Does the answer to a petition for writ of mandate constitute no defense to the action?

The trial court determined in the judgment that appellants' answer to the petition for writ of mandate (i.e., the answer filed thereto by the City [1 Cal.App.3d 200] and County and its respective boards) 'raised only questions of law, or put in issue immaterial statements not affecting the substantial rights of the parties or the gravamen * * * (of the action) * * *' Although we have not summarized the pleadings because of their length, we state here that we agree with this determination. The answer therefore stated no defense to the action; hence the trial court properly entered judgment on the pleadings. (See MacIsaac v. Pozzo (1945) 26 Cal.2d 809, 812--813, 161 P.2d 449)