Court Grants Super Lighting’s Motion for Judgment Registration Against CH Lighting in Several States
The United States District Court for the Western District of Texas has granted Jiaxing Super Lighting Electric Appliance Co., Ltd. and Obert, Inc. (collectively, “Super Lighting”) permission to register a judgment against CH Lighting Technology Co., Ltd. and Shaoxing Ruising Lighting Co., Ltd. (collectively, “CH Lighting”). This decision is part of case number W-20-CV-00018-ADA, involving a significant monetary award to Super Lighting.
Background
The court ordered CH Lighting to pay Super Lighting $31,221,873.81, as EdisonReport reported on 17 MAR 2023. CH Lighting appealed the judgment but did not post a supersedeas bond, which is required to stay in enforcement pending appeal. Because of this, Super Lighting sought to register the judgment in other judicial districts, citing a lack of CH Lighting’s assets in the original jurisdiction.
Legal Standards and Motions
Super Lighting filed a motion under 28 U.S.C. §1963. This law allows for judgment registration in other districts when a judgment becomes final by appeal or when the court orders it for good cause. Good cause exists when there are no assets in the original forum but substantial assets in other districts.
CH Lighting opposed this motion and asked for a stay of judgment enforcement under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 62(b). This rule allows a party to obtain a stay by providing a bond or other security. CH Lighting proposed a $2 million bond instead of the full judgment amount, arguing they lacked enough assets in the U.S. to secure the full bond.
Court’s Analysis
The court found that CH Lighting had no significant assets in the original judgment forum but had substantial assets in other states. This justified granting Super Lighting’s motion to register the judgment in those states. The court noted that CH Lighting’s proposed $2 million bond did not offer equal protection to Super Lighting as a full bond would. Thus, the court denied CH Lighting’s motion to stay enforcement with a reduced bond amount.
Conclusion
The court’s order allows Super Lighting to enforce the judgment in multiple jurisdictions where CH Lighting has assets. This decision highlights the importance of posting a supersedeas bond to maintain judgment enforcement and ensure that judgment creditors can effectively collect awarded damages.
Super Lighting can now register the judgment in Ohio, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Kansas, North Dakota, and Massachusetts. This facilitates Super Lighting’s efforts to secure the $31,221,873.81 judgment. The court denied all other requested relief that was not expressly granted.
Court Approves Super Lighting Judgment Registration