Eng v. State of Hawaii, Dept. of Public Safety

District Court, D. Hawaii·Decided March 30, 2022·No. 1:18-cv-00282·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

DISTRICT OF HAWAII

STEVEN ENG, CIV. NO. 18-00282 LEK-KJM

Plaintiff,

vs.

STATE OF HAWAII, DEPT. OF PUBLIC SAFETY, KUKUI PLAZA ASSOCIATION AOAO, SHERIFF OFFICER TOMMY CAYETANO, JOHN DOES 1-10, JANE DOES 1-10, DOE ASSOCIATIONS 1- 10, DOE PARTNERSHIPS 1-10, DOE CORPORATIONS 1-10, DOE GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES 1-10,

Defendants.

ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT ASSOCIATION OF OWNERS OF KUKUI PLAZA’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Before the Court is Defendant Association of Owners of Kukui Plaza’s (“Association”) Motion for Summary Judgment (“Motion”), filed on December 22, 2021. [Dkt. no. 106.] The Court has found this matter suitable for disposition without a hearing pursuant to Rule LR7.1(c) of the Local Rules of Practice for the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii (“Local Rules”). See Minute Order, filed 12/28/21 (dkt. no. 108). On February 28, 2022, an entering order was issued informing the parties of this Court’s ruling on the Motion (“2/28/22 EO Ruling”). [Dkt. no. 112.] The instant Order supersedes the 2/28/22 EO Ruling. For the reasons set forth below, the Association’s Motion is granted and summary judgment is granted in favor of the Association as to all of the remaining claims against it in this case. BACKGROUND The instant case arises from an incident that

allegedly occurred on July 26, 2016, when a sheriff and others forcibly entered the Kukui Plaza condominium unit where pro se Plaintiff Steven Eng (“Plaintiff”) was residing (“7/26/16 Incident”). See generally Complaint, filed 7/23/18 (dkt. no. 1). The defendants named in the Complaint are: the State of Hawai`i, Department of Public Safety (“DPS”); Kukui Plaza Association AOAO;1 and Tommy Cayetano, who the Complaint describes as a “Sheriff Officer” (“Cayetano”). [Id. at pgs. 1- 2.] I. Procedural History The Complaint originally alleged the following claims: a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claim against all defendants for violation of

Plaintiff’s rights under the Fourth, Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments (“Count I”); an assault and battery claim against all defendants (“Count II”); a claim for abuse of process, unlawful arrest, and false imprisonment against all

1 The Association states it was incorrectly identified as the Kukui Plaza Association AOAO. See, e.g., Motion at 2. defendants (“Count III”); a negligent training claim against DPS (“Count IV”); an intentional infliction of emotional distress (“IIED”) claim against all defendants (“Count V”); violation of the Hawai`i State Constitution by all defendants (“Count VI”); a negligence claim against all defendants (“Count VII”); a gross

negligence claim against all defendants (“Count VIII”); a claim that all defendants intentionally inflicted physical distress upon Plaintiff (“Count IX”);2 a negligent infliction of emotional distress (“NIED”) claim against all defendants (“Count X”); a loss of consortium claim against all defendants (“Count XI”); and a claim against the Association for secretly installing a motion-activated, video and/or photographic recording device in Plaintiff’s home, in violation of his right to privacy (“Count XII”). Plaintiff asserted there was federal question jurisdiction over his civil rights claims and supplemental jurisdiction over his state law claims. [Complaint at pg. 3.] Summary judgment has been granted in favor of DPS and

Cayetano, in his official capacity, as to all of Plaintiff’s claims against them. Plaintiff’s claims against Cayetano, in his individual capacity, remain. [Order Granting in Part and

2 Count IX also alleges the intentional infliction of emotional distress, but that claim is already set forth in Count V. Denying in Part the State Defendants’ Summary Judgment Motion, filed 2/28/20 (dkt. no. 53), at 16-17.3] Plaintiff has clarified that he was not asserting constitutional claims against the Association. This Court therefore dismissed, without prejudice, the portions of Counts I

and VI that alleged claims against the Association. [Order Granting in Part and Denying in Part Defendant Association of Owners of Kukui Plaza’s Motion to Dismiss Complaint Filed on July 23, 2018, filed 2/28/20 (dkt. no. 52), at 6.4] This Court also ruled that: supplemental jurisdiction exists over Plaintiff’s claims against the Association arising from the 7/26/16 Incident, but that supplemental jurisdiction did not exist over Count XII. Count XII was therefore dismissed without prejudice. [Id. at 8-9.] Plaintiff was granted leave to file: an amended complaint to address the jurisdictional defect in Count XII; and a motion seeking leave to amend the claims against the Association in Counts I and VI. This Court stated

that, if Plaintiff chose not to file an amended complaint, the case would proceed as to the remaining claims in the Complaint. [Id. at 11-12.]

3 The February 28, 2020 summary judgment order is also available at 2020 WL 981048.

4 The February 28, 2020 dismissal order is also available at 2020 WL 978606. Plaintiff neither filed an amended complaint nor a motion for leave to amend. Thus, the only claims remaining against the Association are Plaintiff’s state law tort claims in the Complaint arising from the 7/26/16 Incident. On March 16, 2021, Cayetano filed a motion seeking the

imposition of discovery sanctions against Plaintiff (“Sanctions Motion”), and the Association filed a substantive joinder in the Sanctions Motion on March 19, 2021. [Dkt. nos. 71, 73.] The Sanctions Motion represented that the Association served Plaintiff with written discovery requests, but Plaintiff failed to respond properly. [Mem. in Supp. of Sanctions Motion at 2.] Cayetano served Plaintiff with a notice of deposition, but Plaintiff failed to appear. See id. at 2-3; see also Sanctions Motion, Exh. A (Defendant Tommy Cayetano’s Notice of Taking Deposition upon Oral Examination); id., Exh. B (Statement for the Record on 1/28/21). The magistrate judge denied the Sanctions Motion and the joinder, without prejudice, but ordered

Plaintiff to: appear for a deposition by June 9, 2021; respond to the Association’s written discovery requests by May 12, 2021; and complete a medical information authorization by May 5, 2021. [Order, filed 4/21/21 (dkt. no. 80) (“4/21/21 Discovery Order”), at 5-6.] In the instant Motion, the Association argues it is entitled to summary judgment as to all of Plaintiff’s remaining claims against it. II. Evidence Presented with the Motion Plaintiff appeared for his deposition on June 2, 2021.

See Motion, Decl. of Michael A. Lorusso (“Lorusso Decl.”), Exh. E (excerpt of trans. of Deposition of Steven Eng) (“Plaintiff Depo.”). During his deposition, Plaintiff acknowledged that he did not provide the health care authorizations by May 5, 2021, and he did not provide answers to the interrogatories by May 12, 2021. [Id. at 114.] Plaintiff testified that, during the 7/26/16 Incident, someone was “violently pounding on [his] door” of the condominium unit when he was about to take a shower. [Id. at 68.] Plaintiff went to the door right away, but only opened the door a crack because he was not fully dressed. [Id.] Plaintiff testified that only Cayetano pushed the door open and pushed his

way inside. [Id. at 68, 117.] A female entered the unit after Cayetano entered. The force of the door opening pushed Plaintiff backwards, but Plaintiff was not injured at that time. Plaintiff testified that he was injured later when Cayetano attacked him. [Id. at 69.] Plaintiff told Cayetano he wanted to get dressed, but he wanted the female to leave first. Cayetano refused. Plaintiff repeated the request, and Cayetano refused again. [Id. at 69.] Plaintiff then said he had to make a telephone call, but, when Plaintiff “turned [his] back[,] . . .

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Eng v. State of Hawaii, Dept. of Public Safety, (D. Haw. 2022).

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