Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_11-cv-00921/USCOURTS-casd-3_11-cv-00921-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 480
Nature of Suit: Consumer Credit
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Petition for Removal

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

RITA MEDELLIN, an individual, on behalf

of all others similarly situated,

Plaintiff,

CASE NO. 11cv921 WQH (BGS)

ORDER

vs.

IKEA U.S. WEST, INC.; DOES 1-50,

inclusive,

Defendants.

HAYES, Judge:

The matter before the Court is the Motion to Consolidate Related Actions and Appoint

Interim Class Counsel. (ECF No. 13). 

BACKGROUND

Plaintiff seeks to consolidate this action with Yeoman v. IKEA U.S.A. West, Inc., Case

No. 11cv701 WQH (BGS). Plaintiff contend that consolidation is appropriate pursuant to

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 42(a) because the cases “involve common questions of law

and fact, involve the same defendant, and assert claims on behalf of an identical Class.” (ECF

No. 13 at 2). Defendant has not responded to the Motion to Consolidate. 

Rule 42 states: “If actions before the court involve a common question of law or fact,

the court may: ... (2) consolidate the actions....” Fed. R. Civ. P. 42(a). The Court has broad

discretion in determining whether to consolidate actions pending in the same district. See

Investors Research Co. v. U.S. Dist. Court for Cent. Dist. of Cal., 877 F.2d 777, 777 (9th

Case 3:11-cv-00921-WQH-BGS Document 17 Filed 10/27/11 Page 1 of 3
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1

 Plaintiff also seeks appointment of interim class counsel pursuant to Federal Rule of

Civil Procedure 23. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(g)(3) (“The court may designate interim counsel

to act on behalf of a putative class before determining whether to certify the action as a class

action.”). The Court has permitted Plaintiff to seek leave to add Medellin’s counsel to the First

Amended Complaint. Accordingly, Plaintiff’s Motion for Appointment of Interim Council is

DENIED as moot. 

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Cir.1989); see also Zhu v. UCBH Holdings, Inc., 682 F. Supp. 2d 1049, 1052 (N.D. Cal. 2010)

(quotation omitted). The court should “weigh the saving of time and effort that consolidation

would produce against any inconvenience, delay, or expense that it would cause.” Khalafala

v. Miller, 2011 WL 1815405 at *4 (D. Ariz. Feb. 8, 2011) (citation omitted). 

In Yeoman, Plaintiff asserts one claim for violation of the Song-Beverly Credit Card Act

Cal. Civ. Code section 1747. Plaintiff Yeoman alleges that “Ikea systematically and

intentionally violates the Credit Card Act by uniformly requesting that cardholders provide

personal identification information, including their zip codes, during credit card transactions,

and then recording that information in electronic database systems.” (ECF No. 1-2 at 3).

Plaintiff Yeoman “brings this class action on behalf of himself and other similarly situated

consumers in California from whom Ikea requested and recorded personal identification

information as part of a credit card transaction.” Id. 

In Medellin, Plaintiff asserts one claim for violation of the Song-Beverly Credit Card

Act Cal. Civ. Code section 1747. Plaintiff Medellin alleges that Ikea engages in a “pattern of

unlawful and deceptive business practices by utilizing an ‘Information Capture Policy’

whereby Defendant’s cashiers both request and record personal identification information, in

the form of zip codes, and credit card numbers from customers using credit cards at the pointof-sale in Defendant’s retail establishments.” (ECF No. 1-1 at 3). Plaintiff Medellin “brings

this class action ... on behalf of herself and persons in California from whom Defendant

requested and recorded personal identification information in conjunction with a credit card

transaction.” Id. 

The Court concludes that the consolidation may be appropriate. The Court has granted

Plaintiff in the Yeoman case ten days to seek leave to file a First Amended Complaint to add

Plaintiff Rita Medellin and Medellin’s counsel.1

 Upon filing of the First Amended Complaint

Case 3:11-cv-00921-WQH-BGS Document 17 Filed 10/27/11 Page 2 of 3
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in Yeoman, the Clerk of the Court shall administratively close Medellin v. IKEA U.S. West,

Inc., Case No. 11cv921 WQH (BGS). 

CONCLUSION

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Motion to Consolidate Related Actions (ECF No.

13) is GRANTED. Upon filing of the First Amended Complaint in the Yeoman case, the Clerk

of the Court shall administratively close Medellin v. IKEA U.S. West, Inc., Case No. 11cv921

WQH (BGS). The Motion to Appoint Interim Class Counsel (ECF No. 13) is DENIED as

moot. 

DATED: October 27, 2011

WILLIAM Q. HAYES

United States District Judge

Case 3:11-cv-00921-WQH-BGS Document 17 Filed 10/27/11 Page 3 of 3