Montalvo v. Paul Bar & Restaurant Corp.
Case Details
- Nature of Suit — the legal category of the dispute
- Labor: Fair Standards
- Status — whether other courts must follow this ruling
- Unknown
- Procedural Posture — the stage the case had reached
- default judgment
- State
- New York
- Circuit
- Second Circuit
Related Laws
No specific laws identified for this ruling.
Claim Types
Outcome
Plaintiff prevailed on FLSA and NYLL wage-and-hour claims for unpaid minimum wages, overtime, and unlawfully deducted tips. The court awarded $12,659.70 in back pay and liquidated damages of the same amount, plus attorneys' fees and costs, but denied statutory damages for wage-notice violations for lack of Article III standing.
What This Ruling Means
Montalvo v. Paul Bar & Restaurant Corp.
What Happened
An employee at Paul Bar & Restaurant Corp. in New York filed a lawsuit claiming the restaurant failed to pay minimum wage, did not pay overtime compensation, and unlawfully took away tips that belonged to the worker. The employee also claimed they were wrongfully terminated.
What the Court Decided
The court found the restaurant guilty of wage theft. The judge awarded the employee $12,659.70 in back pay (unpaid wages owed) plus an additional $12,659.70 in damages, totaling over $26,000. The court also ordered the restaurant to pay the worker's attorney fees and legal costs.
Why This Matters
This case reinforces that restaurants cannot legally keep tips or underpay workers. Employers must follow federal and New York wage laws. Workers who believe they've been cheated out of wages have legal protections and can recover lost pay plus damages through court. If you face similar issues, you may be entitled to compensation beyond just your missing wages.
This summary was generated to explain the ruling in plain English and is not legal advice.
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This ruling information is sourced from public court records via CourtListener.com. Case outcomes, claim types, and summaries are extracted using AI analysis and may be incomplete or inaccurate. It is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
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