Case Number: BC662291 Hearing Date: May 10, 2018 Dept: 4

MOVING PARTY: Defendant and cross-complainant Valleyheart Group, LLC

RESPONDING PARTY: None

Motion for Terminating Sanctions

The court considered the moving papers. No opposition was filed.

BACKGROUND

On May 22, 2017, plaintiff Vicky Tanner filed a complaint against defendant Three Rivers Spa and Massage (“Three Rivers”) and Valleyheart Group, LLC (“Valleyheart”) for premises liability based on a trip and fall in a very dimly lit parking area.

On January 22, 2018, the court granted Valleyheart’s motions to compel plaintiff to serve discovery responses.

On March 1, 2018, the court granted defendant Three Rivers’ motions to compel plaintiff to serve discovery responses.

Trial is set for November 26, 2018.

DISCUSSION

Defendant Valleyheart requests that the court impose terminating sanctions against plaintiff for her failure to comply with the court’s order dated January 22, 2018.

If a party fails to comply with a court order compelling discovery responses or attendance at a deposition, the court may impose monetary, issue, evidence, or terminating sanctions. CCP § 2025.450(h) (depositions); § 2030.290(c) (interrogatories); § 2031.300(c) (demands for production of documents). CCP § 2023.030 provides that, “[t]o the extent authorized by the chapter governing any particular discovery method . . . , the court, after notice to any affected party, person, or attorney, and after opportunity for hearing, may impose . . . [monetary, issue, evidence, or terminating] sanctions against anyone engaging in conduct that is a misuse of the discovery process . . . .” CCP § 2023.010 provides that “[m]isuses of the discovery process include, but are not limited to, the following: . . . (d) Failing to respond or to submit to an authorized method of discovery. . . . (g) Disobeying a court order to provide discovery. . . .”

“The trial court may order a terminating sanction for discovery abuse ‘after considering the totality of the circumstances: [the] conduct of the party to determine if the actions were willful; the detriment to the propounding party; and the number of formal and informal attempts to obtain the discovery.’” Los Defensores, Inc. v. Gomez (2014) 223 Cal. App. 4th 377, 390 (quoting Lang v. Hochman (2000) 77 Cal. App. 4th 1225, 1246). “Generally, ‘[a] decision to order terminating sanctions should not be made lightly. But where a violation is willful, preceded by a history of abuse, and the evidence shows that less severe sanctions would not produce compliance with the discovery rules, the trial court is justified in imposing the ultimate sanction.’” Los Defensores, 223 Cal. App. 4th at 390 (citation omitted).

“Under this standard, trial courts have properly imposed terminating sanctions when parties have willfully disobeyed one or more discovery orders.” Los Defensores, 223 Cal. App. 4th at 390 (citing Lang, 77 Cal. App. 4th at 1244-1246 (discussing cases)); see, e.g., Collisson &

Kaplan v. Hartunian (1994) 21 Cal. App. 4th 1611, 1617-1622 (terminating sanctions imposed after defendants failed to comply with one court order to produce discovery); Laguna Auto Body v. Farmers Ins. Exchange (1991) 231 Cal. App. 3d 481, 491, disapproved on other grounds in Garcia v. McCutchen (1997) 16 Cal. 4th 469, 478, n. 4 (terminating sanctions imposed against plaintiff for failing to comply with a discovery order and for violating various discovery statutes).

On January 22, 2018, the court entered an order compelling plaintiff to serve verified responses without objections to defendant’s first sets of form and special interrogatories and demand for identification and production of documents within 20 days. Plaintiff and her attorney of record were ordered to pay monetary sanctions in the amount of $495 within 30 days. According to defendant, plaintiff has not complied with that order.

Whether plaintiff complied with the court’s order to pay monetary sanctions is not relevant to the court’s determination as to whether terminating sanctions should be imposed, and the court has not considered that factor in making its determination. A court may not issue a terminating sanction for failure to pay a monetary discovery sanction. Newland v. Superior Court (1995) 40 Cal. App. 4th 608, 610, 615. A monetary sanction order is enforceable as a money judgment under the Enforcement of Judgments Law, CCP §§ 680.010, et seq. Id.

The court finds that plaintiff has engaged in conduct that is a misuse of the discovery process by disobeying the court’s January 22, 2018 order by failing to serve discovery responses. CCP §§ 2023.010(g), 2023.030. The court thus finds that it is appropriate, and exercises its discretion, to impose a terminating sanction against plaintiff pursuant to CCP § 2023.030(d).

The motion is GRANTED.

The court orders that plaintiff Vicky Tanner’s complaint against defendant Valleyheart Group, LLC is dismissed. CCP § 2023.030(d)(3).

Defendant is ordered to give notice of this ruling.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: May 10, 2018

_____________________________

Dennis J. Landin

Judge of the Superior Court