Pacific Equity Solutions v. Nicholson CA4/1

Filed 11/19/25 Pacific Equity Solutions v. Nicholson CA4/1 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

COURT OF APPEAL, FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION ONE

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

PACIFIC EQUITY SOLUTIONS, LLC, D085107

Cross-complainant and Respondent, (Super. Ct. No. 37-2019- v. 00013163-CU-OR-CTL)

DAVID NICHOLSON,

Cross-defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of San Diego County, Timothy Taylor and Marcella O. McLaughlin, Judges. Affirmed. David Nicholson, in pro. per., for Appellant. Goode Hemme and John Malki for Respondent. David Nicholson appeals from a final judgment entered after the trial court: (1) entered a default judgment against him on a cross-complaint brought by Pacific Equity Solutions, LLC (Pacific); (2) denied Nicholson’s motions to set aside the default judgment and for reconsideration of the denial order; and (3) sustained a demurrer to Nicholson’s first amended cross- complaint against Pacific without leave to amend. We conclude that

Nicholson has forfeited any challenge to these rulings by failing to provide an adequate record on appeal. Accordingly, we affirm the judgment. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND The record on appeal is missing most of the key documents, and there

is no reporter’s transcript or settled statement of the relevant hearings.1 We do our best to summarize the background based on the parties’ briefs and the limited record before us, including the register of actions. We organize our summary around the four rulings Nicholson appears to be challenging in this appeal. A. September 22, 2022 Default Judgment This case stems from a residential real estate transaction. The seller, Angela Flores, who is not a party to this appeal, filed the original lawsuit against Pacific, Nicholson, and others in 2019. Pacific was the ultimate buyer of the property and Nicholson arranged the transaction for Pacific. Pacific filed a cross-complaint against Nicholson and other cross- defendants. Several of the other cross-defendants filed a demurrer to