Judge: Anne Hwang, Case: 22STCV27898, Date: 2024-04-29 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 22STCV27898    Hearing Date: April 29, 2024    Dept: 32

PLEASE NOTE:   Parties are encouraged to meet and confer concerning this tentative ruling to determine if a resolution may be reached.  If the parties are unable to reach a resolution and a party intends to submit on this tentative ruling, the party must send an email to the Court at sscdept32@lacourt.org indicating that party’s intention to submit.  The email shall include the case number, date and time of the hearing, counsel’s contact information (if applicable), and the identity of the party submitting on this tentative ruling.  If the Court does not receive an email indicating the parties are submitting on this tentative ruling and there are no appearances at the hearing, the Court may place the motion off calendar or adopt the tentative ruling as the order of the Court.  If all parties do not submit on this tentative ruling, they should arrange to appear in-person or remotely.  Further, after the Court has posted/issued a tentative ruling, the Court has the inherent authority to prohibit the withdrawal of the subject motion and adopt the tentative ruling as the order of the Court. 

TENTATIVE RULING

BACKGROUND

            Plaintiff Nitta Balles Dee (“Plaintiff”) moves to compel Defendant Vinicio Coronado (“Defendant”) to serve verified responses, without objections, to Request for Production of Documents, Set One, Special Interrogatories, Set One, and Form Interrogatories, Set One. Plaintiff seeks monetary sanctions. No opposition has been filed.

LEGAL STANDARD

Interrogatories

If a party to whom interrogatories are directed fails to serve a timely response, the propounding party may move for an order compelling responses. (Code Civ. Proc. § 2030.290 (b).) Failure to timely respond waives all objections, including privilege and work product, unless “[t]he party has subsequently served a response that is in substantial compliance” and “[t]he party’s failure to serve a timely response was the result of mistake, inadvertence, or excusable neglect.” (Code Civ. Proc., § 2030.290 (a)(1), (a)(2).) The statute contains no time limit for a motion to compel where no responses have been served and no meet and confer is required when a party does not respond to discovery requests. All that need be shown in the moving papers is that a set of interrogatories was properly served on the opposing party, that the time to respond has expired, and that no response of any kind has been served. (Leach v. Superior Court (1980) 111 Cal.App.3d 902, 905-906.)

If a motion to compel responses is filed, the Court shall impose a monetary sanction against the losing party “unless it finds that the one subject to the sanction acted with substantial justification or that other circumstances make the imposition of the sanction unjust.” (Code Civ. Proc., §§ 2030.290 (c).) Further, “[t]he court may award sanctions under the Discovery Act in favor of a party who files a motion to compel discovery, even though no opposition to the motion was filed, or opposition to the motion was withdrawn, or the requested discovery was provided to the moving party after the motion was filed.” (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.1348(a).)

Requests for Production

Under Code of Civil Procedure Section 2031.300, if a party fails to serve a timely response to a demand for inspection, the party making the demand may move for an order compelling response to the demand. (Code Civ. Pro § 2031.300 (b).) The party who fails to serve a timely response to a demand for inspection waives any objection to the demand unless the court finds that the party has subsequently served a response that is in substantial compliance or party’s failure was the result of mistake, inadvertence, or excusable neglect. (Code Civ. Proc. § 2031.300 (a)(1)- (2).)

Courts shall impose a monetary sanction against any party who unsuccessfully makes or opposes a motion to compel a response to a demand for inspection unless the party acted with substantial justification or other circumstances make the imposition of the sanction unjust. (Code Civ. Proc. § 2031.300 (c).) Further, “[t]he court may award sanctions under the Discovery Act in favor of a party who files a motion to compel discovery, even though no opposition to the motion was filed, or opposition to the motion was withdrawn, or the requested discovery was provided to the moving party after the motion was filed.” (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.1348(a).)

DISCUSSION

Here, Plaintiff served Request for Production of Documents, Set One, Special Interrogatories, Set One, and Form Interrogatories, Set One, on Defendant on June 21, 2023. (Herrera Decl. ¶ 2, 6, Exh. A.) Defendant did not timely respond. At Defendant’s request, Plaintiff re-served the discovery on January 18, 2024 and requested responses without objections by February 1, 2024. (Id. ¶ 7.) Since then, no responses have been served. (Id. ¶ 8.) Therefore, because responses have not been served, the motions to compel are granted.

Plaintiff also requests $945 in monetary sanctions for each of the three motions, against Defendant and his counsel of record. This represents an hourly rate of $295 and the $60 filing fee. (Id. ¶ 9.) The Court finds sanctions are warranted because Defendant has failed to respond. However, the amount requested is excessive given there was no opposition and Plaintiff can appear remotely at the hearing. Therefore, the Court awards sanctions in the total amount of $1,507.50 (1.5 hour of attorney time and the filing fee, for each motion). 

CONCLUSION AND ORDER

Accordingly, Plaintiff’s Motions to Compel Request for Production of Documents, Set One, Special Interrogatories, Set One, and Form Interrogatories, Set One are GRANTED. Defendant Vinicio Coronado shall provide verified responses, without objection, within 30 days.

The Court further GRANTS Plaintiff’s request for monetary sanctions against Defendant and his attorney of record, jointly and severally, in the reduced amount of $1,507.50. Said monetary sanctions are to be paid to counsel for Plaintiff within 30 days of the date of this order.

Plaintiff shall provide notice of the Court’s order and file a proof of service of such.