Judge Lee W. Tsao, Case Number: 22NWCV01324, Date: 2024-04-25 Tentative Ruling

Judge: Lee W. Tsao, Case: 22NWCV01324, Date: 2024-04-25 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 22NWCV01324 Hearing Date: April 25, 2024 Dept: C

GRANADOS v. WALTERS AUTO SALES AND SERVICE, INC.

CASE NO.: 22NWCV01324

HEARING: 04/25/24

Plaintiff’s Motion to Compel Further Responses to Request for Production of Documents (set one) is CONTINUED to Thursday, June 20, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. in Dept. SE-C.

Moving party to give notice.

This lemon law action was filed on November 15, 2022. Plaintiff moves to compel Defendant’s further responses to RPD (set one). In Opposition, Defendant argues that no meaningful meet and confer occurred over the discovery at issue. The Court agrees.

The Court is not persuaded that counsel have exhausted their meet and confer obligations pursuant to the Code. Counsel are advised that their meet and confer efforts should go beyond merely sending letters stating their respective positions. (See Townsend v. Superior Court (1998) 61 Cal.App.4th 1431, 1439.) “A determination of whether an attempt at informal resolution is adequate…involves the exercise of discretion. The level of effort at an informal resolution which satisfies the ‘reasonable and good faith attempt’ standard depends upon the circumstances. In a larger, more complex discovery request, a greater effort at informal resolution may be warranted. In a simpler, or more narrowly focused case, a more modest effort may suffice. The history of the litigation, the nature of the interaction between counsel, the nature of the issues, the type and scope of the discovery requested, the prospects for success and other similar factors can be relevant. Judges have broad powers and responsibilities to determine what measures and procedures are appropriate in varying circumstances.” (Obregon v. Sup. Ct. (1998) 67 Cal.App.4th 424, 431.)

Counsel are instructed to further meet and confer on the issues outlined in the subject Motions.

Counsel are ORDERED to make further efforts to resolve the issues presented. If, after exhausting those efforts, court intervention is needed, counsel may appear and argue the merits on the continued hearing date. If counsel are unable to informally resolve their discovery disputes, then counsel are instructed to submit a JOINT STATEMENT outlining the remaining disputed issues for which a ruling is required. The joint statement must be FILED on or before Monday, June 10, 2024.