Superior Court of CA – County of San Joaquin

The State of California has launched the Housing Is Key website for tenants and landlords as a resource to assist with navigating The Tenant, Homeowner, and Small Landlord Relief Stabilization Act of 2020.
Please remember that is the ultimate responsibility of the filer to ensure that all requirements and governing authority have been met, that the most recent version of Judicial Council forms are used, and that all required attachments are included prior to the submission of their documents to the court. Failure to comply with current legislation or to complete or submit the required documents may result in a delay in processing your documents. Also, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) with proper return postage if you prefer your documents or conformed copies to be returned to you by mail. Please continue to monitor the court’s website as to the acceptance of UDs for eFiling at https://appfile.sjcourts.org/.

Court staff is unable to provide legal guidance or advice. Those in need of assistance should contact the Self- Help/Pro Per Clinic. You may also view the Additional Resources information on the Unlawful Detainer/Landlord-Tenant page.

Under the newly added Code of Civil Procedure section 1179.01.5 (c), an Unlawful Detainer Supplemental Cover Sheet is required and is in addition to the mandatory Judicial Council form CM-010 – Civil Case Cover Sheet. You may submit your own supplemental cover sheet until the Judicial Council of California has adopted a form for mandatory use.

Under Code of Civil Procedure section 1161.2.5, “To give the court notice that access to the records in an action is limited, any complaint or responding pleading in a case subject to this section shall include on either the first page of the pleading or a cover page, the phrase ‘ACTION FOR RECOVERY OF COVID-19 RENTAL DEBT AS DEFINED UNDER SECTION 1179.02’ in bold, capital letters, in 12 point or larger font.”Effective immediately, the court will:

• File and issue summons for all commercial Unlawful Detainer complaints
• File and issue summons for residential Unlawful Detainer complaints that do not involve nonpayment of rent or other charges (Just Cause)
• Enter default and judgment for possession in cases in which an Answer or responsive pleading was not filed timely and the basis for the Complaint was not based in whole or in part on nonpayment of rent or other charges

Effective October 5, 2020, the court will begin to:

• File and issue summons for residential Unlawful Detainer complaints based in whole or in part on nonpayment of rent or other charges if all requirements under AB 3088, The Tenant, Homeowner, and Small Landlord Relief Stabilization Act of 2020 have been met by the filer.
• Enter default in Unlawful Detainer cases seeking possession of a residential property based in whole or in part on nonpayment of rent or other fees if all requirements of AB 3088 are met.
• The court will resume hearing the Unlawful Detainer court trials effected by the court closure. Notices will be sent to the parties/attorneys at their address on file with the court.

Please note that updates to this information may be ongoing.

As the landlord, you must begin by giving the tenant an appropriate written notice. If you are uncertain whether this should be a 3-day or a 30-day notice, you should contact a legal advisor for assistance. If the tenant has not moved out by the end of the period stated in the notice, you can begin the legal process by filing a complaint with the court. The forms to do this may be purchased from the court or are available at no charge through the court’s web site at California Courts website. You may file your papers in person or by mail.When you submit your paperwork, you will need an original and at least two copies of the papers. You will also need to pay the appropriate filing fees. If you are unable to pay the court fees, you may qualify for a waiver of court fees and costs.

Service

The clerk will provide you with endorsed copies of the complaint and an original summons. You must then have the tenants personally served with the summons and complaint. You cannot do this yourself, but anyone who is over the age of 18 who is not a party to the suit can serve the papers for you. You may prefer to have the Sheriff’s Department serve these papers for you, but you should be aware that they charge a fee for this service. The person who makes service will need to complete a Proof of Service form and give it to you. You must file this document with the court.

Once the tenants have been served, they have five court days to file a response with the court. If you do not receive a copy of the tenants’ response by mail, you may want to come to the court to see if an answer has been filed. You should bring the original completed summons and proof of service with you to file them with the court.

If the tenants do not file a response to your complaint

If the tenants have not filed a timely answer or motion to quash service of summons and complaint, you will need to file a Request to Enter Default, a clerk’s Judgment for Possession and a Writ of Possession. These forms may be obtained from the clerk’s office or through the California Courts website. Once you give the completed paperwork to the clerk, you will receive the documents that you will need to take to the Sheriff’s Department, Civil Division, to complete the eviction. You cannot evict the tenants yourself.

Please note:
All Requests for Clerk Default Judgment for Possession of the Premises are NOT processed at the counter. Documents must be left with the clerk for processing. Please check with the court branch you are filing your documents with as to when the documents will be ready.

If the tenants do file a response to your complaint

There are a variety of options available to the defendants, including filing an answer or a motion in opposition to the complaint. In most cases, an answer will be filed.
When an answer has been filed, you will need to file the original proof of service and a Memorandum to Set Case for Trial. The Proof of Service address must be as listed on the Answer. The court will mail you a notice regarding the trial date once it has been scheduled. You should receive this notice in about one week.

The landlord must begin the eviction process by giving you an appropriate written notice. This may either be a 3-day or 30-day notice, depending on the grounds for the eviction. If you are uncertain whether you have received the appropriate notice, you should contact a legal advisor for assistance. If you do not move out by the end of the period stated in the notice, the landlord can begin the legal process by filing a complaint with the court.

Service

After the landlord has filed the paperwork with the court, you will be served with the summons and complaint. Usually this involves a process server or a deputy sheriff personally handing you this paperwork. There are, however, other legal means of service, but the landlord may not serve the paperwork him/herself. If you are uncertain whether you have been properly served, you should contact a legal advisor.

Once you have been served, you normally have only five court days to file a response with the court. This may be an Answer or other legal pleading. The forms may be obtained from the California Courts. Failure to take timely action will result in a default judgment being entered against you and the eviction process will move forward quickly.

If you DO NOT file a response to the complaint

If you fail to respond to the complaint within the allotted time, the landlord will file a Request to Enter Default, a clerk’s Judgment for Possession and a Writ of Possession with the court. After they have been filed with the court, the clerk will give the landlord the documents that s/he will need to take to the Sheriff’s Department, Civil Division to complete the eviction. The landlord cannot evict you him or herself.

If you DO file a response to the complaint

You may file an Answer to the Complaint yourself or you may seek legal advice to determine the appropriate response which you should file with the court. Most often, tenants choose to file an Answer to the Complaint. The form may be obtained from the California Courts.
When an Answer has been filed, the landlord will file additional paperwork with the court and a trial date will be set. The court will mail you a notice about the trial date once it has been scheduled.

Preparing for Your Trial

You should start gathering all of the information that relates to your case. This may include witnesses or paperwork such as the following:

• an original of the lease or rental agreement,
• any letters you may have written or received about the property,
• any receipts you have,
• any inspection reports from the building inspector or health department,
• photographs,
• police reports, and
• any other documents that you think will help you convince the judge of your position.

You will need to bring three copies of each paper with you: one for the Judicial Officer, one for the other party, and one for yourself.

Get your paperwork organized before you come to court so that you can easily find what you need when you are in the courtroom. You may want to make notes for yourself so that you don’t forget to tell the judge something that you think is important

The court does not provide interpreters for this type of case. If you need an interpreter to help you in court, you must bring one with you. A family member or friend may serve as your interpreter.

The court does provide assistance for hearing impaired persons. Requests for this type of service must be made three days before your court date. Sign language interpreters and assistive listening devices are available. You may want to tell the clerk what type of assistance you need when you receive notice of the trial or hearing date.

A. For Small Claims Actions, Unlawful Detainer Cases, Civil Harassment Restraining Orders, and Other Evidentiary Hearings, parties must appear in person, unless the party or attorney requests and receives express written authorization to appear remotely by the judicial officer who is to hear the matter.

a. A party may request to appear remotely by filing and serving a Notice of Remote Appearance Form RA-010 with the Court no later than 5 court days before the Small Claims Actions, Unlawful Detainer Cases, Civil Harassment Restraining Orders, or Other Evidentiary Hearings.

b. In response to notice of remote appearance, any party may file and serve an Opposition to Remote Proceedings Form RA-015 no later than 3 court days before the hearing in question.

c. A party must deliver a copy of any written Notice or Opposition under (a) or (b) to the department in which the proceeding is to be held.

There are a couple of things which you should keep in mind before entering the courtroom. It is important that you dress appropriately and take care about your personal hygiene. You want to show respect for the court and make a favorable impression on the judge. You may not bring food or drinks into the courtroom. You may not chew gum and should not read or sleep while you are there.Unlawful detainer cases are heard in each of the courthouses in the county. Plan to arrive a few minutes before your case is scheduled to be heard. Several cases will be set for the same time period, so you may have to wait your turn.

The raised platform at the front of the room is where the judge will sit. This is called the “bench.” The court clerk acts as the judge’s assistant and is usually seated at a desk near the judge. This is the person who will ask you to promise to tell the truth. This is called “swearing in.” A uniformed deputy sheriff will also be in the courtroom. He or she serves as the bailiff and is responsible for keeping order in the courtroom.

The clerk will take role to see who is present before the judge comes into the courtroom. When the judge comes into the courtroom, the bailiff will announce the start of court and the judge presiding.

When your case is called, walk to the front of the railing and be seated at the table at the front of the courtroom. The judge will ask the landlord to speak first. The tenant will then be given a turn to tell the judge his side of the story. You will need to speak clearly and only when the judge asks you to speak. You should address the judge as “Your Honor.” You may not approach the bench to give the judge your paperwork. The bailiff or clerk will take any exhibits from you and give them to the judge.

Be sure you speak to the judge, not the other party. Never interrupt the judge while s/he is talking. The judge will be sure you get a turn to tell your side of the story. Try not to raise your voice in the courtroom; speak in a calm, clear way so that you can be understood. No matter how angry you may be with the situation, you should avoid calling the party names or using obscenities. When you are done talking, you should say, “Thank you, Your Honor,” and be seated.

Do not interrupt the other party, no matter how much you may disagree with what is being said. Try not to make faces or gestures while the other party is talking.

After the tenants are done, the landlord may ask the court for permission to respond to what has been said. If the judge says no, do not argue. You may want to talk about things that are not relevant to your case, and the judge may not allow you to do this. Do not take it personally if you are told to stop talking about something.

The judge will usually tell you what the court’s decision is at the end of the trial. If you do not hear what is said or do not understand something, you may want to say, “Your Honor, could you explain what you just said?”

Sometimes the judge will want to think about your case or research the law before making a decision. In this case, the judge may take the case under submission. When a decision has been made, the court will send a written decision to all of the parties.

Post Trial Procedures

At this time, the clerk’s office does not prepare the Judgment. The prevailing party is responsible for preparing the judgment and submitting it to the court for signature. The clerk’s office prepares the Notice of Entry of Judgment only when the prevailing party is Pro Per. The landlord must prepare the Writ of Possession. These forms are available from California Courts. The landlord must pay any fees when submitting the paperwork. The clerk will then send this paperwork to the judge for signature and then the documents will be returned to the landlord and mailed to the tenant.

When the landlord receives the signed documents from the court, copies of the Writ of Possession should be taken to the Sheriff’s Department. A deputy will give the tenants notice that they have five days to vacate the premises. Even though there is a court order, the landlord cannot personally evict the tenant.

If the tenants do not move out in the five-day period, the Sheriff will remove the tenants from the property and change the locks.

California Courts — printable forms and other general information about courts:
National Housing Law Project

Department of Fair Employment and Housing – provides materials related to California’s fair housing laws, including frequently asked questions, brochures, and forms.
Department of Housing and Urban Development– What Should I Know Before I Rent? – contains questions and answers prepared by the State Bar of California.