Opinion ID: 736305
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Joinder or Intervention of Additional Opt-in Plaintiffs

Text: 42 We review the denial of a motion to join additional plaintiffs for abuse of discretion. See Nolin v. Douglas County, 903 F.2d 1546 (11th Cir.1990), overruled on other grounds, McKinney v. Pate, 20 F.3d 1550 (11th Cir.1994) (ruling on motion to amend pretrial order is reviewed for abuse of discretion). We review the denial of a motion for permissive intervention for abuse of discretion. United States v. Dallas County Comm'n, 850 F.2d 1433, 1443 (11th Cir.1988). 43 The district court has authority to manage the process of joining additional parties. Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc. v. Sperling, 493 U.S. 165, 170-71, 110 S.Ct. 482, 486-87, 107 L.Ed.2d 480 (1989). Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 16(b) requires a district court judge to enter a scheduling order that limits the time to join additional parties. Here, the parties entered a Scheduling Order on March 2, 1994 that stated all parties would be joined within sixty days. The additional plaintiffs did not file their motion to join until more than two months after this deadline. No motion to extend the time in Scheduling Order was filed until even later. 44 In their reply brief to the district court on the motion to join additional opt-in plaintiffs, the plaintiffs apparently tried to convert it into a motion to intervene under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 24. However, no official intervention motion was ever filed. Further, whether a motion to intervene is timely is within the district court's discretion. Stallworth v. Monsanto Co., 558 F.2d 257, 263 (5th Cir.1977). Stallworth requires the district court to explicitly rule on four different factors to deny a motion to intervene. However, this is not required where it is not even clear that the motion was one to intervene. 45 The district court did not abuse its discretion in denying the additional opt-in plaintiffs' motion to join. 46 We reverse the district court's summary judgment order against Maddow and the opt-in plaintiffs on both discrimination and adverse affect grounds; we affirm the district court's order compelling discovery, but reverse its sanction of attorney's fees against plaintiffs; we affirm the district court's order denying joinder or intervention of the additional opt-in plaintiffs. 47 REVERSED in part and AFFIRMED in part.