Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_05-cv-02213/USCOURTS-azd-2_05-cv-02213-1/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

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WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Frank Cissne and David Martin, in their

capacities as Trustees of the Operating

Engineers Local 428 Trust Funds, 

Plaintiffs, 

vs.

Sierra Grading and Paving Co., Inc., an

Arizona corporation, 

Defendant.

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No. CV-05-2213-PHX-DGC

ORDER

Plaintiffs have filed a motion for partial default judgment. Dkt. #30. The Court will

grant the motion in part and deny it in part.

I. Background.

Plaintiffs filed a complaint against Defendant on July 26, 2005. The complaint

alleged that Defendant has failed to make employee benefit contributions to various trust

funds in violation of certain collective bargaining agreements. Dkt. #1.

Defendant was served with process on August 10, 2005. Dkt. ##3-5. Defendant

failed to respond to the complaint as required by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

The Clerk entered Defendant’s default and the Court entered a partial default judgment.

Dkt. ##10, 23.

The Court denied Plaintiffs’ request for judgment in the amount of $7,911.46 because

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Plaintiffs did not request this amount, or any other specific amount of damages, in the

complaint. Rather, Plaintiffs sought leave to amend the complaint, upon completion of an

audit, to set forth the precise amounts of contributions and liquidated damages due and owing

to Plaintiffs. Dkt. #23 at 2 (citing Dkt. #1 at 4). The Court granted Plaintiffs leave to file

an amended complaint setting forth the precise amount of damages they seek to recover in

this action. Id.

Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint on May 11, 2007. Dkt. #25. The amended

complaint seeks judgment in the amount of $10,731.80, which allegedly represents the

amount due through February 2007. Id. at 3-5. The complaint also seeks an order requiring

Defendant to produce the payroll records necessary for Plaintiffs to determine the amount

due for March, April, and May 2007. Id. at 4-5.

Defendant failed to respond to the amended complaint as required by the Federal

Rules of Civil Procedure. The Clerk entered Defendant’s default on July 20, 2007. Dkt. #27.

II. Analysis.

In the instant motion, Plaintiff states that Defendant has remitted reports and

contributions for March and April 2007. Dkt. #30 at 3. Plaintiffs request the Court to enter

partial default judgment as follows: (1) for the amount of $10,669.23, which represents

contributions and liquidated damages due through February 2007 and (2) for an order

requiring Defendant to provide reports, contributions, and liquidated damages due from

May 1 through August 31, 2007. Id. at 5.

“A judgment by default shall not be different in kind from or exceed in amount that

prayed for in the demand for judgment.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 54(c); see Fed. R. Civ. P. 55(d) (“In

all cases a judgment by default is subject to the limitations of Rule 54(c).”); Fed. R. Civ. P.

8(a)(3) (requiring a complaint to contain “a demand for judgment for the relief the pleader

seeks”). The Court will grant Plaintiffs’ request for a judgment in the amount of $10,669.23

and for an order requiring Defendant to provide reports, contributions, and liquidated

damages due for May 2007. The Court will deny Plaintiffs’ request for an order requiring

Defendant to provide reports, contributions, and liquidated damages due for June, July, and

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August 2007. Plaintiffs did not request this relief in the amended complaint. See Dkt. #25.

IT IS ORDERED:

1. Plaintiffs’ motion for partial default judgment (Dkt. #30) is granted in part

and denied in part as set forth in this order.

2. Plaintiffs shall submit a proposed form of judgment consistent with this order

by September 28, 2007.

3. Plaintiffs shall seek judgment on any damages due for May 2007 by

December 21, 2007.

4. The Clerk shall terminate this action if Plaintiffs fail to comply with these

deadlines.

5. Plaintiffs may file a motion for attorneys’ fees upon entry of final judgment

in the case.

DATED this 18th day of September, 2007.

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