Judge: Alison Mackenzie, Case: 22STCV17848, Date: 2024-02-08 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 22STCV17848    Hearing Date: February 8, 2024    Dept: 55

NATURE OF PROCEEDINGS:  Defendants L For Lofts, LLC and Wilfred Yang’s Motion to Consolidate Cases.

Plaintiffs, a group of commercial tenants, bring this case seeking damages against L FOR LOFT, LLC and WILFRED YANG (“Defendants”) for the loss of Plaintiffs’ personal property in a building fire. This case is related and consolidated with case 22STCV36884.   

On 1/12/24, Defendants filed a motion to consolidate this case (22STCV17848) with the subrogation case titled Atlantic Casualty Insurance Co. v. L for Lofts, LLC, Case No. 23AHCV01671. The local rules are clear that cases may not be consolidated unless the court has first related the cases and they are in the same department. L.A.S.C.L.R. 3.3(g)(1). On 1/18/24, the Court exercised its discretion and ordered that this case is not related to the case in 23AHCV01671. The California Rules of Court, and Local Rules, make clear that judges’ decisions to relate cases are discretionary.  E.g., CRC Rule 3.300(h) (“case may be ordered related….”), and (j) (“If for any reason a case is not ordered related…, that case will remain assigned to the court… where it was pending….”);  L.R. 3.3(f)(3) (“In the event that the pertinent judge under California Rules of Court, rule 3.300(h)(1)(A)(B)(C), does not order related any of the cases set forth in the Notice of Related Cases,...”).  [Emphases added.]   

Because the cases are not related, no authority exists for the Court to consolidate the cases. The Court therefore denies the motion.