Golden v. Kipperman

District Court, S.D. California·Decided December 2, 2020·No. 3:20-cv-01087·Unknown

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 8 SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 9 10 IN RE LISA KAYE GOLDEN Case Nos.: 18-CV-2089 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-488 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-836 11 Debtor. TWR (NLS), 19-CV-2065 TWR 12 (NLS),19-CV-2178 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-2320 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-2462 13 LISA KAYE GOLDEN, TWR (NLS), 19-CV-2463 TWR (NLS), 14 20-CV-47 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-50 TWR Appellant, (NLS), 20-CV-52 TWR (NLS), 15 v. 20-CV-55 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-57 TWR 16 (NLS), 20-CV-59 TWR (NLS), RICHARD KIPPERMAN, 20-CV-61 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-205 17 Appellee. TWR (NLS), 20-CV-206 TWR (NLS), 18 20-CV-207 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-305 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-725 TWR (NLS), 19 20-CV-857 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-866 20 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-950 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-951 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-952 21 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-999 TWR (NLS), 22 20-CV-1001 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-1002 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-1004 TWR (NLS), 23 20-CV-1005 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-1044 24 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-1087 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-1255 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-1826 25 TWR (NLS) 20-CV-2042 TWR (NLS), 26 20-CV-2052 TWR (NLS)

27 Bankruptcy No.: 17-6928 MM7 & 28 Adversary No. 18-90021 MM 1 ORDER (1) DENYING APPELLANT’S MOTIONS FOR 2 RECONSIDERATION, AND 3 (2) SETTING FINAL DEADLINE FOR PAYMENT OF FILING FEES 4

5 (ECF Nos. 34, 38)

6 7 Presently before the Court are Appellant and Plaintiff Lisa Kaye Golden’s Motion 8 (“Mot.,” 18-CV-2089 ECF No. 34) and Amended Motion (“Am. Mot.,” 18-CV-2089 ECF 9 No. 38 at 1–14) for Reconsideration of Denial of Permission to Proceed in Forma Pauperis, 10 as well as Appellee and Defendant Richard Kipperman’s Opposition to (18-CV-2089 ECF 11 No. 35) and Ms. Golden’s Reply in Support of (“Reply,” 18-CV-2089 ECF No. 38 at 12 15–21) the Motion. The Court vacated the hearing and took the matter under submission 13 without oral argument pursuant to Civil Local Rule 7.1(d)(1). (See 18-CV-2089 ECF No. 14 36.) Having carefully reviewed the record, the Parties’ arguments, and the law, the Court 15 DENIES Ms. Golden’s Motion and ORDERS her to pay her outstanding filing fees on or 16 before December 31, 2020. 17 / / / 18 / / / 19 / / / 20 / / / 21 / / / 22 / / / 23 / / / 24 / / / 25 / / / 26 / / / 27 / / / 28 / / / 1 BACKGROUND 2 Between September 7, 2018 and the present, Ms. Golden has filed forty-two 3 bankruptcy appeals and three civil actions.1 Seven of the bankruptcy appeals have been 4 dismissed,2 leaving thirty-five open bankruptcy appeals. 5 Ms. Golden has paid the filing fee in only two of her civil actions, Case Nos. 20- 6 CV-855 TWR (AGS) and 20-CV-856 TWR (NLS), and in none of her bankruptcy appeals. 7 Consequently, on August 3, 2020, the Honorable Dana M. Sabraw ordered Ms. Golden to 8 pay the filing fees or move to proceed in forma pauperis in the majority of her then-pending 9 cases, also warning Ms. Golden that her cases would be dismissed if she failed to comply.3 10 Ms. Golden filed motions to proceed in forma pauperis, and Mr. Kipperman filed 11 oppositions, in each of those cases. Judge Sabraw subsequently ordered Ms. Golden to pay 12

13 1 Ms. Golden’s bankruptcy appeals are Case Nos. 18-CV-2089 TWR (NLS), 18-CV-2359 GPC (RBB), 14 19-CV-488 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-836 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-838 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-843 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-1417 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-1678 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-2064 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-2065 TWR 15 (NLS), 19-CV-2178 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-2320 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-2462 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-2463 16 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-47 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-50 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-51 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-52 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-55 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-57 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-59 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-61 TWR (NLS), 17 20-CV-205 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-206 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-207 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-305 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-857 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-866 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-950 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-951 TWR (NLS), 18 20-CV-952 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-999 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-1001 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-1002 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-1004 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-1005 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-1044 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-1087 TWR 19 (NLS), 20-CV-1255 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-1826 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-2042 TWR (NLS), and 20-CV-2052 20 TWR (NLS). There is an additional, related bankruptcy appeal initiated by Jeffrey P. Rogers, Case No. 18-CV-2699 TWR (NLS). 21 Ms. Golden’s civil cases are Case Nos. 20-CV-725 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-855 TWR (AGS), and 20-CV- 22 856 TWR (NLS).

23 2 Case Nos. 18-CV-2359 GPC (RBB), 19-CV-838 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-843 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-1417 24 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-1678 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-2064 TWR (NLS), and 20-CV-51 TWR (NLS). 3 Case Nos. 18-CV-2089 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-488 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-836 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-2065 25 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-2178 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-2320 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-2462 TWR (NLS), 19-CV- 2463 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-47 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-50 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-52 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-55 26 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-57 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-59 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-61 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-205 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-207 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-305 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-866 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-950 TWR 27 (NLS), 20-CV-951 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-952 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-999 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-1004 TWR 28 (NLS), 20-CV-1005 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-1044 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-1087 TWR (NLS), and 20-CV-1255 1 her filing fees or file motions to proceed in forma pauperis in Case Nos. 20-CV-1001 TWR 2 (NLS) and 20-CV-1002 TWR (NLS), in which Ms. Golden filed unopposed motions to 3 proceed in forma pauperis. 4 On September 30, 2020, Judge Sabraw denied all of Ms. Golden’s motions to 5 proceed in forma pauperis.4 First, Judge Sabraw determined that Ms. Golden had failed to 6 demonstrate that she could not afford to pay her court costs and the necessities of life. (See, 7 e.g., 18-CV-2089 ECF No. 31 at 4.) After deducting Ms. Golden’s monthly expenses 8 (except for her mortgage, which Ms. Golden had admitted she was not paying) from her 9 monthly disability income, Judge Sabraw found that Ms. Golden was above the United 10 States Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) poverty guidelines for the years 11 at issue. (See, e.g., id.) Further, the filing fee for each of the bankruptcy appeals was only 12 twelve percent of Ms. Golden’s gross monthly income, which was lower than the forty 13 percent found sufficient to proceed in forma pauperis by the Ninth Circuit in Escobedo v. 14 Applebees, 787 F.3d 1226, 1235 (9th Cir. 2015). (See, e.g., 18-CV-2089 ECF No. 31 at 15 4.) Second, Judge Sabraw found that, even if Ms. Golden had made a sufficient showing 16 of poverty, the sheer volume of her filings and failure to prosecute them constituted an 17 abuse of the judicial process warranting denial of her pending motions to proceed in forma 18 pauperis. (See, e.g., id. at 4–6.) Judge Sabraw therefore denied Ms. Golden’s motions to 19 proceed in forma pauperis and ordered her to pay the filing fees in her cases—totaling 20 approximately $10,532, (see, e.g., id. at 3)—by October 30, 2020. (See, e.g., id. at 6.) 21 Finally, Judge Sabraw warned Ms. Golden that her “cases w[ould] be closed without 22 / / / 23

24 4 Case Nos. 18-CV-2089 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-488 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-836 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-2065 25 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-2178 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-2320 TWR (NLS), 19-CV-2462 TWR (NLS), 19-CV- 2463 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-47 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-50 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-52 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-55 26 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-57 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-59 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-61 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-205 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-207 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-305 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-725 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-866 TWR 27 (NLS), 20-CV-950 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-951 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-952 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-999 TWR 28 (NLS), 20-CV-1001 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-1002 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-1004 TWR (NLS), 20-CV-1005 1 further order from the Court” if she failed timely to pay the outstanding fees. (See, e.g., 2 id.) 3 Following transfer from Judge Sabraw, (see, e.g., 18-CV-2089 ECF No. 32), the 4 undersigned set a deadline for Ms. Golden to pay the filing fees in her remaining pending 5 cases in accordance with Judge Sabraw’s September 30, 2020 Order.5 Ms. Golden filed 6 the instant Motion for reconsideration of Judge Sabraw’s September 30, 2020 Order on 7 October 20, 2020.

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