A motion to dismiss asks the court to dismiss either whole or part of a complaint, counterclaim, or crossclaim. Motion to strike or "Demurrer": In some jurisdictions, a motion to strike or a "demurrer" is the equivalent to a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.
A Motion to Strike is similar to a Demurrer, in that it challenges defects in the complaint. However, the two pleadings challenge different types of defects. A Demurrer is used to challenge the legal sufficiency or clarity of the claims.
PRACTICE TIP: Courts consider striking a party's pleading to be an extreme measure, and motions to strike are viewed with disfavor and infrequently granted. POL. Many courts consider filing this motion as a dilatory tactic.
What happens next? If we filed the motion to strike in a trial court, then we will set the motion to be heard by a judge or magistrate, and be ruled upon. If we filed it in an appeals court, the appeals court will read the motion and offending document and will rule on it without hearing.
As with all motions, a motion to strike must state with particularity the grounds for seeking the order to strike, as well as the relief sought. FRCP 7(b); Smart Code®. Under FRCP 12(f), the court may strike from a pleading an insufficient defense or any redundant, immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous matter.
Notice of most types of motions, and the papers that support the motion, must be filed with the court and served on all other parties at least sixteen (16) court days before the scheduled hearing date of the motion.
If the two sides cannot reach an agreement, the defendant has to file and serve the demurrer or motion to strike within the deadline (usually 30 days) for responding to the Complaint. The other side then gets a chance to file a response before a court date where the judge will make a decision.
C.C.P. § 436 allows for a motion to strike “any irrelevant, false, or improper matter asserted in any pleading” or portion of a pleading “not drawn of filed in conformity with the laws of this state.” A motion to strike is proper “when a substantive defect is clear from the face of a complaint.” (PH II, Inc.
Grounds for a motion to strike include the following: The pleading is false; that is, untrue. The pleading is filed without the required leave of court. The form of pleading is in violation of a court order. The pleading is filed late. The pleading is barred by the statute of limitations. The pleading must be verified.