Nguyen v. Margolis CA6 ( 2014 )


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  • Filed 4/25/14 Nguyen v. Margolis CA6
    NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS
    California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for
    publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication
    or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.
    IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
    SIXTH APPELLATE DISTRICT
    NGOC GIAU NGUYEN,                                                    H038268
    (Santa Clara County
    Plaintiff and Appellant,                                    Super. Ct. No. 1-10-CV-180214)
    v.
    JOEL JEREMY MARGOLIS,
    Defendant and Respondent.
    Plaintiff Ngoc Giau Nguyen appeals from a judgment entered after the trial court
    granted summary judgment in favor of her former attorney, defendant Joel Jeremy
    Margolis. The trial court concluded that Nguyen’s causes of action for professional
    negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and unfair business practices were time-barred and
    that her cause of action for intentional misrepresentation lacked merit because she could
    not establish any of the required elements. On appeal, Nguyen contends that triable
    issues of fact precluded summary judgment. We reject her contentions and affirm the
    judgment.
    I. Background
    Nguyen owned a home in San Jose that she shared with her mother Mong Yen T.
    Tran and several renters. In late 2008 or early 2009, Nguyen defaulted on her mortgage
    payments. She sought the assistance of Margolis, who advertised in the local Vietnamese
    newspaper. Nguyen can speak English “with ease” but she “prefers her native language
    of Vietnamese.” On March 25, 2009, she and Tran met for an initial intake interview
    with Margolis’s wife and employee Tuyet.1 Tuyet acted as a liaison between Margolis
    and his Vietnamese-speaking clients. Tuyet is not a lawyer.
    Nguyen retained Margolis. Her “sole purpose for seeking legal assistance from
    [him] was for a loan modification so she may avoid a foreclosure.” She paid a $3,000
    retainer that Margolis agreed to refund if her lender refused to modify her loan.
    Nguyen signed a form that authorized Margolis and his agents to act on her behalf
    “regarding negotiation and/or modification of any and all loans” on her home. The
    authorization stated that it would “remain in effect until its purpose is fulfilled.”
    Margolis faxed the authorization to Nguyen’s lender. He had earlier informed the lender
    that his firm represented Nguyen “for the purpose of arranging a modification of the
    above-referenced loan.”
    Margolis instructed his associate to prepare a loan modification application.
    Nguyen signed the paperwork “sometime around late March” 2009. The application was
    faxed to Nguyen’s lender on April 18, 2009.
    In mid-April 2009, Nguyen received a notice of trustee sale. She alleged that she
    “rushed” to the Margolis firm’s office where Tuyet said “ ‘it would be taken care of.’ ”
    Several days later, Nguyen received bank letters advising her to contact a lawyer to avoid
    foreclosure. She alleged that she took them to Tuyet and that Tuyet told her “ ‘to not
    worry.’ ” In early May 2009, a notice posted on Nguyen’s front door advised her to
    contact A to B Realty because the property was bank-owned and eviction proceedings
    were about to commence. Tuyet assured Nguyen that she would “ ‘take care of it.’ ”
    1
    Because Margolis and his wife share a surname, we refer to Tuyet by her given
    name, not out of disrespect but for convenience and clarity.
    2
    On May 13, 2009, Tuyet told Nguyen and Tran that the lender had rejected the
    loan modification. Nguyen and Tran spoke to Margolis that day for the first and only
    time. He told them through Tuyet, “ ‘Sorry, we failed.’ ”
    In late June 2009, Nguyen was served with a summons and complaint for unlawful
    detainer. She alleged that she took the summons to the Margolis firm and that Tuyet told
    her she would arrange for “an Oakland lawyer” to represent her at the unlawful detainer
    hearing. A few days later, Tuyet told Tran that a lawyer could not be found to represent
    Nguyen at the hearing. Nguyen alleged that Tuyet “advised the Court Order meant [that
    Tran and Nguyen] would have to move out of the home and then [Tuyet] would purchase
    the home and allow [Nguyen and Tran] to rent it.” In mid-July 2009, the Sheriff’s Office
    posted a notice to vacate on Nguyen’s door. She and Tran moved out.
    Tran continued to visit the Margolis firm after July 2009. She “waited hours” to
    see Tuyet but never saw or spoke to her. Tran and Nguyen also telephoned the firm “on
    many occasions” but their calls were not returned. In August 2009, the bank sold the
    house at a foreclosure sale. On September 1, 2009, Nguyen left a handwritten note in
    Vietnamese at the Margolis firm’s office. The note stated that she wanted to “pick up all
    my documents if any.” Tuyet refunded Nguyen’s $3,000 retainer in December 2009.
    Nguyen filed suit against Margolis on August 18, 2010. Her cause of action for
    professional negligence alleged that Margolis “held himself out to be a licensed attorney
    who would assist [her] to obtain a loan modification or at the very least forestall
    foreclosure.” Margolis breached his duty “by his failure to do anything about the loan
    modification or pending foreclosure,” by failing to communicate with her, and “by
    allowing a non-attorney to render legal advice . . . .” Nguyen’s cause of action for breach
    of fiduciary duty alleged that Margolis “failed to use reasonable care when he took the
    retainer [and] obtained a signed fee agreement specific to the task and then failed to
    provide any legal service whatsoever.” Her cause of action for unfair business practices
    alleged that “[i]nstead of providing legal services to Plaintiff,” Margolis “allowed a non-
    3
    lawyer to render legal advice and assistance . . . .” Nguyen’s cause of action for
    intentional misrepresentation alleged that she “reasonably believed [Margolis] would
    assist in the avoidance of foreclosure . . . .” He “intentionally misrepresented he would
    provide this service because he never asked for information about the lender . . . , never
    performed any legal service whatsoever and completely failed to communicate with his
    client.” As a result of these breaches of duty, Nguyen’s home was foreclosed upon. She
    lost her home, any future equity, her down payment on the home, rental income, and her
    use and enjoyment of the property. She was forced to pay moving expenses and
    attorney’s fees and suffered embarrassment, anxiety, and emotional distress.
    In September 2011, Margolis moved for summary judgment or, in the alternative,
    summary adjudication. He contended that Nguyen’s causes of action for professional
    negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and unfair business practices were time-barred
    because she suffered actual injury and knew of his alleged wrongful conduct no later than
    May 2009, when the trustee foreclosed on the property. (Code Civ. Proc., § 340.6.)
    Margolis argued that Nguyen’s admissions precluded her from establishing any basis for
    tolling the statute of limitations. He contended that Nguyen’s cause of action for
    intentional misrepresentation had no merit because she could not establish the necessary
    elements. The trial court agreed and granted the motion. The court entered judgment in
    favor of Margolis. Nguyen filed a timely notice of appeal.
    II. Discussion
    A. Standard of Review
    “ ‘ “Appellate review of a ruling on a summary judgment or summary adjudication
    motion is de novo.” ’ ” (Food Pro Internat., Inc. v. Farmers Ins. Exchange (2008) 
    169 Cal. App. 4th 976
    , 993.) “[T]he party moving for summary judgment bears the burden of
    persuasion that there is no triable issue of material fact and that he is entitled to judgment
    as a matter of law.” (Aguilar v. Atlantic Richfield Co. (2001) 
    25 Cal. 4th 826
    , 850
    4
    (Aguilar).) The moving party “bears an initial burden of production to make a prima
    facie showing of the nonexistence of any triable issue of material fact; if he carries his
    burden of production, he causes a shift, and the opposing party is then subjected to a
    burden of production of his own to make a prima facie showing of the existence of a
    triable issue of material fact.” (Ibid.) “A prima facie showing is one that is sufficient to
    support the position of the party in question.” (Aguilar, at p. 851.)
    “[A] ‘defendant . . . has met’ his ‘burden of showing that a cause of action has no
    merit if’ he ‘has shown that one or more elements of the cause of action . . . cannot be
    established, or that there is a complete defense to that cause of action. Once the
    defendant . . . has met that burden, the burden shifts to the plaintiff . . . to show that a
    triable issue of one or more material facts exists as to that cause of action or a defense
    thereto. The plaintiff . . . may not rely upon the mere allegations or denials’ of his
    ‘pleadings to show that a triable issue of material fact exists but, instead,’ must ‘set forth
    the specific facts showing that a triable issue of material fact exists as to that cause of
    action or a defense thereto.’ [Citation.].” 
    (Aguilar, supra
    , 25 Cal.4th at p. 849.)
    B. Causes of Action for Professional Negligence, Breach of Fiduciary Duty, and
    Unfair Business Practices
    Nguyen contends that the trial court erred in finding her causes of action for
    professional negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and unfair business practices time-
    barred. We disagree.
    “The applicable statute of limitations for legal malpractice claims is [Code of Civil
    Procedure] section 340.6.”2 (Truong v. Glasser (2009) 
    181 Cal. App. 4th 102
    , 110
    (Glasser).) Section 340.6 provides in pertinent part that “[a]n action against an attorney
    2
    Subsequent statutory references are to the Code of Civil Procedure unless
    otherwise noted.
    5
    for a wrongful act or omission, other than for actual fraud, arising in the performance of
    professional services shall be commenced within one year after the plaintiff discovers, or
    through the use of reasonable diligence should have discovered, the facts constituting the
    wrongful act or omission, or four years from the date of the wrongful act or omission,
    whichever occurs first. . . . [I]n no event shall the time for commencement of legal action
    exceed four years except that the period shall be tolled during the time that any of the
    following exist: [¶] . . . [¶] (2) The attorney continues to represent the plaintiff regarding
    the specific subject matter in which the alleged wrongful act or omission occurred.”
    (§ 340.6, subd. (a)(2).)
    Here, Margolis had the initial burden of establishing that Nguyen filed her
    complaint more than a year after she discovered or should have discovered the facts
    constituting his alleged wrongful conduct. (§§ 340.6, subd. (a)(2), 437c, subd. (p)(1).)
    After independently reviewing the evidence, we conclude that he satisfied that burden.
    Nguyen’s causes of action for professional negligence, breach of fiduciary duty,
    and unfair business practices were each premised on the same alleged facts, specifically,
    that Margolis’s “fail[ed] to do anything about the loan modification or pending
    foreclosure,” “fail[ed] to communicate with his client,” and “allow[ed] a non-attorney to
    render legal advice to [Nguyen].”
    Margolis presented evidence that Nguyen was aware of the facts underlying her
    allegation that he “fail[ed] to do anything about the loan modification or pending
    foreclosure” by May 2009. That evidence included verified interrogatory responses in
    which Nguyen acknowledged that she “complet[ed] one application at [his] office for
    loan modification purposes” and “signed the modification paperwork sometime around
    late March [2009].” Margolis declared that he submitted the completed application to
    Nguyen’s lender in April 2009. He attached copies of the paperwork to his declaration.
    He also presented interrogatory responses in which Nguyen admitted that Margolis and
    Tuyet informed her of the lender’s refusal to modify the loan on May 13, 2009. He
    6
    presented additional interrogatory responses in which Nguyen admitted that she knew in
    May 2009 that her house had been foreclosed upon. Margolis thus made a prima facie
    showing that Nguyen knew by May 2009 that he had tried but failed to obtain a loan
    modification for her and that her house had been foreclosed upon.
    Margolis also presented evidence that Nguyen was aware by May 2009 of the
    facts underlying her allegation that he failed to communicate with her. That evidence
    included his declaration that Tuyet acted as a liaison between him and his Vietnamese-
    speaking clients and Nguyen’s interrogatory response that she spoke English “with ease”
    but “prefer[red] her native language of Vietnamese.” Margolis presented additional
    interrogatory responses in which Nguyen acknowledged various meetings with Tuyet,
    admitted that she completed a loan modification application at the Margolis firm and
    signed it several weeks later, and conceded that Tuyet and Margolis both informed her on
    May 13, 2009 that the lender had declined to modify her loan. Margolis thus made a
    prima facie showing that by May 2009, Nguyen knew the extent of her communication
    (or lack of communication) with him.
    Finally, Margolis presented evidence that Nguyen was aware of the facts
    underlying her unfair business practices cause of action before July 2009. That evidence
    included his declaration that he employed Tuyet, that she often acted as a liaison between
    him and his Vietnamese-speaking clients, that he had instructed her not to offer any legal
    advice, and that he did not fail to supervise her. Margolis also presented an interrogatory
    response in which Nguyen impliedly acknowledged that she knew Tuyet was not a
    lawyer. The response stated that Nguyen believed Tuyet “was (and is currently) an
    employee, secretary, assistant to [Margolis] working side by side with Defendant’s law
    practice catering to the Vietnamese community.” Margolis also presented Nguyen’s
    supplemental response to an interrogatory that asked her to identify the facts on which
    she based her contention that he allowed Tuyet to render legal advice. Nguyen’s
    response established that June 28, 2009 was the last time Tuyet allegedly dispensed legal
    7
    advice to her. Margolis thus made a prima facie showing that Nguyen was aware of the
    facts underlying her unfair business practices cause of action by the time she was evicted
    in July 2009.
    Margolis presented evidence that Nguyen did not file suit until August 18, 2010,
    more than a year after she was aware of the facts underlying her causes of action for
    professional negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and unfair business practices. His
    prima facie showing that these causes of action were barred by the one-year statute of
    limitations set forth in section 340.6 shifted the burden to Nguyen to raise a triable issue
    of material fact. 
    (Aguilar, supra
    , 25 Cal.4th at p. 850.)
    Nguyen did not dispute that she filed suit more than a year after she learned the
    facts constituting her causes of action. Instead, she contended that the statute of
    limitations was tolled “because [she] was still working with the Margolis law firm for
    months beyond the asserted deadline.” She makes the same contention here. We cannot
    agree.
    “ ‘The continuous relationship tolling provision applies only so long as
    representation continues “regarding the specific subject matter in which the alleged
    wrongful act or omission occurred.” ’ [Citation.]” (Lockton v. O’Rourke (2010) 
    184 Cal. App. 4th 1051
    , 1062 (Lockton).) “ ‘The test for whether the attorney has continued to
    represent a client on the same specific subject matter is objective, and ordinarily the
    representation is on the same specific subject matter until the agreed tasks have been
    completed or events inherent in the representation have occurred.’ [Citation.]” (Lockton,
    at p. 1063.) Where the attorney unilaterally withdraws or abandons the client, “the
    representation ends when the client actually has or reasonably should have no expectation
    that the attorney will provide further legal services.” (Gonzalez v. Kalu (2006) 
    140 Cal. App. 4th 21
    , 30 (Gonzalez).) “That may occur upon the attorney’s express
    notification to the client . . . , or, if the attorney remains silent, may be inferred from the
    circumstances.” (Id. at pp. 30-31.) “After a client has no reasonable expectation that the
    8
    attorney will provide further legal services . . . the client is no longer hindered by a
    potential disruption of the attorney-client relationship and no longer relies on the
    attorney’s continuing representation, so the tolling should end.” (Gonzalez, at p. 28.)
    Application of these principles here compels the conclusion that Margolis’s
    representation of Nguyen ended more than a year before she filed suit. Nguyen conceded
    that her “sole purpose for seeking legal assistance from [Margolis] was for a loan
    modification so she may avoid a foreclosure.” Representation on that “specific subject
    matter” necessarily concluded in May 2009 because the purpose of the representation
    could no longer be achieved after the loan modification was rejected and the house
    foreclosed upon. 
    (Lockton, supra
    , 184 Cal.App.4th at p. 1062.) Nguyen could have “no
    reasonable expectation that [Margolis] would provide further legal services” after that.
    
    (Gonzalez, supra
    , 140 Cal.App.4th at p. 31.)
    We reject Nguyen’s suggestion that Tuyet’s alleged assurances that the notice of
    trustee sale “would be taken care of,” that Nguyen should not worry about the bank
    letters, and that Tuyet would “take care of” the May 7, 2009 notice posted on Nguyen’s
    door continued the representation. According to Nguyen’s complaint, those reassurances
    were made before the modification was refused and the house foreclosed upon. Nguyen
    learned on May 13, 2009, that her lender had rejected the application. Given that her
    “sole purpose for seeking legal assistance from Margolis was for a loan modification so
    she may avoid a foreclosure,” Nguyen could have “no reasonable expectation that [he]
    would provide further legal services” after that. 
    (Gonzalez, supra
    , 140 Cal.App.4th at
    p. 31.) The purpose of the representation was no longer achievable after that date.
    We reject Nguyen’s suggestion that the representation was continued by Tuyet’s
    alleged promise on May 13, 2009 to purchase the house from the bank and rent it back to
    Nguyen. The purpose of the representation as Nguyen herself consistently defined it did
    not include purchasing her foreclosed-upon house and renting it back to her. She retained
    Margolis to help her obtain “a loan modification so she may avoid a foreclosure.” She
    9
    could have no reasonable expectation that Margolis would provide further legal services
    after the loan modification effort failed. 
    (Gonzalez, supra
    , 140 Cal.App.4th at p. 28.)
    Even if Nguyen subjectively believed that Tuyet’s alleged promises continued the
    representation, “[c]ontinuity of representation ultimately depends, not on the client’s
    subjective beliefs, but rather on evidence of an ongoing mutual relationship and of
    activities in furtherance of the relationship.” (Worthington v. Rusconi (1994) 
    29 Cal. App. 4th 1488
    , 1498 (Worthington).) Nguyen’s admissions established the opposite.
    She provided an unequivocal “No” response to a contention interrogatory that asked if
    she contended that Margolis performed “any legal services” for her after the notice to
    vacate was posted in July 2009. She acknowledged that Margolis declined to represent
    her in the unlawful detainer proceeding and that he advised her instead to retain a
    different lawyer. She admitted that the Margolis firm did not return any of her or Tran’s
    phone calls after July 2009. She and Tran both admitted that although Tran continued to
    visit the firm’s office and “waited hours” to see Tuyet after July 2009, she never saw or
    spoke to her. Nguyen’s admissions established that there was no evidence of “an
    ongoing mutual relationship” or of “activities in furtherance of the relationship” after she
    and Tran moved out of the house in July 2009. (Worthington, at p. 1498.)
    To the extent Nguyen contends that Margolis’s failure to promptly return her
    $3,000 retainer continued the representation until December 2009, we disagree. Nguyen
    cites no authority to support her position, and we have found none.
    Gurkewitz v. Haberman (1982) 
    137 Cal. App. 3d 328
    (Gurkewitz) undermines
    Nguyen’s position. In Gurkewitz, the court addressed “when an attorney ceases to
    represent a client, absent a withdrawal or change of attorneys.” (Id. at p. 333.) The court
    held (as a matter of first impression in California) that “so long as there are unsettled
    matters tangential to a case, and the attorney assists the client with these matters, he is
    acting as his representative.” (Ibid.) The court explained that “after the appeal became
    final, the costs on appeal were still in controversy.” (Ibid.) “[Plaintiffs’] attorney
    10
    negotiated with opposing counsel and in fact did effect a reduction in the bill for his
    client. That contact with opposing counsel amounted to representation.” (Gurkewitz, at
    p. 334.) The statute of limitations on the plaintiffs’ malpractice action against the
    attorneys was therefore tolled. (Ibid.)
    The court emphasized that it “did not mean to suggest that any contact between an
    attorney and his client amounts to representation.” 
    (Gurkewitz, supra
    , 137 Cal.App.3d at
    p. 334.) The court noted that “[h]ad [plaintiffs’ attorney] merely forwarded the bill from
    Security Pacific Title Insurance [for costs on appeal], that act would not have constituted
    representation.” (Ibid.) In our view, the return of Nguyen’s $3,000 retainer is analogous
    to “merely forward[ing] the bill from Security Pacific Title Insurance” to the plaintiffs in
    Gurkewitz. (Ibid.) Here, Nguyen conceded that Margolis did not perform any legal
    services for her after July 2009. The belated return of her $3,000 retainer cannot be
    interpreted to mean that the representation continued until December 2009.
    In sum, Nguyen’s admissions contradicted her assertion that Margolis continued to
    represent her after her loan modification was rejected and her house foreclosed upon.
    Those admissions established that the representation ended no later than July 2009. She
    did not file suit until August 2010. Because she failed to raise a triable issue of material
    fact about whether the statute of limitations was tolled, the trial court properly granted
    summary judgment in favor of Margolis on her causes of action for professional
    negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and unfair business practices.
    C. Cause of Action for Intentional Misrepresentation
    Nguyen contends that the trial court erred in determining that she did not establish
    the necessary elements of a cause of action for international misrepresentation. We
    disagree.
    The elements of intentional misrepresentation are “(1) a misrepresentation, (2)
    with knowledge of its falsity, (3) with the intent to induce another’s reliance on the
    11
    misrepresentation, (4) justifiable reliance, and (5) resulting damage.” (Conroy v. Regents
    of University of California (2009) 
    45 Cal. 4th 1244
    , 1255.)
    Nguyen did not establish a misrepresentation here. Her complaint alleged that
    Margolis “had [her] sign a legal fee agreement, which specified representation was
    ‘ONLY for the properties located at 2507 Story Road, San Jose, CA 95122 to prepare a
    Forensic Loan Audit and research on the Trustee Sale Procedure.’ ” She relied on that
    allegation below. She does not rely on it here. Nor could she. There is no evidence in
    the record to support her allegation that Margolis promised to prepare a forensic loan
    audit and to research the trustee sale procedure. Nguyen did not provide a copy of the
    legal fee agreement (which she later characterized as a client payment receipt “which she
    believed to be a fee agreement”). Nor did she mention either task in the declaration she
    submitted in opposition to the summary judgment motion. “ ‘The plaintiff . . . may not
    rely upon the mere allegations or denials’ of [her] ‘pleadings to show that a triable issue
    of material fact exists . . . .’ ” 
    (Aguilar, supra
    , 25 Cal.4th at p. 849.) The trial court
    properly concluded that Nguyen could not base her misrepresentation cause of action on
    her unsupported allegations that Margolis promised to prepare a forensic loan audit and
    research to the trustee sale procedure.
    Nguyen’s complaint also alleged that Margolis “never asked for information about
    the lender from [Nguyen], never performed any legal service whatsoever and completely
    failed to communicate with his client.” Her own admissions contradicted these
    allegations. She admitted that he performed legal services on her behalf by preparing the
    loan modification application. She failed to present any evidence contradicting
    Margolis’s sworn declaration that he submitted the completed application to her lender.
    She admitted that Margolis communicated with her through Tuyet and personally. The
    trial court properly concluded that her cause of action for intentional misrepresentation
    lacked merit “as [Nguyen] cannot establish that [Margolis] failed to perform legal
    services on her behalf and/or that he failed to communicate with her.”
    12
    Nguyen argues that the trial court “ignore[d] the numerous assurances and
    promises of legal services, conveyed by Tuyet, that [Margolis] either did not or could not
    fulfill.” The trial court’s order refutes that contention by referencing the very allegations
    that Nguyen insists the court ignored. In granting summary judgment in favor of
    Margolis, the trial court implicitly concluded that to the extent Tuyet’s expressions of
    reassurance could be deemed representations, Margolis followed through on those
    representations by preparing, submitting, and following up on the loan modification
    application that Nguyen retained him to prepare.
    To the extent Nguyen asserts that Tuyet’s expressions of reassurance that the
    notice of trustee sale “would be taken care of” or that Nguyen should not worry about the
    bank letters constituted representations guaranteeing a successful result, we disagree.
    (See Rochlis v. Walt Disney Co. (1993) 
    19 Cal. App. 4th 201
    , 213-214, 216 [rejecting
    executive’s contention that promises of “appropriate” financial rewards were not
    honored: “Promises too vague to be enforced will not support a fraud claim any more
    than they will one in contract”], disapproved on another ground in Turner v. Anheuser-
    Busch, Inc. (1994) 
    7 Cal. 4th 1238
    , 1251.) Margolis’s agreement to refund the retainer if
    the lender rejected the application put Nguyen on notice from the outset of the
    representation that a successful result was not guaranteed. Nguyen appears to concede
    this point.
    To the extent Nguyen contends that Tuyet’s expressions of reassurance constituted
    representations that Margolis would forestall the foreclosure by preparing a bankruptcy
    petition, we disagree. Nguyen did not retain Margolis to prepare a bankruptcy petition.
    She conceded that her “sole purpose for seeking legal assistance from [him] was for a
    loan modification so she may avoid a foreclosure.” The trial court properly concluded
    that Nguyen’s intentional misrepresentation claim failed because there was no evidence
    of any misrepresentation.
    13
    Nguyen contends that the trial court also erred in determining that she did not
    establish the element of resulting damages. We disagree. “ ‘Damage to be subject to a
    proper award must be such as follows the act complained of as a legal certainty . . . .’ ”
    (Thompson v. Halvonik (1995) 
    36 Cal. App. 4th 657
    , 663.) Here, the damages that
    Nguyen alleged flowed from her lender’s refusal to modify her loan and from the
    foreclosure that followed. She provided no evidence establishing a connection between
    any alleged misrepresentation by Margolis and the failed loan modification and ensuing
    foreclosure.
    Whether to approve a loan modification was within the lender’s discretion, as
    Nguyen acknowledges. She was delinquent on her mortgage payments. The trustee was
    entitled to foreclose on the deed of trust. (Civ. Code, § 2924; Moeller v. Lien (1994) 
    25 Cal. App. 4th 822
    , 830.) Her alleged damages resulted from her default on her mortgage
    payments, not from any misrepresentation by Margolis. Because she could not
    demonstrate the required elements of misrepresentation and damages, the trial court
    properly granted summary judgment in favor of Margolis on Nguyen’s cause of action
    for intentional misrepresentation.
    III. Disposition
    The judgment is affirmed.
    14
    ___________________________
    Mihara, J.
    WE CONCUR:
    _____________________________
    Elia, Acting P. J.
    _____________________________
    Grover, J.
    15
    

Document Info

Docket Number: H038268

Filed Date: 4/25/2014

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 4/17/2021