Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_12-cv-00665/USCOURTS-casd-3_12-cv-00665-15/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 890
Nature of Suit: Other Statutory Actions
Cause of Action: 15:2801 Petroleum Marketing Practices Act

---

1

12cv665 JLS (JLB) Lead Case

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

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

BP WEST COAST PRODUCTS, LLC,

Plaintiff and Counter-Defendant,

v.

CROSSROAD PETROLEUM, INC., ET 

AL.,

Defendants and Counter-Claimants.

AND RELATED CONSOLIDATED 

ACTIONS

Case No.: 12cv665 JLS (JLB) Lead Case

ORDER GRANTING LEAVE TO 

FILE MOTION FOR SUMMARY 

JUDGMENT

(ECF No. 654)

Presently before the Court is Plaintiff and Counter-Defendant BP West Coast 

Products, LLC’s (“BP”) Motion for Leave to File Motion for Partial Summary Judgment

(“Leave Request”). (ECF No. 654.) Although the deadline for filing dispositive motions 

was set for April 15, 2016, (ECF Nos. 318, 486), BP requests leave to file a post-deadline

Motion for Partial Summary Judgment “directed to one discrete issue: unpaid motor 

fuel[,]” (Mot. 1).

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56 permits a party to bring a motion for summary 

judgment “at any time until 30 days after the close of all discovery.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(b). 

However, Rule 56 also allows the deadline by which a party may bring a motion for 

summary judgment to be extended or shortened by “local rule or . . . court order[] . . . .” 

Id. “[S]o long as no prejudice results, the policies underlying [Rule] 56 favor extending 

Case 3:12-cv-00665-JLS-JLB Document 661 Filed 12/19/16 PageID.<pageID> Page 1 of 3
2

12cv665 JLS (JLB) Lead Case

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

the time in which summary judgment motions may be made when material facts are 

undisputed, and one of the parties is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” 

Tungjunyatham v. Johanns, No. 1:06-CV-01764-SMS, 2010 WL 1797264, at *2 (E.D. Cal. 

May 4, 2010) (citing Util. Control Corp. v. Prince William Constr. Co., 558 F.2d 716, 719 

(4th Cir. 1977)).

In support of BP’s Leave Request, BP notes that: (1) it did, in fact, file motions for 

summary judgment prior to the dispositive motion deadline, (id. at 3); (2) that resolution 

of the remaining unpaid motor fuel claims will likely “eliminate the need for trial against”

six Defendants and Counter-Claimants and thus narrow the issues such that those 

remaining can all be disposed of in one trial, (id.); (3) Defendants and Counter-Claimants 

have adequate notice of BP’s leave request and potential summary judgment filing, (id. at 

3–4); and (4) BP’s request is not the product of negligence, carelessness, or mistake[,]” but 

instead is designed “to expedite finality of claims in the most efficient form—briefing 

rather than a jury trial[,]” (id. at 3). Additionally, resolving the claims for unpaid motor 

fuel will likely implicate limited factual and legal issues, all of which have been narrowed 

by discovery. (See id. at 2–3.) Finally, litigation is unable to proceed for at least the next 

three months due to the Lacey Defendants’ Counsel’s recent accident. (See ECF Nos. 659, 

660.)

Given the foregoing, and good cause appearing, the Court GRANTS BP’s Leave 

Request. However, the Court is mindful that Counsel for the Lacey Defendants will be 

unable to respond for at least ninety days. Accordingly, the Court sets the following

/ / /

/ / /

/ / /

/ / /

/ / /

/ / /

/ / /

Case 3:12-cv-00665-JLS-JLB Document 661 Filed 12/19/16 PageID.<pageID> Page 2 of 3
3

12cv665 JLS (JLB) Lead Case

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

briefing schedule for BP’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment. BP SHALL FILE its 

Motion for Partial Summary Judgment and supporting memorandum on or before February 

28, 2017. The Lacey Defendants SHALL FILE their Opposition on or before March 30, 

2017.

1

 BP SHALL FILE its response, if any, on or before April 17, 2017.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: December 19, 2016

 

1 This is fourteen days after the next scheduled hearing and several weeks after the end of the period during 

which Ms. Lacey’s doctor advised the Court that Ms. Lacey’s “cases must be stayed or delayed . . . .” 

(Lacey Decl. 5, ECF No. 657.) However, should the Lacey Defendants need more time to file their 

Opposition due to further medical complications, they may of course move the Court for additional time.

Case 3:12-cv-00665-JLS-JLB Document 661 Filed 12/19/16 PageID.<pageID> Page 3 of 3