SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE
OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF ________
- [PLAINTIFF(S) NAMES]
- Plaintiffs,
- v.
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- [DEFENDANT(S) NAMES]
- Defendants
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-
- ________________________________
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- CASE NO: _______
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- COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES AND FRAUD
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Plaintiff complains and for causes of
action alleges as follows:
1. Plaintiff, __________ [name], is
an individual residing
in __________ County, California.
2. Defendant, __________ [name of broker]
("broker"), is
now, and at all times mentioned in this complaint was, a
California real estate broker license number __________.
3. Defendant, __________ [name of agent]
("agent"), is
now, and at all times relevant to this action was, a duly
licensed real estate agent, licensed under the laws of the State
of California, license number __________, and an employee of
broker.
4. Defendant, __________ [name of seller]
("seller"), is
now, and at all times mentioned in this complaint was, an
individual residing in __________ County, California.
5. Plaintiff does not know the true
names of defendants
DOES 1 through 25, and therefore sues them by those fictitious
names. Plaintiff is informed and believes, and on the basis of
that information and belief alleges, that each of those
defendants was in some manner legally responsible for the events
and happenings alleged in this complaint and for plaintiff's
injuries and damages. The names, capacities and relationships
of DOES 1 through 25 will be alleged by amendment to this
complaint when they are known.
6. Plaintiff is informed and believes,
and on that basis
alleges, that at all times mentioned in this complaint,
defendants were the agents and employees of their codefendants,
and in doing the things alleged in this complaint were acting
within the course and scope of that agency and employment.
7. On or about __________ [date], broker
and agent
represented seller in seller's effort to sell real property
described in paragraph 9 of this complaint.
FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION
(Breach of Written Contract for Sale of Real Property)
8. Plaintiff incorporates by this reference
paragraphs 1
through 7 of this complaint.
9. On or about __________ [date], plaintiff
and seller
entered into a written agreement in which plaintiff agreed to
purchase and seller agreed to sell real property located at
__________ [location and address of property, if any] ("the
real
property"), more particularly described as __________ [set
forth
legal description]. A copy of the written purchase and sale
agreement ("the agreement") is attached to this complaint
as
Exhibit __________ and is incorporated by this reference. The
agreement includes a provision for recovery of attorney fees
by
the prevailing party in the event an action is brought under
the
agreement.
10. Prior to plaintiff's execution of
the agreement,
seller, broker, and agent presented plaintiff with a Real Estate
Transfer Disclosure Statement dated __________ [date] that was
prepared by these defendants and signed by them. A copy of the
Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement ("the disclosure
statement") is attached to this complaint as Exhibit __________
and is incorporated by this reference.
11. Plaintiff relied on the representations
set forth in
the disclosure statement in entering into the agreement and the
statement was incorporated into the agreement.
12. Plaintiff performed all conditions,
covenants, and
promises on plaintiff's part to be performed in accordance with
the terms and conditions of the agreement.
13. Plaintiff closed escrow and took
possession of the
real property on __________ [date].
14. Plaintiff is informed and believes,
and on that basis
alleges, that seller breached the agreement by failing to
disclose material and important information regarding the
condition of the real property that was within seller's
knowledge as follows: __________ [set forth specific details
as
to disclosure failure].
15. In the disclosure statement, seller,
broker, and agent
state that __________ [set forth erroneous statements made in
the disclosure statement].
16. Plaintiff relied on the seller's,
broker's, and
agent's representations as set forth in the disclosure statement
and that reliance was reasonable.
17. Plaintiff would not have entered
into the agreement
had plaintiff known the true facts.
18. As a result of seller's breach of
the agreement,
plaintiff has been damaged in that __________ [set forth
specific details as to damage, such as: plaintiff has been
forced to incur the cost and expense of correcting the defects
and problems on the real property.]
WHEREFORE, plaintiff demands judgment
as set forth below.
SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION
(Violation of Civil Code sections 1102 et seq.)
19. Plaintiff incorporates by this reference
paragraphs 1
through 18 of this complaint.
20. Seller, broker, and agent owed plaintiff
a duty under
Civil Code sections 1102 et seq. to inspect and to disclose
fully and fairly all facts that materially affect or relate to
the condition of the real property and to disclose truthful and
complete, rather than misleading, information.
21. Plaintiff is informed and believes,
and on that basis
alleges, that broker and agent failed to undertake an inquiry
of
seller as to the condition of the property or to undertake a
reasonably competent and diligent visual inspection of the real
property to determine whether the items set forth in the
disclosure statement were true in that __________ [state
specific basis for failure of reasonable investigation].
22. Seller, broker, and agent failed
to comply with the
requirements of Civil Code sections 1102 et seq. by failing to
supply required material information as to the condition of real
property, and by instead supplying information that did not meet
the requirements of these provisions, and these actions were
not
in good faith.
23. As a result of the failures of seller,
broker, and
agent to comply with Civil Code sections 1102 et seq., they are
each liable in the amount of actual damages sustained by
plaintiff as set forth in this complaint.
WHEREFORE, plaintiff demands judgment
as set forth below.
THIRD CAUSE OF ACTION
(Fraudulent Concealment)
24. Plaintiff incorporates by this reference
paragraphs 1
through 23 of this complaint.
25. Seller deliberately concealed the
true facts regarding
the real property from plaintiff, and broker and agent either
deliberately concealed the true facts known to them or failed
to
make any reasonable investigation to determine the true facts
from which representations were made as to the condition of the
real property to determine whether they were true or false, and
without having any sufficient basis on which to make any
representations, knowingly made false representations,
concealing the true condition of the real property as set forth
in this complaint.
26. Seller, broker, and agent concealed
the facts when
they each knew the true and correct facts regarding the real
property.
27. The concealment of the true facts
from plaintiff was
done with the intent to induce plaintiff to enter into the
agreement.
28. Plaintiff's reliance on statements
made by seller,
broker, and agent was justified in that __________ [state basis
for reliance, such as: the seller had owned the real property
for a number of years and the broker and agent had access to
information known to the seller or could ascertain it by a
reasonably competent and diligent investigation and inspection].
29. As a proximate result of the fraud
and deceit alleged,
plaintiff was induced to purchase the real property. Plaintiff
has been damaged in the amount set forth in the demand for
relief.
30. Plaintiff's damages include out-of-pocket
costs and
expenses and loss of use of the real property.
31. In doing the acts alleged in this
complaint, seller,
broker, and agent acted with oppression, fraud, and malice as
defined in Civil Code section 3294, and plaintiff is entitled
to
punitive damages to make an example of and to punish these
defendants in addition to actual damages.
WHEREFORE, plaintiff demands judgment
against defendants
for the following:
1. For compensatory damages against
seller in the amount
of $__________
2. For compensatory damages against
broker and agent in
the amount of $__________;
3. For interest at the rate of __________
percent per
annum;
4. For punitive damages;
5. For reasonable attorney fees according
to proof;
6. For costs of suit incurred in this
action; and
7. For such other and further relief
as this court may
deem just and proper.
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DATED: _______________ |
__________________________________________ |
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(Signature) |
VERIFICATION
I, ___, am a ___in the above-entitled
action. I have read the foregoing ___and know the contents
thereof. The same is true of my own knowledge, except as to those
matters which are therein alleged on information and belief,
and as to those matters, I believe it to be true.
I declare under penalty of perjury that
the foregoing is true and correct and that this declaration was
executed at Long Beach, California.
DATED: _________________ ___________________________________
