Parker v. Freiberger CA2/3

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 12, 2026
DocketB342580
StatusUnpublished

This text of Parker v. Freiberger CA2/3 (Parker v. Freiberger CA2/3) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Parker v. Freiberger CA2/3, (Cal. Ct. App. 2026).

Opinion

Filed 1/12/26 Parker v. Freiberger CA2/3

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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

SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION THREE

SHILOH PARKER, B342580 Plaintiff and Appellant, (Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. 24STCV07715) v.

HALEY FREIBERGER et al.,

Defendants and Respondents.

APPEAL from orders of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Teresa A. Beaudet, Judge. Affirmed. Shiloh A. Parker, in pro. per., for Plaintiff and Appellant. Reeder McCreary, Christopher S. Reeder, Duncan McCreary, and Marcus L. Tippens, for Defendants and Respondents. ‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗ Plaintiff Shiloh Parker appeals from an order granting defendants Haley and Kyle Freiberger’s motion to quash service of summons in Parker’s lawsuit against them.1 The Freibergers, who are Georgia residents, listed a Georgia property for rent on Zillow.com (Zillow). Parker applied to rent the property and the parties negotiated a lease. After a dispute over the deposit and first month’s rent, Parker sued the Freibergers in California. The Freibergers specially appeared and moved to quash service of summons for lack of personal jurisdiction. The trial court granted the motion. We conclude that the Freibergers did not purposefully avail themselves of the protections of California law, and further conclude that Parker has not identified any other basis for reversal. We therefore affirm the order. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND In March 2024, Parker filed a lawsuit against the Freibergers in Los Angeles County Superior Court.2 Parker alleged that she was a Los Angeles resident at all times relevant to the parties’ dispute. Sometime in early 2024, Parker searched on Zillow for rental properties in Georgia “to eliminate the monthly travel of her military husband to Georgia for reserve duty.” She applied to rent a property in Athens, Georgia owned by the Freibergers. In early February, the parties negotiated a one-year lease and Parker sent a deposit. Parker alleged that the

1 Because the Freibergers share a last name, we refer to them by first name herein. No disrespect is intended.

2 The complaint is not included in the record on appeal. We take this aspect of our statement of facts from the trial court’s description of the relevant allegations.

2 Freibergers had agreed to mail her the keys as soon as she paid the deposit, but they did not incorporate that agreement into the lease, and the Freibergers refused to send the keys until Parker sent the first month’s rent. Parker sued the Freibergers for fraud, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, unfair business practices, and disgorgement. In June 2024, the Freibergers specially appeared in the action and moved to quash service of summons. The motion argued that the court lacked personal jurisdiction over the Freibergers and that Parker failed to properly serve them with the summons and complaint. Haley and Kyle provided signed declarations in support of the motion. They declared that they reside in Georgia and own a residential rental property in that state. In February 2024, Parker contacted the Freibergers about leasing the property. The Freibergers provided Parker with a video tour and exchanged text messages with her regarding a lease agreement. Parker and her spouse signed the lease “via Zillow” on February 8, 2024, and the Freibergers signed it electronically the next day According to the Freibergers’ declarations, the lease agreement required Parker to submit a security deposit and the first month’s rent at the time of signing. Parker’s bank account prohibited her from sending the full amount in one transaction. She sent the Freibergers the deposit through Zelle shortly after signing the lease. On February 11, 2024, Haley asked Parker about the first month’s rent. Parker “got upset” and asked the Freibergers to return the security deposit if they were unwilling to wait until March 1, 2024, to receive the first month’s rent. On February 11, 2024, Parker e-mailed the Freibergers a letter demanding that they preserve evidence relating to Parker

3 and nonparty Joseph Parker. The next day, Parker e-mailed the Freibergers a draft complaint to be filed against them in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia. Haley’s declaration in support of the motion to quash attached a sworn declaration filed by Parker in the United States District Court for the Central District of California in which Parker declared that she was living in Georgia on February 10, 2024.3 Parker opposed the motion to quash in September 2024. The opposition argued that the court had personal jurisdiction over the Freibergers because they purposefully availed themselves of the benefits and protections of California law by posting their rental property on Zillow. In support of the opposition, Parker declared that she was a licensed attorney and the sole proprietor of a law office in the State of California, and that the Freibergers were aware that she conducted business in California. She further declared that she was in California when the Freibergers contacted her to conduct a video tour of the property. The opposition also asserted that the motion should be denied because it was not properly served. In support of this argument, Parker declared that she did not agree to electronic service of the motion to quash. The trial court issued a tentative ruling on October 21, 2024. The court concluded that the Freibergers were not subject to personal jurisdiction in California. It found that the Freibergers reside in Georgia and had no contacts with California aside from their communications with Parker regarding the

3 The declaration was filed in J.P. v. Eastern Revenue, Inc., et al., case No. 2:23-cv-10512-HDV-E.

4 lease. The court determined that the Freibergers’ use of Zillow to offer their rental property for lease did not demonstrate that they purposefully availed themselves of the benefits of California. The court therefore tentatively granted the Freibergers’ motion to quash service of summons for lack of personal jurisdiction. The court rejected Parker’s argument that she was not served with the motion to quash. It cited a proof of service attached to the motion to quash, which reflected that Parker was served by mail. Although Parker’s declaration asserted that she did not agree to electronic service, the court determined this was irrelevant since Parker provided no evidence to contradict the proof of service. On October 22, 2024, the court adopted its tentative ruling as final and entered an order granting the Freibergers’ motion to quash. Parker moved for reconsideration of the order quashing service of summons on October 30, 2024. The trial court denied her motion on December 3, 2024. Parker timely appealed from the order granting the motion to quash and order denying her motion for reconsideration. DISCUSSION I. The Freibergers are not subject to personal jurisdiction in California Parker argues that the trial court erred in granting the Freibergers’ motion to quash service of summons because the

5 Freibergers are subject to specific jurisdiction in this state. For the reasons discussed herein, we disagree. A. Legal framework and standard of review California courts “may exercise jurisdiction on any basis not inconsistent with the Constitution of this state or of the United States.” (Code Civ.

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Parker v. Freiberger CA2/3, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/parker-v-freiberger-ca23-calctapp-2026.