Baker v. Hawai'i ex rel. Department of Hawaiian Home Lands

977 F. Supp. 2d 1026, 2013 WL 5563923, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 144625
CourtDistrict Court, D. Hawaii
DecidedOctober 4, 2013
DocketCivil No. 13-00159 LEK-KSC
StatusPublished

This text of 977 F. Supp. 2d 1026 (Baker v. Hawai'i ex rel. Department of Hawaiian Home Lands) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Hawaii primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Baker v. Hawai'i ex rel. Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, 977 F. Supp. 2d 1026, 2013 WL 5563923, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 144625 (D. Haw. 2013).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING STATE DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS PLAINTIFFS’ FIRST AMENDED CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT WITH JURY DEMAND FILED JUNE 12, 2013 AND GRANTING DEFENDANT ROBERT KORBEL DAVIS JR.’S MOTION TO DISMISS PLAINTIFFS’ FIRST AMENDED CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT WITH JURY DEMAND FILED JUNE 12, 2013

LESLIE E. KOBAYASHI, District Judge.

Before the Court are: Defendants the State of Hawai’i (“the State”), Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (“DHHL”), and Neil Abercrombie’s (collectively, “the State Defendants”) Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs’ First Amended Civil Rights Complaint with Jury Demand Filed June 12, 2013 (“State Defendants’ Motion”), filed on July 1, 2013,1 and Defendant Robert Korbel Davis, Jr.’s (“Defendant Davis”) Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs’ First Amended Civil Rights Complaint with Jury Demand Filed on June 12, 2013 (“Davis Motion”), filed August 7, 2013. [Dkt. nos. 27, 44.] Pro se Plaintiffs Frederick H.K. Baker, Jr. and Haunani Y. Baker (collectively, “Plaintiffs”) filed their memorandum in opposition to the State Defendants’ Motion (“State Opposition”) on August 1, 2013, and their memorandum in opposition to the Davis Motion (“Davis Opposition”) on September 16, 2013. [Dkt. nos. 42, 53.] The State Defendants filed their reply (“State Defendants’ Reply”) on August 12, 2013, and Defendant Davis filed his reply (“Davis Reply”) on September 28, 2013. [Dkt. nos. 47, 57.]

These matters came on for hearing on October 2, 2013. Appearing on behalf of the State Defendants was Craig Iha, Esq., and appearing on behalf of Defendant Davis was Christopher Bennett, Esq. Plaintiffs appeared by telephone. For the reasons stated infra, however, the parties did not present oral arguments, and this Court deemed the matters submitted on the written briefings. After careful consideration of the motions, supporting and opposing memoranda, and the relevant legal authority, the State Defendants’ Motion and the Davis Motion are HEREBY GRANTED. Plaintiffs’ claims against the State Defendants and Plaintiffs’ claims against Defendant Davis are HEREBY DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.

BACKGROUND

I. Background Relevant to the State Defendants ’ Motion

Plaintiffs filed this action on April 4, 2013. Plaintiffs previously filed a Motion [1029]*1029for Expedited Temporary Restraining Order and Permanent Injunction (“First TRO Motion”), [dkt. no. 9,] which this Court denied as moot when Plaintiffs filed their First Amended Civil Rights Complaint with Jury Demand (“First Amended Complaint”). [EO, filed 6/14/13 (dkt. no. 18) (order denying First TRO Motion); First Amended Complaint, filed 6/12/13 (dkt. no. 21).] Plaintiffs filed a similar motion on June 26, 2013 (“Second TRO Motion”), which this Court also denied on July 24, 2013. [Dkt. no. 23 (Second TRO Motion); dkt. no. 37 (order denying Second TRO Motion).]

According to the First Amended Complaint, Plaintiffs resided on “a tract of Agricultural Hawaiian home land” in Hilo, Hawai’i (“the Property”) from October 1981 until May 9, 2013, when the State and DHHL “illegally took possession of such Property....” [First Amended Complaint at ¶¶ 6-7.] On May 9, 2013, DHHL executed a Writ of Possession on the Property. [Mem. in Opp. to Pltfs.’ Suppl. Mem. in Supp. of Second TRO Motion, filed 7/16/13 (dkt. no. 35), Decl. of Paul Ah Yat (“Ah Yat Deck”) at ¶ 3, Exh. A.2] Upon Plaintiffs’ ejection from the Property, DHHL placed Plaintiffs’ belongings that remained on the Property in a storage facility. DHHL requires that Plaintiffs pay all outstanding debts with DHHL to obtain the release of Plaintiffs’ belongings. [Pltfs.’ Suppl. Mem.in Supp. of Second TRO Motion, filed 7/8/13 (dkt. No. 32), Exh. A (Property Waiver Form).]

According to the First Amended Complaint, Plaintiffs signed a lease for the Property in June 1982 (“the Lease”), and received a $27,000.00 loan from DHHL to execute their farm plan on the Property (“the Loan”). As of 2003, Plaintiffs had repaid $23,500.00 of the Loan. According to Plaintiffs, they tried to continue making payments on the Loan, but in 2005 Defendants stopped accepting payments. [First Amended Complaint at ¶¶ 9-10.] On October 13, 2006, a hearings officer recommended the cancellation of Plaintiffs’ Lease because Plaintiffs had failed to make payments on the Loan, which was secured by the Lease. The Hawaiian Homes Commission (“HHC”) adopted the recommendation on December 15, 2006 and ordered the cancellation of the Lease. Plaintiffs allege that the cancellation violated their rights under the United States Constitution and under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920 (“HCCA”). [Id. at ¶¶ 12-14.]

The First Amended Complaint alleges the following claims: a claim for the taking of property in violation of the due process clause and the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment (“Count I”); and a claim that the defendants retaliated against Plaintiffs in violation of the Fifth Amendment and the Fourteenth Amendment (“Count II”). Plaintiffs seek: injunctive relief, including, inter alia, the return of the Property and Plaintiffs’ personal belongings; compensatory and punitive damages; appointment of counsel and attorneys’ fees; and any other appropriate relief.

II. Background Relevant to the Davis Motion

The First Amended Complaint raises the following allegations relevant to the Davis Motion:

5. Defendants HUGH E. GORDON, SCOTT D. PARKER, and ROBERT KORBEL DAVIS, JR., are individuals who purchased a radio license to operate a radio station on the Island of Hawai’i, and who illegally sold and purchased [1030]*1030Plaintiffs’ property, specifically radio towers.
....
ILLEGAL TAKING OF RADIO TOWER
15. On November 27, 2002 Defendant Gordon purchased the radio license from Plaintiffs. The Property and any control thereof including all items, specifically the radio Tower were excluded from the sale of the radio license.
16. On September 13, 2007 Defendant Gordon sold the radio license to Defendant Parker and illegal sold the Plaintiffs [sic] radio Tower that Plaintiffs never agreed or approved the sale of their property, specifically the radio Tower.
....
GROUND TWO
....
19. That Defendants Hugh E. Gordon, Scott D. Parker, and Robert Korbel Davis Jr. knew or should have known that their actions of selling property that is not their property to sell was in direct violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

[First Amended Complaint at pgs. 3-6.] Plaintiffs pray for twenty-five million dollars in compensatory damages and twenty-five million dollars in punitive damages from Defendants Gordon, Parker, and Davis.3 [Id. at pg. 7.]

STANDARD

The State Defendants and Defendant Davis bring their respective motions pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(1) and (b)(6).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
977 F. Supp. 2d 1026, 2013 WL 5563923, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 144625, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/baker-v-hawaii-ex-rel-department-of-hawaiian-home-lands-hid-2013.