Espinda v. Cardoza

District Court, E.D. Washington·Decided June 12, 2024·No. 4:23-cv-05023·Unknown

Opinion

FILED IN THE U.S. DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON Jun 12, 2024 SEAN F. MCAVOY, CLERK KATHY J ESPINDA, the living woman, No. 4:23-CV-05023-MKD

Plaintiff, ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR v. SUMMARY JUDGMENT

DYLAN R CARDOZA, the living man, ECF No. 22

Defendant. Before the Court is Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment, ECF No. 22. The Court has reviewed the record and is fully informed. For the reasons set forth below, the Court grants Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment. BACKGROUND A. Procedural History This is one of four Complaints that Plaintiff has filed this year; all the claims arise out of debt collection actions taken against Plaintiff. See Espinda v. Cardoza, 4:23-cv-5023-MKD (E.D. Wash. Feb. 21, 2023); Espinda v. Hohenberg, 4:23-cv- 5155-MKD (E.D. Wash. November 21, 2023); Espinda v. Wasson, 4:23-cv-5032- MKD (E.D. Wash. Oct. 16, 2023).

Plaintiff filed the instant pro se Complaint on February 21, 2023, alleging false or misleading representations, unfair practices, validation of debts, false claims, breach of encroachment, and trespass violations against Defendant Dylan

R. Cardoza. ECF No. 1. These allegations arise out of incidents taking place in November of 2022, when Defendant contacted Plaintiff regarding an alleged debt owed. Id. at 4. On March 29, 2024, Defendant filed a Motion for Summary Judgment. ECF

No. 22. On April 2, 2024, notice of Defendant’s Motion was provided to Plaintiff. ECF No. 26. On April 29, 2024, Plaintiff objected to Defendant’s Motion. ECF No. 28.

B. Undisputed Facts Defendant included a statement of facts genuinely not in dispute as a section in his motion for summary judgment.1 ECF No. 22 at 2-3. Plaintiff did not

1 Defendant did not comply with Local Rule 56, which requires the party filing a motion for summary judgment to “separately file” a Statement of Material Facts Not in Dispute. LCivR 56. provide a statement of disputed facts.2 ECF No. 28. The Court may consider a fact undisputed and admitted unless controverted by the procedures set forth in

Local Rule 56(c). LCivR 56(e). Defendant’s statement of facts is deemed undisputed and admitted. Defendant is employed by Suttell & Hammer, P.S. (Suttell & Hammer).

ECF No. 23 at 1. Suttle & Hammer is a creditors’ rights law firm, which assists its clients through litigation concerning past due credit accounts. ECF No. 22 at 2. JP Morgan Chase engaged Suttell & Hammer to assist with recovering Plaintiff’s alleged debt of $19,625.97. Id. On December 21, 2022, Suttell & Hammer sent its

initial communication to Plaintiff, on behalf of JP Morgan Chase. Id. The communication complied with U.S.C. § 1692 (the “FDCPA”) and Regulation F. Id. Suttell & Hammer completed a search of its records and was unable to find any

dispute letter or validation request from Plaintiff regarding this JP Morgan Chase debt. Id. On February 2, 2023, the underlying lawsuit was filed on behalf of JP

2 Plaintiff did not comply with Local Rule 56, which requires the party opposing the motion for summary judgment to “separately file” a Statement of Disputed Material Facts. LCivR 56. Plaintiff’s response does not specifically dispute any of Defendant’s undisputed facts. See ECF No. 28. Morgan Chase to collect an alleged $19,625.97 of credit card debt from the Plaintiff. Id.

On February 21, 2023, Plaintiff filed this case against Dylan R. Cardoza, alleging violations of the FDCPA, breach of encroachment, and trespass. Id. at 2- 3. Plaintiff subsequently contacted the fraud department of JP Morgan Chase. Id.

at 3. On March 30, 2023, JP Morgan Chase responded to a letter from the Plaintiff, stating she is responsible for this JP Morgan Chase account. Id. at 3. On May 15, 2023, Plaintiff filed her initial disclosures and accompanying exhibits with the Court. Id. Defendant and Plaintiff exchanged requests for admission, and

each received responses. Id. Defendant sent Plaintiff interrogatories and requests for production on December 8, 2023. Id. As of the date of Defendant’s motion, Plaintiff had not responded to Defendant's interrogatories or requests for

production. Id. A district court must grant summary judgment “if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to

judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a); see Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322-23 (1986); Barnes v. Chase Home Fin., LLC, 934 F.3d 901, 906 (9th Cir. 2019). “A fact is ‘material’ only if it might affect the outcome of the

case, and a dispute is ‘genuine’ only if a reasonable trier of fact could resolve the issue in the non-movant’s favor.” Fresno Motors, LLC v. Mercedes Benz USA, LLC, 771 F.3d 1119, 1125 (9th Cir. 2014) (quoting Anderson v. Liberty Lobby,

Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248 (1986)). The moving party “bears the initial responsibility of informing the district court of the basis for its motion, and identifying those portions of ‘the pleadings,

depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any,’ [that] demonstrate the absence of a genuine dispute of material fact.” Celotex, 477 U.S. at 323 (quoting former Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c)). Once the moving party has satisfied its burden, to survive summary judgment, the non-

moving party must demonstrate by affidavits, depositions, answers to interrogatories, or admission on file “specific facts showing that there is a genuine [dispute of material fact] for trial.” Id. at 324.

The Court “must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party and draw all reasonable inference in the nonmoving party’s favor.” Rookaird v. BNSF Ry. Co., 908 F.3d 451, 459 (9th Cir. 2018). “Credibility determinations, the weighing of the evidence, and the drawing of legitimate

inferences from the facts are jury functions, not those of a judge . . . .” Anderson, 477 U.S. at 255. “Summary judgment is improper ‘where divergent ultimate inferences may reasonably be drawn from the undisputed facts.’” Fresno Motors,

771 F.3d at 1125 (quoting Miller v. Glenn Miller Prods., Inc., 454 F.3d 975, 988 (9th Cir. 2006)).

A pro se litigant’s contentions offered in motions and pleadings are properly considered evidence “where such contentions are based on personal knowledge and set forth facts that would be admissible in evidence, and where [a litigant]

attest[s] under penalty of perjury that the contents of the motions or pleadings are true and correct.” Jones v. Blanas, 393 F.3d 918, 923 (9th Cir. 2004) (allegations in a pro se plaintiff’s verified pleadings must be considered as evidence in opposition to summary judgment). Conversely, unverified pleadings are not

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