ACMC Finance and Trade v. Khachatryan CA2/7

INTRODUCTION

Sargis Khachatryan (a.k.a. Sam Saryan), Sona Apikian (a.k.a. Sona Saryan), and Gianni Saryan1 (collectively, Appellants) appeal the trial court’s order denying their motions to set aside default and default judgment under Code of Civil Procedure section 473.5.2 In September 2017 Energy Product Company LLC and Energy Trading Company LLC (Energy Trading)—two oil companies allegedly controlled by Appellants and their family— received a $2,450,000 loan from OSA Finance and Trade. This loan was never repaid. In 2019 ACMC Finance and Trade (ACMC), an affiliate of OSA Finance and Trade, sued Energy Trading, Appellants, Jack Khachatryan (a.k.a. Jack Saryan), and others seeking repayment of the loan. ACMC attempted to serve Appellants personally, but could not locate Appellants even after hiring two private investigative firms. ACMC’s investigators both independently concluded Appellants were “intentionally hiding their whereabouts.” ACMC ultimately served Appellants by publication. When Appellants’ immediate relative, Jack Khachatryan, answered ACMC’s complaint in February 2021,

Gianni Saryan’s first name is spelled “Gianna” in this court’s case caption, but most of…