Pik Quan Leong v. 127 Glen Head Inc.

102 F. Supp. 3d 450, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 57998, 2015 WL 2036694
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedMay 4, 2015
DocketNo. 13-CV-5528 (ADS)(AKT)
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 102 F. Supp. 3d 450 (Pik Quan Leong v. 127 Glen Head Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pik Quan Leong v. 127 Glen Head Inc., 102 F. Supp. 3d 450, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 57998, 2015 WL 2036694 (E.D.N.Y. 2015).

Opinion

DECISION AND ORDER

SPATT-; District Judge.

On October 7, 2013, the Plaintiff Pik Quan Leong (the “Plaintiff”) commenced this action pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq. (“Title VII”.); the Fair Labor Standards Act (the “FLSA”), 29 U.S.C. § 207(a)(1), 216(b); New York Executive Law § 296 et seq.; the Administrative Code of the City of New York, § 8-10Í et seq.; the New York State Minimum Wage Act, N.Y. Labor Law §§ 650-665 et seq. (the “NYMWA”); and Title 12 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations, § 142-2.1, 2.2 (the “NYCRR”)."

On December 5, 2014, the Plaintiff moved pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure (“Fed. R. Civ.P.”) 56 for summary judgment on liability with regard to her overtime pay claims and associated damages, including liquidated damages, prejudgment interest, and attorneys’ fees.

For the reasons set forth below, the motion is denied.

I. BACKGROUND

Unless otherwise stated, the following facts are drawn from the parties’ Rule 56.1 Statements and Exhibits arid construed in a light most favorable to the non-moving parties, the Defendants.' As the present motion is limited to the Plaintiffs overtime claims, the Court omits a recitation regarding her other claims. Triable issues of fact are noted.

[452]*452A. The Parties

The Plaintiff is a female who, at the time the complaint was filed, resided in Queens County, New York.

At all relevant times, the Defendant 127 Glen Head Inc. was a New York entity doing business as Kiraku Japanese Restaurant (“Kiraku”). Kiraku operated from the premises designated as 127 Glen Head Road, Glen Head, New York 11545.

The Defendant Jin Hang Zheng (“Zheng”) was and is an owner and/or principal of Kiraku.

B. The Underlying Overtime Pay Dispute

In November 2011, the Plaintiff commenced employment with Kiraku. Her title was a Cashier.

■ Zheng determined the rate of pay for Kiraku employees, including the Plaintiff. The Plaintiff was paid in cash by the Kiraku and Zheng (collectively the “Defendants”).

Also, in the complaint, the Plaintiff alleges that she worked 55 hours per week; namely, 11 hours per day and five days per week, and was paid $110 per day and $550 per week. (Comp., at ¶ 33.)

For purposes of the present motion, the Plaintiff filed an affidavit in which she states that she worked six days per week, “sixty-two hours per week for the Defendants,” and was paid $100 per day. (PI Affíd., at ¶¶ 4, 7,10.)

However, in the Plaintiffs memorandum of law in support of her motion for summary judgment, her counsel contends that, during the relevant time period, the Defendants paid her a flat rate of $110 per day. (Doc. 36-1, at 2.)

In his deposition, Zheng testified that the Plaintiff worked 45 hours per week if she worked 5 days a week or 52 to 53 hours per week when she worked six days per week. (Zheng Dep., at 114, 116.). Zheng also testified- that the Plaintiff was paid $10 per hour in wages and that she was paid $550 per week if she worked five days in a week and $660 per week if she worked six days a week. (Id. at 106-108.)

Zheng also filed an affidavit in which he avers that the Plaintiff was given time cards for her to clock in and out, which she did. (Zheng Affid. at ¶ 6.)

The - Defendants did not deduct Social Security or Medicaid taxes when they paid the Plaintiff. Zheng states that the Plaintiff did not have legal status to work.in the United States and, therefore, she requested that Kiraku not report her income or issue her any wage statements, including but not limited to, W-2 statements. (Id. at ¶ 7.)

Nevertheless, the Defendants maintain that they have consistently kept records of the Plaintiffs working hours. During discovery, the Defendants produced certain Kiraku time cards for the Plaintiffs hours, including from December 1, 2011 through December 14, 2011 and January 1, 2012 through February 15, 2012. However, the copy of the time cards submitted by the Plaintiff in conjunction with this motion are covered by gray print and, therefore, are virtually impossible to decipher.

While the Defendants concede that they do not have a complete record of the Plaintiffs time cards, they claim this is so because the Plaintiff likely removed the remainder after her employment ceased. However, Zheng testified that some of the records were lost and that he had no evidence that the Plaintiff took the missing time cards. (Zheng Dep., at 81-82.)

In April 2013, the Plaintiffs employment ended, although it is not clear in what manner. The Plaintiff obtained new employment in May 2013.

[453]*453II. DISCUSSION

A. The Legal Standard on Summary Judgment

Summary judgment may hot be granted unless all of the submissions taken together “show[] 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). The moving party bears the burden of demonstrating the absence of .a material factual question, and in making this determination, the court must view all facts in the light most favorable to the non-moving party and draw all reasonable inferences in that party’s favor, Nunn v. Mass. Cas. Ins. Co., 758 F.3d 109, 114 n. 4 (2d Cir.2014).

Once the moving party has asserted .facts showing that the non-movant’s claims cannot be sustained, the opposing party must set out specific facts showing a genuine issue for trial, and cannot rely merely on allegations or denials contained in the pleadings. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c); accord Fabrikant v. French, 691 F.3d 193, 205 (2d Cir.2012). “[Cjonclusory statements, conjecture, and inadmissible evidence are insufficient to defeat summary judgment.” Ridinger v. Dow Jones & Co. Inc., 651 F.3d 309, 317 (2d Cir.2011) (citation omitted).

B. The Overtime Pay Claims

Congress enacted the FLSA in 1938 to eliminate “labor conditions detrimental to the maintenance of the minimum standard of living necessary for health, efficiency, and general well-being of workers,” 29 •U.S.C. § 202(a), and to “guarantee [ ] compensation for all work or employment.engaged in by employees covered by the Act.” Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Company v. Muscoda Local No. 123, 321 U.S. 590, 602, 64 S.Ct. 698, 88 L.Ed. 949 (1944).

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102 F. Supp. 3d 450, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 57998, 2015 WL 2036694, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pik-quan-leong-v-127-glen-head-inc-nyed-2015.