Jancso

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Plaintiff and cross-defendant Sahni filed the original complaint on June 1, 2005. Ultimately, there were eight parties, including plaintiffs, defendants, cross-complainants, and cross-defendants (counting individuals named in different capacities only once and not including Byrum). Appellants Julius and Susan Jancso were defendants and cross- complainants. No version of the complaint is included in the appellate record, so we cannot describe the causes of action, which, in any event, are not germane to the issues on appeal. The trial was bifurcated and the trial court, without a jury, heard specified issues on November 29 to December 3 and December 6 to December 7, 2010. On

1The parties have cited nothing in the appellate record to support this recitation of facts. It is contained only in appellants’ brief, but there is no indication that it is in dispute.

2 December 30, 2010, the court issued a tentative decision, including the following findings: (1) New Era Construction, Inc., was an existing California corporation; (2) half the shares in the corporation were issued to Sahni and the other half to Julius Jancso; Sahni was the incorporator,…