The California Courts Are Divided.

        One more case lines up with those courts holding the 30-day deadline requirement in consumer and employment cases, set by Cal. Code of Civ. Proc. § 1281.98, for the drafting party to pay arbitration fees, is not preempted by the Federal Arbitration Act. Keeton v. Tesla, Inc., A166690 (1/1  6/26/24) (Wilson, Humes, Siggins).

        COMMENT: We agree that Keeton v. Tesla, Inc. is in accord with most California cases that have addressed the subject. See our sidebar category "Deadlines". However, the law is unsettled. On 7/3/24, we blogged about Hernandez v. Sohnen Enterprises, Inc., which holds that when the agreement is governed by the Federal Arbitration Act, § 1281.98 is preempted. Justice Wiley in a dissent has staked the same preemption position in Hohenshelt v. Superior Court. See my 4/11/24 blog post.

        Eventually this split of opinion will need to be decided by a higher court. That's my opinion.