Here is an appellate procedure trick I wish I'd thought of.
Unlawful detainers are designed for speedy adjudication of landlord/tenant disputes. But there was one way a tenant could readily delay the process by several weeks or months: by filing a motion to quash the complaint. A motion to quash extends the time to respond to the complaint. And when it's denied, the defendant has a statutory right to file a writ petition. The writ petition effectively stays the UD action.
And this de facto stay is free (except for attorney fees).
But the California Supreme Court now holds that that deal, sweet for the tenant but rather sour for the landlord, is not the law.
In the future, tenants should not plan on obtaining a de facto stay by filing an improper motion to quash. That clarity, ironically, comes by way of the Court's having given the tenant in this case a two-year de facto stay while awaiting its decision. The law works funny that way.
Stancil v. Superior Court (San Mateo) (May 3, 2021) S253783