Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_12-cv-00276/USCOURTS-azd-2_12-cv-00276-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 365
Nature of Suit: Personal Injury - Product Liability
Cause of Action: 28:1441 Petition for Removal- Tort/Non-Motor Vehicle

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WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

DISTRICT OF ARIZONA 

JAMES THOMAS and AVALEE 

THOMAS, husband and wife, HOWARD 

JENKS and DIANE JENKS, husband and 

wife, 

 Plaintiffs, 

 

vs. 

PNS Stores, Inc., dba Big Lots, a California 

corporation, SUNBAY COMPANY 

LIMITED, a Chinese Business Entity, 

HANGZHOU VOLLY GARDEN 

FURNITURE CO., LTD., a Chinese 

Business Entity, JOHN DOE 1-5, JANE 

DOE 1-5, ABC Corporations 1-5, DEF 

Limited Liability Companies 1-5, GHI 

Partnerships 1-5, Unknown Heirs, Devisees 

and Legatees of any of the above if 

deceased, 

 Defendants. 

Case No. CV 12-00276-PHX-DKD 

ORDER PERMITTING 

ALTERNATIVE SERVICE UPON 

DEFENDANT HANGZHOU VOLLY 

GARDEN FURNITURE CO., LTD. 

 -- and-- 

PERMITTING DISCOVERY IN 

ADVANCE OF THE CASE 

MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE AND 

CASE MANAGEMENT ORDER 

Plaintiffs have moved for service by alternative means because of difficulty 

effecting service on the Chinese Business Entity. Plaintiffs’ application includes the 

affidavit of the owner of the process serving company Plaintiffs retained which includes 

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Case 2:12-cv-00276-DKD Document 48 Filed 04/05/13 Page 1 of 3
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the attestation that the address furnished by the Chinese Central Authority for the 

Chinese Defendant does not match the physical address the process server has identified 

as being the business location of this Defendant. Thus it appears that the exception to 

the Hague Convention set forth in Article 1 may apply: “This convention shall not apply 

where the address of the person to be served with the document is not known.” 

Convention of 15 November 1965 on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial 

Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters, Hague Conference on Private International 

Law (http://www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=conventions.text&cid=17). In such 

circumstances a court may authorize alternative service pursuant to Rule 4(f)(2)-(3) of 

the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Rio Properties, Inc. v. Rio International Interlink, 

284 F.3d 1007 (9th Cir. 2002); Chanel, Inc. v. Song Xu, 2010 WL 396357 (W.D. Tenn. 

2010). Plaintiffs’ request also comports with due process because the Plaintiffs’ 

submission includes evidence that the Chinese Defendant conducts business via the 

internet and that this entity has responded to Plaintiffs’ email inquiries. MacLean-Fogg 

Co. v. Ningbo Fastlink Equipment Co., Ltd., 2008 WL 5100414 (N.D. Ill. 2008). 

 Accordingly, pursuant to Plaintiffs’ Motion for Alternative Service of Process to 

serve Defendant Hangzhou Volly Garden Furniture Co., Ltd., and good cause shown: 

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiffs are granted permission to serve 

Defendant Hangzhou Volly Garden Furniture Co., Ltd., by electronic mailing. 

Case 2:12-cv-00276-DKD Document 48 Filed 04/05/13 Page 2 of 3
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IT IS FURTHER ORDERED GRANTING PLAINTIFFS’ request to proceed 

with discovery in advance of the case management conference and issuance of the case 

management order. 

 Dated this 4th day of April, 2013. 

 

Case 2:12-cv-00276-DKD Document 48 Filed 04/05/13 Page 3 of 3