Opinion ID: 200797
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Mandatory Discovery Under Fed. R.Civ.P. 26(a)

Text: 37 We review the district court's denial of discovery for an abuse of discretion. Ameristar Jet Charter, Inc. v. Signal Composites, Inc., 244 F.3d 189, 191-92 (1st Cir.2001). The Kozikowskis contend that the district court abused its discretion by denying their request for mandatory discovery under Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(a). Here, Rule 26(a) never came into play because at the outset, the district court conducted a hearing on Toll Bros.'s motion to dismiss which, without objection from either party, it converted to a motion for summary judgment. Upon this conversion, Fed. R. Civ. Pro. 56(f) instead was invoked. Rule 56(f) provides that where affidavits of the party opposing summary judgment are insufficient to present facts that are essential to the party's opposition, the court may refuse the summary judgment motion or may order a continuance to permit either party to obtain additional affidavits, conduct depositions, or conduct any other discovery. See Fed. R. Civ. Pro. 56(f). 38 The Kozikowskis requested discovery at the September 12, 2002 hearing on Toll Bros.'s motion to dismiss. The district court granted them sixty days to conduct three depositions, but they managed to conduct only one, of former Town Building Commissioner Mulvey. The Kozikowskis chose to rest on the Mulvey deposition and submitted a supplemental brief incorporating his testimony in opposition to Toll Bros.'s motion to dismiss-motion for summary judgment. 39 According to Rule 56(f), a court may grant a continuance to permit additional discovery if the party opposing summary judgment asks the court for such relief, demonstrates that it was diligent in pursuing discovery before summary judgment surfaced, and sets forth a plausible basis for believing that the specified facts, ... if adduced, will influence the outcome of the pending summary judgment motion. C.B. Trucking, Inc. v. Waste Mgmt., Inc. 137 F.3d 41, 44 (1st Cir.1998); Fed. R.Civ.P. 56(f). Again, their argument for mandatory discovery under Rule 26(a) is misplaced, as the Kozikowskis consented to the district court's conversion of Toll Bros.'s motion to dismiss to a motion for summary judgment, thereby bringing any further discovery requests within the ambit of Rule 56. Here, the Kozikowskis have not explained why they could not conduct the three depositions during the time for which they asked, nor have they demonstrated whether certain facts, if brought up on additional discovery, would influence the outcome of the motion. Hence, we find that the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying the Kozikowskis further discovery under either Rules 26(a) or 56(f). 40 Unfortunately, for the Kozikowskis they simply waited too long before seeking legal redress for their complaints. 41 Accordingly, we affirm.