Carpenters Health and Security Trust of Western Washington et al v. Quality Finish, Inc

Filing 13

ORDER denying without prejudice Plaintiffs' 9 Motion for Default Judgment. The court ORDERS Plaintiffs to file an amended motion for default judgment within fourteen (14) days of this order. Signed by Judge James L. Robart. (PM)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON
AT SEATTLE

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CARPENTERS HEALTH AND
SECURITY TRUST OF WESTERN
WASHINGTON, et al.,

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Plaintiffs,

QUALITY FINISH, INC.,
Defendant.

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ORDER DENYING WITHOUT
PREJUDICE MOTION FOR
DEFAULT JUDGMENT

v.

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CASE NO. C18-0433JLR

Before the court is Plaintiffs Carpenters Health and Security Trust of Western

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Washington, Carpenters Retirement Trust of Western Washington, Carpenters-Employers

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Vacation Trust of Western Washington, and Carpenters-Employers Apprenticeship and

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Training Trust of Western Washington’s (collectively, “Plaintiffs”) motion for default

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judgment against Defendant Quality Finish, Inc. (Mot. (Dkt. # 9).)

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The Local Civil Rules provide that a party seeking default judgment must set forth
“ a concise explanation of how all amounts were calculated,” and must support this

ORDER - 1

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explanation with evidence establishing the amount of the principal claim, as well as any

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interest and attorney’s fees sought. See Local Rules W.D. Wash. LCR 55(b)(2).

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Plaintiffs’ motion references various declarations in support of specific factual

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propositions, but generally does not provide pincites to relevant page and line numbers.

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(See, e.g., Mot. at 5 n.13-14.) The declarations, in turn, reference a number of lengthy

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exhibits, but fail to cite to relevant page numbers or sections within those exhibits. (See,

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e.g., Coty Decl. (Dkt. # 10) ¶¶ 10-11.) This format does not constitute “a concise

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explanation of how all amounts were calculated.” Local Rules W.D. Wash. LCR

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55(b)(2). Plaintiffs leave for the court the task of locating evidentiary support for the

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factual assertions underlying Plaintiffs’ motion. The court refuses to do this work for

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Plaintiffs. See Indep. Towers of Wash. v. Washington, 350 F.3d 925, 929 (“[J]udges are

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not like pigs, hunting for truffles buried in briefs.”) (quoting United States v. Dunkel, 927

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F.2d 955, 956 (7th Cir. 1991)).

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Local Rule 55 imposes a heavy evidentiary burden on a party seeking entry of

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default judgment because such relief is obtained without the benefit of the adversarial

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process. Plaintiffs fail to satisfy that burden. Accordingly, the court DENIES Plaintiffs’

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motion for default judgment (Dkt. # 9) WITHOUT PREJUDICE to seeking default

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ORDER - 2

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judgment in accordance with the Local Civil Rules. The court ORDERS Plaintiffs to file

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an amended motion for default judgment within fourteen (14) days of this order.

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Dated this 28th day of August, 2018.

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A

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The Honorable James L. Robart
U.S. District Court Judge

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ORDER - 3