Meredith ex rel. Meredith v. Callahan

987 F. Supp. 846, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22366, 1997 WL 706639
CourtDistrict Court, D. Nevada
DecidedSeptember 12, 1997
DocketNo. CV-N-96-485-DWH(PHA)
StatusPublished

This text of 987 F. Supp. 846 (Meredith ex rel. Meredith v. Callahan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Nevada primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Meredith ex rel. Meredith v. Callahan, 987 F. Supp. 846, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22366, 1997 WL 706639 (D. Nev. 1997).

Opinion

ORDER

HAGEN, District Judge.

Before the court is the Magistrate Judge’s report and recommendation (# 17) to reverse the order affirming the final decision of the Commissioner of Social Security Administration and to deny the Commissioner’s motion (# 15) for summary judgement. Under 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(C), the court may accept, reject or modify in whole or in part the Magistrate Judge’s recommendation, but make a de novo determination as to any portion of the recommendation to which a timely objection has been filed. None has been.

After the objection period had passed, the Commissioner gave notice (# 18) to the court that effective August 1, 1997, the entitlement of plaintiffs child, Gail, to child’s insurance benefits had terminated by operation of law, and urged that therefore this action had become moot. Plaintiff then requested (# 19) to be allowed to respond to that notice at a later time.

The court sees no reason for delay or dismissal of the action as moot. What the commissioner says occurred by operation of [848]*848law was precisely one of the recommendations of the Magistrate Judge.

Accordingly, the court ADOPTS and ACCEPTS in whole the Magistrate Judge’s report and recommendation (# 17). The order affirming the Commissioner’s decision is reversed and the Commissioner’s motion (# 15) for summary judgment is DENIED. Plaintiffs motion (# 19) for time in which to respond to the Commissioner’s notice (# 18) is DENIED as moot. Let judgment be entered accordingly.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF U.S. MAGISTRATE JUDGE

ATKINS, United States Magistrate Judge.

INTRODUCTION

This Report and Recommendation is made to the Honorable David W. Hagen, United States District Judge. The matter was referred to the undersigned Magistrate Judge pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Section 636(b)(1)(B) and Local Rules of Practice LR IB 1-4. Pending before the court is Plaintiffs Motion for Reversal/Remand (Docket # 9); Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment and opposition to Plaintiffs Motion for Reversal/Remand (Docket # 15); Plaintiffs reply to Defendant’s opposition to their Motion for Reversal; and Plaintiffs reply to Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment (Docket #16).

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDINGS

While the facts of this case have been essentially agreed upon by the parties, a short summary is still appropriate. (Docket # 15, pg. 1.) On August 13,1986, Mrs. Meredith’s husband Lynden R. Meredith, the wage earner [hereinafter “father”, “Mr. Meredith” or “wage earner”], applied for Social Security retirement benefits. (AR 38.) At that time, Mrs. Meredith [hereinafter “Plaintiff’] applied for spouse’s benefits under her husband’s account. When Mr. Meredith began receiving his retirement benefits, Plaintiff also began receiving her full Wife’s Insurance Benefits. (AR 38.) The Merediths have an adult daughter named Gail Meredith, [hereinafter “Gail”] who on August 14, 1986, applied for Children’s Insurance Benefits [hereinafter “CIB”] upon her father’s account. (AR 242.) At the time Gail’s father began receiving his retirement benefits, Gail was receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI). (AR 39.) SSI is a needs based federal welfare program that does not require an employment history. However, Gail’s SSI benefits required that she apply for any other'benefits she might be entitled to, including CIB, under her father’s account. (AR 40-41.) In January of 1989, Gail’s CIB benefits were granted and subsequently the amount of benefits Plaintiff derived from Mr. Meredith’s account decreased because of the application of the family maximum rule- — Section 203(a) of the Social Security Act. (AR 244.) For Gail, receiving CIB made no difference to her financial situation because the CIB offset her SSI. Plaintiff, on the other hand, received reduced monthly spousal benefits and had to refund $1,107.00. (AR 46.) On December 8, 1993, a Request for Hearing was filed with the Administration’s Office of Hearings and Appeals. (AR 17.) Claimant and counsel agreed to an on-the-record decision based on the record and supplemental briefs filed by both parties. (AR 17.) On September 26, 1995, ALJ Donald Jensen made his decision in favor of the Social Security Administration [hereinafter “Secretary” or “Administration”], holding that Plaintiff was not entitled to an increase in the benefits she derived from her husband’s account even though her daughter (Gail) was not paid from the wage earner’s account. (AR 17-21.) On June 7, 1996, the Appeals Court denied Plaintiffs Request for Review and on December 20, 1996, Plaintiff filed her Motion for Reversal with this court. (Docket # 9.) Since approximately March 1996, Gail has been employed full-time at John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Sparks.1 (AR 16, Exhibit “A”.)

ISSUES

The underlying issue is whether Plaintiffs benefits can be increased because Gail’s ben[849]*849efits, on the wage earner’s account, have been reduced to zero due to Gail’s prior receipt of disability insurance benefits [hereinafter “DIB”]. The procedural issues include defendant’s Motion to Dismiss under Rule 19 and whether Plaintiff is barred from raising the family maximum issue.

DISCUSSION

The ALJ takes the position that the only way the .Administration can allow Plaintiffs benefits to increase is for Gail to withdraw her original CIB claim and pay back all the CIB benefits she has received prior to becoming eligible for her own DIB benefits. 20 C.F.R. § 404.640(b)(3) (1997). In addition, the Administration points out that the ALJ found that while Gail was “technically entitled” to zero CIB benefits under her father’s account, a terminating event must intervene to cut off her CIB eligibility. Such an event would be marriage, death, etc., but not Gail’s entitlement to her own benefits, on her own account. Because the ALJ found that no terminating event had occurred, he found Gail’s entitlement barred any increase in Plaintiffs share of the wage earner’s benefits.

Defendant argues that cases raised by the Plaintiff are barred because they raise issues new to this proceeding. In addition, Defendant states that Plaintiffs motion should be dismissed for failure to join an indispensable party under Fed.R.Civ.P. 19(a) and 12(b). The Commissioner joins the ALJ in pointing out the non-existence of a terminating event to cut off Gail’s entitlement to CIB.

In contrast, Plaintiff argues practicalities, that one shouldn’t count something that isn’t actually there — since Gail has a zero entitlement to CIB, Plaintiff should receive her full share of the wage earner’s benefits. Further, Plaintiff argues that a District Court ease from Utah, Reinkraut v. Shalala, 854 F.Supp. 838, 840 (D.Utah 1994), is analogous and holds that the technical entitlement of a CIB recipient should not cause another family member to receive less in benefits than they would if the child wasn’t technically entitled. Id. at 840. Additionally, Plaintiff contends that raising the Parisi v. Chater,

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Jimenez v. Weinberger
417 U.S. 628 (Supreme Court, 1974)
Makah Indian Tribe v. C. William Verity
910 F.2d 555 (Ninth Circuit, 1990)
Reinkraut v. Shalala
854 F. Supp. 838 (D. Utah, 1994)
Northrop Corp. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp.
705 F.2d 1030 (Ninth Circuit, 1983)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
987 F. Supp. 846, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22366, 1997 WL 706639, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/meredith-ex-rel-meredith-v-callahan-nvd-1997.