Johnson v. Wayside Property, Inc.

41 F. Supp. 3d 973, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 121397, 2014 WL 4276164
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedAugust 29, 2014
DocketCiv. No. 2:13-1610 WBS AC
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 41 F. Supp. 3d 973 (Johnson v. Wayside Property, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johnson v. Wayside Property, Inc., 41 F. Supp. 3d 973, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 121397, 2014 WL 4276164 (E.D. Cal. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER RE: MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

WILLIAM B. SHUBB, District Judge.

Plaintiff Scott Johnson, who is wheelchair-bound, brought this action against defendants Wayside Property, Inc., and JC & M holding, Inc., the owners of Wayside Lumber. Plaintiff alleges that he encountered several barriers to access when he attempted to purchase wood at Wayside Lumber and asserts that these barriers to access violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq. (“ADA”) and California law. Plaintiff now moves for summary judgment pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56.

I. Factual & Procedural History

Plaintiff is disabled and requires a wheelchair for mobility. (Johnson Decl. ¶2 (Docket No. 11 — 4).) In June 2018, plaintiff visited Wayside Lumber, a store operated by defendants, on two occasions to purchase items for a project. (Id. ¶ 5.) When plaintiff arrived at Wayside Lumber, he found that the only handicapped parking space was located on the far side of the lot, had faded signage, and did not have sufficient clearance for his wheelchair lift. (Id. ¶ 6-7.) The entrance to Wayside Lumber was equipped with a panel-style door handle, which plaintiff found difficult to use. (Id. ¶ 8.) And when plaintiff went inside the store to make purchases, the transaction counter was too high for him to reach comfortably. (Id. ¶ 9.)

On July 23, 2013, Noah Leiter, an investigator with the Center for Disability Access, visited Wayside Lumber to conduct a site inspection.1 (Leiter Decl. ¶ 3 (Docket No. 11-5).) Leiter indicates that the only handicapped parking space was not marked as van-accessible, did not have a [975]*975designated access aisle, had faded paint, had no blue border or wheelchair logo, and was located across a vehicular drive path from the building. (Id. ¶¶ 4-6.) He found that the door had a panel-style handle. (Id. ¶ 6.) And when he measured the transaction counter, he found that the counter was between 42 and 45 inches in height across its entire length. (Id. ¶ 8.)

Plaintiff filed this action on August 5, 2013, and asserted four claims for: (1) violations of the ADA, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq.; (2) violations of the Unruh Civil Rights Act, Cal. Civ.Code §§ 51 et seq.; (3) violations of the California Disabled Persons Act, Cal. Civ.Code § 54; and (4) common-law negligence. Six days after they received the Complaint, defendants retained a Certified Access Specialist and scheduled a site inspection. (McVey Decl. ¶3 (Docket No. 14-2).) Less than a month later, defendants took several steps to remedy the alleged violations: they relocated and repainted the handicapped parking spaces, installed new door handles, and set up an area of the transaction counter with distinctive signage and a clipboard for disabled patrons. (Id. ¶¶4-6.) On May 29, 2014, Leiter returned to Wayside Lumber and confirmed that defendants had modified their handicapped parking area and door handle. (Leiter Decl. ¶¶ 10-11.) Plaintiff now moves for summary judgment on his ADA and UCRA claims pursuant to Rule 56.2 (Docket No. 11.)

II. Discussion

Summary judgment is proper “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). A material fact is.one that could affect the outcome of the suit, and a genuine issue is one that could permit a reasonable jury to enter a verdict in the non-moving party’s favor. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). The party moving for summary judgment bears the initial burden of establishing the absence of a genuine issue of material fact and can satisfy this burden by presenting evidence that negates an essential element of the non-moving party’s case. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322-23, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). Alternatively, the moving party can demonstrate that the non-moving party cannot produce evidence to support an essential element upon which it will bear the burden of proof at trial. Id.

Once the moving party meets its initial burden, the burden shifts to the non-moving party to “designate ‘specific facts [976]*976showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.’ ” Id. at 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548 (quoting then-Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(e)). To carry this burden, the non-moving party must “do more than simply show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts.” Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). “The mere existence of a scintilla of evidence ... will be insufficient; there must be evidence on which the jury could reasonably find for the [non-moving party].” Anderson, 477 U.S. at 252, 106 S.Ct. 2505.

In deciding a summary judgment motion, the court must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the non-moving party and draw all justifiable inferences in its favor. Id. at 255, 106 S.Ct. 2505. “Credibility determinations, the weighing of the evidence, and the drawing of legitimate inferences from the facts are jury functions, not those of a judge ... ruling on a motion for summary judgment....” Id.

A. Americans with Disabilities Act

The ADA was enacted in 1990 to “remedy widespread discrimination against disabled individuals,” PGA Tour, Inc. v. Martin, 532 U.S. 661, 674, 121 S.Ct. 1819, 149 L.Ed.2d 904 (2001), and permits private lawsuits against businesses that fail to accommodate individuals with disabilities, 42 U.S.C. § 12188(a). In order to prevail on an ADA claim, a “plaintiff must show that (1) she is disabled within the meaning of the ADA; (2) the defendant is a private entity that owns, leases, or operates a place of public accommodation; and (3) the plaintiff was denied public accommodations by the defendant because of her disability.” Molski v. M.J. Cable, Inc., 481 F.3d 724, 730 (9th Cir.2007). Defendants do not dispute that plaintiff satisfies the first two elements.

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41 F. Supp. 3d 973, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 121397, 2014 WL 4276164, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-wayside-property-inc-caed-2014.