Judge: Maurice A. Leiter, Case: 23STCV13679, Date: 2024-03-11 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 23STCV13679    Hearing Date: March 11, 2024    Dept: 54

Hearing Date: March 11, 2024

Department 54, Judge Maurice A. Leiter

Motion to Compel PMK Deposition and Further Responses to Requests for Production

Moving Party: Plaintiff Natalie G. Aghaei

Responding Party: Defendant Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

T/R:      PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO COMPEL THE DEPOSITION OF DEFENDANT’S PERSON MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE IS GRANTED.

PLAINTIFF TO NOTICE.

If the parties wish to submit on the tentative, please email the courtroom at SMCdept54@lacourt.org with notice to opposing counsel (or self-represented party) before 8:00 am on the day of the hearing.

The Court considers the moving papers and opposition.

“If, after service of a deposition notice, a party to the action … without having served a valid objection under Section 2025.410, fails to appear for examination, or to proceed with it, or to produce for inspection any document, electronically stored information, or tangible thing described in the deposition notice, the party giving the notice may move for an order compelling the deponent's attendance and testimony, and the production for inspection of any document, electronically stored information, or tangible thing described in the deposition notice.”  (CCP § 2025.450, subd. (a).)

The motion must be accompanied by a good faith meet and confer declaration under section 2016.040 or, “when the deponent fails to attend the deposition and produce the documents, electronically stored information, or things described in the deposition notice, by a declaration stating that the petitioner has contacted the deponent to inquire about the nonappearance.”  (CCP § 2025.450, subd. (b)(2).) 

Plaintiff moves to compel Defendant’s PMK on various categories, and to produce documents at deposition. The requests seek information relating to repairs to the subject vehicle, Defendant's investigation in response to Plaintiff’s repurchase request, its communications with Plaintiff, and warranty coverage of the repairs to Plaintiff’s vehicle. These categories are relevant to Plaintiff’s claims and discoverable. To the extent that Defendant already has produced the requested documents, Defendant need not produce them again.

Defendant states that the parties have agreed to an April 9, 2024 deposition date.

The motion to compel deposition is GRANTED.