(PS) Smith Jr. v. Baker

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedAugust 27, 2024
Docket2:24-cv-01029
StatusUnknown

This text of (PS) Smith Jr. v. Baker ((PS) Smith Jr. v. Baker) 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
(PS) Smith Jr. v. Baker, (E.D. Cal. 2024).

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 8 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 9 10 COURTNEY SMITH JR., No. 2:24-cv-01029 DJC AC (PS) 11 Plaintiff, 12 v. ORDER and FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 13 NATHAN P. BAKER and CAPITAL ONE AUTO FINANCE, 14 Defendants. 15

16 17 Plaintiff is proceeding in this matter pro se, and pre-trial proceedings are accordingly 18 referred to the undersigned pursuant to Local Rule 302(c)(21). Both defendants have specially 19 appeared and move to dismiss this case, alleging improper service. ECF No. 4 and 6. Defendant 20 Nathan P. Baker also asserts the case should be dismissed as to him because this court lacks 21 personal jurisdiction. Defendant Capital One Auto Finance moves to dismiss for failure to state a 22 claim pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6). Plaintiff opposed the motions at ECF No. 12. 23 Defendants replied. ECF Nos. 13 and 14. Plaintiff submitted an unauthorized surreply. ECF No. 24 15. Defendants each moved to strike this surreply. ECF No. 16 and 17. 25 As a preliminary matter, in the interest of justice and judicial economy, the court DENIES 26 the motions to strike plaintiff’s unauthorized surreply (ECF Nos. 16 and 17) and has considered 27 all papers filed. As to the merits of the motions (ECF Nos. 4 and 6), the undersigned 28 recommends that the motions be granted and the complaint be DISMISSED for failure to 1 properly complete service, failure to establish personal jurisdiction over defendant Baker, and for 2 failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted against either defendant. Plaintiff 3 should be granted leave to amend the complaint against, and properly serve, both defendants. 4 I. Background 5 A. The Complaint 6 Plaintiff Courtney Smith Jr. filed a pro se complaint April 5, 2024. ECF No. 1. He paid 7 the filing fee, id., so the complaint was not subject to screening under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2). 8 Plaintiff alleges federal question as the basis for jurisdiction. Plaintiff’s complaint lists the 9 following causes of action: (1) Federal Credit Opportunity Act 15 USC § 1691; (2) Truth and 10 Lending Act 15 U.S.C. § 1601; (3) Gramm Leach Bailey Act 15 USC § 6801; (4) Fair Debt 11 Collection Act USC 1692; and (5) Fair Credit Reporting Act USC 1681. Id. at 4. The “Statement 12 of Claim” reads: “property was illegally seized using a fraudulent contract that violated my 13 federally protected consumer rights.” Id. at 5. Plaintiff seeks return of his property and monetary 14 compensation. Id. at 6. The complaint contains no other information. 15 B. Motions to Dismiss 16 Defendant Nathan P. Baker specially appeared to contest service of process and personal 17 jurisdiction. and to have the complaint dismissed for failure to state a claim. ECF No. 4. 18 Defendant Capital One Auto Finance specially appeared to contest service of process and to have 19 the complaint dismissed for failure to state a claim. ECF No. 6. 20 II. Analysis 21 A. Relevant Legal Standards 22 1. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(5) 23 Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4 explains the rules of service and requires, at subsection 24 (c)(1), that defendants be served both a summons and a copy of the compliant. Fed. R. Civ. P. 4. 25 If service is improper under Fed. R. Civ. P. 4, a defendant may move to dismiss under FRCP 26 12(b)(5). Hayes v. Woodford, 444 F. Supp. 2d 1127, 1132 (C.D. Cal. 2006). On a motion 27 challenging the adequacy of service, the plaintiff bears the burden of establishing that service was 28 valid under Rule 4 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Brockmeyer v. May, 383 F.3d 798, 1 801 (9th Cir. 2004). 2 2. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(2) 3 On a motion challenging personal jurisdiction under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4 12(b)(2), the plaintiff, as the party seeking to invoke the jurisdiction of the federal court, “bears 5 the burden” of establishing that jurisdiction exists. In re Boon Global Ltd., 923 F.3d 643, 650 6 (9th Cir. 2019). When the court decides the issue of jurisdiction without an evidentiary hearing, 7 based only on affidavits and discovery materials, a “plaintiff must make only a prima facie 8 showing of jurisdictional facts through the submitted materials in order to avoid a defendant’s 9 motion to dismiss.” Myers v. Bennett Law Offices, 238 F.3d 1068, 1071 (9th Cir. 2001) (citing 10 Data Disc, Inc. v. Sys. Tech. Assocs., Inc., 557 F.2d 1280, 1285 (9th Cir. 1977)). The prima facie 11 showing is achieved by producing admissible evidence which, if believed, would sufficiently 12 establish personal jurisdiction. Ballard v. Savage, 65 F.3d 1495, 1498 (9th Cir. 1995). 13 Accordingly, the court accepts uncontroverted facts in the complaint as true. Mavrix 14 Photo, Inc. v. Brand Techs., Inc., 647 F.3d 1218, 1223 (9th Cir. 2011). Jurisdictional facts 15 cannot, however, be established by nonspecific, conclusory statements. Butcher’s Union Local 16 No. 498, United Food & Commercial Workers v. SDC Inv., Inc., 788 F.2d 535, 540 (9th Cir. 17 1986) (citing Kaylor v. Fields, 661 F.2d 1177, 1182-83 (8th Cir. 1981) (although liberally 18 construed, the complaint “must contain something more than mere conclusory statements that are 19 unsupported by specific facts”)). Additionally, plaintiff cannot solely rely on allegations in the 20 complaint when they have been challenged by affidavit, Taylor v. Portland Paramount Corp., 383 21 F.2d 634, 639 (9th Cir. 1967), although conflicts between affidavits are resolved in plaintiff’s 22 favor, Mavrix, 647 F.3d at 1223. 23 3. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure Rule 12(b)(6) 24 “The purpose of a motion to dismiss pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) is to test the legal 25 sufficiency of the complaint.” N. Star Int’l v. Ariz. Corp. Comm’n, 720 F.2d 578, 581 (9th Cir. 26 1983).

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(PS) Smith Jr. v. Baker, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ps-smith-jr-v-baker-caed-2024.