SECTIONS 638-645.2 - California Statutes

CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE

SECTION 638-645.2

638. A referee may be appointed upon the agreement of the parties
filed with the clerk, or judge, or entered in the minutes, or upon
the motion of a party to a written contract or lease that provides
that any controversy arising therefrom shall be heard by a referee if
the court finds a reference agreement exists between the parties:
(a) To hear and determine any or all of the issues in an action or
proceeding, whether of fact or of law, and to report a statement of
decision.
(b) To ascertain a fact necessary to enable the court to determine
an action or proceeding.
(c) In any matter in which a referee is appointed pursuant to this
section, a copy of the order shall be forwarded to the office of the
presiding judge. The Judicial Council shall, by rule, collect
information on the use of these referees. The Judicial Council shall
also collect information on fees paid by the parties for the use of
referees to the extent that information regarding those fees is
reported to the court. The Judicial Council shall report thereon to
the Legislature by July 1, 2003. This subdivision shall become
inoperative on January 1, 2004.

639. (a) When the parties do not consent, the court may, upon the
written motion of any party, or of its own motion, appoint a referee
in the following cases pursuant to the provisions of subdivision (b)
of Section 640:
(1) When the trial of an issue of fact requires the examination of
a long account on either side; in which case the referees may be
directed to hear and decide the whole issue, or report upon any
specific question of fact involved therein.
(2) When the taking of an account is necessary for the information
of the court before judgment, or for carrying a judgment or order
into effect.
(3) When a question of fact, other than upon the pleadings, arises
upon motion or otherwise, in any stage of the action.
(4) When it is necessary for the information of the court in a
special proceeding.
(5) When the court in any pending action determines that it is
necessary for the court to appoint a referee to hear and determine
any and all discovery motions and disputes relevant to discovery in
the action and to report findings and make a recommendation thereon.
(b) In a discovery matter, a motion to disqualify an appointed
referee pursuant to Section 170.6 shall be made to the court by a
party either:
(A) Within 10 days after notice of the appointment, or if the
party has not yet appeared in the action, a motion shall be made
within 10 days after the appearance, if a discovery referee has been
appointed for all discovery purposes.
(B) At least five days before the date set for hearing, if the
referee assigned is known at least 10 days before the date set for
hearing and the discovery referee has been assigned only for limited
discovery purposes.
(c) When a referee is appointed pursuant to paragraph (5) of
subdivision (a), the order shall indicate whether the referee is
being appointed for all discovery purposes in the action.
(d) All appointments of referees pursuant to this section shall be
by written order and shall include the following:
(1) When the referee is appointed pursuant to paragraph (1), (2),
(3), or (4) of subdivision (a), a statement of the reason the referee
is being appointed.
(2) When the referee is appointed pursuant to paragraph (5) of
subdivision (a), the exceptional circumstances requiring the
reference, which must be specific to the circumstances of the
particular case.
(3) The subject matter or matters included in the reference.
(4) The name, business address, and telephone number of the
referee.
(5) The maximum hourly rate the referee may charge and, at the
request of any party, the maximum number of hours for which the
referee may charge. Upon the written application of any party or the
referee, the court may, for good cause shown, modify the maximum
number of hours subject to any findings as set forth in paragraph
(6).
(6) (A) Either a finding that no party has established an economic
inability to pay a pro rata share of the referee's fee or a finding
that one or more parties has established an economic inability to pay
a pro rata share of the referee's fees and that another party has
agreed voluntarily to pay that additional share of the referee's fee.
A court shall not appoint a referee at a cost to the parties if
neither of these findings is made.
(B) In determining whether a party has established an inability to
pay the referee's fees under subparagraph (A), the court shall
consider only the ability of the party, not the party's counsel, to
pay these fees. If a party is proceeding in forma pauperis, the party
shall be deemed by the court to have an economic inability to pay
the referee's fees. However, a determination of economic inability to
pay the fees shall not be limited to parties that proceed in forma
pauperis. For those parties who are not proceeding in forma pauperis,
the court, in determining whether a party has established an
inability to pay the fees, shall consider, among other things, the
estimated cost of the referral and the impact of the proposed fees on
the party's ability to proceed with the litigation.
(e) In any matter in which a referee is appointed pursuant to
paragraph (5) of subdivision (a), a copy of the order appointing the
referee shall be forwarded to the office of the presiding judge of
the court. The Judicial Council shall, by rule, collect information
on the use of these references and the reference fees charged to
litigants, and shall report thereon to the Legislature by July 1,
2003. This subdivision shall become inoperative on January 1, 2004.

640. (a) The court shall appoint as referee or referees the person
or persons, not exceeding three, agreed upon by the parties.
(b) If the parties do not agree on the selection of the referee or
referees, each party shall submit to the court up to three nominees
for appointment as referee and the court shall appoint one or more
referees, not exceeding three, from among the nominees against whom
there is no legal objection. If no nominations are received from any
of the parties, the court shall appoint one or more referees, not
exceeding three, against whom there is no legal objection, or the
court may appoint a court commissioner of the county where the cause
is pending as a referee.
(c) Participation in the referee selection procedure pursuant to
this section does not constitute a waiver of grounds for objection to
the appointment of a referee under Section 641 or 641.2.

640.5. It is the intent of the Legislature that the practice and
cost of referring discovery disputes to outside referees be
thoroughly reviewed. Therefore, in addition to the requirements of
subdivision (e) of Section 639, the Judicial Council shall collect
information from the trial courts on the use of referees in discovery
matters pursuant to either Sections 638 and 639. The collected data
shall include information on the number of referees, the cost to the
parties, and the time spent by the discovery referee. The Judicial
Council shall report thereon to the Legislature by July 1, 2003.

641. A party may object to the appointment of any person as
referee, on one or more of the following grounds:
(a) A want of any of the qualifications prescribed by statute to
render a person competent as a juror, except a requirement of
residence within a particular county in the state.
(b) Consanguinity or affinity, within the third degree, to either
party, or to an officer of a corporation which is a party, or to any
judge of the court in which the appointment shall be made.
(c) Standing in the relation of guardian and ward, conservator and
conservatee, master and servant, employer and clerk, or principal
and agent, to either party; or being a member of the family of either
party; or a partner in business with either party; or security on
any bond or obligation for either party.
(d) Having served as a juror or been a witness on any trial
between the same parties.
(e) Interest on the part of the person in the event of the action,
or in the main question involved in the action.
(f) Having formed or expressed an unqualified opinion or belief as
to the merits of the action.
(g) The existence of a state of mind in the potential referee
evincing enmity against or bias toward either party.

641.2. In any action brought under Article 8 (commencing with
Section 12600) of Chapter 6, Part 2, Division 3, Title 3 of the
Government Code, a party may object to the appointment of any person
as referee on the ground that the person is not technically qualified
with respect to the particular subject matter of the proceeding.

642. Objections, if any, to a reference or to the referee or
referees appointed by the court shall be made in writing, and must be
heard and disposed of by the court, not by the referee.

643. (a) Unless otherwise directed by the court, the referees or
commissioner must report their statement of decision in writing to
the court within 20 days after the hearing, if any, has been
concluded and the matter has been submitted.
(b) A referee appointed pursuant to Section 638 shall report as
agreed by the parties and approved by the court.
(c) A referee appointed pursuant to Section 639 shall file with
the court a report that includes a recommendation on the merits of
any disputed issue, a statement of the total hours spent and the
total fees charged by the referee, and the referee's recommended
allocation of payment. The referee shall serve the report on all
parties. Any party may file an objection to the referee's report or
recommendations within 10 days after the referee serves and files the
report, or within another time as the court may direct. The
objection shall be served on the referee and all other parties.
Responses to the objections shall be filed with the court and served
on the referee and all other parties within 10 days after the
objection is served. The court shall review any objections to the
report and any responses submitted to those objections and shall
thereafter enter appropriate orders. Nothing in this section is
intended to deprive the court of its power to change the terms of the
referee's appointment or to modify or disregard the referee's
recommendations, and this overriding power may be exercised at any
time, either on the motion of any party for good cause shown or on
the court's own motion.

644. (a) In the case of a consensual general reference pursuant to
Section 638, the decision of the referee or commissioner upon the
whole issue must stand as the decision of the court, and upon filing
of the statement of decision with the clerk of the court, judgment
may be entered thereon in the same manner as if the action had been
tried by the court.
(b) In the case of all other references, the decision of the
referee or commissioner is only advisory. The court may adopt the
referee's recommendations, in whole or in part, after independently
considering the referee's findings and any objections and responses
thereto filed with the court.

645. The decision of the referee appointed pursuant to Section 638
or commissioner may be excepted to and reviewed in like manner as if
made by the court. When the reference is to report the facts, the
decision reported has the effect of a special verdict.

645.1. (a) When a referee is appointed pursuant to Section 638, the
referee's fees shall be paid as agreed by the parties. If the
parties do not agree on the payment of fees and request the matter to
be resolved by the court, the court may order the parties to pay the
referee's fees as set forth in subdivision (b).
(b) When a referee is appointed pursuant to Section 639, at any
time after a determination of ability to pay is made as specified in
paragraph (6) of subdivision (d) of Section 639, the court may order
the parties to pay the fees of referees who are not employees or
officers of the court at the time of appointment, as fixed pursuant
to Section 1023, in any manner determined by the court to be fair and
reasonable, including an apportionment of the fees among the
parties. For purposes of this section, the term "parties" does not
include parties' counsel.

645.2. The Judicial Council shall adopt all rules of court
necessary to implement this chapter.