Defendants’ Appeal Dismissed After Violation Of Trial Court’s Orders Relating To Transfers Of Money.

After a large judgment in favor of plaintiffs in a fraud action, defendants appealed. The trial court had enjoined defendants and their agents from selling, spending, transferring or dissipating any part of their assets. When plaintiffs learned defendants violated the orders, they filed a motion to dismiss defendants’ appeal under the doctrine of disentitlement, identifying 47 different transfers of money that violated the trial court’s orders. In granting the motion to dismiss the appeal, the appellate court stated: “It would be unjust to allow defendants to seek the benefits of an appeal while willfully disobeying the trial court’s orders and frustrating plaintiffs’ legitimate efforts to enforce the judgment. (Gwartz v. Weilert (Cal. App. Fifth Dist.; November 18, 2014) 231 Cal.App.4th 750 [180 Cal.Rptr.3d 809].)