IN RE SAN JUAN DUPONT PLAZA HOTEL FIRE LITIGATION

MDL No. 721.

687 F.Supp. 716 (1988)

In re SAN JUAN DUPONT PLAZA HOTEL FIRE LITIGATION.

United States District Court, D. Puerto Rico.

April 26, 1988.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Alex Gonzalez, Gonzalez & Perez Hernandez, Old San Juan, P.R., for Toro & Ferrer.

Luis N. Blanco Matos, Federal Ligitation Div., Dept. of Justice, San Juan, P.R., for Dept. of Justice of P.R.

Francisco M. Troncoso, Member, Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, Old San Juan Station, P.R., for plaintiffs.

Peter Berkowitz, Lugo & Berkowitz, Hato Rey, P.R., Wendell H. Gauthier, Gauthier, Murphy, Sherman, McCabe & Chehardy, Metairie, La., Harvey B. Nachman, Nachman & Fernandez-Sein, Santurce, P.R., William S. Kemp, Jones, Jones, Close & Brown, Las Vegas, Nev., Jorge Ortiz-Brunet, Ortiz Toro & Ortiz-Brunet, Hato Rey, P.R., Jorge M. Suro-Ballester, Suro-Ballester, Santurce, P.R., Stanley M. Chesley, Waite, Schneider, Bayless & Chesley, Cincinnati, Ohio, David C. Indiano, Jimenez, Graffam & Lausell, San Juan, P.R., for plaintiffs' Steering Committee.

James L. Fetterly, Gary Gordon, Fetterly & Gordon, Minneapolis, Minn., Rafael R. Vizcarrondo, Fiddler, Gonzalez & Rodriguez, San Juan, P.R., Ed Archer, Fetterly & Gordon, P.A., Hato Rey, P.R., for San Juan Dupont Plaza Corp.

Thomas G. Vaughan, Jones, Hirsch, Connors & Bull, New York City, for AIG Consultants, Inc., American Intern.

Luis E. Dubon, Jr., Dubon & Dubon, San Juan, P.R., for Alexander & Alexander of California, Inc.

Donna Gerber, Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler, New York City, Arturo Diaz Angueira, Cancio, Nadal & Rivera, San Juan, P.R., for ADT Sec. Systems, Inc.

Charles A. Cordero, Cordero, Miranda & Pinto, Old San Juan, P.R., Eugene Wollan, Mound, Cotton & Wollan, New York City, for American Intern. Ins. Co. of Puerto Rico & Ins. Co. of the State of Pa.

Eduardo Castillo Blanco, Marcos Perez Cruz, Hato Rey, P.R., for Britons Carpet (USA) Ltd., Erickson Associates and Erickson Design Group, Inc.

Steven H. Schwartz, Kirtland & Packard, Los Angeles, Cal., for Rohm & Haas, Furane Co.

Ernest Roark, Vannah, Roark & Dahl, Las Vegas, Nev., for Bally Mfg.

Alfonso Miranda Cardenas, Miranda Cardenas & Cordova, Old San Juan, P.R., for Shelby-Williams, Inc.

Adrian Mercado, Rua & Mercado, Old San Juan, P.R., for Dan River, Inc.

Francisco J. Colón-Pagán, Old San Juan, P.R., for Delta Cooling Towers, Inc., United Refrigeration Supply, Inc., Monterey Carpets, Inc.

C.A. Chavier Stevenson, San Juan, P.R., Michael J. Black, Charles R. Tuffley, Denenberg, Tuffley, Bocan, Jamieson, Black, Hopkins & Ewald, P.C., Southfield, Mich., for Drexel Heritage Furnishings, Inc.

Norman C. Kleinberg, Vilia B. Hayes, Hughes, Hubbard & Reed, New York City, for Collins & Aikman Corp.

E. Vazquez Otero, Vazquez & Suarez, Hato Rey, P.R., for Central Chair Co., Columbus Blinds Corp.

Carlos E. Jiménez, Souffront & Souffront, Old San Juan, P.R., for Cone Mills Corp.

Juan A. Ramos Diaz, Cobian & Ramos, San Juan, P.R., for Erickson Associates and Erickson Design Group, Inc.

Daniel S. Reinhardt, Alan P. Shor, Troutman, Sanders, Lockerman & Ashmore, Atlanta, Ga., for Buck Creek Industries, Inc.

Edward S. Corlett, III, David F. McIntosh, Richard J. Suarez, Corlett, Killian, Hardeman, McIntosh & Levi, P.A., Miami, Fla., for Forms & Surfaces, Inc., Maharam Fabrics, Laminating Services, Inc., K.M. Fabrics, Inc.

Jeffrey B. Storer, Ropes & Gray, Boston, Mass., for William Eberle, Ebco, Inc.

Ivan M. Fernandez, Falcon & Fernandez, Hato Rey, P.R., for Falcon Products.

Pedro J. Santa-Sánchez, O'Neill & Borges, Hato Rey, P.R., for Forms & Surfaces, Inc., Insurance Services Office, Inc., ISO Commercial Risk Services, Inc. ISO Telecommunications, Inc.

Richard J. Badolato, Connell, Foley & Geiser, Roseland, N.J., for Frankel & Associates.

David M. Stern, Stern & Miller, Santa Monica, Cal., for Grand Hotel Associates and Grand Hotel Associates Ltd. Partners.

Hector Reichard, Jr., Manuel A. Quilichini, Lasa, Escalera & Reichard, San Juan, P.R., for Honeywell, Inc., Jack Lenon Larsen, Inc., Leggett & Platt Corp., Hytex Industries, Santa Fe Extruders, Inc.

Roberto J. Matos, Hato Rey, P.R., for Forms & Surfaces, Inc., Maharam Fabrics, Laminating Services, Inc., K.M. Fabrics, Inc.

Albert Fendig, Jr., Fendig, McLemore, Taylor & Whitworth, P.C., Brunswick, Ga., for G.A. Marse Assoc., Inc.

Norberto Medina-Zurinaga, Quilichini, Oliver, et al., Hato Rey, P.R., for The Edwards Co., Inc.

Victor P. Miranda Corrada, Alex Gonzalez, Alberto Picó, Brown, Newsom & Cordova, Hato Rey, P.R., for Gilberto Ibarra Garcia, Toro & Ferrer, Thela, Inc., Reynolds Metals, Inc.

Herman Colberg, Reichard & Colberg, Old San Juan, P.R., Louis A. Lehr, Jr., Janis M. Gibbs, Arnstein, Gluck, Lehr & Milligan, Chicago, Ill., for Johnson Controls.

Edilberto Berrios Pérez, San Juan, P.R., for Martinez & Costa.

Richard Mancino, Deborah Cooper, Willkie, Farr & Gallagher, New York City, for Delta Cooling Towers, Inc., Monterey Carpets, Inc.

José Enrique Otero, Irizarry & Otero, San Juan, P.R., for Insurance Co. of North America.

Benjamin Acosta, Jr., San Juan, P.R., for La Cor Wicker.

Max L. Gillam, Milton A. Miller, Michael B. Abelson, Latham & Watkins, Los Angeles, Cal., for William Lyon.

Antonio Rossello Rentas, Old San Juan, P.R., for Lee Foam Products.

Jaime Mayol Bianchi, San Juan, P.R., for Miguel Ortiz Draperies, Inc.

Buddy W. Gregory, Gregory & Johnson, P.C., Houston, Tex., for Lerch, Bates & Assoc., Inc.

Vincente Santori Coll, San Juan, P.R., for Lamin-Art, Inc., The Ohio Mattress Co., Piedmont Corrugated Specialty, Inc.

Ramon A. Vargas, David Rive Rivera, Vargas & Rive, Hato Rey, P.R., for Milliken, Sinclair Paint Co., Western Benchcraft, Inc., Barber Colman, Diversitech, Ross & Roberts, Diversified General d/b/a Bolta Div., Reeves Bros., Inc., Western Synthetic Felt Co.

Earle C. Cooley, Louis N. Massery, Cooley, Manion, Moore & Jones, P.C., Boston, Mass., for Milliken, Sinclair Paint Co., Western Benchcraft, Inc. Barber Colman, Diversitech, Ross & Roberts, Diversified General d/b/a Bolta Div., Western Synthetic Felt Co.

José Porben Ulloa, San Juan, P.R., for National Air Corp.

Eric Tulla, Maritza I. Munich, Rivera, Tulla & Ferrer, Hato Rey, P.R., Edward A. Moss, Anderson, Moss, Russo & Cohen, P.A., Miami, Fla., for Otis Elevator Co.

Vincent Fish, Richard B. Warsk, Chase, Rotchford, Drukker & Bogust, Los Angeles, Cal., for Mitchell-Mann, Inc., 2M Design.

Hector Saldana Egozcue, Manuel I. Vallecillo, Hato Rey, P.R., for Passalacqua & CIA, Inc.

Juan A. Correa-Suarez, Ana Maria Colón-Colón, Mayra J. Serrano-Borges, Legal Div., Tourism Co., San Juan, P.R., for Tourism Co. of the Com. of Puerto Rico.

Bruce M. Allman, Paxton & Seasongood, Cincinnati, Ohio, for Shelby-Williams, Inc., Nevada Dice Co.

Antonio M. Bird, Bird & Bird, San Juan, P.R., Michael P. McKenna, Edwin L. Scherlis, Margolis, Edelstein, Scherlis, Sarowitz & Kraemer, Philadelphia, Pa., for The Sheraton Corp., Sheraton Intern., Inc.

Luis Sánchez-Betances, Sanchez-Betances & Sifre, Hato Rey, P.R., for Shelby-Williams, Inc., H.B. Fuller Co., H.B. Fuller Co. of Puerto Rico, Nevada Dice Co., Hufcor, Inc., Crain Western, Inc.

Thomas A. Graham, III, Wicker, Smith, Blomqvist, Tutan, O'Hara, McCoy, Graham & Lane, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Edgardo Rosario, San Juan, P.R., for SICO, Inc.

Miguel Cabrera, Santurce, P.R., for Teamsters Union.

John Dames, Kelley, Drye & Warren, Chicago, Ill., for Borden, Inc.

Pedro J. Varela, Hato Rey, P.R., for Teamsters Union.

J. Robert Andrews, Charles Bargiel, Mullen, McCaughey & Henzell, Santa Barbara, Cal., for Theodore H. Smyth, L & T Enterprises, Inc., Elizabeth M. Smyth Trust.

Charles F. McDevitt, Eleanore S. Baxendale, Givens, McDevitt, Pursley, Webb & Buser, Boise, Idaho, for Tertiary, Inc., Thela, Inc., Hotel Equipment Leasing Associates.

Alex González, Gonzalez & Perez Hernandez, Old San Juan, P.R., for Toro & Ferrer, Warner Burns Toan Lunde.

John Donley, David Bernick, Marjorie Press Lindblom, Kirkland & Ellis, Chicago, Ill., Juan E. Rodriguez Diaz, Hernando A. Rivera, Hato Rey, P.R., for Wilson Art.

Antonio Montalvo-Nazario, San Juan, P.R., for York Intern.

Amancio Arias Cestero, Amancio Arias Guardiola, Wilda Rodriguez Plaza, Arias Cestero & Arias Guardiola, Santurce, P.R., for Trane Export, Inc. dba Trane Western Hemisphere.

Corby D. Arnold, Corby D. Arnold, P.C., Las Vegas, Nev., for Warner Burns Toan Lunde.

Luis Gonzalez-Perez, Garcia & Gonzalez, Hato Rey, P.R., for Wolf-Gordon, Inc.

F. Castro Amy, San Juan, P.R., for W.L. Jenkins Co.

Antonio Jimenez Miranda, Harry Segarra Arroyo, Jimenez Miranda and Segarra Arroyo, San Juan, P.R., for AAA Packaging & Shipping, Co.

Ricardo Rodriguez Padilla, Old San Juan, P.R., for Aconi Constructors, Inc. a/k/a Acme Constructors Inc.

Francisco Fernández-Carbia, Hato Rey, P.R., for Glidden Industries of Puerto Rico, SCM Corp.

Arthur C. Moller, III, Kimbrell & Hamann, P.A., Miami, Fla., for J & W Wholesale Supply Co.

Ken Banks, Senior Legal Counsel, Arden Hills, Minn., for H.B. Fuller Co. and H.B. Fuller Co. of Puerto Rico.

Gail L. Kniskern, Kubicki, Bradley & Draper, Miami, Fla., for Lerch, Bates & Associates, Inc.

Hector Meléndez Cano, Doval, Munoz, Acevedo, Otero & Trias, Hato Rey, P.R., Carl A. Henlein, Winston E. Miller, Brown, Todd & Heyburn, Louisville, Ky., for Firestone Tire & Rubber Co., et al.

Mark O. Denehy, Richard G. Galli, Adler, Pollock & Sheehan Inc., Providence, R.I. for Carol Cable Co., Inc.

G. Jack Hardy, G. William Bissett, Preddy, Kutner, Hardy, Rubinoff, Brown & Thompson, Miami, Fla., for Carpets From London Ltd.

Leonardo Andrade-Lugo, Goldman & Antonetti, Santurce, P.R., Gary L. Bostwick, Bostwick & Ackerman, Santa Monica, Ga., for Hotel Systems Intern., Dallas Asset Management, Ltd., Dallas Asset Management, Inc., DJSDHA, Inc., Execpart S.J., Ltd., Grand Hotel, Inc., Holders Capital Corp., HCC Asset Management, Inc., Dennis Jay, Patricia L. Rahner, San Diego Hotel, Inc., San Juan Hotel, Ltd., TMS International d/b/a HSI Reservations, P. Robert Zonitch, Madison Wholesale.

Jose M. Biaggi Junquera, Mayaguez, P.R., for Universal Sec. Advisors, Inc.

Fernando Pérez Colón, Karen Ocasio Cabrera, Lespier, Munoz Noya & Ramirez, San Juan, P.R., Thomas N. Alfrey, Hall & Evans, Denver, Colo., for Mobay Corp.

J. Kenneth Griffin, Lutfy, Griffin & Goulka, Boston, Mass., for E.K. Novelty Mfg. Co., Inc.

Antonio Gnocchi Franco, Gnocchi Franco, Hato Rey, P.R., for Intern. Textiles Products, Tech-Aerofoam Products Intern.

Carl Kanowsky, Daniels, Baratta & Fine, Los Angeles, Cal., for Lewis Industries.

Carl D. Motes, Larry J. Townsend, Maguire, Voorhis & Wells, Orlando, Fla., for Sara Lee Corp. (Electrolux).

Robert Mangels, Jeffer, Mangels & Butler, Los Angeles, Cal., for San Juan Dupont Plaza Corp., San Juan Hotel Associates.

Kenneth J. Moran, McGuire, Woods, Battle & Boothe, Richmond, Va., for Reynolds Metals, Inc.

George O. Richardson, III, White & Case, New York City, for Tarkett, Inc.

Brian R. Strange, Joseph J. Sheehan, Strange & Nelson, Los Angeles, Cal., for Brian Corbell.

Joseph C. O'Bryan, Mary Elizabeth O'Bryan, O'Bryan, Darnell & O'Bryan, Louisville, Ky., Stephen Schuster, Ogden & Robertson, Louisville, Ky., for Reliance Universal, Inc.

Samuel W. Hixon, III, Sandy T. Tucker, Andrea H. Rowse, Williams, Mullen, Christian & Dobbins, Richmond, Va., for Universal Woods, Inc.

James E. Cornwell, Cornwell & Church, Toccoa, Ga., Jose Novas, Hato Rey, P.R., for Snyder Bros. Co.

Domingo Collazo Sanchez, Rio Piedras, P.R., for Commercial Plastics & Supply Corp.

Russell A. Del Toro, Roberto Santana Aparicio, Del Toro & Santana, Hato Rey, P.R., for EBCO, Inc., William D. Eberle, Tertiary, Inc., Thela, Inc., Hotel Equipment Leasing Associates.

Ernesto Rodriguez Suris, Silva Janer & Rodriguez Suris, Hato Rey, P.R., for Fernandez Gutierrez, Inc.

William C. Humphrey, Jr., Todd R. David, Alston & Bird, Atlanta, Ga., for Recticel Foam Corp.

Etienne Totti Del Valle, Domiguez & Totti, Hato Rey, P.R., for William Lyon.

Michael B. McKinnis, Phil Herzog, Bryan, Cave, McPheeters & McRoberts, St. Louis, Mo., for Falcon Products.

David N. Allen, Parker, Poe, Thompson, Bernstein, Gage & Preston, Charlotte, N.C., for Reeves Bros., Inc.

Richard Bergman, Bergman & Jacobs, P.A., North Miami Beach, Fla., for Productos Quimicos Nacionales.

Ellen K. Glessner, White and Williams, Philadelphia, Pa., for Insurance Co. of North America.

Joseph W. Clark, Shackleford, Farrior, Stallings & Evans, Tampa, Fla., for TSE Industries, Inc.

Eliezer Aldarondo Ortiz, Hato Rey, P.R., for Maria Teresa Hernandez.

Ronald L. Rosenbaum, Woods, Rosenbaum, Luckeroth, & Perez-Gonzalez, Hato Rey, P.R., for Productos Quimicos Nacionales.

Elliot G. Sagor, Squadron, Ellenoff, Plesent & Lehrer, New York City, for Day Intern. Corp., Mitchell Design.

Ralph J. Rexach, Hato Rey, P.R., for The Sheraton Corp.

W. Douglas Smith, Atlanta, Ga., for Honeywell, Inc.


PRETRIAL ORDER NO. 69

ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANTS TORO & FERRER'S MOTION TO DISMISS

INTRODUCTION

ACOSTA, District Judge.

Before the Court is defendants Toro & Ferrer's motion to dismiss all claims against them as time-barred. The Plaintiffs' Steering Committee (alternatively "PSC" or "plaintiffs") filed an opposition to which defendants replied. Additionally, the Secretary of Justice of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has intervened...

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