HUDNALL v. STATE OF TEXAS

District Court, W.D. Texas·Decided August 9, 2022·No. 3:22-cv-00036·Unknown

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS EL PASO DIVISION

ROBERT K. HUDNALL, § Plaintiff, § § v. § § STATE OF TEXAS; CITY OF EL § PASO; JUDGE SERGIO ENRIQUEZ; § CAUSE NO. EP-22-CV-36-KC-RFC ALEJANDRO C. RAMIREZ; TYRONE § SMITH d/b/a SMITH AND RAMIREZ § RESTORATION LLC; GUY BLUFF; § AMERICAN ARBITRATION § ASSOCIATION; and EVANSTON § INSURANCE COMPANY, § Defendants. §

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE MAGISTRATE JUDGE

The Court considers the following: (1) Defendant State of Texas’s Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 6); (2) Defendant Judge Sergio Enriquez’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings (ECF No. 7); (3) Defendant Evanston Insurance Company’s Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 8); (4) Defendants American Arbitration Association and Guy Bluff’s Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 10); (5) Plaintiff’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings (ECF No. 16); (6) Plaintiff’s Motion for Declaratory Judgment (ECF No. 18); and (7) Plaintiff’s Second Motion for Declaratory Judgment (ECF No. 26). On March 1, 2022, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone referred the above-captioned matter to U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Castañeda “pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b) to hear all pre- trial matters.” (ECF No. 19.) For the reasons set forth below, the Court recommends that: (1) Defendant State of Texas’s Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 6) be granted; (2) Defendant Judge Sergio Enriquez’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings (ECF No. 7) be granted; (3) Defendants American Arbitration Association and Guy Bluff’s Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 10) be granted; (4) Defendant Evanston Insurance Company’s Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 8) be granted; (5) Plaintiff’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings (ECF No. 16) be denied; (6) Plaintiff’s Motion for Declaratory Judgment (ECF No. 18) be denied; and (7) Plaintiff’s Second Motion for

Declaratory Judgment (ECF No. 26) be denied. I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND1 On December 2, 2021, Plaintiff (“Plaintiff” or “Hudnall”) filed suit against Defendants in County Court at Law Number 6 of El Paso County, Texas under Cause Number 2021DCV4135. (ECF No. 1-3:2.) On December 20, 2021, Hudnall filed an Amended Petition in that same action (“Amended Complaint”). (Id. at 64.) Hudnall’s Amended Complaint explains that “[t]his action stems from a contract for the replacement of a roof on our home entered into between Plaintiff and Defendant, Smith and Ramirez Restoration LLC in June of 2014” and the subsequent roof replacement (“roofing incident”). (Id. at 68); see also (id. at 71.) Hudnall’s Amended Complaint also implicates several lawsuits concerning the roofing

incident. (Id. at 68.) The Amended Complaint explains that after the roofing incident, under Cause Number 2015DCV3677, a state court held that a bond issued on behalf of Defendant Smith and Ramirez Restoration LLC (“S&R”) for completion of Plaintiff’s roof replacement “would be forfeited as the roof did not meet code.” (Id. at 73.) Under Cause Number 2015DCV1113, Defendant S&R sued Hudnall, “claiming that the roof passed inspection and they were not paid.” (Id.) Defendant Judge Enriquez (“Judge Enriquez”) presided over that case and sent it to arbitration. (Id. at 73–74.) “Plaintiff then filed a RICO [Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act] action . . . against the arbitrator, the roofers and their attorneys” in state court

1 While recounting the factual and procedural background, the Court addresses only the facts relevant to the immediate Report and Recommendation. under Cause Number 2021DCV1187, which was removed to federal court. (Id. at 75); see also (ECF No. 1:2–3.) In the instant matter, Hudnall asserts that Defendants violated his rights under the U.S. Constitution, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act

Amendments Act (“ADA/ADAAA”), and the Texas Human Resources Code (“Texas HR Code”), and violated Texas state law in other respects by committing such acts as intimidation, coercion, bribery, invasion of privacy, conspiracy, abuse of process, elder abuse, fraud, forgery, breach of contract, conflict of interest, denial of rights to third party beneficiary, and causing him to suffer “Legal Abuse Syndrome.” (ECF No. 1-3:76–101.) On January 26, 2022, Defendant Evanston Insurance Company (“Evanston”) filed a Notice of Removal with this Court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1441. (ECF No. 1.) On February 1, 2022, Plaintiff moved for remand back to state court. (ECF No. 4.) On March 21, 2022, this Court issued a Report and Recommendation recommending denial of Plaintiff’s Motion for Remand. (ECF No. 36.) On May 2, 2022, the District Court issued an Order Adopting the Report

and Recommendation. (ECF No. 41.) On February 8, 2022, Defendants State of Texas (“Texas”) and Evanston filed their respective Motions to Dismiss (ECF Nos. 6; 8), and Judge Enriquez filed his Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings (ECF No. 7.) On February 14, 2022, Defendants Guy Bluff (“Bluff”) and American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) filed a Motion to Dismiss. (ECF No. 10.) To date, Hudnall has not responded to any of Defendants’ Motions. On February 18, 2022, Plaintiff filed a Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings. (ECF No. 16.) Responses to Plaintiff’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings were filed by Judge Enriquez (ECF No. 17), Evanston (ECF No. 21), City of El Paso (“El Paso”) (ECF No. 22), Defendants Alejandro Ramirez, Tyrone Smith, and S&R (collectively, “the Roofers”) (ECF No. 23), and AAA and Bluff (ECF Nos. 24–25). On February 28, 2022, Plaintiff filed a Motion for Declaratory Judgment. (ECF No. 18.) Responses to Plaintiff’s Motion for Declaratory Judgment were filed by AAA and Bluff (ECF No.

29), El Paso (ECF No. 30), and the Roofers (ECF Nos. 31; 33). On March 7, 2022, Plaintiff filed a Second Motion for Declaratory Judgment (ECF No. 26), but the Court Operations Department marked it deficient for reasons of illegibility (ECF No. 27). To date, Plaintiff has not corrected the deficiency. II. LEGAL STANDARDS A. Rule 12(b)(1) Motion to Dismiss A case may be dismissed under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. The court must consider a Rule 12(b)(1) motion “before other challenges since the court must find jurisdiction before determining the validity of a claim.” Moran v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 27 F.3d 169, 172 (5th Cir. 1994) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted).

“The burden of proof for a Rule 12(b)(1) motion to dismiss is on the party asserting jurisdiction.” Ramming v. United States, 281 F.3d 158, 161 (5th Cir. 2001). When considering a Rule 12(b)(1) motion, the court may consider disputed matters of fact. Id. “Ultimately, a motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction should be granted only if it appears certain that the plaintiff cannot prove any set of facts in support of his claim that would entitle plaintiff to relief.” Id. B. Rule 12(b)(6) Motion to Dismiss Rule 12(b)(6) provides for dismissal of a complaint when a defendant shows that the plaintiff has “fail[ed] to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6). “To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S.

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