Judge: William A. Crowfoot, Case: 21STCV11564, Date: 2022-08-25 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 21STCV11564    Hearing Date: August 25, 2022    Dept: 27

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FOR THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES - CENTRAL DISTRICT

 

CLEOTILDE GUARDADO, et al.,

                   Plaintiff(s),

          vs.

 

BAKER KINSALE WILES, et al.,

 

                   Defendant(s).

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      CASE NO.: 21STCV11564

 

[TENTATIVE] ORDER RE: DEFENDANT BAKER KINSALE WILES’ MOTIONS TO COMPEL RESPONSES TO FORM INTERROGATORIES, SPECIAL INTERROGATORIES, AND REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS

 

 

Dept. 27

1:30 p.m.

August 25, 2022

 

          On March 25, 2021, Plaintiffs Cleotilde Guardado (“Guardado”) and Ashley Tobar, a minor by and through her Guardian Ad Litem, Cleotilde Guardado (“Tobar”) (collectively “Plaintiffs”) filed this action against Defendants Baker Kinsale Wiles (“Defendant”) and Croft Ventures for motor vehicle and general negligence arising from a motor vehicle accident that occurred on April 3, 2019.   

          On June 16, 2022, Defendant filed these motions to compel responses to Form Interrogatories, Special Interrogatories, and Request for Production of Documents from Plaintiff Guardado.  No oppositions have been filed.

          A review of the proofs of service for the subject discovery requests and the proofs of service for these motions shows that the discovery requests and these motions were served on Suzanne C. Ellis, Esq. (“Ellis”) of Master Law Inc. by e-mail.  The May 20, 2022 meet and confer e-mail was also sent to Ellis.  According to the Court’s records, Linda J. Eun (“Eun”) of Silver Law Inc. is counsel of record for Plaintiffs.  Plaintiffs filed substitutions of attorney on November 12, 2021, substituting out Ellis for Eun as Plaintiffs’ counsel.  It appears these substitutions were filed prior to Defendant’s appearance in this action, thus explaining why these substitutions were never served on Defendant.

          The Court notes that Ellis and Eun actually share the same mailing address.  However, because the discovery requests and these motions were served on Ellis by e-mail, the Court finds the discovery requests and motions were never properly served on Guardado through her counsel of record, Eun.  As the discovery requests were never properly served on Plaintiff Guardado, Defendant is not entitled to court orders compelling responses from Guardado.

          Accordingly, the motions are DENIED.

Moving party to give notice. 

Parties who intend to submit on this tentative must send an email to the Court at SSCDEPT27@lacourt.org indicating intention to submit on the tentative as directed by the instructions provided on the court website at www.lacourt.org.  Please be advised that if you submit on the tentative and elect not to appear at the hearing, the opposing party may nevertheless appear at the hearing and argue the matter.  Unless you receive a submission from all other parties in the matter, you should assume that others might appear at the hearing to argue.  If the Court does not receive emails from the parties indicating submission on this tentative ruling and there are no appearances at the hearing, the Court may, at its discretion, adopt the tentative as the final order or place the motion off calendar.

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FOR THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES - CENTRAL DISTRICT

 

CLEOTILDE GUARDADO, et al.,

                   Plaintiff(s),

          vs.

 

BAKER KINSALE WILES, et al.,

 

                   Defendant(s).

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

      CASE NO.: 21STCV11564

 

[TENTATIVE] ORDER RE: DEFENDANT BAKER KINSALE WILES’ MOTIONS TO COMPEL RESPONSES TO FORM INTERROGATORIES, SPECIAL INTERROGATORIES, AND REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS

 

 

Dept. 27

1:30 p.m.

August 26, 2022

 

          On March 25, 2021, Plaintiffs Cleotilde Guardado (“Guardado”) and Ashley Tobar, a minor by and through her Guardian Ad Litem, Cleotilde Guardado (“Tobar”) (collectively “Plaintiffs”) filed this action against Defendants Baker Kinsale Wiles (“Defendant”) and Croft Ventures for motor vehicle and general negligence arising from a motor vehicle accident that occurred on April 3, 2019.   

          On June 16, 2022, Defendant filed these motions to compel responses to Form Interrogatories, Special Interrogatories, and Request for Production of Documents from Plaintiff Tobar.  No oppositions have been filed.

          A review of the proofs of service for the subject discovery requests and the proofs of service for these motions shows that the discovery requests and these motions were served on Suzanne C. Ellis, Esq. (“Ellis”) of Master Law Inc. by e-mail.  The May 20, 2022 meet and confer e-mail was also sent to Ellis.  According to the Court’s records, Linda J. Eun (“Eun”) of Silver Law Inc. is counsel of record for Plaintiffs.  Plaintiffs filed substitutions of attorney on November 12, 2021, substituting out Ellis for Eun as Plaintiffs’ counsel.  It appears these substitutions were filed prior to Defendant’s appearance in this action, thus explaining why these substitutions were never served on Defendant.

          The Court notes that Ellis and Eun actually share the same mailing address.  However, because the discovery requests and these motions were served on Ellis by e-mail, the Court finds the discovery requests and motions were never properly served on Tobar through her counsel of record, Eun.  As the discovery requests were never properly served on Plaintiff Tobar, Defendant is not entitled to court orders compelling responses from Tobar.

          Accordingly, the motions are DENIED.

Moving party to give notice. 

Parties who intend to submit on this tentative must send an email to the Court at SSCDEPT27@lacourt.org indicating intention to submit on the tentative as directed by the instructions provided on the court website at www.lacourt.org.  Please be advised that if you submit on the tentative and elect not to appear at the hearing, the opposing party may nevertheless appear at the hearing and argue the matter.  Unless you receive a submission from all other parties in the matter, you should assume that others might appear at the hearing to argue.  If the Court does not receive emails from the parties indicating submission on this tentative ruling and there are no appearances at the hearing, the Court may, at its discretion, adopt the tentative as the final order or place the motion off calendar.