Chen

BACKGROUND

Because the issue in this appeal is purely procedural, we need not describe in detail the factual background. In brief, Shao Yan Chen, Han Lin Liu, Zhi Hua Mo, Yuk Yee Cheng, Hui Zhen

Undesignated statutory references are to the Civil Code.

1 Hu, Ruizhao Wu, and Qi Di Wu (collectively, tenants) had a dispute with Valstock Ventures, LLC and 371 Broadway Street, LLC (together, Valstock) over which of two documents was the operative lease governing the tenants’ tenancies in two of Valstock’s apartment buildings. The tenants filed suit against Valstock seeking a declaratory judgment on this question, alleging a civil conspiracy, and stating claims for violations of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (Gov. Code, §§ 12900–12996) (FEHA), Unfair Competition Law (Bus. & Prof. Code, § 17203) (UCL), and section 37.10B of the San Francisco Rent Ordinance.2 After approximately a year of litigation, Valstock filed a motion for summary judgment and the tenants filed a motion for summary adjudication of their declaratory judgment cause of action and Valstock’s related affirmative defenses. In September 2020, the trial court denied Valstock’s motion and granted the tenants’…