The Government Claims Statute (Gov. Code 905) requires plaintiffs to file a government claim with the prospective government entity defendant before filing a suit for damages. However, the statute does not apply to actions for injunctive, specific, or declaratory relief–even if the declaration might be used in a later suit for damages. Here, a contractor sued for a declaration regarding the meaning of particular language in a construction contract it had entered into with the City of Monterey. The decision holds that the trial court erred in sustaining the city’s demurrer on the ground that no government claim had been filed.