Booth

Plaintiff and respondent County of San Mateo (the County) commenced an action against defendant and appellant Robert Lee Booth (defendant) to establish that he was the father of a minor whom the County had supported in its aid to families with dependent children (AFDC) program, and to obtain reimbursement of the funds the County had paid out. After a nonjury trial, the court entered a judgment which declared that defendant was the father of the minor and ordered him to reimburse the County in the sum of $8,819.11. Defendant appeals from the judgment.

The Pleadings and Procedural Sequence

The contentions on appeal require that the record be summarized in close detail. The County commenced the action by filing a “Complaint To Establish Parent-Child Relationship And Obtain Reimbursement Of Public Assistance” on February 5, 1979. The County stated a single cause of action in which it alleged in pertinent part as follows:

Defendant is the “natural father” of a named minor. The County had paid $8,819.11 “in public assistance” for the support of the child during the period from April 1, 1975, to October 31, 1978. “[A]t all times herein mentioned[,] defendant is and was…