Jones v. Hoffberger Moving Services LLC

92 F. Supp. 3d 405, 24 Wage & Hour Cas. (BNA) 1626, 24 Wage & Hour Cas.2d (BNA) 1626, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 36622, 2015 WL 1321469
CourtDistrict Court, D. Maryland
DecidedMarch 24, 2015
DocketCivil No. JKB-13-535
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 92 F. Supp. 3d 405 (Jones v. Hoffberger Moving Services LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Maryland primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jones v. Hoffberger Moving Services LLC, 92 F. Supp. 3d 405, 24 Wage & Hour Cas. (BNA) 1626, 24 Wage & Hour Cas.2d (BNA) 1626, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 36622, 2015 WL 1321469 (D. Md. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

JAMES K. BREDAR, District Judge.

This action was brought by Plaintiffs Herbert Jones, Joseph Jones, Rodney McFadden, and Raymond Green (collectively “Named Plaintiffs”) against Hoff-berger Moving Services LLC (“HMS”), Margaret A. Hoffberger, and Michael S. Hoffberger (collectively with HMS, “Defendants”) (1) as a putative collective action for failing to pay wages due under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), 29 U.S.C. §§ 206 et seq., on behalf of the Named Plaintiffs and similarly situated employees of the Defendants; and (2) as an action on behalf of the Named Plaintiffs only for violations of the Maryland Wage Payment and Collection Act (“MWPCA”) and the Maryland Wage and Hour Law (“MWHL”). {See Second Amend. Compl., ECF No. 47.) Now pending before the Court is Defendants’ motion for summary judgment (Def. MSJ, ECF No. 132), Plaintiffs’ cross-motion for summary judgment (PI. Cross-MSJ, ECF No. 137), and Plaintiffs’ motion to strike Defendants’ affidavits (ECF No. 140). The issues have been briefed1 and no [408]*408hearing is required, Local Rule 105.6. For the reasons explained below, Defendants’ motion for summary judgment is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART, Plaintiffs’ cross-motion for summary judgment is DENIED AS MOOT, and Plaintiffs’ motion to strike Defendants’ affidavits is DENIED.

A. BACKGROUND2

HMS is a “commercial moving and storage company,” and Michael and Margaret Hoffberger are its co-owners. (Second Amend. Compl. ¶¶ 8-10.) Plaintiffs are current and former HMS employees who have worked primarily as “helpers,” responsible for loading and unloading Defendants’ trucks. (Id. ¶¶ 8,13.)

During the now contested period of employment, Plaintiffs would travel to HMS jobsites and were paid hourly to move “furniture, boxes, and other materials” for Defendants’ clients “commercial, non-profit, and governmental businesses.” (Id. ¶¶ 5, 30.) To transport employees to job-sites, Defendants offered a van service every morning from the HMS warehouse to jobsites. (See PI. Cross-MSJ at 21.) If employees wished to use Defendants’ van service, they were required to arrive at the warehouse at a time specified by the company’s dispatcher. (Id.) Occasionally, employees who had arrived at the warehouse to use Defendants’ van service were asked to load moving equipment, “such as dollies, crates, padding, and masonite floor covers,” onto the moving trucks. (Id.) Plaintiffs were compensated for such work time if Plaintiffs filled out timesheets indicating that they had done warehouse work. (See generally id. at 27-29.)

Plaintiffs contend, however, that they have spent regular and substantial amounts of additional time working for Defendants without proper compensation, in violation of the FLSA. Many employees spent unpaid time at the warehouse each morning, waiting to be transported to job-sites. While waiting, Plaintiffs would sometimes be assigned to particular job-sites for that day (Second Amend. Compl. ¶ 38), and Plaintiffs would sometimes help load trucks with moving equipment, but without signing the warehouse time sheet. (PI. Cross-MSJ at 24.) In all instances, Plaintiffs were not compensated for warehouse waiting time.

In addition, Plaintiffs were typically not compensated for travel time from the warehouse to jobsites. (Second Amend. Compl. ¶ 40.) Plaintiffs also contend that in using Defendants’ van service, vans would regularly arrive at jobsites approximately thirty minutes before Defendants’ moving trucks. (PI. Cross-MSJ at 33.) Plaintiffs argue that they were directed only to log their start time after the moving truck had arrived, and so were not compensated for wait time at the jobsite. (Id.) Finally, Plaintiffs were not compensated for time spent traveling back to the warehouse to pick up paychecks. (Id. at 34.)

[409]*409Defendants filed a motion for summary judgment on October 6, 2014. (Def. MSJ.) Plaintiffs filed a response in opposition and a cross-motion for summary judgment on November 7. (PL Cross-MSJ.) Defendants filed a response to Plaintiffs’ cross-motion on December 12 (ECF No. 143) and Plaintiffs filed a reply on January 20, 2015 (ECF No. 147). Plaintiffs also filed a motion to strike Defendants’ affidavits on November 21, 2014. (ECF No. 140.) Defendants filed a response on December 5 (ECF No. 142) and Plaintiffs filed a reply on December 16 (ECF No. 144).

B. THE PARTIES’ CROSS-MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT (ECF Nos. 132 and 137)

1. Legal Standard

“The court shall grant summary judgment if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a); Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986) (citing predecessor to current Rule 56(a)). The burden is on the moving party to demonstrate the absence of any genuine dispute of material fact. Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 157, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970). If sufficient evidence exists for a reasonable jury to render a verdict in favor of the party opposing the motion, then a genuine dispute of material fact is presented and summary judgment should be denied. See Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). However, the “mere existence of a scintilla of evidence in support of the [opposing party’s] position” is insufficient to defeat a motion for summary judgment. Id. at 252, 106 S.Ct. 2505. The facts themselves, and the inferences to be drawn from the underlying facts, must be viewed in the light most favorable to the opposing party, Scott v. Harris, 550 U.S. 372, 378, 127 S.Ct. 1769, 167 L.Ed.2d 686 (2007); Iko v. Shreve, 535 F.3d 225, 230 (4th Cir.2008), who may not rest upon the mere allegations or denials of his pleading but instead must, by affidavit or other evidentiary showing, set out specific facts showing a genuine dispute for trial, Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c)(1). Supporting and opposing affidavits are to be made on personal knowledge, contain such facts as would be admissible in evidence, and show affirmatively the competence of the affiant to testify to the matters stated in the affidavit. Rule 56(c)(4).

2. The FLSA and Portal-to-Portal Act

Congress enacted the FLSA in 1938 to establish a federal minimum wage and to mandate that employees be compensated for overtime. Within a decade, and in response to “a flood of litigation,” Congress enacted the Portal-to-Portal Act. Integrity Staffing Solutions, Inc. v. Busk, — U.S. -, 135 S.Ct. 513, 516, 190 L.Ed.2d 410 (2014).

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92 F. Supp. 3d 405, 24 Wage & Hour Cas. (BNA) 1626, 24 Wage & Hour Cas.2d (BNA) 1626, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 36622, 2015 WL 1321469, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jones-v-hoffberger-moving-services-llc-mdd-2015.