Stauffer Chemical Co. v. Superior Court

Petitioner Stauffer Chemical Company is a defendant in nine separate suits seeking damages allegedly caused by an agricultural weed killer. Although all the plaintiffs farmed in Modoc County, they filed the suits in Siskiyou County where a codefendant resided. Stauffer moved to change venue to Modoc County. In four of the suits the plaintiffs were landowners, alleging damage to their soil as well as to their growing crops. These four suits were transferred to Modoc County as actions for injury to real property. (Code Civ. Proc. § 392.) The other five actions were brought by lessees, alleging…