena duces tecum requiring the person served to mail copies of documents, books, or records to the party’s counsel at a specified address, along with an affidavit complying with Section 1561 of the Evidence Code.
The party who issued the deposition subpoena shall mail a copy of the response to any other party who tenders the reasonable cost of copying it.
(d)Physical and mental examinations under Chapter 15 (commencing with Section 2032.010) of Title 4 of Part 4.
(e)The identity of expert witnesses under Chapter 18 (commencing with Section 2034.010) of Title 4 of Part 4.
Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1581, Sec. 1.
(a)The court may, on noticed motion and subject to such terms and conditions as are just, authorize a party to conduct additional discovery, but only upon a showing that the moving party will be unable to prosecute or defend the action effectively without the additional discovery. In making a determination under this section, the court shall take into account whether the moving party has used all applicable discovery in good faith, and whether the party has attempted to secure the additional discovery by stipulation or by means other than formal discovery.
(b)The
parties may stipulate to additional discovery.
Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1581, Sec. 1.
(a)Any party may serve on any other party a request in substantially the following form:
You are requested to serve on the undersigned, within 20 days, a statement of: the names and addresses of witnesses (OTHER THAN A PARTY WHO IS AN INDIVIDUAL) you intend to call at trial; a description of physical evidence you intend to offer; and a description and copies of documentary evidence you intend to offer or, if the documents are not available to you, a description of them. Witnesses and evidence that will be used only for impeachment need not be included. YOU WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO CALL ANY WITNESS, OR INTRODUCE ANY EVIDENCE, NOT INCLUDED IN THE STATEMENT SERVED IN RESPONSE TO THIS REQUEST, EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED BY LAW.
(b)The request shall be served no more than 45 days or less than 30 days prior to the date first set for trial, unless otherwise ordered.
(c)A statement responding to the request shall be served
within 20 days from the service of the request.
(d)No additional, amended or late statement is permitted except by written stipulation or unless ordered for good cause on noticed motion.
(e)No request or statement served under this section shall be filed, unless otherwise ordered.
(f)The clerk shall furnish forms for requests under this rule.
(g)The time for performing acts required under this section shall be computed as provided by law, including Section 1013.
Amended by Stats. 1983, Ch. 102, Sec. 3. Effective June 16, 1983.
(a)Except as provided in this section, upon objection of a party who served a request in compliance with Section 96, no party required to serve a responding statement may call a witness or introduce evidence, except for purposes of impeachment, against the objecting party unless the witness or evidence was included in the statement served.
(b)The exceptions to subdivision (a) are:
(1)A person who, in his or her individual capacity, is a party to the litigation and who calls
himself or herself as a witness.
(2)An adverse party.
(3)Witnesses and evidence used solely for purposes of impeachment.
(4)Documents obtained by discovery authorized by this chapter.
(5)The court may, upon such terms as may be just (including, but not limited to, continuing the trial for a reasonable period of time and awarding costs and litigation expenses), permit a party to call a witness or introduce evidence which is required to be, but is not included in such party’s statement so long as the court finds that such party has made a good faith effort to comply with subdivision (c) of Section 96 or that the failure to comply was the result of his or her mistake, inadvertence, surprise or excusable neglect as provided in Section 473.
(c)Nothing in this article limits the introduction of evidence in any hearing pursuant to Section 585.
Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 131, Sec. 17. (AB 1754) Effective January 1, 2024.
A party may, in lieu of presenting direct testimony, offer the prepared testimony of relevant witnesses in the form of affidavits or declarations under penalty of perjury. The prepared testimony may include, but need not be limited to, the opinions of expert witnesses, and testimony which authenticates documentary evidence. To the extent the contents of the prepared testimony would have been admissible were the witness to testify orally thereto, the prepared testimony shall be received as evidence in the case, provided that either of the following applies:
(a)A copy has been served on the party against whom it is offered at least 30 days prior to the trial, together with a current address of the affiant that is within 150 miles of the place of
trial, and the affiant is available for service of process at that place for a reasonable period of time, during the 20 days immediately prior to trial.
(b)The statement is in the form of all or part of a deposition in the case, and the party against whom it is offered had an opportunity to participate in the deposition.
The court shall determine whether the affidavit or declaration shall be read into the record in lieu of oral testimony or admitted as a documentary exhibit.
Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1581, Sec. 1.
A judgment or final order, in respect to the matter directly adjudged, is conclusive between the parties and their successors in interest but does not operate as collateral estoppel of a party or a successor in interest to a party in other litigation with a person who was not a party or a successor in interest to a party to the action in which the judgment or order is rendered.
Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1581, Sec. 1.
Any party shall have the right to appeal any judgment or final order consistent with the law governing appeals.