Judge: Lisa R. Jaskol, Case: 21STCV36112, Date: 2023-12-27 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 21STCV36112    Hearing Date: January 18, 2024    Dept: 28

Having reviewed the unopposed motions to compel responses to supplemental interrogatories and supplemental requests for production of documents filed by Defendants National Ready Mixed Concrete Co. and Dmitry Bochin (“Defendants”), the Court rules as follows. 

On January 23, 2023, Defendants served Supplemental Request for Production of Documents, Set No. One, and Supplemental Interrogatories, Set No. One, on Plaintiff Bernadette Garcia (“Plaintiff”). 

Responses were due on February 24, 2023. Plaintiff did not provide timely responses and had not provided responses by the time Defendants filed these motions. 

The Court grants Defendants’ motion to compel responses to the supplemental interrogatories under Code of Civil Procedure section 2030.290, subdivision (b), and orders Plaintiff to provide code-compliant verified responses to the interrogatories without objections by February 20, 2024. 

The Court grants the motion to compel responses to the supplemental request for production of documents under Code of Civil Procedure section 2031.300 and orders Plaintiff to provide code-compliant verified responses and to produce the documents, electronically stored information, and/or other things requested without objections by February 20, 2024. 

Defendants request $1,135.00 in sanctions for each motion, based on five hours of attorney’s work at a rate of $215.00 per hour and one $60.00 filing fee.  Counsel spent two hours drafting each motion and anticipated spending 2 hours to prepare a reply and one hour to attend the hearing.  The motions are substantially similar, they are unopposed, and they will be heard together.  The Court awards $765.00 in sanctions for both motions based on three hours of attorney’s work and two filing fees.  (See Code Civ. Proc., §§ 2023.030, subd. (a), 2030.290, subd. (c), 2031.300, subd. (c).) 

The Court orders Plaintiff Bernadette Garcia and her counsel to pay $765.00 to Defendants by National Ready Mixed Concrete Co. and Dmitry Bochin by February 20, 2024. 

Moving parties are to give notice of this ruling.