Dipietro v. Jefferson Bank

144 F.R.D. 279, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17619, 1992 WL 321325
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedNovember 4, 1992
DocketCiv. A. No. 91-7963
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 144 F.R.D. 279 (Dipietro v. Jefferson Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dipietro v. Jefferson Bank, 144 F.R.D. 279, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17619, 1992 WL 321325 (E.D. Pa. 1992).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

NAYTHONS, United States Magistrate Judge.

In this action, plaintiff has filed suit against defendants alleging defamation, wrongful discharge, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). On April 15, 1992, defendants served a First Set of Interrogatories and Request for Production of documents on plaintiff. Although the parties stipulated that plaintiffs answers would be due on or before August 25, 1992, plaintiff did not file responses until September 14, 1992.

Defendants filed the instant motion to compel on September 18, 1992, seeking more specific answers to certain interrogatories 1 as well as responses to their First Set of Document Requests, which plaintiff admits have not been filed. Plaintiff opposes the motion to compel more specific responses asserting that the responses are complete as given, and there is no further responsive information to add. Plaintiff does not oppose the motion as to the document requests, admitting that she is delinquent in filing responses to the requests. Plaintiff states that she will respond to the document requests immediately.

Discussion

Plaintiff has not objected to the substance of any of the interrogatories. Plaintiff also fails to allege that defendants are not entitled to any of the information at issue in the motion to compel, nor does plaintiff raise any claim of prejudice. The present dispute involves only the propriety of the form of plaintiffs answers to several of the interrogatories. Therefore, no discussion of the relevance of the interrogatories themselves is necessary.

Defendants first contend that plaintiffs answer to interrogatory 3(c) is deficient. That interrogatory reads as follows:

3. [Identify] how you calculated each item of damage claimed.

Plaintiff responded to this interrogatory by stating:

By analysis and consultation with others. Plaintiffs income for 1991 and each year thereafter would have increased an average of 13% for merit and costs of living; Plaintiff would’ve worked until age 70; Plaintiff has been unable, despite delinquentfsic?] effort, to obtain other employment in her chosen field or other employment and it is unlikely she shall be able to obtain other employment in the banking industry; substitute employment, when available, would be at a substantial numerical reduction.

Defendants contend that this response is deficient because it fails to “provide the mathematical analysis and damage calculation utilized ... for the damages claimed”, because it fails to identify who the “others” were who consulted with plaintiff, and because it fails to identify how the 13% annual increase figure was calculated. Memorandum in Support at 2. Defendants’ allegation is not without merit. The interrogatory clearly calls for a more detailed answer, asking plaintiff to identify “how [she] calculated each item of damage ...” (emphasis added). Defendant’s First Set of Interrogatories at 12. Further, this interrogatory seeks highly relevant information, as defendant cannot respond to plaintiff’s damage claims if the basis of those claims is unknown. To the extent possible, plaintiff should list what factors were included in her calculations and what formulae were applied in order to give de[281]*281fendant a reasonable opportunity to rebut plaintiffs damage analysis. To the extent that the individuals who consulted with plaintiff are identified in another answer, plaintiff should give their names, and state specifically in which answers they are identified.

Interrogatory no. 8 asks plaintiff to:

Identify any and all means used in finding employment since your discharge at Jefferson Bank.
a) identify the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all persons who possess any knowledge of the facts and events set forth in response to interrogatory # 8 above; and
b) identify any and all documents, records and/or other tangible evidence which concerns, refers and/or relates to the facts and events set forth in response to interrogatory 8 above.

Plaintiff responded to no. 8 by stating, “Direct application in response to advertisements, solicitation, and use of employment agencies.” Defendants do not appear dissatisfied with this answer, but claim that plaintiffs answers to both subparts (a) and (b) are deficient.

Plaintiffs answer to subpart (a) was: “plaintiff; personnel at entities identified in answer to interrogatory 4”. Defendants allege this answer to be insufficient because plaintiff does not identify the employment agencies which, in response to interrogatory no. 8, she stated were used. Although plaintiff claims she has identified all employment agencies which were used, after a review of the list of entities identified in answer to interrogatory no. 4, it does not appear that any employment agencies were identified therein. To the extent that plaintiff has not identified all employment agencies or other entities responsive to interrogatory 8(a), she will be ordered to do so. To the extent that the identity of any such entities appears in response to another interrogatory, plaintiff shall state the name of the entity and state with specificity where the identification of that entity appears.

In response to interrogatory 8(b), which requested the identity of all documents relating to interrogatory 8, plaintiff responded:

None other than records that may have been maintained by those to whom Plaintiff made application or where plaintiff was interviewed.

Defendants state that this answer is deficient because, “Clearly plaintiff must possess documents such as her resume and coverletter ...” and that “it is unlikely that plaintiff does not have any records of her applications with the employment agencies ...”. Plaintiff has asserted in the answer to the interrogatory and the response to the motion to compel that, for whatever reason, she has no such documents. Plaintiff cannot be compelled to produce what she does not possess, and the motion will therefore be denied as to interrogatory 8(b).

Defendants also seek to compel more specific answers to Interrogatory nos. 10, 11, 17, and 18. Interrogatory no. 10 asks plaintiff to identify the dates, times, and location that each person employed by Jefferson Bank who plaintiff claims to have slandered or defamed her, did so. Plaintiff answered by referring defendants to paragraphs 19, 21, 50, and 52 of her amended complaint. Defendants complain that this answer is insufficient, citing three cases, D.B. King v. E.F. Hutton and Company, Inc., 117 F.R.D. 2 (D.D.C.1987); Atlanta Coca Cola Bottling Company v. Transamerica Insurance Company, 61 F.R.D. 115, 120 (N.D.Ga.1972); and Convergent Business Systems, Inc. v. Diamond Reporting Inc., C.A. No. 88-2329, 1989 Westlaw 92038, WLOP at 1, Amon, USM (E.D.N.Y. Aug. 3, 1989), which stand for the proposition that a party may not answer an interrogatory by reference to a pleading, specifically, in this case, the complaint. The courts reasoned in part that because a complaint or other pleading is generally unsworn and cannot be used in consideration of a summary judgment or other dispositive motion, it is improper to allow a party to incorporate such a pleading by reference in response to interrogatories.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
144 F.R.D. 279, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17619, 1992 WL 321325, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dipietro-v-jefferson-bank-paed-1992.