Case Number: 16K15412 Hearing Date: September 10, 2019 Dept: 94

MOTIONS TO COMPEL RESPONSES TO FORM AND SPECIAL INTERROGATORIES, REQUESTS FOR PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS AND FOR MONETARY SANCTIONS

(CCP §§ 2030.290, 2031.300)

TENTATIVE RULING:

Defendant Petrena Cassandra Wisdom’s Motions to Compel Responses to Form and Special Interrogatories, Requests for Production of Documents and for Monetary Sanctions are GRANTED.

ANALYSIS:

I. Background

On February 8, 2019, Defendant Petrena Cassandra Wisdom (erroneously sued and served separately as “Petrena Wisdom aka Petrena Wigdom and Casandra Wisdom”) (“Defendant”) served Form and Special Interrogatories, and Requests for Production of Documents on Plaintiffs Mimi Bomemo Baongoli (“Baongoli”) and Magalie Bokongonya (“Bokongonya”) (collectively, “Plaintiffs”). (Schmeckpepr Decls. ¶ 2, citing to Exhs. As.) To date, Defendant has not received any discovery responses to the propounded discovery requests from Plaintiffs despite numerous extensions. (Id. ¶¶ 3-8.) As a result, Defendant brought the instant Motions to Compel Responses to Form and Special Interrogatories, Requests for Production of Documents and for Monetary Sanctions (collectively, the “Motions”) on July 17, 2019.

II. Conclusion & Order

Because Plaintiffs have failed to respond to Defendant’s discovery requests, the unopposed Motions are GRANTED. Pursuant to CCP §§ 2030.290 and 2031.300, Plaintiffs are ordered to serve verified responses, without objections, to Defendant’s Form and Special Interrogatories and Requests for Production of Documents within twenty (20) days of the date of Defendant serving a notice of this Order.

Because the Motions have been granted, monetary sanctions are mandatory under CCP §§ 2031.300(c) and 2030.290(c). Given the simplicity of the Motions and the lack of opposition and reply, the Court awards Defendant monetary sanctions as follows: (a) $688.07 in monetary sanctions against Baongoli and his attorney of record Leon R. Laufer (“Laufer”), jointly and severally, and (b) another $688.07 in monetary sanctions against Bokongonya and her attorney of record Laufer, jointly and severally. Sanctions are to be paid within thirty (30) days from the date of Defendant serving a notice of this Order on Plaintiffs.

Moving party is ordered to give notice.