Trujillo v. Hernandez

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedNovember 18, 2022
Docket1:22-cv-00643
StatusUnknown

This text of Trujillo v. Hernandez (Trujillo v. Hernandez) 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
Trujillo v. Hernandez, (E.D. Cal. 2022).

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 JOSE TRUJILLO, Case No. 1:22-cv-00643-ADA-BAM 12 Plaintiff, ORDER VACATING DECEMBER 2, 2022 13 v. HEARING 14 ELVIA HERNANDEZ, individually and FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS dba TAQUERIA GUADALAJARA; JOSE REGARDING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR 15 OSCAR HERNANDEZ, individually and DEFAULT JUDGMENT (Doc. 11) dba TAQUERIA GUADALAJARA, 16 FOURTEEN (14) DAY DEADLINE Defendants. 17

18 19 On September 28, 2022, Plaintiff Jose Trujillo (“Plaintiff”) filed the instant motion for 20 default judgment against Defendants Elvia Hernandez, individually and dba Taqueria 21 Guadalajara, and Jose Oscar Hernandez, individually and dba Taqueria Guadalajara (collectively 22 “Defendants”). (Doc. 11.) No opposition has been filed, and the time in which to do so has 23 passed. L.R. 230(c). The motion was referred to the undersigned pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 24 636(b)(1)(B) and Local Rule 302. The Court finds the matter suitable for decision without oral 25 argument pursuant to Local Rule 230(g), and the hearing set for December 2, 2022, is HEREBY 26 VACATED. 27 /// 28 1 Having considered the moving papers and the record in this action, and for the reasons 2 that follow, the Court RECOMMENDS that Plaintiff’s motion for default judgment be granted in 3 part. 4 I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND 5 On May 27, 2022, Plaintiff filed this action pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities 6 Act of 1990 (“ADA”), 42 U.S.C. § 12181 et seq., California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act, 7 California Civil Code § 51, and the California Health and Safety Code, alleging violations at 8 Taqueria Guadalajara, located at 700 West Inyo Avenue, Tulare, California 93274 (the 9 “Facility”), which is owned, operated and/or leased by Defendants. (Doc. 1, Compl. at ¶¶ 1-2, 10 7.) 11 Plaintiff alleges that he is substantially limited in his ability to walk, uses a wheelchair or 12 cane for mobility, and is physically disabled under state and federal law. (Id. at ¶ 8.) Plaintiff 13 asserts that he lives less than fifteen miles from the Facility and visited the Facility on July 29, 14 2021, to have dinner. During his visit, Plaintiff encountered barriers that interfered with, if not 15 outright denied, his ability to use and enjoy the goods, services, privileges and accommodations 16 offered at the Facility. (Id. at ¶10.) Plaintiff’s complaint seeks statutory damages, attorneys’ 17 fees and costs, injunctive relief and declaratory relief. (Id. at pp. 8-9.) 18 Plaintiff served Defendant Elvia Hernandez personally with the summons and complaint 19 on June 17, 2022. (Doc. 4.) Plaintiff served Defendant Jose Oscar Hernandez with the 20 summons and complaint on June 17, 2022, by substituted service on Elvia Hernandez. (Doc. 5.) 21 The Clerk of the Court entered default against Defendants Elvia Hernandez and Jose Oscar 22 Hernandez on July 11, 2022. (Doc. 7.) 23 Plaintiff filed the instant motion against Defendants on September 28, 2022, seeking 24 default judgment in the total sum of $7,249.89 for statutory damages and attorneys’ fees and 25 costs, along with declaratory and injunctive relief. (Docs. 11 and 11-1.) Plaintiff served 26 Defendants with a copy of the motion by mail. (Doc. 11-7.) No timely opposition was filed. See 27 L.R. 230(c) (“Opposition, if any, to the grating of the motion shall be in writing and shall be 28 filed and served no later than fourteen (14) days after the motion was filed.”). 1 II. LEGAL STANDARD FOR DEFAULT JUDGMENT 2 Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 55(b)(2), a plaintiff can apply to the court for 3 a default judgment against a defendant that has failed to plead or otherwise defend against the 4 action. Fed. R. Civ. P. 55(b)(2). “Upon default, the well-pleaded allegations of a complaint 5 relating to liability are taken as true.” Dundee Cement Co. v. Howard Pipe & Concrete Prods., 6 Inc., 722 F.2d 1319, 1323 (7th Cir. 1983); TeleVideo Sys., Inc. v. Heidenthal, 826 F.2d 915, 917- 7 18 (9th Cir. 1987). 8 Factors which may be considered by courts in exercising discretion as to the entry of a 9 default judgment include: (1) the possibility of prejudice to the plaintiff; (2) the merits of 10 plaintiff’s substantive claim; (3) the sufficiency of the complaint; (4) the sum of money at stake in 11 the action; (5) the possibility of a dispute concerning material facts; (6) whether the default was 12 due to excusable neglect; and (7) the strong policy underlying the Federal Rules of Civil 13 Procedure favoring decisions on the merits. Eitel v. McCool, 782 F.2d 1470, 1471-72 (9th Cir. 14 1986); PepsiCo, Inc. v. Cal. Sec. Cans, 238 F. Supp. 2d 1172, 1174 (C.D. Cal. 2002). 15 III. DISCUSSION 16 A. Service of Process 17 In deciding whether to grant or deny a default judgment, a court should assess the 18 adequacy of the service of process on the party against whom default is requested. See, e.g., 19 Trujillo v. Harsarb, Inc., No. 1:21-cv-00342-NONE-SAB, 2021 WL 3783388, at *4 (E.D. Cal. 20 Aug. 26, 2021) (“As a general rule, the Court considers the adequacy of service of process before 21 evaluating the merits of a motion for default judgment.”); Coach, Inc. v. Diva Shoes & 22 Accessories, No. 10-5151 SC, 2011 WL 1483436, at *2 (N.D. Cal. Apr. 19, 2011); Katzakian v. 23 Check Resolution Service, Inc., No. 1:10-cv-00716 AWI GSA, 2010 WL 5200912, at *2 (E.D. 24 Cal. Dec. 15, 2010). 25 Individual Defendants 26 Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4 sets forth the requirements for serving an individual 27 within a judicial district of the United States. An individual may be served by:

28 (1) following state law for serving a summons in an action brought in courts of 1 general jurisdiction in the state where the district court is located or where service is made; or 2 (2) doing any of the following: 3 (A) delivering a copy of the summons and of the complaint to the individual 4 personally;

5 (B) leaving a copy of each at the individual's dwelling or usual place of abode with someone of suitable age and discretion who resides there; or 6 (C) delivering a copy of each to an agent authorized by appointment or by 7 law to receive service of process. 8 Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(e). According to the executed returns of service on file, Defendant Elvia 9 Hernandez was personally served with the summons and complaint. (Doc. 4.) Defendant Jose 10 Oscar Hernandez was served by leaving a copy of the summons and complaint at his dwelling or 11 usual place of abode, 238 Martin St., Tulare, California 93724, with co-occupant Elvia 12 Hernandez. (Doc. 5.) The summons and complaint were subsequently mailed to Defendant Jose 13 Oscar Hernandez at the same address. (Id. at 3.) 14 The Court finds that Plaintiff properly served Defendants Elvia Hernandez and Jose 15 Oscar Hernandez pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(e). 16 B.

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Bluebook (online)
Trujillo v. Hernandez, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/trujillo-v-hernandez-caed-2022.