Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_05-cv-03518/USCOURTS-cand-5_05-cv-03518-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 890
Nature of Suit: Other Statutory Actions
Cause of Action: 15:1692 Fair Debt Collection Act

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 This disposition is not designated for publication and may not be cited.

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 Settlement negotiations had continued until that date but had proven fruitless.

Case No. C 05-03518 (JF) (HRL)

ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR ATTORNEY’S FEES AND COSTS

(JFLC1)

**E-Filed 9/21/06 **

NOT FOR CITATION

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN JOSE DIVISION

SARA WALLAT,

 Plaintiff,

 v.

CALVIN KENNETH ROUSH,

 Defendant.

Case Number C 05-03518 (JF) (HRL)

ORDER1 AWARDING COSTS AND

ATTORNEYS’ FEES

[re: docket no. 13]

Plaintiff filed the complaint in this action on August 31, 2005, alleging violation of the

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”) against Defendant Calvin Kenneth Roush. 

Plaintiff filed a Notice of Acceptance of Offer of Judgment on October 13, 2005. Plaintiff filed

an Application for Entry of Judgment on November 14, 2005.2 The Court entered judgment on

November 18, 2005 and instructed plaintiff to file a motion for attorneys’ fees and costs. 

Case 5:05-cv-03518-JF Document 24 Filed 09/21/06 Page 1 of 4
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 The FDCPA provides that a prevailing plaintiff may recover costs and reasonable

attorneys’ fees. 15 U.S.C. § 1692k(a)(3).

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Case No. C 05-03518 (JF) (HRL)

ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR ATTORNEY’S FEES AND COSTS

(JFLC1)

Plaintiff filed a motion for attorney fees and costs on November 30, 2005.3 Defendant filed

opposition on December 27, 2005, and Plaintiff replied on December 28, 2005. 

Plaintiff requests $4,776.27 in attorneys’ fees and costs. This consists of: (a) $3,816.27

in attorneys fees and in costs requested in the motion for attorneys’ fees and costs; and (b)

$960.00 in attorneys’ fees requested for reviewing the Defendant’s Opposition, researching the

law, and drafting the Reply. 

(a) Plaintiff’s request for $3,816.27 includes $250.00 in court costs. The Clerk of the

Court taxed costs in the sum of $250.00 on December 30, 2005. Accordingly, the Court need not

include this $250.00 in the present award of attorneys’ fees and costs. The remaining $3,566.27

is adequately supported by the declaration of counsel and the memorandum of points and

authorities submitted in support of Plaintiff’s request. 

(b) The Court concludes that Plaintiff’s request for an additional $960.00 is excessive. 

There is no apparent reason why Plaintiff’s counsel could not have prepared the Reply as quickly

as he completed the Memorandum in Support of Motion for Attorney Fees. Plaintiff’s counsel

properly saw no need to provide the Court with complicated analysis or detailed research in his

reply and thus he did not do so. Consequently, it is unclear why Plaintiff’s counsel required 3.2

hours to draft a five-page reply when he drafted a seventeen-page Memorandum in Support of

Motion for Attorney Fees in 1.3 hours. See Declaration of Fred W. Schwinn Exh. A (1.00 hr on

11/25/05; 0.30 hr on 11/29/2005). The Court concludes that Plaintiff’s counsel could have

completed its reply in 1.3 hours. The Court will add 0.2 hours to this figure for the time

reasonably needed by Plaintiff’s counsel to review Defendant’s opposition. The Court therefore

concludes that $450.00 (1.5 hr x $300.00/hr) is the appropriate award of attorneys’ fees for the

reply. 

Accordingly, the Court HEREBY AWARDS costs and attorneys’ fees in favor of

Plaintiff and against Defendant Calvin Kenneth Roush in the amount of $4,016.27. This amount

Case 5:05-cv-03518-JF Document 24 Filed 09/21/06 Page 2 of 4
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Case No. C 05-03518 (JF) (HRL)

ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR ATTORNEY’S FEES AND COSTS

(JFLC1)

is in addition to the $250.00 of costs taxed to the Defendant by the Clerk of the Court on

December 30, 2005. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

DATED: September 21, 2006.

 

JEREMY FOGEL

United States District Judge

Case 5:05-cv-03518-JF Document 24 Filed 09/21/06 Page 3 of 4
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Case No. C 05-03518 (JF) (HRL)

ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR ATTORNEY’S FEES AND COSTS

(JFLC1)

This Order has been served upon the following persons:

Frederick William Schwinn cand_cmecf@sjconsumerlaw.com,

fred.schwinn@sjconsumerlaw.com 

Calvin Kenneth Roush

Suite 202

2910 Jefferson Street

Carlsbad, CA 92008

Case 5:05-cv-03518-JF Document 24 Filed 09/21/06 Page 4 of 4