| Case | County / Judge | Motion | Ruling | Indexed | Hearing |
|---|
Motion To Compel Further Responses To Request For Production; Request For Sanctions
SF Superior Court - Law & Motion / Discovery Dept 301 - CGC24619765 - June 3, 2025 Hearing date: June 3, 2025 Case number: CGC24619765 Case title: SAMUEL CHAN VS. FORD MOTOR COMPANY ET AL Case Number: | | CGC24619765 | Case Title: | | SAMUEL CHAN VS. FORD MOTOR COMPANY ET AL | Court Date: | | 2025-06-03 09:00 AM | Calendar Matter: | | Notice Of Motion And Motion To Compel Further Responses To Request For Production From Defendant Ford Motor Company, And Request For Sanctions; Memorandum In Support Of Motion | Rulings: | | Matter on the Law & Motion/Discovery Calendar for Tuesday, June 03, 2025, line 6, 1 - PLAINTIFF SAMUEL CHAN'S Motion To Compel Further Responses To Request For Production From Defendant Ford Motor Company, And Request For Sanctions.
Plaintiff Samuel Chan moves for an order compelling further responses to Chan's First Set of Requests for Production and for sanctions against defendant Ford Motor Company. The court grants the motion in part and denies it in part as set forth below.
RFPs 16, 19-31: Ford shall produce all Warranty Policy and Procedure Manuals from 2023 to the present. To the extent Ford has any other policy or procedure manuals or instructions concerning evaluating and responding to customer complaints, handling repurchase requests, or handling refund requests (including but not limited to its policies and procedures for its Customer Relationship Center and its RAV Policy and Procedure Manual), it shall produce them for the period 2023 to the present. No further response is ordered at this time, but Chan may serve targeted discovery for additional documents covered by these RFPs after he has reviewed the production the court has ordered.
RFPs 45-46: These RFPs seek documents concerning complaints made by other vehicle owners that are similar to Chan's complaints. After the motion was filed, Ford served supplemental responses agreeing to produce in part. Chan's reply offers no argument that its agreement to produce is inadequate. Ford shall produce the documents ordered herein within 20 days of entry of this order.
Chan seeks sanctions. CCP 2031.300(c) provides that "the court shall impose a monetary sanction . . . against any party, person, or attorney who unsuccessfully makes or opposes a motion to compel a response to a demand for inspection . . . unless it finds that the one subject to the sanction acted with substantial justification or that other circumstances make the imposition of the sanction unjust." Chan was successful only in part, but Ford's refuse to produce 2023 manuals and documents concerning like vehicles with like issues until after the motion was filed lacked substantial justification. The court orders Ford to pay $500 in sanctions to Chan within 30 days of entry of this order.
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