Judge: Mark E. Windham, Case: 20STLC00788, Date: 2023-01-24 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 20STLC00788    Hearing Date: January 24, 2023    Dept: 26

Arteaga v. Navarro’s Towing, LLC, et al.
MOTION TO COMPEL RESPONSES TO INTERROGATORIES;

REQUEST FOR SANCTIONS

(CCP §§ 2030.290, 2023.010)

TENTATIVE RULING:  

Defendants Navarro’s Towing, LLC and Eddie Navarro’s (1) Motion to Compel Responses to Form Interrogatories, Set One; Request for Sanctions; and (2) Motion to Compel Responses to Special Interrogatories, Set One; Request for Sanctions, are GRANTED. PLAINTIFF JUAN ARTEAGA IS TO SERVE VERIFIED RESPONSES TO THE INTERROGATORIES WITHOUT OBJECTIONS WITHIN 20 DAYS’ SERVICE OF THIS ORDER. PLAINTIFF JUAN ARTEAGA AND COUNSEL OF RECORD ARE JOINTLY AND SEVERALLY ORDERED TO PAY SANCTIONS OF $470.00 TO DEFENSE COUNSEL WITHIN 20 DAYS’ SERVICE OF THIS ORDER.

ANALYSIS:

On November 4, 2022, Defendants Navarro’s Towing, LLC and Eddie Navarro (“Defendants”) served Form Interrogatories, Set One, and Special Interrogatories, Set One, on Plaintiff Juan Arteaga (“Plaintiff”). (Motions, Luebke Decl., Exh. A.) Despite a meet and confer effort extending the deadline to respond to the requests, Plaintiff has not served responses. (Id. at ¶¶4-6 and Exhs. B-C.) Defendants filed the instant (1) Motion to Compel Responses to Form Interrogatories, Set One; and Request for Sanctions; and (2) Motion to Compel Responses to Special Interrogatories, Set One; Request for Sanctions, on December 20, 2022. No opposition to the Motions has been filed to date.

Discussion

There is no requirement for a prior meet and confer effort before a motion to compel initial responses can be filed. (Code Civ. Proc., § 2030.290.) Further, the motion can be brought any time after the responding party fails to provide the responses.  (Code Civ. Proc., § 2030.290.) Based on Plaintiff’s failure to respond to the propounded discovery, Defendants are entitled to an order compelling service of verified responses to the interrogatories without objections.

Plaintiff’s failure to timely respond constitutes a misuse of the discovery process. (Code Civ. Proc., § 2023.010, subd. (d).) Sanctions are appropriate under Code of Civil Procedure sections 2023.010 and 2023.030 and have been properly noticed. However, the amount sought is excessive under a lodestar calculation. Sanctions are awarded in the amount of $470.00 based on two hours of attorney time billed at $175.00 per hour, and $60.00 in costs per motion. (Motions, Luebke Decl., ¶7.)

Conclusion

Defendants Navarro’s Towing, LLC and Eddie Navarro’s (1) Motion to Compel Responses to Form Interrogatories, Set One; and Request for Sanctions; and (2) Motion to Compel Responses to Special Interrogatories, Set One; Request for Sanctions are GRANTED. PLAINTIFF JUAN ARTEAGA IS TO SERVE VERIFIED RESPONSES TO THE INTERROGATORIES WITHOUT OBJECTIONS WITHIN 20 DAYS’ SERVICE OF THIS ORDER. PLAINTIFF JUAN ARTEAGA AND COUNSEL OF RECORD ARE JOINTLY AND SEVERALLY ORDERED TO PAY SANCTIONS OF $470.00 TO DEFENSE COUNSEL WITHIN 20 DAYS’ SERVICE OF THIS ORDER.

Court clerk to give notice.