Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_09-cv-01584/USCOURTS-caed-2_09-cv-01584-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company
Defendant
Wanda A. Sell
Plaintiff

Document Text:

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STIPULATION AND ORDER AMENDING THE STATUS [PRETRIAL SCHEDULING] ORDER 

RANDALL L. HARR (SBN 107214) 1

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rlh@giffordharr.com 

GIFFORD & HARR 

44160 Hwy. 299 East. #6 

McArthur, CA 96056 

Tel.: (530) 336-5656 

Fax: (530) 336-5659 

Attorneys for Plaintiff, 

WANDA A. SELL, individually and as Trustee of the Nancy A. Muhs Trust 

MARC S. HINES (SBN 140065) mhines@hinessmith.com 

MICHELLE L. CARDER (SBN 174481) mcarder@hinessmith.com 

CHRISTINE M. EMANUELSON (SBN 221269) cemanuelson@hinessmith.com 

HINES SMITH CARDER LEASURE DINCEL

3080 Bristol Street, Suite 540 

Costa Mesa, California 92626 

Tel.: (714) 513-1122 

Fax: (714) 513-1123 

Attorneys for Defendant, 

NATIONWIDE MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY 

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

WANDA A. SELL, individually 

and a Trustee of the Nancy A. 

Muhs Trust, 

 Plaintiffs, 

vs. 

NATIONWIDE MUTUAL 

INSURANCE COMPANY, and 

DOES 1 through 10, inclusive, 

 Defendants 

CASE NO. 2:09-cv-01584-GEB-GGH 

Assigned to Honorable Garland E. Burrell, 

Jr. 

STIPULATION AND ORDER AMENDING 

THE STATUS [PRETRIAL SCHEDULING] 

ORDER TO EXTEND THE DEADLINE FOR 

THE PARTIES TO EXCHANGE EXPERT 

WITNESS DISCLOSURES AND REPORTS 

AND TO EXTEND THE DISCOVERY 

COMPLETION DATE 

Trial: January 11, 2011 

/ / / 

Case 2:09-cv-01584-GEB-GGH Document 15 Filed 02/09/10 Page 1 of 6
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STIPULATION AND ORDER AMENDING THE STATUS [PRETRIAL SCHEDULING] ORDER 

Defendant, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company (“Nationwide”), and 

Plaintiff, Wanda A. Sell (“Plaintiff”), through their respective counsel of record, 

jointly submit the following stipulation and order to amend the Status (Pretrial 

Scheduling) Order to extend the deadline for the parties to exchange expert witness 

disclosures and reports by 60 days and to extend the discovery completion date by 

30 days. The Stipulation is made pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 6(b) 

and 16(b)(4), Local Rules 83-143 and 6-144, and the Status (Pretrial Scheduling) 

Order entered herein. 

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BRIEF STATEMENT OF CASE 

This action was filed on April 10, 2009. This is a dispute involving a Farm 

Policy issued to named insured Nancy A. Muhs, owner of 87 acres of a ranch 

located at 13091 Willow Glen Road, Stockton, California (the “Property”), by 

Defendant for policy periods August 7, 2007 to August 8, 2008. Nancy A. Muhs 

passed away in 2005 and the Property was place in the Nancy A. Muhs Trust (the 

“Trust”). 

Plaintiff, trustee and beneficiary of the Trust, contends Defendant incorrectly 

denied Plaintiffs’ tender of defense in connection with an underlying Petition filed 

by Rigoberto Ocequeda, next living successor to the Property, against Plaintiff 

demanding possession of the Property and claiming Plaintiff has not occupied the 

Property as her residence, pursuant to the alleged terms of the Trust (the 

“Underlying Action”). Plaintiff also alleges Defendant denied the claim in bad 

faith. 

Defendant contends there is no potential for coverage of the Underlying 

Action under the policy at issue and therefore no duty to defend. To the extent 

Plaintiff claims there is or could be a duty to indemnify, Defendant contends the 

policy does not provide coverage. Defendant further contends its claims decision 

was reasonable and there is, at a minimum, a genuine issue of liability under the 

Case 2:09-cv-01584-GEB-GGH Document 15 Filed 02/09/10 Page 2 of 6
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STIPULATION AND ORDER AMENDING THE STATUS [PRETRIAL SCHEDULING] ORDER 

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SCHEDULING ORDER 

On August 10, 2009, the parties filed a Joint Status Report which included a 

proposed scheduling order. On August 14, 2009, this Court entered a Status 

(Pretrial Scheduling) Order which set forth the following pre-trial and trial 

deadlines: 

1. Initial Expert Disclosures: February 19, 2010 

3. Rebuttal Expert Disclosures: March 22, 2010 

4. Completion of Discovery: June 10, 2010 

5. Deadline to Hear Dispositive Motions: August 2, 2010 

6. Final Pre-Trial Conference: October 4, 2010 

7. Trial: January 11, 2011 

DISCLOSURES 

The parties exchanged Initial Disclosures pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil 

Procedure 26(a)(1) in October 2009. 

 

STIPULATION OF PARTIES BASED ON GOOD CAUSE 

WHEREAS, the parties stipulate and agree more time to conduct further 

discovery before retaining expert witnesses would allow the parties additional time 

to discover information and evaluate the case for settlement purposes prior to 

incurring expenses associated with retaining experts and preparing expert reports 

given the early stages of this litigation. 

WHEREAS, additional time to conduct further discovery will allow the 

parties to evaluate the potential for early settlement prior to incurring needless 

expenses on expert discovery. 

WHEREAS, to facilitate additional time for discovery, the parties stipulate 

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STIPULATION AND ORDER AMENDING THE STATUS [PRETRIAL SCHEDULING] ORDER 

and agree to extend the initial expert disclosures deadline to April 20, 2010 and the 

rebuttal expert disclosures deadline to May 21, 2010. 

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WHEREAS, to allow the parties sufficient time to conduct any necessary 

expert depositions prior to discovery cut-off, the parties stipulate and agree to a 

short 30-day continuance of the expert discovery deadline to July 10, 2010. 

WHEREAS, the parties stipulate and agree the continuance of the expert 

disclosures and discovery cut-off date would not affect the remaining pre-trial and 

trial dates in this matter. 

WHEREAS, there has been no previous requests or extension of any 

deadline in this matter. 

WHEREAS, the deadline to exchange initial expert disclosures, including 

reports, has not passed. 

WHEREAS, the trial date and the deadline to hear dispositive motions will 

remain unchanged. 

WHEREAS, the parties have not submitted any other request for 

continuance of the pre-trial and trial dates and deadlines in this matter. 

WHEREAS, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 6(b), 16(a) and 16(b)(4) 

give the Court broad discretion to regulate pre-trial matters, to manage its calendar, 

grant continuance of scheduling dates, and to direct the parties in a manner that 

expedites disposition of the action and facilitates settlement. 

WHEREAS, as set forth herein, good cause exists for the Court to grant the 

continuance under any of the Rules. 

NOW, THEREFORE, all the parties hereto agree and stipulate to amend the 

Status (Pretrial Scheduling) Order to extend the deadline for the parties to 

exchange expert witness disclosures and reports by 60 days and to extend the 

discovery completion date by 30 days as follows: 

1) The parties’ shall comply with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 

26(a)(2)(c)(i)’s initial expert witness disclosure requirements on or before April 20, 

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STIPULATION AND ORDER AMENDING THE STATUS [PRETRIAL SCHEDULING] ORDER 

2010, and with any contradictory and/or rebuttal expert disclosure authorized under 

Rule 26(a)(2)(c)(ii) on or before May 21, 2010; and 

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2) All discovery shall be completed by July 10, 2010. 

IT IS SO STIPULATED. 

Dated: February 2, 2010 GIFFORD & HARR 

 By: 

 Randall L. Harr 

 Attorney for Plaintiff 

WANDA A. SELL 

 Dated: February 2, 2010 13 HINES SMITH CARDER LEASURE DINCEL 

 By: 

 Marc S. Hines 

 Christine M. Emanuelson 

 Attorneys for Defendant 

NATIONWIDE MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE 

COMPANY 

/ / / 

/ / / 

/ / / 

/ / / 

/ / / 

/ / / 

/ / / 

/ / / 

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STIPULATION AND ORDER AMENDING THE STATUS [PRETRIAL SCHEDULING] ORDER 

1 ORDER

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Based on the foregoing Stipulation, 

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Status (Pretrial Scheduling) Order be, and the 

same hereby is, amended to provide as follows: 

1) The parties’ shall comply with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 

26(a)(2)(c)(i)’s initial expert witness disclosure requirements on or before April 20, 

2010, and with any contradictory and/or rebuttal expert disclosure authorized under 

Rule 26(a)(2)(c)(ii) on or before May 21, 2010; and 

2) All discovery shall be completed by July 10, 2010. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

2/9/10 

 

Case 2:09-cv-01584-GEB-GGH Document 15 Filed 02/09/10 Page 6 of 6