Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_07-cv-01701/USCOURTS-azd-2_07-cv-01701-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 840
Nature of Suit: Trademark
Cause of Action: 15:1051 Trademark Infringement

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 Co-defendant Shailaben Bhakta was dismissed from this action without

prejudice pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 4(m) on January 23, 2008 (doc. #11).

WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Best Western International, Inc., 

Plaintiff,

vs.

Satish Bhakta, et ux.

Defendants.

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No. CV-07-1701-PHX-PGR

 

 ORDER

Having considered the plaintiff’s Motion for Default Judgment (doc. #13),

and the exhibits attached thereto, the Court finds that the motion should be

granted pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 55(b)(2) to the extent set forth herein.

The Court first concludes that defendant Satish Bhakta was properly

served on October 25, 2007 (doc. #9)1

, that Mr. Bhakta has not filed an answer,

and that default was properly entered against Mr. Bhakta by the Clerk of the

Court on March 3, 2008 (doc. #12).

The Court also concludes that the plaintiff has properly established through

the exhibits attached to its Motion for Default Judgment that it is entitled to the

amount of $19,809.67, plus interest thereon at the rate of 1.5% per month from

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 The Court’s calculation of the amount of liquidated damages for

purposes of paragraph 24 of the membership agreement is based on the

following: the evidence establishes that the plaintiff’s signage improperly

remained in place from May 17, 2007 (the 16th day after the plaintiff terminated

the agreement) through August 1, 2007, for a total of 77 days; that 15% of the

mean daily room rate of $75.00 equals $11.25; and that $11.25 per day times 77

days equals $28,586.25, the amount requested in the Motion for Default

Judgment under Count III.

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and after November 1, 2007, as damages under Count I (Breach of Contract) and

Count II (Open Account) of the Verified Complaint.

The Court further concludes that the exhibits establish that the plaintiff is

entitled to liquidated damages in the amount of $28,586.25 pursuant to Count III

of the Verified Complaint. The Court reaches this conclusion based solely on

paragraph 24 of the membership agreement and the information provided in

Exhibit C to the Motion for Default Judgment. The Court has disregarded

paragraph 11 of the Affidavit in Support of Motion for Default Judgment,

submitted by Cheryl Pollack, the plaintiff’s Director of Member Care and

Development Administration. Although paragraph 11 of the affidavit was meant

to pertain to the liquidated damages amount, Ms. Pollack’s statements therein

that the applicable liquidated damages amount to $522.90 per day, for a total of

$49,675.50 as of April 10, 2007, clearly have no application to the facts of this

action and were thus improperly submitted in conjunction with this action.2

The Court further concludes pursuant to paragraph 36 of the membership

agreement that the plaintiff is entitled to attorney’s fees and expenses. While the

Court believes that the hourly rate of $225.00 charged by the plaintiff’s counsel is

reasonable, as is the $716.18 in requested expenses, the Court will reduce the

amount of fees requested by the plaintiff by $450.00 due to the plaintiff’s failure to 

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ensure that its request for liquidated damages was properly supported by Ms.

Pollack’s affidavit, which failure resulted in the unnecessary expenditure of scarce

judicial resources in determining whether the plaintiff was in fact entitled to the

amount of liquidated damages requested. Therefore,

IT IS ORDERED that plaintiff Best Western International, Inc.’s Motion for

Default Judgment (doc. #13) is granted to the extent that the Clerk of the Court

shall enter default judgment in favor of the plaintiff and against defendant Satish

Bhakta as follows:

(1) On Counts I and II of the Verified Complaint, in the amount of

$19,809.67, plus interest thereon at the rate of 1.5% per month from and after

November 1, 2007;

(2) On Count II of the Verified Complaint, in the amount of $28,586.25; and

(3) On all counts of the Verified Complaint, attorney’s fees in the amount of

$2,250.00 and expenses in the amount of $716.18, for a total amount of

attorney’s fees and expenses of $2,966.18.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that plaintiff Best Western International, Inc.’s

Application for Preliminary Injunction (doc. #4) is denied as moot.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Clerk of the Court shall terminate this

action.

DATED this 7th day of April, 2008.

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