Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in California

Any one can file a lawsuit anywhere. All it takes is a complaint and the requisite filing fee. However, in order to obtain a valid judgment you must adhere to certain procedural rules which constitutionally require the defendant due process. Generally, when a lawsuit is filed, it must be filed (i) where the defendant lives; (ii) where a breach of contract occurred; (iii) where a contract was to be performed; or (iv) where the injury occurred.

Assuming the apartment was in California and the defendants currently live in California, you will have to file your lawsuit in California, in the proper Court in the County in which your cause of action arose. Most California Counties have a number of different Court Houses, and you must file the lawsuit in the proper Court House. You can obtain information about filing lawsuits by googeling the County Court in the County in which the defendants live. For example, if the defendants live in Riverside County, California, you would google "Riverside County Superior Court." Follow the link for self-represented litigants to determine which Court to file in.