Judge: Michael E. Whitaker, Case: 22STCV00339, Date: 2023-05-01 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 22STCV00339    Hearing Date: May 1, 2023    Dept: 32

PLEASE NOTE:   Parties are encouraged to meet and confer concerning this tentative ruling to determine if a resolution may be reached.  If the parties are unable to reach a resolution and a party intends to submit on this tentative ruling, the party must send an email to the Court at sscdept32@lacourt.org indicating that party’s intention to submit.  The email shall include the case number, date and time of the hearing, counsel’s contact information (if applicable), and the identity of the party submitting on this tentative ruling.  If the Court does not receive an email indicating the parties are submitting on this tentative ruling and there are no appearances at the hearing, the Court may place the motion off calendar or adopt the tentative ruling as the order of the Court.  If all parties do not submit on this tentative ruling, they should arrange to appear in-person or remotely (which is highly encouraged).  Further, after the Court has posted/issued a tentative ruling, the Court has the inherent authority to prohibit the withdrawal of the subject motion and adopt the tentative ruling as the order of the Court. 

TENTATIVE RULING  

MOTIONS 

Petitioner James River Insurance Company (“Plaintiff”) moves to compel responses from Respondent Josephine Janice White (“Respondent”) to: (1) Special Interrogatories, set two (“SROG”) and (2) Request for Production, set two (“RPD”).  Plaintiff also seeks monetary sanctions in connection with the motions.  Respondent has not filed oppositions to the motions.

ANALYSIS 

Pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 2030.290, “[i]f a party to whom interrogatories are directed fails to serve a timely response . . . [t]he party to whom the interrogatories are directed waives any right to exercise the option to produce writings under Section 2030.230, as well as any objection to the interrogatories, including one based on privilege or the protection for work product under Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 2018.010.  . . .   [and] The party propounding the interrogatories may move for an order compelling response to the interrogatories.”  (Code Civ. Proc., § 2030.290, subds. (a)-(b).)  

            Similarly, under Code of Civil Procedure section 2031.300, “[i]f a party to whom a demand for inspection, copying, testing, or sampling is directed fails to serve a timely response to it . . . [t]he party to whom the demand for inspection, copying, testing, or sampling is directed waives any objection to the demand, including one based on privilege or on the protection for work product under Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 2018.010.  . . .   [and] The party making the demand may move for an order compelling response to the demand.  (Code Civ. Proc., § 2031.300, subds. (a)-(b).)  

Here, Petitioner served the SROG and RPD on Respondent on May 13, 2022, electronically.  Respondent’s responses were thus due by June 15, 2022.  As of the filing date of the motions, Petitioner has not received verified responses from Respondent to the SROG and RPD.  Accordingly, the Court finds Respondent has failed to serve timely responses to the SROG and RPD.

 Petitioner requests monetary sanctions in connection with the motions.  The Court finds Respondent’s failure to timely respond to the SROG and RPD to be an abuse of the discovery process, warranting monetary sanctions.  (See Code Civ. Proc., §§ 2023.010, subd. (d), 2030.290, subd. (c), 2031.300, subd. (c).)  Accordingly, the Court will impose monetary sanctions against Respondent, and Respondent’s counsel of record, the Law Offices of Hess Panah & Associates, in the amount of $1195, which represents five hours of attorney time to prepare the moving papers, and attend the hearing, at $2150 per hour, plus the filing fees of $120, at $60 per motion.

CONCLUSION AND ORDER

Therefore, the Court grants Petitioner’s motions to compel responses to the SROG and RPD per Code of Civil Procedure sections 2030.290 and 2031.300.  As such, the Court orders Respondent to serve verified responses to the SROG and RPD, without objections, within 30 days of notice of the Court’s orders.

Further, the Court orders Respondent, and Respondent’s counsel of record, the Law Offices of Hess Panah & Associates, jointly and severally to pay monetary sanctions in the amount of $1195 to Petitioner, by and through counsel for Petitioner, within 30 days of notice of the Court’s orders.

Petitioner shall provide notice of the Court’s orders and file a proof of service of such.