Judge: Stephen P. Pfahler, Case: 20CHCV00743, Date: 2023-05-09 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 20CHCV00743    Hearing Date: May 9, 2023    Dept: F49

Dept. F-49

Date: 5-9-23

Case # 20CHCV00743

Trial Date: 10-23-23 c/f 7-25-22 c/f 1-10-22

FURTHER DOCUMENTS

MOVING PARTY: Plaintiff, Anthony Ogden

RESPONDING PARTY: Defendant, Ryan Makhani

RELIEF REQUESTED

Motion to Compel Further Responses to Request for Production of Documents

SUMMARY OF ACTION

Plaintiff Anthony Ogden owns certain real property in a planned community identified as Bella Vista in Porter Ranch. Plaintiff alleges that adjoining homeowners/possessors of land/neighbors continually allow their dogs to micturate and defecate on his premises, even after multiple requests to cease this activity, which has led to confrontations.

On November 24 and 25, 2020, Plaintiff, pro se, filed a verified complaint and verified first amended complaint for Trespass to Land and Nuisance. Defendants Stephen Isenberg, Shauna Israel, Jennifer Price, Ryan Makhani and Sara Delpasand answered on December 28, 2020, then filed a verified answer on February 4, 2021. On February 26, 2021, Plaintiff dismissed Gary Tarpinian.

On May 19, 2021, the court granted the motion to strike punitive damages without prejudice. No amended pleading was filed.

On July 1, 2021, Plaintiff filed a notice of settlement with Jennifer Press. A request for dismissal of Press was filed on July 16, 2021. On September 1, 2021, the court granted Plaintiff’s motion for relief from waiver of discovery objections. On January 11, 2022, the court granted Plaintiff leave to amend to file a second amended complaint for Trespass to Land, Nuisance, and Breach of Covenants Codes And Restrictions (CC&Rs). A verified second amended complaint was filed on January 21, 2022.

On April 12, 2022, the court overruled the demurrer to the second amended complaint, granted the motion to strike punitive damages with prejudice, and denied the motion to strike the claim for injunctive relief. Defendants answered the complaint on April 22, 2022.

RULING: Denied.

Plaintiff Anthony Ogden moves compel further responses to Request for Production of Documents as to Ryan Makhani. The motion challenges the objections, contends the response regarding the inability fails to comply with code requirements, represents that promised documents remain outstanding, and at a minimum, a privilege log should be drafted.

Defendant Ryan Makhani in opposition maintains code compliant responses were provided, and challenges the motion on the lack of any meet and confer effort, and a lacking separate statement. Ryan Makhani requests sanctions. Plaintiff in reply reiterates the evasiveness of the objections and demands a privilege log. Plaintiff also maintains “good faith” meet and confer efforts. Finally, Plaintiff denies any requirement to submit a separate statement, and requests the court consider the merits of the motion.

The timeliness of the motion remains undisputed. The parties agreed to extensions for responses. [Declaration of Paul Deese, Ex. 2.] (Code Civ. Proc., § 2031.310, subd. (c).) The motion, however lacks demonstration of a sufficient demonstrated meet and confer effort. Like the first of the five motions brought against Sara Delpasand, the subject motion simply references an already drafted motion to compel further responses. The court otherwise only finds a nebulous reference to a filing deadline and discussion of deficiencies. [Deese Decl., Ex. 2: e-mails.] (Code Civ. Proc., §§ 2016.040, 2031.310, subd. (b)(2).).) Responding counsel denies any effort all together to narrow the issues. [Declaration of Christine Lee.]

Given the reservation and/or filing of one-dozen motions to compel further responses, and the presumed similarity of issues between the requests, the court assumes Plaintiff also intended to proceed with the instant motion to compel further responses rather than avoid appearing before the court. Even if the court found a valid meet and confer effort, the court finds the lack of a separate statement and summary arguments with limited specific reference to the disputed issues before the filing of the instant motion renders the meet and confer a pretense to the intended filing of up to a dozen of such motions. The court declines to consider the issues presented without a separate statement. (Cal. Rules Court, rule 3.1345 (a)(3), (b)(2), Code Civ. Proc., § 2031.310, subd. (b)(3).) The motion consists of conclusive legal arguments without sufficient distinction and discussion between privileged items and the represented inability to comply with the request due to a lack of existence of said documents. The court declines to articulate the arguments for Defendant.

The court therefore denies the motion on procedural grounds, and substantive grounds as to insufficiently articulated arguments. Sanctions imposed against both Plaintiff and counsel joint and several for $250. (Code Civ. Proc., § 2031.310, subd. (h).) Sanctions payable within 30 days.

As referenced above, Plaintiff reserved or scheduled one dozen (12) motions to compel further responses from May 1 through May 18, 2023. Seven are only reserved, and five are currently set for hearing. This is the third. Given the volume of motions in the short period of time, the court continues to reserve the right upon each and every scheduled motion on the court docket to set an OSC re: Appointment of a Discovery Referee for ALL discovery matters. The court also reserves the right to impose sanctions on each and every unsuccessful motion. Further, any additional motions or subsequent pleadings demonstrating potential efforts to seek correction of procedural defects, including arguments offered in reply(ies), may also trigger the setting of an OSC re: Appointment of Referee. Should the court set an OSC, ALL motions will be continued or taken off-calendar pending the hearing with potential referral of all pending requests to the referee.

Trial remains set for October 23, 2023.

Plaintiff to give notice.