Arceo v. CULGUAM, Inc.

Superior Court of Guam·Decided July 8, 2025·No. CV0397-20·Unknown

Opinion

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IN THE SUPERIOR COURT

COURT OF

OF GUAM

GUAM

JUANITA ARCEO3 ARCEO, CIVIL CASE NO.

no. CV0397-20

Plaintiff,

DECISION DECISION AND

AND ORDER

ORDER RE

vs. DEFENDANT'S DEFENDANT'S MOTION

MOTION TO

TO (1)

EXTEND TIME TO FILE NOTICE OF CULGUAM, CULGUAM,INC.INC.doing doingbusiness

business as

as COST- APPEAL;

APPEAL; (2)

(2) PERMIT

PERMIT CASH

CASH DEPOSIT

U-LESS and JOHNDOE and JOHN DOEINSURANCE INSURANCE

IN IN LIEU

LIEU OF

OF SUPERSEDEAS

SUPERSEDEAS BOND OR

COMPANY COMPANY, EXTEND TIME TIME TO POST BOND; AND

(3) DEFER ISSUANCE OF WRIT OF Defendants. Defendants.

EXECUTION

INTRODUCTION

Defendant CULGuam, CULGuam, Inc.

Inc. doing

doing business

businessasasCost-U-Less

Cost-U-Less("CULGuam")

("CULGuam") moved

moved this

this

Court to (1) extend the the time

timeto

tofile

tile Notice

Notice of Appeal pursuant pursuant totoGRAP

GRAP Rule

Rule 4(a)(5);

4(a)(5); (2)

(2) permit

permit aa

cash deposit deposit in in lieu of a supersedeas

supersedes bond,

bond; or alternatively,

alternatively, extend

extend time

time to

to post

post bond

bond under

GRCP GRCP 6(b), 6(b); and and (3)

(3) defer

defer the

the issuance of the

issuance of the writ

writ of

of execution.

execution. Having

Having reviewed

reviewed CULGuam's

present motion,the present motion, theCourt Courthereby

herebyGRANTS

GRANTSthe

theMotion

Motionto

toExtend

ExtendTime,

Time,GRANTS

GRANTS the Motion

Motion to

Permit Cash Deposit in Lieu Lieu of Supersedeas Bond, and Supersedeas Bond, andGRANTS GRANTS the Motion

Motion to

to Defer

Defer Issuance

Issuance

of ofWrit Writ of ofExecution, Execution,insomuch

insomuch as Defendant

Defendant meets

meetsthe

theCourt's

Court'sdeadline

deadlinetotofile

file the

theNotice

Notice of

Appeal and make the and make the cash cashdeposit

depositin

inlieu

lieuof

of supersedeas

supersedes bond.

CV0397-20 DECISION AND ORDER RERE DEFENDANT'S DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO (1) Page 2 Page

EXTEND TIME TO FILE NOTICE OF APPEAL; (2) PERMIT CASH DEPOSIT IN LIEU

LIEU OF

OF SUPERSEDEAS

SUPERSEDEAS BOND OR

OR EXTEND TIME TO

POST BOND; AND (3) DEFER ISSUANCE OF WRIT OF EXECUTION

PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

A second second jury tn'al trial was held in this case from Hom December 11 to 19,

December 11 19, 2023, at which which time the

jury found Defendant CULGuam to Defendant CULGuam to be negligent, negligent, and

and the Court entered a judgment judgment against

$2,751,170.00. Defendant

CULGuam for $2,75l,170.00. Defendant moved movedfor

for aa third

third trial,

trial, which the court denied on April

23, 2024. See Decision 2024. See Decision and Order Denying Denying Motion for New Trial.

Trial. Defendant

Defendant subsequently

appealed 1) the appealed 1) thejudgment, judgment, 2)

2) the December

December 13,

13, 2023

2023 decision

decision granting

granting aa second

secondjury

jury trial,

trial, and

(3) the later April April 23,

23, 2024

2024 decision

decision denying

denying CULGuam's motion

motion for

for a new trial, docketed as

Court Case No. CVA24-008. See Notice of Supreme Court of Appeal (May 24, 2024). After After judgment

judgment

was entered, several post-judgment post-judgment matters remained pending pending in

in the Superior

Superior Court, including

Plaintiffs Plaintiffs Motion Motionto

to Compel

CompelDiscovery

Discoveryand

andfor

for Leave

Leave to

to Take

Take Depositions

Depositions (Feb.

(Feb. 29,

29, 2024),

Plaintiffs Motion Plaintiffs Motionfor for Leave

Leave to

to Amend

Amendthe

theComplaint

Complaint(Apr.

(Apr. 5,

5, 2024),

2024), and

and Motion

Motion for

for Writ of

of

Execution Execution or, alternatively, to Require Posting of Supersedeas Bond (Dec. 3, 2024). The Motion

to Amend Motion to Compel Amend and Motion Compel were were referred

referred to Magistrate Judge Quam, who scheduled

hearing on September September 16,

16, 2024.

2024. Order

Order Referring

Referring Motions

Motions to

to Magistrate

Magistrate (May 14,

14, 2024).

Magistrate Judge Quam denied both motions and rejected the notion that the Magistrate Judge the omission would

hinder execution of of judgment. See Order Re Re Plaintiffs Motion to Compel Discovery and for

Amend Complaint Leave to Amend Complaintatat77(Jan.

(Jan. 21,

21, 2025).

2025). Magistrate

Magistrate Judge

Judge Quam

Quan also

also ordered sanctions

against CULGuam and its then-trial counsel, Camacho Calvo Law Group LL ("CC Law"), in the

of $95,000. Id.

amount of at pp.

Id at pp. 9-14. In his decision, Magistrate Magistrate Judge Quam made several adverse

findings against CULGuam CULGuam regarding

regarding its

its conduct

conduct during

during trial,

trial, including that Allianz,

CULGuam's insurance CULGuam's insurance company, company, was

was omitted

omitted in bad faith.

in bad faith.

CV0397-20 DECISION AND ORDER RE DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO (1) Page 33 Page

EXTEND TIME TO FILE NOTICE OF APPEAL; (2) PERMIT CASH DEPOSIT IN LIEU

LIEU OF

OF SUPERSEDEAS

SUPERSEDEAS BOND

BOND OR

OR EXTEND TIME TO

POST BOND; AND (3) DEFER

DEFER ISSUANCE OF WRIT OF EXECUTION

of these post-judgment

All of post-judgment issues led to the appeal in the Supreme Court of Guam being

times to

stayed multiple times to allow allow time

time for

for the

the Superior

Superior Court

Court to address the issues. See Arceo v.

CULGuam, Inc. CULGuam, Inc. CVA24-008 CVA24-008 Order

Order(Jan.

(Jan. 17,

17, 2025),

2025); Order

Order (Jan.

(Jan. 28, 2025),

2025); Order

Order (Apr. 22,

2025). On March 25, 25, 2025,

2025, the

the Court

Court issued

issuedan

anAmended

Amended Decision

Decision and

and Order

Order granting

granting Plaintiffs

Plaintiffs

Motion for Writ of of Execution,

Execution, and

and requiring

requiring Defendant

Defendant to

to post

postaasupersedeas

supersedes bond in the amount

of the judgment, of plus interest judgment, plus interest and costs, within thirty (30) days to to stay

stay execution

execution pending appeal.

On March 26, 2025, 2025, the

the Amended

Amended Decision and Order was entered into the Court's docket.

Defendant attempted Defendant attempted to to appeal

appeal that Order by filing a Notice of Appeal with the Supreme Court

on April 25, 2025, within the 30-day limit. Notice Notice of Appeal, Apr.

Apr. 25,

25, 2025.

2025. A

A copy

copy was

was served

sewed

on Plaintiff the the same

same day

day via

via email.

email. The

The Supreme

Supreme Court

Court struck of Appeal on stock the Notice of

procedural grounds because it should have been been tiled

filed with

with the

the Clerk ofthe

Clerk of the Superior

Superior Court,

Court, as

GRAP Rule

required by GRAP Rule 3.

3. CVA24-008

CVA24-008 (Order

(Order to

to Strike

Strike (Apr.

(Apr. 30,

30, 2025)). By this point, the 30-

day period under GRAP 4(a)(1)

4(a)(l) had elapsed.

Defendant Defendant filed the the present

present Motion

Motion on

on May

May 6,

6, 2025,

2025, requesting that the Court (1) extend

the time to file Notice of of Appeal pursuant to GRAP Rule 4(a)(5), 4(a)(5); (2) permit a cash deposit in lieu

of a supersedeas supersedes bond, bond;ororalternatively,

alternatively, extend

extend time

time to

to post

post bond

bond under

under GRCP

GRCP 6(b),

6(b); and (3) defer

the issuance of the writ of execution. Plaintiff filed her Opposition on June 3, 3, 2025, and

Defendant Defendant CULGuam CULGuam filed

filed its

its Reply

Reply on

on June

June 17,

17, 2025.

2025. At

At the Status Hearing held on June 26,

2025, the Court informed the parties that that no

no additional

additional argument was

was needed,

needed, and took the matter

under advisement.

CV0397-20 DECISION AND ORDER RERE DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO (1) Page4 Page

EXTEND TIME TO FILE NOTICE OF APPEAL; (2) PERMIT PERMIT CASH

DEPOSIT IN LIEU

LIEU OF

OF SUPERSEDEAS

SUPERSEDEAS BOND

BOND OR

OR EXTEND TIME TO

POST BOND; AND (3) DEFER

DEFER ISSUANCE OF WRIT OF EXECUTION

DISCUSSION

I. 1. MOTION TO EXTEND TIME TO FILE NOTICE OF APPEAL MOTION APPEAL PURSUANT TO

GRAP GRAP RULE

RULE 4(A)(5)

4(A)(5)

Under GRAP Under GRAP Rule Rule 4(a)(1), of appeal must be filed with the Clerk of 4( a)( 1), a notice of of the Superior Superior

entry of

Court within thirty (30) days after entry of the the order

order which

which is being appealed. The Order was

entered by this Court on March 26, 2025, and Defendant attempted to appeal that Order by filing

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