Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_08-cv-00874/USCOURTS-azd-2_08-cv-00874-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 720
Nature of Suit: Labor Management Relations Act
Cause of Action: 29:1145 E.R.I.S.A.

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WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Dean Wise, as Trustee of the Plaintiff

Taft-Hartley trust funds; et al., 

Plaintiffs, 

vs.

SCH Electric, L.L.C., 

Defendant. 

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No. CV-08-0874-PHX-LOA

ORDER

This matter arises on Plaintiffs’ Motion for Entry of Default Judgment. (docket

# 11) Since Plaintiffs’ May 7, 2008 Complaint seeks injunctive relief and monetary

damages for “contributions shown due” for February and March, 2008 and “since April 1,

2008,” the Court is required to conduct a default evidentiary hearing due to the entry of

default against Defendant by the Clerk. Rule 55(b)(2), FED.R.CIV.P. (docket # 1 and # 9)

To assist the undersigned in conducting the subject hearing and establishing

the correct amount of compensatory and appropriate injunctive relief to which Plaintiffs may

be entitled, the Court will require Plaintiffs’ counsel to timely file in advance of the subject

hearing the following documents:

1. Proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law,

2. A Default Hearing Memorandum which sets forth the legal and

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1

This memorandum shall comply with the motion requirements for an award of

reasonable attorney’s fees set forth in LRCiv) 54.2(d) and (e), Rules of Practice of the United

States District Court for the District of Arizona.

2

 See, LRCiv 54.1(e).

3

 The proposed Judgment lodged with the Court is unacceptable due to a

typographical error in the spelling of the Defendant in the caption.

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factual basis of all claims for damages and other requested relief, including citations to

appropriate authorities to support the damages and injunctive relief Plaintiffs seek from the

Court at the subject hearing; Plaintiffs’ reasonable attorney’s fees,1

 if requested in the

Complaint and authorized by law; and Plaintiffs’ costs incurred herein.2

3. An appropriate affidavit for award of reasonable attorney’s fees, if requested

and in the Complaint and authorized by law, and related non-taxable expenses in compliance

with Local Rule LRCiv 54.2(d) and (e), and,

4. A proposed Default Judgement3

 with specificity of the specific damages and

other relief sought; the amount of reasonable attorney’s fees; and authorized non-taxable

expenses and costs specifically itemized therein. The injunctive relief, if any, sought by

Plaintiff shall also be set forth therein.

Default judgments are governed by Rule 55 of the Federal Rules of Civil

Procedure. Under certain circumstances, a default judgment may be entered by the clerk of

the court. Fed. R. Civ. Proc. 55(b)(1). After a default has been entered by the clerk, the

well-pleaded factual allegations of a complaint are taken as true, except for those allegations

relating to damages. TeleVideo Sys., Inc. v. Heidenthal, 826 F.2d 915, 917 (9th Cir. 1987);

Discovery Communications, Inc. v. Animal Planet, Inc., 172 F.Supp.2d 1282, 1288 (C.D.Cal.

2001). A plaintiff is required to prove all damages sought in the complaint. In addition, “[a]

default judgment must not differ in kind from, or exceed in amount, what is demanded in the

pleadings.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 54(c). The Ninth Circuit holds that a district court may consider

the following factors in exercising its discretion to award a default judgment:

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(1) the possibility of prejudice to the plaintiff, (2) the merits of plaintiff’s

substantive claim, (3) the sufficiency of the complaint, (4) the sum of money

at stake in the action; (5) the possibility of a dispute concerning material facts;

(6) whether the default was due to excusable neglect, and (7) the strong policy

underlying the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure favoring decisions on the

merits.

Eitel v. McCool, 782 F.2d 1470, 1471-72 (9th Cir.1986). “In applying this discretionary

standard, default judgments are more often granted than denied.” Philip Morris USA, Inc. v.

Castworld Prods., Inc., 219 F.R.D. 494, 498 (C.D.Cal. 2003). 

Since the default damages hearing will be an on-the-record evidentiary hearing,

Plaintiffs’ counsel shall call one or more witnesses to prove Plaintiffs’ damages and other

relief sought in their Complaint, except that reasonable attorney’s fees, non-taxable expenses,

and costs shall be proven by appropriate affidavit. 

Accordingly,

IT IS ORDERED hereby setting a default damages evidentiary hearing for

10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 27, 2008 before the undersigned at the Sandra Day

O’Connor U.S. Courthouse, Courtroom 302, 401 W. Washington, Phoenix, Az. Allotted

time: 1 hour. Plaintiffs’ counsel shall file with the Court those default hearing documents

itemized herein on or before Monday, August 18, 2008 and provide copies to the

undersigned’s chamber’s email box (anderson chambers@azd.uscourts.gov)

DATED this 29th day of July, 2008.

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