Opinion ID: 2258987
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Imposition of Discovery Sanctions

Text: During the period of pre-trial discovery, Mr. Cowan was requested to produce copies of all maintenance logs and service contracts for the Rittenhouse covering the years from 1986 through 1989. In response, he turned over a large number of records, and thereafter, through counsel, he assured the tenants that all extant maintenance documents had been produced. At trial, however, testimony from a maintenance worker employed by the Rittenhouse, as well as from Mr. Cowan himself, revealed that several maintenance records and service contracts in fact had not been provided. In response to a request from the tenants' counsel, the trial court directed Cowan to turn over any relevant documents that had been requested but not yet delivered. The next day, after the remaining documents had been produced, the court levied a monetary sanction against Cowan in the amount of $10,000, ruling that Cowan's willful and reckless failure to comply with the discovery request had hindered the development and preparation of the tenants' case. On the following day, however, the court sua sponte lowered this sanction to $6,000, stating that the amount originally imposed had been excessive. On appeal, Cowan contends that the imposition of any monetary sanction for his violation of the tenants' discovery request was error. In essence, Cowan argues (1) that the documents he did turn over during discovery were of the same character as the documents he failed to produce until trial; (2) that none of these documents were used by the tenants in their case in chief; and (3) that the trial court failed to give an adequate explanation for both the initial sanction and the later reduction of the amount. The tenants contend that Cowan failed to file a timely notice of appeal challenging the court's imposition of the discovery sanction. The order granting the tenants' Rule 60(a) motion to correct the judgment was docketed on January 21, 1994. Cowan had thirty days from that date within which to note an appeal, [4] but instead he chose to file a motion for reconsideration on January 31. That motion was denied on February 18, and from that denial he noted an appeal on March 18. Because the motion for reconsideration does not state the rule on which it is based  indeed, it cites no rule at all  the tenants argue that Cowan's time for noting an appeal expired thirty days after January 21, and that the notice of appeal filed on March 18 was therefore untimely. This court has repeatedly held that the denial of a motion for reconsideration is not an appealable order and that, absent specific authority, such a motion does not toll the time for noting an appeal. See Taylor v. United States, 603 A.2d 451, 458-459 (D.C.) (citing cases), cert. denied, 506 U.S. 852, 113 S.Ct. 155, 121 L.Ed.2d 105 (1992). Thus the tenants maintain that the notice of appeal was filed too late, and that this court lacks jurisdiction to entertain Cowan's second appeal. We are satisfied, however, that we do have jurisdiction. Because the amount of the discovery sanction was not set forth in any judgment or order until January 21, it was the January 21 order that was final and appealable, at least as to that sanction. See Dyer v. William S. Bergman & Associates, 635 A.2d 1285, 1287-1288 (D.C.1993); Trilon Plaza Co. v. Allstate Leasing Corp., 399 A.2d 34, 36 (D.C.1979). Cowan's motion for reconsideration was filed on January 31, ten days after the January 21 order, and thus it was timely under Super. Ct. Civ. R. 59(e). The motion asserted that the tenants had not made a sufficient showing of prejudice to justify a sanction, and also argued that the court had not adequately explained its reasons for imposing the sanction and had thereby abused its discretion. We therefore treat Cowan's motion as a motion under Rule 59(e) to alter or amend the January 21 order, even though the motion does not cite Rule 59(e) or, indeed, any rule at all. See In re Tyree, 493 A.2d 314, 317 n. 5 (D.C.1985); Wallace v. Warehouse Employees Union Local 730, 482 A.2d 801, 804 (D.C.1984) (The nature of a motion is determined by the relief sought, not by its label or caption). [5] Because it was timely, it terminated the time for filing a notice of appeal. [6] When the motion was denied on February 18, the full time for noting an appeal  thirty days  began to run again. See D.C. Ct.App. R. 4(a)(2). Cowan's second notice of appeal was timely filed on March 18, twenty-eight days after February 18. We conclude, therefore, that we have jurisdiction to consider Cowan's second appeal and accordingly turn to the merits of that appeal, which challenges only the discovery sanctions. A party's non-compliance with a pre-trial discovery request allows the trial court, in its discretion, to impose a variety of sanctions under Super. Ct. Civ. R. 37(b)(2) and (d). See Perry v. Sera, 623 A.2d 1210, 1217 (D.C.1993); Lyons v. Jordan, 524 A.2d 1199, 1201 (D.C.1987); Braxton v. Howard University, 472 A.2d 1363, 1365 (D.C.1984). When reviewing the imposition of such sanctions, this court will reverse only if the trial court has abused its discretion by imposing a penalty too strict or unnecessary under the circumstances. Dodson v. Evans, 204 A.2d 338, 341 (D.C.1964) (citation omitted). We can find no such abuse in this case. The court carefully explained its reasons for imposing the sanction and found, in addition, that Cowan's non-compliance was willful, a fact that weighs heavily in the tenants' favor. See Braxton, supra, 472 A.2d at 1365 & n. 3. In its order denying the motion for reconsideration, the court said that Cowan had offered no acceptable excuse for failure to comply with the [tenants'] legitimate discovery request and reiterated its finding of willfulness. Rejecting Cowan's argument that the tenants had failed to show prejudice, the court said: [Cowan's] argument that the [tenants] showed no prejudice has no merit inasmuch as the mid-trial production of the voluminous documents requested made it impossible for [the tenants] to show prejudice. To have shown prejudice, [the tenants] would have had to undertake mid-trial examination of the documents, an exercise that would have unduly disrupted the trial. The record amply supports this ruling and the court's imposition of a sanction. We find no abuse of discretion and hence no ground for reversal.