Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_04-cv-01682/USCOURTS-cand-3_04-cv-01682-5/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 371
Nature of Suit: Truth in Lending
Cause of Action: 28:1331 Fed. Question

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SANTOS SALAS and ANITA GUTIERREZ,

Plaintiffs,

 v.

HILLTOP FINANCIAL MORTGAGE, INC., et

al.

Defendant. /

No. C-04-01682 EDL

ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFFS’

MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE THIRD

AMENDED COMPLAINT

Plaintiffs Santos Salas and Anita Gutierrez filed a motion for leave to file a third amended

complaint, seeking to name a new defendant, Thanh “Tom” Nguyen, the owner and president of

defendant Hilltop Financial Mortgage, Inc., and add a negligence claim to their second amended

complaint. Finding the matter appropriate for decision without oral argument, the Court has taken

the motion under submission and grants the motion for leave to amend. While Plaintiffs brought

their motion at a late stage in the proceeding, the problem was in part due to delays in discovery. It

would not be efficient to require Plaintiffs to file a second lawsuit when the same transactions

involving the same people give rise to the proposed amendments. Further, Mr. Nguyen, as the

owner and president of Hilltop, is not a stranger to the litigation and will be able to get to speed on

these issues relatively quickly. Any potential prejudice from the amendment may be cured by

allowing limited additional discovery and briefly extending the discovery, motions, and trial dates. 

The Court therefore orders the parties to appear at the October 11, 2005 hearing prepared to

discuss: (1) the additional discovery they anticipate will be necessary, and why; (2) representation of

Mr. Nguyen; and (3) proposed changes to the case management and pretrial order that was filed on

Case 3:04-cv-01682-MHP Document 118 Filed 10/07/05 Page 1 of 2
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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April 1, 2005. (Counsel for Hilltop and for defendant Encore Credit Corporation both requested and

were granted permission to appear telephonically.) 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: October 7, 2005 

ELIZABETH D. LAPORTE

United States Magistrate Judge

Case 3:04-cv-01682-MHP Document 118 Filed 10/07/05 Page 2 of 2