Judge: Thomas D. Long, Case: 23STCV00943, Date: 2025-03-04 Tentative Ruling


Case Number: 23STCV00943    Hearing Date: March 4, 2025    Dept: 48

 

 

 

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FOR THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES - CENTRAL DISTRICT

 

VIDA BEJEMINO,

                        Plaintiff,

            vs.

 

CONNECTED CARE RESOURCES, INC., et al.,

 

                        Defendants.

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      CASE NO.: 23STCV00943

 

[TENTATIVE] ORDER GRANTING MOTIONS TO COMPEL DISCOVERY RESPONSES

 

Dept. 48

8:30 a.m.

March 4, 2025

 

On January 17, 2023, Plaintiff Vida Bejemino filed this action against Defendant Connected Care Resources, Inc.

On March 20, 2024, Plaintiff propounded Request for Production of Documents and Special Interrogatories on Defendant.  (Panitz Decl. ¶ 3.)  After receiving several extensions of time, Defendant served unverified boilerplate objections on June 5, 2024.  (Panitz Decl. ¶¶ 4-9.)  “[C]aselaw provides that an unverified response is tantamount to no response at all.”  (Melendrez v. Superior Court (2013) 215 Cal.App.4th 1343, 1348.)

On August 21, 2024, Plaintiff filed two motions to compel discovery responses.  Defendant did not file any oppositions.

Where a party fails to serve timely responses to discovery requests, the court may make an order compelling responses.  (Code Civ. Proc., §§ 2030.290 [interrogatories], 2031.300 [documents]; Healthcare Consulting, Inc. v. Pacific Healthcare Consultants (2007) 148 Cal.App.4th 390, 403.)   A party that fails to serve timely responses waives any objections to the request, including ones based on privilege or the protection of attorney work product.  (Code Civ. Proc., §§ 2030.290, subd. (a), 2031.300, subd. (a).)

Defendant filed no oppositions to these motions and did not serve timely verified responses.  It does not appear that Defendant served verified responses prior to the hearing.

Accordingly, the motions are GRANTED.  Defendant is ordered to provide verified responses, without objections, to Plaintiff’s Request for Production of Documents and Special Interrogatories within 30 days.

The requests for sanctions are granted in part.  Defendant is ordered to pay total sanctions of $4,000.00 to Plaintiff within 30 days.

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 4th day of March 2025

 

 

 

 

Hon. Thomas D. Long

Judge of the Superior Court