Rodriguez v. M.I. Quality Lawn Maintenance, Inc. et al

Filing 45

ORDER Affirming and Adopting Magistrate Report and Recommendation; re 39 Report and Recommendations. Certificate of Appealability: No Ruling; denying 32 Motion for Attorney Fees. Signed by Judge Patricia A. Seitz on 2/28/2012. (asl)

UNI
TED STATES DISTRI CO URT
CT
SO UTH ERN DI
STRI OF FLORI
CT
DA
CASE N O.I ZI - V- TZ/ M ONTON
O- O3I CI SEI SI
J
OSE ANGEL CRUZ RODRI
GUEZ ,
Pl i if
a ntf ,

M ..
I QUALI LAW N
TY
M AW TENAN CE,I ,etal,
NC.
.

De e
f ndan s
t.
/
ORDER AFFI I G AND ADOPTI M AGI
RM N
NG
STM TE REPORT AND
RECOM M ENDA TI
ON
THI M ATTER c m ebef et Cour u t Re t Re om menda i Re:
S
a
or he
t pon he por and c
ton

De yn Dee d ns Mo inf rAtone s Fe sa dCoss( 3 ) i whihM a itaeJ d e
n ig fn a t' to o tr y ' e n
t DE- 9 ,n c gsrt u g
Si ont n r c
m o e omm e de ng De e
nds nyi
f ndan s r ques f f sba e on Pl ntf sal ge ba
t ' e t or ee s d
ai if le d d

f ih.TheM a sr t J e f
at
gitae udg ound t tPli ifsc
ha antf ompli wa notfi ousa t s
ant s
rvol
nd,hus
r c me ed t tt Cour notexe c s isi r ntpowert a s s f sa cossagans
e om nd ha he
t
r i e t nhe e
o s e s ee nd t
i t

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litf. fn a t a ie be to s o h gsrt ud es p r a d
Re omm e ton.Bec us Pl ntf saci nsdi no rs t t lvelofbad f ih, heRe t
c
nda i
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at t
por
a Re omm e ton i a tr d and a t a Def nda s M oton f Ator ys Fe a
nd c
nda i s fi me
dop ed nd e nt ' i or t ne ' es nd
Addii lCossi de e
tona
t s nid.
1 Bac
.
kgro
und

Pl i iftl d a onec
antf ie
ountc
ompl i agans Def nda ss eki unpai ove tmew a es
ant i t e nt e ng
d ri
g ,

purua t t FarLa StndadsAc (
s nt o he i bor a r
t FLSA)
.Theco antalge t tPli ifwa
mpli le d ha antf s
empl d by De e nt fo Oc obe 22,
oye
f nda s r m t r 2005t ough t flng oft c
hr
he ii
he ompl i on Aprl1,
ant
i

201 Pli tf alege t thewor d a a r e of50 hour pe we k butwa no pai a t
0. a n if l d ha
ke n ve ag
s r e
s t d t he
ove tme r t f t hour i exc sof40 hour . Thecompl i alo a lged t De e nt'
ri ae or he
s n es
s
ant s le
hat f nda s
f l et pr ry pa Pl ntf waswilula i en i l
aiur o ope l y ai if
lf nd nt tona .

Athi de ii Pli ift sii d t tdurng 2005,
s poston, antf e tfe ha
i
2006, a mos a1 of2007,
and l t 1
he
ofe wo ke m o e t n 45hour pe wee
tn r d r ha
s r k.Howeve ,be nni i 2008, antf hour
r gi ng n
Pl i ips
s

de r s t l st n 40 hour pe we k.
c ea ed o es ha
s r e

Dee d nsmo e f rs mmayj d me tb c u et e ie c s o dt a Plitf dd
fn a t v d o u r u g n e a s he vd n e h we h t an if i
notwor m o e t n 40hour pe wee f t t yea spr e ng t flng oft s ta
k r ha
s r k or he wo r ec di he ii
he ui nd

bec us t r wa no e de et s
a e he e s
vi nc o uppor atndi ofwilul sl I r pons t t m oton f
t i ng
lf nes . n es e o he i or

s mmayj d me t Plitf ag e t ts mmayj d me ts o l n tb g a tdb c u e
u r u g n , an if r u d ha u r u g n h ud o e rn e e a s
De e nt f l t pl d t rl k ofwilul s a a a fr tvedef ns t is of
f nda s aied o ea hei ac
lf ne s s n fima i
e e, he s ue

wil n s i aq e to o fc f rtej y a dDee d n s a to swe ewilu .TheCo r
lf e s s u si n f a t o h ur , n fn a t' ci n r lf l
ul
ut
g a tds
rn e umma yj g n i fv ro Dee a t ,npatb c u eteb r e wa o Plitf
r ud me t n a o f fnd ns i r, e a s h u d n s n anif
t e tbls wilul sa Pli iff ied t pr
o s a ih lf nes nd a ntf al o oducea e de e o wilul s W hiet
ny vi nc f lf ne s.
l he

Plitf so po iint tes mmayj d me t to r fre t ap irtldc s a an t
an if p sto o h u r u g n mo in eerd o ro ie a e g is
De e nt t ts dha putDe e nt on notc ofFLSA vi ai ,Pl i iff ld t
f nda s ha houl ve
f nda s
ie
oltons antf aie o
pr s nta evi ncer ga di t prors t s h ast c
e e ny de
e r ng he i ui, uc
he ompli i t ts tordeposton
a nt n ha ui
ii
t si o fom a Def nda a knowl ngt s t
e tm ny r
e nt c
edgi he ui.

Defnda snow s e t i f sand s ec t .De e
e nt
e k her ee
om oss f ndant a s r t tPl i ifss t
s s e t ha antf ui
wasfi ousand fl i bad f ih a t wa r nt t i posto off esa c t
rvol
ied n
at nd hus ra s he m ii n e nd oss.

' fndi ofwilul swoul ha alowe Pl ntf t r co rf unpad ove tme
A i ng
lf nes
d ve l d ai if o e ve or
i
ri
goi ba t e ye sf o t flng o t s t i tad ofonl t ye r .
ng ck hr e ar r m he ii f he ui, nse
y wo a s

II. Anal s
ysi

The Cour hasi er ntpowe t s nci pa te a t i c
t
nh e
r o a ton ris nd her ouns lf t ra tons
e or hei c i .

Ch r v NASCO,I ,501U. 32,44( 991.Thi aut iy c
ambe s .
nc.
S.
1 ) s hort omesfom t ne df
r he e or
courst beabl t c r a ma get i afaisi or rt a hi vet or ry a
t o
e o ontol nd na her f r n de o c e he de l nd
expe tousdiposton ofc es I Thus acour m a a s s at ne f eswhe apa t ha
dii
s ii
as . d
,
t y s e s tor ys' e
n
ry s
a t i ba f t vexai l wa onl orf op es i r s ns 1 a 45ced n d aih,
tousy, nt y, or pr sve ea o . d. t 46. The ç yt
s o
ke
unl ki 'he Cou t i r ntpowe st s nc i i asndi ofbadf ih. Pe v fe s 606
oc ng't
r' nhe e
s
r o a ton s
ng
at
er . wi,

F.d 1 0 ,1 1 ( 1hCi. 1 ) Theb df i sa d r lo sa teatr e so j cie
3 3 6 3 6 1 t r 20 0 .
a at tn ad o k t h to n y' be t
h
v
c
onduct Nor lsv De y',l . 6 F. 1 1 2 ( 1hCi. 0 .Eve i aCour fnds
. eu . nn s nc, 28 3d 270, 28 1 t r 201 )
nf
ti
a a t ne acedwih ba f ih, hei
n tor y t
t d a t t mposto ofs to pur uan t ac tsi r ntpowe s
ii n anci ns s t o our' nhe e
r
i a m a t rofdi c e i Chambe s 501 U . at44.
s
te
s r ton.
r,
S.

TheM a sr t J
gita e udgef
ound t t bec us Pl ntf scli wa notf i ous t
ha , a e ai if am s
rvol ,he

Pl i ipsa tonsdi nota
antf c i
d
mountt ba f ih a t ,di notwa r t i
o d at nd, hus d
rant he mposton of
ii

s n to u d rt eCo r' il rn po r Dee d nso j c t ti fn i .De e d n sag e
a cins n e h u ts r e t we . fn a t be t o h s dng fn a t r u
he
t tPli ifknowi y fld aco pl ntt twasuns
ha antf
ngl ie
m ai ha
uppored b anyevi nc andt tt r
t y
de e
ha he e
wasno ev de t s
i nce o uppor Pl ntf ' cli ofwilul s.Net rpa t diput t f t
t ai ifs a m
lf nes
ihe ry s es hat or he
t ye r prort flng s t Pli ifdi notwo k i e e sof40hour perwee Howeve ,
wo a s i o ii ui, antf d
r n xc s
s
k.
r

whe Pl i iffld hi s t De e nt hadpr vi l bee s d unde t FLSA a Pli if
n antf ie s ui, f nda s
e ousy n ue
r he
nd antf
r id on t prors tt esa ih wilunes a t r y e e t sa ut oflm iai t
ele
he i ui o t bls lf l s nd he eb xt nd he tt e i t tons o

t eeye r . Athi de ii Pl ntf t tfe t tt oug am os t e o 2007hewor d
hr
as
s pos ton, ai if esii d ha hr h l t he nd f
ke
m or t n 40ho sa wee De e nt di notr tt st si ony. Thus Pli ifscli wa
e ha
ur
k. f nda s d
ebu hi e tm
, a ntf
am s

3

notfi ous Pl i ifha s eba i f hi wilul s a lga i a s ee d et
rvol . antf d om
ss or s lf ne s le tonz nd om vi enc o
s
uppor hi cli t hewor d ove 40hozspe wee a tm e durng t t e ye r pro t
t s am hat
ke
r
lr r k t i s i he hr e a s i r o

flng s t Cons que l Pli tf sa tonsdo notrs t t lvelofba f ih.
ii ui.
e nty, a n if c i
ie o he e
d at

Ha igrv e d, eno o t eRe o t n Re o n ain, fn a t ' j cin
vn e iwe d v ,h p r a d c mme d to De e d n s Ob e to s
( 43 , n t re r ,ti
DE- j a d he e o d i s
ORDERED t t
ha :

1 Thea o e me to e Re o t n Re o n ain ( 3 1i AFFI
)
b v - n in d p r a d c mme d to DE-9 s
RMED a d
n
ADOPTED,a i po aed b r e e e i o t sCour' Or r a
nd ncor r t y ef r nc nt hi
ts de ; nd

2 Dee d n s M oinf rAtone sFe sa dAd iin l ssg 3 )i DENI
) fn a t' to o tr y' e n dto a Co t DE- 2 s
ED.
DONE a ORDERED i M im i Fl i t s
nd
n a , orda,hi
s.

R

-da ofFe ua y, 2.
y
br r 201
,
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*
.

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PATM CI A.S 1
A
TZ
UNI
TED STATES DI
STRI J
CT UDGE

c
c:

A1 Couns ofRe r
1
el
co d

z hiePli ifa r nty di notconduc dic r on t wilul sis ors
W l a ntf ppa e l d
t s ove y he lf nes s ue ubmi
t

a ye d n ei o p sn s mma yj d me tta wo ds p o t i alg to so wilu n s ,
n vie c n p o ig u r u g n h t ul u p r h s le ain f l l e s
f
t tdoe notm a t ca m fi l . I m a howe r r i equesi a
ha
s
ke he li rvo ous t y,
ve , a s
tons bouthow c
ouns l
e
c e t co
hos o nduc t s c e
t hi as