John Thymes and Shirley Thymes

United States Bankruptcy Court, C.D. California·Decided November 25, 2020·No. 2:88-bk-10553·Unknown

Opinion

FILED & ENTERED

NOV 25 2020

CLERK U.S. BANKRUPTCY COURT Central District of California BY g o n z a l e z DEPUTY CLERK

UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES DIVISION

In re: John Thymes and Shirley Thymes, Case No.: 2:88-bk-10553-ER Debtors. Chapter: 7

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION DENYING FOURTH MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION [RELATES TO DOC. NO. 85]

[No hearing required pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 78(b) and Local Bankruptcy Rule 9013-1(j)(3)]

For the fourth time, John and Shirley Thymes (“Debtors”) move for reconsideration of an order denying the Debtors’ motion to reopen their Chapter 7 case (the “Fourth Motion for Reconsideration”).1 Pursuant to Civil Rule 78(b) and LBR 9013-1(j)(3),2 the Court finds this matter to be suitable for disposition without oral argument. Because Debtors merely restate arguments that the Court has previously considered and rejected, the Fourth Motion for Reconsideration is DENIED.3

1 Doc. No. 85. 2 Unless otherwise indicated, all “Civil Rule” references are to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Rules 1–86; all “Bankruptcy Rule” references are to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, Rules 1001–9037; all “Evidence Rule” references are to the Federal Rules of Evidence, Rules 101–1103; all “LBR” references are to the Local Bankruptcy Rules of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, Rules 1001-1–9075-1; and all statutory references are to the Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. §§ 101–1532. 3 The Hon. Richard M. Neiter presided over this case between April 3, 2015 and September 7, 2016. The case was reassigned to the undersigned Judge on September 8, 2016. Doc. No. 62. I. Background Debtors filed a voluntary Chapter 7 petition on May 17, 1988 (the “Chapter 7 Case”). The Chapter 7 Case was dismissed on July 18, 1989 (the “Dismissal Order”). The official record of the Chapter 7 Case has been destroyed. On October 5, 2015, the Court denied the Debtors’ motion for relief from the Dismissal Order (the “Motion for Relief”).4 On February 1, 2016, the Court denied a motion for reconsideration filed by the Debtors that essentially restated the arguments made in the Motion for Relief (the “First Motion for Reconsideration”).5 The Debtors appealed the denials of the Motion for Relief and First Motion for Reconsideration to the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel (the “BAP”). On November 9, 2016, the BAP affirmed the Bankruptcy Court’s refusal to vacate the Dismissal Order and to reinstate the Chapter 7 Case.6 The Debtors appealed the BAP’s affirmance of the Bankruptcy Court’s orders to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. On January 11, 2017, the Ninth Circuit dismissed the appeal based on the Debtors’ failure to pay docketing and filing fees.7 On December 13, 2019, the Court issued a memorandum of decision (the “Dec. 2019 Memorandum”)8 (attached as Exhibit A and incorporated herein by reference) and corresponding order denying three motions filed by the Debtors that, taken together, amounted to a second request for reconsideration of the denial of the Motion for Relief (the three motions collectively, the “Second Motion for Reconsideration”).9 In the Dec. 2019 Memorandum, the Court found that the Second Motion for Reconsideration was not “made within a reasonable time,” as required by Civil Rule 60(b).10 The Court found that even if it were to overlook the untimely filing of the Second Motion for Reconsideration, the Debtors had not shown that they were entitled to relief from the Dismissal Order:

The Debtors argue that the Dismissal Order should be set aside so that they can pursue relief for alleged violations of the automatic stay. However, all of the alleged stay violations identified in the [Second Motion for Reconsideration] occurred either before the Chapter 7 Case was filed or after the Chapter 7 Case was dismissed. The Chapter 7 Case was pending between May 17, 1988 and July 18, 1989. The State Court Judgment, which the Debtors allege is void as a violation of the automatic stay, was issued on October 16, 1991, long after the automatic stay had terminated as a result of the Dismissal Order. Similarly, the February 7, 1991 foreclosure sale of the Property also occurred well after the automatic stay had terminated.

Dec. 2019 Memorandum at 3.

4 See Doc. Nos. 4, 6, 28, 31, and 32 (Motion for Relief) and Doc. No. 34 (order denying Motion for Relief). 5 See Doc. No. 44 (order denying First Motion for Reconsideration). 6 Doc. No. 63. 7 Doc. No. 66. 8 Doc. No. 74. 9 Doc. Nos. 70–73. 10 Dec. 2019 Memorandum at 3. On March 25, 2020, the Court issued a memorandum of decision (the “Mar. 2020 Memorandum”)11 (attached as Exhibit B and incorporated herein by reference) and corresponding order denying the Debtor’s third request for reconsideration of the denial of the Motion for Relief (the “Third Motion for Reconsideration”).12 The Court explained that the Third Motion for Reconsideration did nothing more than restate arguments previously presented to the Court, and that the Debtors had failed to show any grounds for reconsideration of the Court’s prior rulings, such as a change in controlling law, newly discovered evidence, or an error of fact or law.13 On November 18, 2020, the Debtors filed the Fourth Motion for Reconsideration, which once again requests that the Court grant the relief denied in the First, Second, and Third Motions for Reconsideration.

II. Findings and Conclusions Reconsideration is “an ‘extraordinary remedy, to be used sparingly in the interests of finality and conservation of judicial resources.’” Carroll v. Nakatani, 342 F.3d 934, 945 (9th Cir. 2003) (internal citation omitted). “Motions for reconsideration which merely revisit the same issues already ruled upon by the trial court, or which advance supporting facts that were otherwise available when the issues were originally briefed, will generally not be granted.” Negrete v. Bleau (In re Negrete), 183 B.R. 195, 197 (B.A.P. 9th Cir. 1995), aff’d, 103 F.3d 139 (9th Cir. 1996). A motion for reconsideration may not be used “to rehash the same arguments made the first time or simply express an opinion that the court was wrong.” In re Greco, 113 B.R. 658, 664 (D. Haw. 1990), aff'd and remanded sub nom. Greco v. Troy Corp., 952 F.2d 406 (9th Cir. 1991); see also In re Mannie, 299 B.R. 603, 608 (Bankr. N.D. Cal. 2003) (internal citation omitted) (“A motion to reconsider should not be used ‘to ask the court “to rethink what the court had already thought through—rightly or wrongly”—or to reiterate arguments previously raised.’”).14 The Fourth Motion for Reconsideration does nothing more than reiterate arguments that the Debtors have previously presented to the Court as to why the Chapter 7 Case should be reopened, and as to why the Debtors should be granted various other types of relief that the Court has previously considered and denied. As set forth in the Dec. 2019 Memorandum and the Mar. 2020 Memorandum (attached as Exhibits A and B), the Court has thoroughly considered all the arguments advanced by the Debtors in support of the relief they seek, and has found those

11 Doc. No. 81. 12 Doc. Nos. 79–80. 13 Mar. 2020 Memorandum at 2–3.

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Related

In Re Greco
113 B.R. 658 (D. Hawaii, 1990)
In Re Mannie
299 B.R. 603 (N.D. California, 2003)
Alexander v. Bleau (In Re Negrete)
183 B.R. 195 (Ninth Circuit, 1995)
Carroll v. Nakatani
342 F.3d 934 (Ninth Circuit, 2003)