Need to make argument for punitive damages

[daffan]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? California

I am at the end of the road in a long civil suit I filed in pro per. The defendnats have defaulted (I had their answers stricken) and I am now filing the papers for Default Judgment.

It is a fraud case and the defendants claimed a loan I made them allowed them access to $150,000.00 in escrow accounts.

I have no idea if they actually have money but they claimed (in letters and admissions deemed admitted) to have obtained access to these funds.

I did ask for punitive damages in my complaint but did not put an amount (per california law). I later sent them Notices about my right to seek punitive damages of $20,000,000.00. I based this on keeping it less than 15% of the amount they became enriched.

I was damaged for a little over $8000 for a loan to them and for $500,000.00 for a bonus I was to receive after they had access to the escrow accounts (all in a written agreement).

Since I now need to ask the court for a specific amount of punitive damages, how do I gauge this? It seems the Cal. supreme court has come up with a lot of varying opinions and I don't know how to argue it? I believe others were harmed but only have a reference to them (no names) in letters from the defendnants.

What formula do I use for punitive damages?

 

[seniorjudge]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? California

I am at the end of the road in a long civil suit I filed in pro per. The defendnats have defaulted (I had their answers stricken) and I am now filing the papers for Default Judgment.

It is a fraud case and the defendants claimed a loan I made them allowed them access to $150,000.00 in escrow accounts.

I have no idea if they actually have money but they claimed (in letters and admissions deemed admitted) to have obtained access to these funds.

I did ask for punitive damages in my complaint but did not put an amount (per california law). I later sent them Notices about my right to seek punitive damages of $20,000,000.00. I based this on keeping it less than 15% of the amount they became enriched.

I was damaged for a little over $8000 for a loan to them and for $500,000.00 for a bonus I was to receive after they had access to the escrow accounts (all in a written agreement).

Since I now need to ask the court for a specific amount of punitive damages, how do I gauge this? It seems the Cal. supreme court has come up with a lot of varying opinions and I don't know how to argue it? I believe others were harmed but only have a reference to them (no names) in letters from the defendnants.

What formula do I use for punitive damages?

http://www.hartley.com/punispld.htm

I have no idea who these people are and I am not a California lawyer.

But it looked like an interesting place to start your research.

 

[daffan]

Very helpful. Thanks.

 

[badapple40]

There are also U.S. Supreme Court opinions on punitive damages, that indicate that there are factors that will be used to guage whether a particular punitive damage award violates due process. If I recall correctly, most punitive damage awards cannot be more than ten times compensatory damages.