Hyundai Motor America v. Superior Court

“Nature, not judges, should be in charge of making mountains out of mole hills.” (Crum v. City of Stockton (1979) 96 Cal.App.3d 519, 524 [ 157 Cal.Rptr. 823 ] (cone. & dis. opn. of Reynoso, J.).)

This writ petition came to this court on a request by petitioner Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) to stay a scheduled judgment debtor examination of its president and chief executive officer over a dispute regarding an attempt by real party in interest Adam Rosen (Rosen) to collect supposed postjudgment interest of $462.50 on an attorney fee award of $42,203.

Hyundai promptly paid the entire fee award, but refused to pay any additional sums for interest. Rosen accepted the tendered amount but deducted $462.50 as an interest payment, allegedly leaving part of the principal balance unpaid. From this initial $462.50, Rosen now claims that Hyundai owes more than $13,000 for additional interest and attorney fees in less than a six-month period — one of the best growth investments we have seen.

There is a short answer to Rosen’s claim for postjudgment interest: the attorney fee order was filed months before the entry of the final judgment in this matter. By law, postjudgment interest…