Judge: Teresa A. Beaudet, Case: 19STCV44964, Date: 2023-02-09 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 19STCV44964    Hearing Date: February 9, 2023    Dept: 50

Superior Court of California

County of Los Angeles

Department 50

Defendants Aiden Shenandoah, LLC, Neda Drake Trust Survivor Trust, Neda Drake as Trustee of the Drake Family Trust Martial Trust, and Neda Drake (collectively, “Defendants”) move to compel Plaintiffs Egal Shahbaz, Fereshteh Shahbaz, and Jamshid Shahbaz (collectively, “Plaintiffs”) to serve verified responses, without objection, to the Requests for Production of Documents (Set One), served on Plaintiffs on May 3, 2022.

Defendants also move for an order that the truth of each matter specified in Defendants’ Request for Admissions, Set One served on Plaintiffs on May 3, 2022 be deemed admitted and conclusively established for all purposes in this action. In addition, Defendants seek monetary sanctions in connection with the motions.

 Defendants’ motions will be continued to a new date as set forth below.

Pursuant to the Court’s power to “amend and control its process and orders so as to make them conform to law and justice” (Code Civ. Proc., § 128(a)(8)), the Court orders the parties in this case to participate in an Informal Discovery Conference (“IDC”). (Note: The Court’s policy regarding IDCs appears in the Courtroom Information available in Dept. 50 and on the Court’s website.) Lead or other designated counsel for the parties with full authority are ordered to participate in person in an IDC. Normally, after consulting with opposing counsel regarding available dates, Defendants must make a prompt reservation for the IDC using the Court’s online reservation system. However, in this case, the Court received the Declaration of Leonard S. Kirschen filed on 2/8/23 regarding his efforts to consult opposing counsel regarding an IDC date.  Opposing counsel should have responded to Mr. Kirschen with available dates.  Mr. Kirschen is relieved of any further obligation to consult opposing counsel in the selection of a date for the IDC.  Mr. Kirschen may select an IDC date using the Court’s reservation system that is convenient to him. Defendants must file Dept. 50’s one-page IDC form in the department seven days prior to the IDC, and the responding parties may file the same form in the department setting forth a response three days prior to the IDC.

Once Defendants have confirmed an IDC date, Defendants must use the Court’s online reservation system to continue the motions to a post-IDC discovery hearing date. The parties are ordered to have with them whatever materials are needed to make the IDC session productive and successful. Prior to the IDC date, lead or other designated counsel for the parties, with full authority, are to meet and confer, in person or via telephone in a further attempt to resolve as many of the issues as possible before the IDC. (See CRC Rule 3.670(f)(2).) If the parties resolve their discovery disputes before the IDC date, Defendants are ordered to take both the IDC and these motions off calendar as soon as possible.

Defendants are ordered to provide notice of this Order.

DATED:  February 9, 2023                           

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Hon. Teresa A. Beaudet

Judge, Los Angeles Superior Court