Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_09-cv-01431/USCOURTS-cand-3_09-cv-01431-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 791
Nature of Suit: Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
Cause of Action: 29:1132 E.R.I.S.A.: Employee Benefits

---

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA PIPE

TRADES HEALTH AND WELFARE

PLAN, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

CHARLOTTE RODRIGUES,

Defendant.

NO. C09-1431 TEH

ORDER GRANTING MOTION

FOR DEFAULT JUDGMENT

This matter came before the Court on April 5, 2010, on Plaintiffs’ motion for default

judgment. At the hearing, the Court orally ruled that default judgment would be entered and

that Plaintiffs would be awarded the claimed reimbursements for benefits paid, as well as the

claimed attorneys’ fees and costs. These amounts are $22,645.89 and $11,540.48,

respectively.

The only remaining question is the rate at which pre-judgment interest should be

awarded. Plaintiffs calculated simple interest at 10% but consented at the hearing to

applying the statutory 52-week United States Treasury bill rate. As the United States Court

of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has explained:

We have held that the interest rate prescribed for post-judgment

interest under 28 U.S.C. § 1961 is appropriate for fixing the rate

of pre-judgment interest “unless the trial judge finds, on

substantial evidence, that the equities of that particular case

require a different rate.” . . . Section 1961 provides that the

post-judgment interest rate shall be equal to “the coupon issue

yield equivalent (as determined by the Secretary of the Treasury)

of the average accepted auction price for the last auction of

fifty-two week United States Treasury bills settled immediately

prior to the date of the judgment.” 28 U.S.C. § 1961.

Nelson v. EG & G Energy Measurements Group, Inc., 37 F.3d 1384, 1391 (9th Cir. 1994)

(citation omitted). The most recent weekly rate, as of April 2, 2010, was 0.43%. See Federal

Case 3:09-cv-01431-TEH Document 20 Filed 04/06/10 Page 1 of 2
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

2

Reserve Statistical Release H.15 Selected Interest Rates, http://www.federalreserve.gov/

releases/h15/data/Weekly_Friday_/H15_TCMNOM_Y1.txt (last visited Apr. 5, 2010). 

“Interest shall be computed daily to the date of payment . . . and shall be compounded

annually.” 28 U.S.C. § 1961(b). Based on the premiums paid by Plaintiffs, as documented

in Exhibit B to the Declaration of Kim Biagi, and the Court’s calculations, the pre-judgment

interest due to Plaintiffs is $313.03.

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that judgment shall be entered in favor of

Plaintiffs and against Defendant in the amount of $34,499.40. Interest shall accrue daily on

the unpaid balance of the judgment at the annual rate of 0.43%, compounded annually, until

the judgment is fully paid. The Clerk shall enter judgment and close the file.

 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: 04/06/10 

THELTON E. HENDERSON, JUDGE

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

Case 3:09-cv-01431-TEH Document 20 Filed 04/06/10 Page 2 of 2