Judge: John J. Kralik, Case: 23BBCV02064, Date: 2024-11-15 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 23BBCV02064    Hearing Date: November 15, 2024    Dept: NCB

Superior Court of California

County of Los Angeles

North Central District

Department B

 

 

chen avneri, et al.,

 

                        Plaintiffs,

            v.

 

five star limousine of la, llc, et al.,  

 

                        Defendants.

 

Case No.: 23BBCV02064

 

  Hearing Date:  November 15, 2024

 

 [TENTATIVE] order RE:

motions to compel discovery responses; requests for sanctions

 

 

On October 7, 2024, Plaintiff Chen Avneri (“Plaintiff”) filed 3 motions to compel initial responses from Defendant Five Star Limousine of LA, LLC (“Defendant”) for: (1) Form Interrogatories (“FROG”), set one; (2) Special Interrogatories (“SROG”), set one; and (3) Request for Production of Documents (“RPD”), set one.  

On March 8, 2024, Plaintiff served on Defendant the discovery requests.  Plaintiff granted several extensions such that responses were due by May 22, 2024.  Plaintiff states that Defendant did not provide responses, such that Plaintiff’s counsel sent correspondence to request that Defendant provide discovery responses.  Plaintiff states that in September 2024, Plaintiff’s counsel spoke with defense counsel’s paralegal, David Rosenblum, about the discovery responses, and provided more extensions for the discovery.  Despite providing time for Defendant to respond to the discovery, Plaintiff states that as of the filing of the motions, Plaintiff has not received responses from Defendant. 

Plaintiff’s unopposed motions to compel responses to the FROG, SROG, and RPD are granted pursuant to CCP §§ 2030.290 and 2031.300.  Defendant is ordered to provide verified responses to Plaintiff’s discovery requests, without objections, within 20 days of notice of this order.   

Plaintiff requests sanctions against Defendant and its attorney in the amount of $1,260 for each motion (= 1.5 hours to prepare the motion + 1.5 anticipated hours to review the opposition, prepare the reply, and attend the hearing at $400/hour, plus $60 in filing fees).  The requests are granted but in the reasonable amount of $1,200 total for these relatively simple and identical motions, plus $180 in filing fees.  Defendant and its counsel of record, jointly and severally, are ordered to pay monetary sanctions in the amount of $1,280 to Plaintiff, by and through counsel, within 20 days of notice of this order.

Plaintiff shall provide notice of this order.

 

 

DATED: November 15, 2024                                     ___________________________

                                                                              John J. Kralik

                                                                              Judge of the Superior Court