Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_16-cv-05697/USCOURTS-cand-4_16-cv-05697-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 480
Nature of Suit: Consumer Credit
Cause of Action: 15:1681 Fair Credit Reporting Act

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

LISA MESSANO,

Plaintiff,

v.

EXPERIAN INFORMATION SOLUTIONS, 

INC., et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 16-cv-05697-HSG 

ORDER DENYING JOINT MOTION TO 

CONSOLIDATE

Re: Dkt. No. 28

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 42 permits a court to consolidate actions if they “involve a 

common question of law or fact.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 42. “The district court has broad discretion 

under this rule to consolidate cases pending in the same district.” Inv’rs Research Co. v. U.S. Dist. 

Court for Cent. Dist. of Cal., 877 F.2d 777, 777 (9th Cir. 1989). In considering a motion to 

consolidate, a court “weighs the saving of time and effort consolidation would produce against any 

inconvenience, delay, or expense that it would cause.” Huene v. United States, 743 F.2d 703, 704 

(9th Cir.), on reh’g, 753 F.2d 1081 (9th Cir. 1984). Here, Defendants Experian Information 

Solutions, Inc. and Equifax, Inc. have jointly moved for the Court to consolidate more than 170 

similar suits filed by Plaintiff’s counsel and alleging violations of state and federal credit reporting 

laws. Dkt. No. 28. On balance, the Court finds that any efficiency gained by having a single 

judge hear the suits would be outweighed by the delay that would result from burdening a single 

judge’s chambers with over 170 cases—on top of its existing caseload. Accordingly, the Court

DENIES the joint motion to consolidate.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated:

______________________________________

HAYWOOD S. GILLIAM, JR.

United States District Judge

1/4/2017

Case 4:16-cv-05697-HSG Document 40 Filed 01/04/17 Page 1 of 1