BLACK DIAMOND ASPHALT, INC. v. Superior Court

Opinion

CALLAHAN, J.

We granted an alternative writ in this case to determine whether the California Insurance Guarantee Association (CIGA), an unincorporated association with its principal business in the County of Los Angeles, may only be sued in that county despite the fact that CIGA allegedly incurred a statutory liability to defend the plaintiff in a lawsuit in San Joaquin County.

Code of Civil Procedure section 395.5 (all further unspecified statutory references are to this code) permits an association such as CIGA to be sued in the county “where the obligation or liability arises.” We…