Crabtree v. Island Breeze Marine, Inc.

CourtDistrict Court, District of Columbia
DecidedJune 21, 2019
DocketCivil Action No. 2018-1054
StatusPublished

This text of Crabtree v. Island Breeze Marine, Inc. (Crabtree v. Island Breeze Marine, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, District of Columbia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Crabtree v. Island Breeze Marine, Inc., (D.D.C. 2019).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

MICHAEL A. CRABTREE, Plaintiff, v. Civil Action No. 18-1054 (CKK)

ISLAND BREEZE MARINE, INC., Defendant.

MEMORANDUM OPINION (June 21, 2019) Plaintiff Michael A. Crabtree, the Chief Executive Officer of the Central Pension Fund of

the International Union of Operating Engineers and Participating Employers, filed suit against

Defendant Island Breeze Marine, Inc., alleging the Defendant failed to pay contributions owed to

the Central Pension Fund. Presently before the Court is the Plaintiff’s [12] Motion for Entry of

Judgment by Default and to Close Case (“Pl.’s Mot.”).

Upon consideration of the pleadings, the relevant legal authorities, and the record as a

whole, the Court finds the Plaintiff is entitled to a monetary award for unpaid contributions,

interest, liquidated damages, reasonable attorney’s fees, and costs. But the Court finds that some

components of the Plaintiff’s requested award must be adjusted. Accordingly, the Plaintiff’s [12]

Motion for Entry of Judgment by Default is GRANTED-in-PART and DENIED-in-PART. The

Court shall enter a JUDGMENT for the Plaintiff against the Defendant in the amount of

$29,525.88, shall recognize the Plaintiff’s entitlement to post-judgment interest, and shall CLOSE

this case and DISMISS it.

I. BACKGROUND

On May 4, 2018, the Plaintiff filed suit asserting the Defendant is required to “pay certain

sums of money to the Central Pension Fund for certain hours worked by employees of the

1 Defendant performing work covered by” a collective bargaining agreement between the Defendant

and International Union of Operating Engineers Local 25. Compl., ECF No. 1, ¶¶ 6-7. But the

Defendant allegedly “failed to report hours worked and pay all contributions owing to the Central

Pension Fund as required by” that agreement for work during May 2017 through March 2018. Id.

¶ 9. Accordingly, the Plaintiff seeks: (1) a monetary award covering the “unpaid contributions due

and owing to the Plaintiff for unreported work performed pursuant to the Agreement”; (2)

liquidated damages for “any late paid and unpaid contributions”; (3) interest on “any late paid and

unpaid contributions”; and (4) reasonable attorney’s fees and costs. Id. at 4-5. In the Complaint,

the Plaintiff also makes an ancillary request “[f]or such contributions, interest and liquidated

damages that may accrue and/or are found to be due and owing to the Plaintiff . . . up to the date

of judgment.” Id. at 4.

Thereafter the Plaintiff experienced difficulties in perfecting service on the Defendant but

ultimately purported to achieve substituted service via the Maryland State Department of

Assessments and Taxation. See Aff. of Attorney R. Richard Hopp, ECF No. 6-1 (“Hopp Aff.”).

When the Defendant failed to appear in the case, the Court prompted further action by the

Plaintiff. The Plaintiff sought default, which the Clerk of Court entered on August 24, 2018.

Again at the Court’s prompting, the Plaintiff then moved for default judgment.

II. LEGAL STANDARD

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 55(a) provides that the Clerk of the Court must enter a

party’s request for a default “[w]hen a party against whom a judgment for affirmative relief is

sought has failed to plead or otherwise defend, and that failure is shown by affidavit or otherwise.”

Fed. R. Civ. P. 55(a). After a default has been entered by the Clerk, a party may move the court

for a default judgment. Fed. R. Civ. P. 55(b)(2).

2 “The determination of whether default judgment is appropriate is committed to the

discretion of the trial court.” Int’l Painters & Allied Trades Indus. Pension Fund v. Auxier

Drywall, LLC, 531 F. Supp. 2d 56, 57 (D.D.C. 2008) (citation omitted); 10A Charles Alan Wright

et al., Federal Practice & Procedure Civil § 2685 (4th ed.). Factual allegations in a well-pleaded

complaint against a defaulting defendant are taken as true. Int’l Painters & Allied Trades Indus.

Pension Fund v. R.W. Amrine Drywall Co., Inc., 239 F. Supp. 2d 26, 30 (D.D.C. 2002) (citation

omitted). Where there is a complete “absence of any request to set aside the default or suggestion

by the defendant that it has a meritorious defense, it is clear that the standard for default judgment

has been satisfied.” Auxier Drywall, LLC, 531 F. Supp. 2d at 57 (citation and internal quotation

marks omitted).

Once that standard has been met, the court must independently determine the amount of

damages to be awarded, unless the amount of damages is certain. Int’l Painters & Allied Trades

Indus. Pension Fund v. Davanc Contracting, Inc., 808 F. Supp. 2d 89, 94 (D.D.C. 2011) (Kollar-

Kotelly, J.) (citing Adkins v. Teseo, 180 F. Supp. 2d 15, 17 (D.D.C. 2001)). 1 In instances where

the amount of damages is not certain, “the court may conduct a hearing” but “is not required to do

so . . . as long as it ensures that there is a basis for the damages specified in the default judgment.”

Flynn v. Extreme Granite, Inc., 671 F. Supp. 2d 157, 160 (D.D.C. 2009) (citations and internal

quotation marks omitted). In making an independent determination, “the court may rely on

detailed affidavits or documentary evidence.” Breaking the Chain Found., Inc. v. Capitol Educ.

Support, Inc., 589 F. Supp. 2d 25, 28 (D.D.C. 2008) (Kollar-Kotelly, J.) (quoting Adkins, 180 F.

Supp. 2d at 17) (internal quotation marks omitted).

1 The Plaintiff has not invoked the Clerk’s authority to enter judgment “for a sum certain or a sum that can be made certain by computation.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 55(b)(1). Accordingly, the Court need not consider whether the Plaintiff’s request could be resolved without the Court’s involvement. 3 III. DISCUSSION

The Plaintiff, as a designated fiduciary of the Central Pension Fund, filed suit to enforce

the Defendant’s obligations to the fund, as provided by the Employee Retirement Income Security

Act of 1974 (“ERISA”). See 29 U.S.C. §§ 1002(21), 1132(a)(3) & (g), 1145; Compl., ECF No. 1,

¶ 1. The Court has federal-question jurisdiction over this action. See 28 U.S.C. § 1331; 29 U.S.C.

§ 1132(e)(1).

After attempting service on the Defendant’s registered agent in Maryland, and finding that

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Faraca v. FLEET 1 LOGISTICS, LLC
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Flynn v. Mastro Masonry Contractors
237 F. Supp. 2d 66 (District of Columbia, 2002)
Adkins v. Teseo
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