People v. Granite State Insurance

7 Cal. Rptr. 3d 887, 114 Cal. App. 4th 758, 2003 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 11099, 2003 Daily Journal DAR 14005, 2003 Cal. App. LEXIS 1897
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 22, 2003
DocketF041719
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 7 Cal. Rptr. 3d 887 (People v. Granite State Insurance) 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
People v. Granite State Insurance, 7 Cal. Rptr. 3d 887, 114 Cal. App. 4th 758, 2003 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 11099, 2003 Daily Journal DAR 14005, 2003 Cal. App. LEXIS 1897 (Cal. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

Opinion

GOMES, J.

Granite State Insurance Company (Granite) appeals from an order denying its motion to vacate summary judgment on a bail bond, contending that the court lost jurisdiction to enter summary judgment 90 days after the expiration of an extended 185-day period provided by Penal Code sections 1305 and 1306 1 for it to move to vacate forfeiture of the bond. Granite filed a timely notice of motion to vacate the forfeiture and exonerate bail, which was scheduled to be heard within 30 days of the expiration of the extended period. Pursuant to subdivision (i) of section 1305, the court found good cause to extend the hearing on the motion until April 24, 2002, at which date the court denied the motion. Summary judgment was entered within 90 days from the date of denial of the motion, but more than 90 days after the extended period expired.

The issue in this case is whether the provision which allows the court to hear the motion after expiration of the extended period (§ 1305, subd. (i)) has *761 the effect of also extending the period (provided by § 1306) within which the court may enter summary judgment. We conclude that it does and affirm the judgment.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On June 16, 2000, Granite executed a $20,000 bail bond, which was posted for the release of a criminal defendant. On November 8, 2000, the defendant failed to appear in court and the court ordered his bail forfeited. Notice of forfeiture was properly served by mail on Granite and its bail agent on November 13, 2000. Pursuant to the parties’ stipulation, the trial court extended the period for Granite to move to vacate the forfeiture and exonerate the bond to November 13, 2001.

On November 8, 2001, Granite filed a motion to vacate the forfeiture and exonerate bail, which was scheduled for hearing on December 12, 2001. In the motion, Granite contended that the trial court lost jurisdiction over the bond when it allowed the defendant to remain out on bail after taking his guilty plea on September 14, 2000, without making the findings required by section 1166. On November 26, 2001, Division Six of the Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, issued a decision in People v. Ranger Ins. Co. (Ranger I), 2 which held that section 1166 did not apply to a guilty plea before trial. County counsel cited this case in its opposition to Granite’s motion. Since this case was not yet final on the December 12, 2001, hearing date and the case could be dispositive of the issues raised by the motion, the parties stipulated to continue the hearing until January 23, 2002. The court approved the stipulation finding good cause to do so.

On January 7, 2002, Division Three of the Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, issued its decision in People v. Seneca Ins. Co. (Seneca), 3 which disagreed with the decision in Ranger I, and came to a contrary conclusion. On January 22, 2002, the parties again stipulated to continue the hearing date to March 27, 2002, because these two decisions were contradictory and “[cjounsel for the parties are waiting for one of them to become case law.” The court approved the stipulation again finding good cause to do so.

The hearing was continued a third time to April 24, 2002, after county counsel developed a calendar conflict. The court approved the parties’ stipulation to continue the hearing on March 22, 2002, again finding good cause to do so.

*762 By April 24, 2002, the Sixth District Court of Appeal had issued its decision in People v. Ranger Ins. Co. (Ranger II), 4 which agreed with the decision in Ranger I and disagreed with Seneca. At the April 24, 2002, hearing on Granite’s motion to vacate forfeiture and exonerate bail, the court denied the motion after hearing oral argument. Within 90 days thereafter, on May 28, 2002, summary judgment was entered against Granite. Notice of entry of judgment was mailed to Granite on June 4, 2002.

On July 10, 2002, Granite filed a motion to set aside the judgment on the ground that the court lacked jurisdiction to enter summary judgment because it was entered more than 90 days beyond the extension to November 13, 2001. The motion was denied on September 11, 2002. Granite filed a timely notice of appeal from that order.

DISCUSSION

Section 1305, subdivision (a) requires the trial court to declare a forfeiture of bail if a defendant fails to appear at specified court proceedings without a satisfactory excuse. Where, as here, the amount of the bond exceeds $400, the clerk of the court is required to mail notice of the forfeiture to the bail agent within 30 days of the forfeiture. (§ 1305, subd. (b).) Section 1305, subdivisions (c), (d) and (e) set forth a 180-day period, plus five days when the notice of forfeiture has been mailed, within which a surety may obtain relief from the forfeiture by various methods, including the filing of a motion to vacate the forfeiture and exonerate bail (the exoneration period). (County of Los Angeles v. Nobel Ins. Co. (2000) 84 Cal.App.4th 939, 943 [101 Cal.Rptr.2d 320]; People v. Ranger Ins. Co. (2000) 77 Cal.App.4th 813, 825-826 [91 Cal.Rptr.2d 907].)

Section 1305.4 allows the court to extend the exoneration period up to 180 days, upon the filing of a motion supported by a showing of good cause. A motion to extend the exoneration period or to vacate the forfeiture that is timely filed within the exoneration period, may be heard within 30 days after the expiration of that period, and the court may extend the 30-day period to hear the motion on a showing of good cause. (§ 1305, subd. (i).) 5

Under section 1306, subdivision (a), the court is authorized to enter summary judgment when a bond has been forfeited “and the period of time specified in Section 1305 has elapsed without the forfeiture having been set *763 aside . . . .” 6 Section 1306, subdivision (c) provides in pertinent part: “If . . . summary judgment is not entered within 90 days after the date upon which it may first be entered, the right to do so expires and the bail is exonerated.” 7

Here, the court extended the exoneration period to November 13, 2001. Before that period expired, Granite timely filed a motion to vacate the forfeiture and exonerate bail which was scheduled for hearing within 30 days of November 13, 2001, as required by section 1305, subdivision (i). The court granted three continuances of the hearing on the motion, each time finding that the parties had shown good cause for the continuance. Once it denied the motion, the court entered summary judgment within 90 days of the denial.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

People v. International Fidelity Ins. Co. CA3
California Court of Appeal, 2025
People v. Basica
California Court of Appeal, 2024
People v. Bankers Ins. Co.
California Court of Appeal, 2021
People v. American Surety Company
California Court of Appeal, 2021
People v. Financial Casualty and Surety, Inc.
California Court of Appeal, 2019
People v. Financial Casualty & Surety
384 P.3d 1226 (California Supreme Court, 2016)
People v. Lexington National Ins. Corp. CA2/7
California Court of Appeal, 2016
People v. United States Fire Ins. Co. CA4/2
California Court of Appeal, 2016
People v. International Fidelity Ins. Co. CA4/2
California Court of Appeal, 2016
People v. United States Fire Insurance
242 Cal. App. 4th 991 (California Court of Appeal, 2015)
People v. Continental Heritage Ins. Co. CA2/7
California Court of Appeal, 2015
People v. Financial Casualty & Surety, Inc.
California Court of Appeal, 2015
People v. American Contractors Indemnity Co.
238 Cal. App. 4th 1041 (California Court of Appeal, 2015)
County of Los Angeles v. Williamsburg National Insurance
235 Cal. App. 4th 944 (California Court of Appeal, 2015)
People v. Financial Casualty & Surety CA4/1
California Court of Appeal, 2014
People v. American Contractors Indemnity Co.CA5
California Court of Appeal, 2014
People v. Lexington Nat. Ins. CA1/1
California Court of Appeal, 2013
People v. Accredited Surety and Casualty etc.
220 Cal. App. 4th 1137 (California Court of Appeal, 2013)
P. v. Safety Nat. Casualty Corp. CA5
California Court of Appeal, 2013

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
7 Cal. Rptr. 3d 887, 114 Cal. App. 4th 758, 2003 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 11099, 2003 Daily Journal DAR 14005, 2003 Cal. App. LEXIS 1897, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-granite-state-insurance-calctapp-2003.