Judge: Thomas D. Long, Case: 22STCV23353, Date: 2023-09-14 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 22STCV23353    Hearing Date: September 14, 2023    Dept: 48

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FOR THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES - CENTRAL DISTRICT

On June 23, 2023, Defendant Milk + Honey Holdings LLC filed a motion to compel Plaintiff Fabianne Angelina Tripp’s responses to Special Interrogatories, Set One.

Although styled as a motion to compel responses, the motion clearly demonstrates that Defendant in fact is seeking to compel further, more complete responses from Plaintiff.  On February 14, 2022, Plaintiff served responses in the form of objections, and the parties proceeded to meet and confer.  (Barragan Decl. ¶ 8-13.)  “An objection to the particular interrogatory” is a valid response.  (Code Civ. Proc., § 2030.210, subd. (a)(3).)

Defendant argues that unverified responses are tantamount to no responses at all.  (Motion at p. 5.)  However, verification is not required when the response contains only objections.  (Code Civ. Proc., § 2030.250, subd. (a).)

Because Defendant is seeking to compel further responses to the Special Interrogatories, it is required to meet and confer with Plaintiff and file a Separate Statement or follow the Court’s alternative method of outlining the disputes.  (Code Civ. Proc., § 2030.300, subd. (b); California Rules of Court, rule 3.1345(b).)

Accordingly, the Hearing on Motion to Compel Interrogatories, Set One is CONTINUED to November 28, 2023 at 8:30 a.m.

The Court expects the parties to make a “reasonable and good faith attempt at an informal resolution of each issue presented by the motion.”  (See Code Civ. Proc., § 2016.040.)  The parties are ordered to meet and confer on the substantive issues before filing a joint statement, following the procedures outlined in Exhibit A of Department 48’s Courtroom Information, no later than November 14, 2023.  The Court will consider only the arguments set forth in the joint statement and accompanying supplemental memoranda.

Moving party to give notice.

Parties who intend to submit on this tentative must send an email to the Court at SMCDEPT48@lacourt.org indicating intention to submit.  If all parties in the case submit on the tentative ruling, no appearances before the Court are required unless a companion hearing (for example, a Case Management Conference) is also on calendar.

         Dated this 14th day of September 2023