Hardy

Filed 1/9/25; Modified and Certified for Pub. 1/31/25 (order attached)

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION TWO

JEAN M. HARDY, B331450

Plaintiff and Appellant, (Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. 22NWCV01656) v.

FOREST RIVER, INC., et al.,

Defendants and Respondents.

APPEAL from an order of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Lee W. Tsao, Judge. Reversed and remanded. Lawrence J. Hutchens and Shay Dinata-Hanson for Plaintiff and Appellant. Phillips, Spallas & Angstadt, Michael R. Halvorsen and Matthew A. Gardner for Defendants and Respondents.

_________________________ A California consumer enters into an agreement with an RV manufacturer that all legal disputes regarding the sale will be resolved in Indiana, governed by Indiana law. Upon the consumer’s filing of a lawsuit in California under the Song- Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (Song-Beverly Act) (Civ. Code, § 1790 et seq.), the RV manufacturer files a motion to stay or dismiss the action on forum non conveniens grounds, contending that the exclusive jurisdiction for this case is Indiana. The manufacturer…