Arnold v. Villarreal

Dist. Ct. did not err in granting defendant’s motion for summary judgment in plaintiff’s action alleging that defendant committed fraud by tricking plaintiff into believing that they were validly married, when, in fact, although they participated in marriage ceremony, they had failed to file marriage license within statutory time frame for doing so as required under California law. Record showed that defendant had informed plaintiff at some point after ceremony that she suspected that they were not validly married and insisted that they obtain another marriage license, and although plaintiff asserted that defendant had falsely reassured him that they were legally married in effort to obtain interest in condominium from plaintiff, any reliance on defendant’s alleged statements was not reasonable, where plaintiff learned from county recorder shortly after marriage ceremony that original marriage license had not been filed as required under California law.