Balakhane

INTRODUCTION

This is the second appeal arising out of a 2018 settlement agreement resolving a dispute between defendants and appellants Moris Sakhai, Naziar Azadegan,1 and California Capital Venture, Inc. (collectively, the Sakhais) and plaintiffs Peyman Balakhane, Pejman Balakhane, and L.A. Fashion Hub, Inc. (collectively, the Balakhanes).2 Under the settlement agreement, entered orally on the record before the trial court, the Sakhais agreed to pay $750,000 to the Balakhanes. Of that amount, the parties agreed that $400,000 would be paid by the Sakhais’ insurers, respondents Nationwide Insurance Company (Nationwide) and Northfield Insurance Company (Northfield), after the Sakhais executed a liability release. Counsel for the insurers agreed to these settlement terms on the record. The court retained jurisdiction to enforce the settlement agreement under Code of Civil Procedure section 664.6.3 Although the Sakhais did not execute the release as agreed, both they and respondents made the required payments under the settlement agreement. The trial court subsequently issued an order granting Nationwide a liability release pursuant to the settlement agreement. Two years later, the…