Morin v. Nationwide Federal Credit Union

229 F.R.D. 364, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20357, 2005 WL 1894611
District Court, D. Connecticut·Decided August 10, 2005·No. No. 3:03CV277(CFD)(TPS)·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

RULING ON DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO COMPEL INTERROGATORY RESPONSES AND PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS

SMITH, United States Magistrate Judge.

The plaintiffs, Ronald P. Morin, Sr., et. al., have brought this action against the defendants, Nationwide Federal Credit Union, et. al. (collectively “Nationwide”), alleging certain misconduct regarding the lending relationship between Mr. Morin and Nationwide which rendered Nationwide liable for breach of contract, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, conversion of Mr. Morin’s motor vehicle, intentional infliction of emotional distress, slander and libel, violation of certain federal and state fair credit reporting and financial reporting statutes, and violation of Connecticut’s Unfair Trade Practices Act (“CUTPA”). Pending before the court is the defendants’ Motion to Compel Interrogatory Responses and Production of Documents from the plaintiffs pursuant to Rule 37(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. (Dkt.#57). For the foregoing reasons, the defendants’ motion is GRANTED IN PART AND DENIED IN PART.

With the pending motion, Nationwide seeks to compel the plaintiffs to (i) conform their interrogatory responses to Rule 33(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, (ii) produce documents pertaining to Mr. Morin’s agreements with, and compensation from, insurance companies or businesses and individuals in the insurance business other than Nationwide, which Nationwide alleges are relevant to the claims, defenses, and counterclaims in this case, and (iii) produce documents and answer interrogatories pertaining to information which the plaintiffs claim is already in the defendants’ possession.

I.

The defendants’ Interrogatories Nos. 5-7, 9, and 11, and the plaintiffs’ responses, are as follows:

Interrogatory No. 5. Identify each instance that “the defendant Credit Union misapplied] payments to said loans,” as that phrase is used in paragraph 15 of the Complaint, including identification of the date of each such instance, the loan involved, the amount involved, and the nature of such misapplication of payment.
Response. See attached documents.1
Interrogatory No. 6. Identify each instance that “the defendant Credit Union improperly debit[ed] plaintiffs’ accounts established for automatic payments,” as that phrase is used in paragraph 15 of the Complaint, including identification of the date of each such instance, the loan involved, the amount involved, and the nature of such improper debiting.
Response. See attached documents.
Interrogatory No. 7. Identify each instance that “the defendant Credit Union fail[ed] to timely and adequately advise plaintiff in regard to the status of said loans” as that phrase is used in paragraph 15 of the Complaint, including identification of the date of each such instance and the loan involved.
Response. Repossession of Dodge Durango and write-off of snowmobile loan. See correspondence and complaints therein from plaintiffs.
Interrogatory No. 9. Identify each instance that “the defendant Credit Union made artificial demands, defaults and claims of financial charges based on such improper or wrongful application of funds,” as that phrase is used in paragraph 15 of the Complaint, including identification of the [366]*366date of each such instance, the loan involved, the amount involved, and the nature of such demand.
Response. See attached correspondence and default notices.
Interrogatory No. 11. Identify each instance that “the defendant Credit Union generally created a paper morass to negatively impact plaintiffs’ credit and maximize the retaliation for his departure” as that phrase is used in paragraph 15 of the Complaint, including identification of the timeframe and nature of such morass and the manner by which said morass negatively impacted the plaintiffs’ credit.
Response. See attached documentation.

(Defs.’ Mem. Supp. Mot. Ex. A at 15-17).

Rule 33(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure states that “[a] specification shall be in sufficient detail to permit the interrogating party to locate and to identify, as readily as can the party served, the records from which the answer may be ascertained.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 33(d) (emphasis added). Nationwide claims that the plaintiffs’ responses are inadequate

in light of the fact that the documents that the Plaintiffs produced are voluminous in number, are not bates labeled, contain a range of categories of correspondence, records, notes, documentation on numerous topics, and in many instances are not readily identifiable (there are many pages of handwritten notes). Without any identification by the Plaintiffs as to which documents satisfy which interrogatories, the Defendants are unable to discern which documents contain the Plaintiffs’ answers, and are left to speculate as to precisely what the Plaintiffs intend to provide as their answer under oath.

(Defs. Mem. Supp. Mot. at 3). The plaintiffs agree, as they stipulate in their reply brief that “plaintiffs will agree to provide a listing of documentation as requested in regard to answers to interrogatories nos. 5, 6, 7, 9 and 11.” (Pis.’ Obj. Mot. at 2). It is so ordered by the court.

II.

The defendants’ Document Requests Nos. 14, 15, and 20-23 seek information concerning Mr. Morin’s business relationships with other insurance companies before and after his resignation from his agent relationship with Nationwide. These document requests and the plaintiffs’ responses are as follows:

Document Request No. Ik. All documents that evidence or relate to contracts or agreements between Ronald Morin and any Other Insurance Company.
Response. Objection. Documents deemed confidential, proprietary, not relevant or material and not likely to assist in defense of this instant action.
Document Request No. 15. All documents reflecting, evidencing, or relating to commission records or any other compensation, remuneration, or other payments of monies received by Ronald Morin directly or indirectly as consideration for transferring Nationwide’s Policyholders to any Other Insurance Company.
Response. Objection. Irrelevant, immaterial and not likely to assist in the defense of this instant action.
Document Request No. 20. All Documents which refer to, relate to or memorialize any agreement between Bonnie Johnson, Diane Deming, Edward McMahon, Robert Bardin and/or Ronald Morin, jointly or severally, or between the Community Agency Network and Bonnie Johnson, Diane Deming, Edward McMahon, Robert Bardin and/or Ronald Morin, jointly or severally.
Response. Objection.

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Morin v. Nationwide Federal Credit Union, 229 F.R.D. 364, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20357, 2005 WL 1894611 (D. Conn. 2005).

229 F.R.D. 364 (Morin v. Nationwide Federal Credit Union) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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