Section § 418.10

Explanation

This law section explains what a defendant in a legal case can do before their deadline to officially respond to a lawsuit. They can file a motion to quash, meaning they want to dispute the court's authority over them, or they can request to have the case dismissed or moved if the location is inconvenient. If the defendant disagrees with a court's decision, they can ask a higher court to review it. Importantly, the defendant’s time to respond is paused while these motions are being considered. The law ensures no penalties are applied before these deadlines pass. Filing motions or answering doesn't automatically mean the defendant is choosing to fight the case in this court unless their motion is denied. If they don't address certain issues when filing these motions, they lose the chance to raise them later.

(a)CA Civil Procedure Code § 418.10(a) A defendant, on or before the last day of his or her time to plead or within any further time that the court may for good cause allow, may serve and file a notice of motion for one or more of the following purposes:
(1)CA Civil Procedure Code § 418.10(a)(1) To quash service of summons on the ground of lack of jurisdiction of the court over him or her.
(2)CA Civil Procedure Code § 418.10(a)(2) To stay or dismiss the action on the ground of inconvenient forum.
(3)CA Civil Procedure Code § 418.10(a)(3) To dismiss the action pursuant to the applicable provisions of Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 583.110) of Title 8.
(b)CA Civil Procedure Code § 418.10(b) The notice shall designate, as the time for making the motion, a date not more than 30 days after filing of the notice. The notice shall be served in the same manner, and at the same times, prescribed by subdivision (b) of Section 1005. The service and filing of the notice shall extend the defendant’s time to plead until 15 days after service upon him or her of a written notice of entry of an order denying his or her motion, except that for good cause shown the court may extend the defendant’s time to plead for an additional period not exceeding 20 days.
(c)CA Civil Procedure Code § 418.10(c) If the motion is denied by the trial court, the defendant, within 10 days after service upon him or her of a written notice of entry of an order of the court denying his or her motion, or within any further time not exceeding 20 days that the trial court may for good cause allow, and before pleading, may petition an appropriate reviewing court for a writ of mandate to require the trial court to enter its order quashing the service of summons or staying or dismissing the action. The defendant shall file or enter his or her responsive pleading in the trial court within the time prescribed by subdivision (b) unless, on or before the last day of the defendant’s time to plead, he or she serves upon the adverse party and files with the trial court a notice that he or she has petitioned for a writ of mandate. The service and filing of the notice shall extend the defendant’s time to plead until 10 days after service upon him or her of a written notice of the final judgment in the mandate proceeding. The time to plead may for good cause shown be extended by the trial court for an additional period not exceeding 20 days.
(d)CA Civil Procedure Code § 418.10(d) No default may be entered against the defendant before expiration of his or her time to plead, and no motion under this section, or under Section 473 or 473.5 when joined with a motion under this section, or application to the court or stipulation of the parties for an extension of the time to plead, shall be deemed a general appearance by the defendant.
(e)CA Civil Procedure Code § 418.10(e) A defendant or cross-defendant may make a motion under this section and simultaneously answer, demur, or move to strike the complaint or cross-complaint.
(1)CA Civil Procedure Code § 418.10(e)(1) Notwithstanding Section 1014, no act by a party who makes a motion under this section, including filing an answer, demurrer, or motion to strike constitutes an appearance, unless the court denies the motion made under this section. If the court denies the motion made under this section, the defendant or cross-defendant is not deemed to have generally appeared until entry of the order denying the motion.
(2)CA Civil Procedure Code § 418.10(e)(2) If the motion made under this section is denied and the defendant or cross-defendant petitions for a writ of mandate pursuant to subdivision (c), the defendant or cross-defendant is not deemed to have generally appeared until the proceedings on the writ petition have finally concluded.
(3)CA Civil Procedure Code § 418.10(e)(3) Failure to make a motion under this section at the time of filing a demurrer or motion to strike constitutes a waiver of the issues of lack of personal jurisdiction, inadequacy of process, inadequacy of service of process, inconvenient forum, and delay in prosecution.

Section § 418.11

Explanation

This law says that if someone shows up in court for a special, urgent request without notifying the other party (called ex parte), it doesn't mean they're giving up their right to later challenge the court's authority over them.

An appearance at a hearing at which ex parte relief is sought, or an appearance at a hearing for which an ex parte application for a provisional remedy is made, is not a general appearance and does not constitute a waiver of the right to make a motion under Section 418.10.