Alpine Mutual Water Co. v. Superior Court

This proceeding arises out of an action now pending in the Superior Court for Ventura County, between Alpine Mutual Water Company and others, the petitioners here, as plaintiffs, against Susana Knolls Mutual Water Company, William M. Fisher and Frederick R. Schumacher as defendants. On June 27, 1967, the court made an order requiring plaintiffs to answer an interrogatory consisting of several parts. Plaintiffs petition this court for a writ prohibiting the enforcement of that order.

Plaintiffs’ initial pleading is denominated “Complaint for Declaratory and Other Relief.” In it plaintiffs Alpine Mutual Water Company (hereafter referred to as Alpine) and Douglas Morton allege a “first cause of action” and a “second cause of action” against the several defendants. These are followed by similar causes of action by the plaintiffs Belwood Mutual Water Company (hereafter referred to as Belwood) and John F. Roberts against the same defendants. The parties are agreed that the interrogatory relates only to the two second causes of action.

The second cause of action in Alpine’s case alleges facts to support the claim that the individual defendants, purportedly acting as officers of Alpine,…