Judge: Daniel M. Crowley, Case: 22STCV10003, Date: 2023-02-17 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 22STCV10003    Hearing Date: February 17, 2023    Dept: 28

Ruling on Defendant Jan's Towing, Inc.’s Unopposed Motions to Compel Responses to Form Interrogatories, Special Interrogatories and Request for Production

            Having reviewed Defendant Jan's Towing, Inc.’s unopposed Motions to Compel Responses to Form Interrogatories, Special Interrogatories, and Request for Production of Documents, the Court rules as follows.

            On May 18, 2022, Defendant Jan's Towing, Inc. served Special Interrogatories, Set No. One, Form Interrogatories, Set No. One, and Request for Production of Documents, Set No. One, on Plaintiff Abdi Manavi.

            Responses were due on June 24, 2022. Plaintiff Abdi Manavi has failed to provide timely responses. Defendant Jan's Towing, Inc. now moves to compel code-compliant responses.

            The Court grants the motions to compel responses to the form and special interrogatories pursuant to Code of Civ. Proc. § 2030.290(b) and orders Plaintiff Abdi Manavi to provide verified responses to the interrogatories compliant with Code of Civ. Proc. §§ 2030.210 (a) and 2030.220 without objections by March 19, 2023. The Court grants the motion to compel responses to the request for production and production of items pursuant to Code of Civ. Proc. § 2031.300 and orders Plaintiff Abdi Manavi to provide verified responses pursuant to Code of Civ. Proc. § 2031.210 and to produce the documents, electronically stored information, and/or other things requested without objections by March 19, 2023.

Defendant Jan's Towing, Inc. requests monetary sanctions totaling $5,631.00.

The Court awards sanctions pursuant to Code of Civ. Proc. § 2023.030 (a), Code of Civ. Proc. § 2030.290 (c) and Code of Civ. Proc. § 2031.300 (c) in the amount of $1,031.00, calculated as follows:

Defendant requests $1,877.00 for each motion. This is based upon 4.5 hours of attorney’s work, at a rate of $400.00 per hour, 1 $60.00 filling fee, and approximately $17.00 in e-filling charges. 3 hours were spent drafting the motion and 1.5 hours were anticipated in drafting a reply. These motions are unopposed and substantially similar. The Court grants sanctions totaling $1,031.00 across all motions, based on 4 hours of attorney’s work at a reasonable rate of $200.00 per hour and 3 $77.00 filling fees.

The sanctions total $1,031.00 and are payable by Plaintiff Abdi Manavi and his counsel by March 19, 2023.

Moving Party is to give notice of this ruling.