Garcia v. Fernandez

CourtHawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 4, 2020
DocketCAAP-18-0000375
StatusPublished

This text of Garcia v. Fernandez (Garcia v. Fernandez) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Garcia v. Fernandez, (hawapp 2020).

Opinion

NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

Electronically Filed Intermediate Court of Appeals CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX 04-JUN-2020 07:52 AM

NO. CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX (Consolidated with CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX)

IN THE INTERMEDIATE COURT OF APPEALS

OF THE STATE OF HAWAI#I

CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX VIDA GARCIA, Claimant-Appellee, v. JANIS FERNANDEZ, dba EXODUS BAIL BOND, Employer-Appellant, and SPECIAL COMPENSATION FUND, Insurance Carrier-Appellee

CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX VIDA GARCIA, Claimant-Appellee-Appellee, v. JANIS FERNANDEZ, dba EXODUS BAIL BOND, Employer-Appellee, and SPECIAL COMPENSATION FUND, Insurance Carrier-Appellant

APPEAL FROM THE LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS APPEALS BOARD (CASE NO. AB 2016-301; DCD NO. 2-15-08619)

SUMMARY DISPOSITION ORDER (By: Ginoza, Chief Judge, Chan and Hiraoka, JJ.)

Janis Fernandez dba Exodus Bail Bond (Ms. Fernandez), self-represented, appeals from a March 29, 2018 Decision and Order (D&O) by the Labor and Industrial Relations Appeals Board NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

(LIRAB).1 In relevant part, the LIRAB held that Vida Garcia (Garcia) sustained a work injury to her right knee on October 1, 2014, while in the employ of Ms. Fernandez, and that Ms. Fernandez had failed to secure workers' compensation insurance in accordance with Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) § 386-123. The LIRAB penalized Ms. Fernandez $1,290.00 for failing to secure workers' compensation insurance, payable to the Special Compensation Fund (SCF). SCF appeals from the D&O and the LIRAB's Order Denying Motion for Reconsideration filed May 18, 2018.2 On July 11, 2018, this court granted SCF's motion to consolidate CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX and CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX under CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX. On appeal, Ms. Fernandez argues3 that her husband, Frank Fernandez (Mr. Fernandez), was the owner of Exodus Bail Bond, and that the LIRAB erred in determining that she was the owner of Exodus Bail Bond and Garcia's employer by: (1) failing to take judicial notice of documents related to proceedings revoking Mr. Fernandez's insurance producer license and law license, which Ms.

1 This appeal was designated CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX. 2 This appeal was designated CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX.

3 Ms. Fernandez's Opening Brief does not comply with Hawai #i Rules of Appellate Procedure (HRAP) Rule 28(b) because it fails to: include appropriate record references; identify where in the record the alleged error occurred and was objected to or brought to the attention of the agency; and cite the authorities, statutes, and parts of the record relied on. Violations of HRAP Rule 28(b) raise the potential for dismissal of the appeal and/or waiver of issues sought to be raised. Bettencourt v. Bettencourt, 80 Hawai #i 225, 230, 909 P.2d 553, 558 (1995); HRAP Rule 30 ("When the brief of an appellant is otherwise not in conformity with these rules, the appeal may be dismissed[.]"); HRAP Rule 28(b)(3), (4), (7). Nonetheless, we address Ms. Fernandez's points of error to the extent they can be discerned because the Hawai#i appellate courts have "consistently adhered to the policy of affording litigants the opportunity 'to have their cases heard on the merits, where possible.'" Morgan v. Planning Dep't, 104 Hawai #i 173, 180-81, 86 P.3d 982, 989-90 (2004) (quoting O'Connor v. Diocese of Honolulu, 77 Hawai #i 383, 386, 885 P.2d 361, 364 (1994)); see Wagner v. World Botanical Gardens, Inc., 126 Hawai#i 190, 193, 268 P.3d 443, 446 (App. 2011) (stating that in light of an appellant's status as a self-represented litigant, this court would address his arguments on appeal to the extent they could be reasonably discerned).

2 NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

Fernandez asserts mention Mr. Fernandez and not her in relation to Exodus Bail Bond; (2) failing to further question Mr. Fernandez at the hearing about those documents and whether he was the owner of Exodus Bail Bond; and (3) citing evidence not produced at the hearing in paragraphs "g"-"n" of the Summary of the Evidence subsection in the D&O.4 SCF contends on appeal that the LIRAB erred in determining that Ms. Fernandez was in violation of HRS § 386-123 for the period of October 1, 2014, to February 6, 2015, and penalizing her in the amount of $1,290.00. SCF argues that Garcia was employed from January 24, 2014, to February 6, 2015, and should have been penalized pursuant to HRS § 386-123 according to that period. Upon careful review of the record and the briefs submitted by the parties and having given due consideration to the arguments advanced and the issues raised by the parties, as well as the relevant statutory and case law, we resolve Ms. Fernandez's and SCF's points of error as follows. It is axiomatic that we are "under an obligation to ensure that we have jurisdiction to hear and determine each case and to dismiss an appeal on our own motion where we conclude we lack jurisdiction." BDM, Inc. v. Sageco, Inc., 57 Haw. 73, 73, 549 P.2d 1147, 1148 (1976). "When we perceive a jurisdictional defect in an appeal, we must, sua sponte, dismiss that appeal." Familian N[.W.], Inc. v. Cent. Pac. Boiler & Piping, Ltd., 68 Haw. 368, 369, 714 P.2d 936, 937 (1986).

4 Ms. Fernandez also argued in her Reply Brief that this court should take into consideration or take judicial notice of the Complaint filed in Frank M. Fernandez, Frank M. Fernandez dba Exodus Bail Bond and Exodus Bail Bond L.L.C. v. Eric A. Seitz and Ronald N.W.B. Kim, Civil No. 19-1-0216-02, on February 7, 2019, in the Circuit Court of the First Circuit (Complaint). The Complaint does not appear in the record, HRS § 641-2 ("Every appeal shall be taken on the record, and no new evidence shall be introduced in the [appellate] court."), and is a matter outside of the scope of the answering brief, in violation of HRAP Rule 28(d). Further, the Complaint is composed of mere allegations and does not amount to facts "either (1) generally known within the territorial jurisdiction of the trial court, or (2) capable of accurate and ready determination by resort to sources whose accuracy cannot reasonably be questioned." See Hawaii Rules of Evidence Rule 201. Based on the foregoing, we decline to consider or judicially notice the assertions contained in the Complaint.

3 NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

Brooks v. Dana Nance & Co., 113 Hawai#i 406, 412, 153 P.3d 1091, 1097 (2007) (original brackets omitted) (quoting Bacon v. Karlin, 68 Haw. 648, 650, 727 P.2d 1127, 1129 (1986)). As a threshold matter, we address whether Ms. Fernandez may pursue this appeal as self-represented, and thus whether we have appellate jurisdiction.

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Bluebook (online)
Garcia v. Fernandez, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/garcia-v-fernandez-hawapp-2020.