Irigoyen v. First Guarantee Financial Corporation et al
Filing
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ORDER vacating hearing date of October 24, 2011 and order on Plaintiff's Motion for Preliminary Injunction. signed by Chief Judge Anthony W. Ishii on 10/20/2011. (Nazaroff, H)
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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE
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EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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BERNADETTE IRIGOYEN, personally )
and on behalf of all similarly situated,
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Plaintiff,
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v.
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FIRST GUARANTY FINANCIAL
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CORPORATION, et al.,
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Defendants.
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____________________________________)
1:11-CV-1096 AWI MJS
ORDER VACATING
HEARING AND ORDER ON
PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR
PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION
(Doc. No. 8)
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This case involves the attempted foreclosure by Defendants against real property owned
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by Plaintiff. On July 6, 2011, the Court granted Plaintiff’s motion for temporary restraining
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order (“TRO”). The order prevented Defendants from foreclosing on Plaintiff’s real property,
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and set a briefing schedule and hearing date for Plaintiff’s motion for preliminary injunction.
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Following the issuance of the TRO, the parties on several occasions stipulated to continue the
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deadlines and effectiveness of the TRO. Currently, hearing on Plaintiff’s motion for preliminary
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injunction is set for October 24, 2011.
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On October 11, 2011, Plaintiff filed a notice of Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
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On October 14, 2011, the Court ordered the parties to address the issue of Plaintiff’s
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standing in light of her filing for bankruptcy.
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On October 17, 2011, Plaintiff filed a memorandum in which she conceded that she no
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longer has standing to prosecute this suit. Plaintiff stated that she reserves the right to continue
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to prosecute this action if the trustee ratifies, joins or substitutes itself or abandons the causes of
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action in the suit. Plaintiff also states that her motion for preliminary injunction is temporarily
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moot because of the automatic bankruptcy stay. Plaintiff then requests that the hearing on her
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preliminary injunction be stayed pending the bankruptcy proceedings.
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On October 19, 2011, Defendants responded. Defendants contend that the Court should
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dismiss the case instead of staying the matter, since there is no identifiable time line for the
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bankruptcy proceedings. However, Defendants state that they will defer to the Court’s judgment.
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Discussion
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Once a person files for bankruptcy, a bankruptcy estate is created and that estate includes
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causes of action that accrued prior to the filing of bankruptcy. See De Pomar v. Equifirst Corp.,
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2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 143216 (C.D. Cal. Feb. 2, 2010); Runaj v. Wells Fargo Bank, 667
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F.Supp.2d 1199, 1206 (S.D. Cal. 2009); Cobb v. Aurora Loan Servs., 408 B.R. 351, 354 (E.D.
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Cal. 2009); Hernandez v. Downey Sav. & Loan Ass’n, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21495 (S.D. Cal.
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Mar. 17, 2009). The bankruptcy trustee becomes the real party in interest with respect to the
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bankruptcy estate assets. See id. A Chapter 7 bankruptcy debtor may not prosecute a cause of
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action that belongs to the bankruptcy estate absent a showing that the claims are exempt from the
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bankruptcy estate or the claims have been abandoned by the bankruptcy trustee. See Runaj, 667
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F.Supp.2d at 1206; Cobb, 408 B.R. at 354; Rowland v. Novus Fin. Corp., 949 F.Supp. 1447,
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1453-54 (D. Haw. 1996).
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Here, as Plaintiff concedes, because this lawsuit was filed prior to Plaintiff filing
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bankruptcy, each of the causes of action alleged in this lawsuit are now the property of the
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bankruptcy estate, and Plaintiff cannot prosecute them. See id. That is, Plaintiff does not have
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prudential standing to pursue this lawsuit.1 See Dunmore v. United States, 358 F.3d 1107, 1112
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(9th Cir. 2004); Hernandez, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21495 at *8-*13.
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Prudential standing is a judicially self-imposed limit on federal jurisdiction, and is separate from Article III
constitutional standing. City of L.A. v. County of Kern, 581 F.3d 841, 845 (9th Cir. 2009).
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However, it is possible to cure a lack of prudential standing through Rule 17(a). See
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Dunmore, 358 F.3d at 1112. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 17(a)(3) reads: “The court may not
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dismiss an action for failure to prosecute in the name of the real party in interest until, after an
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objection, a reasonable time has been allowed for the real party in interest to ratify, join, or be
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substituted into the action.” As discussed, the bankruptcy trustee is now the real party in interest.
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See Cobb, 408 B.R. at 354. Before dismissal of this lawsuit, the Court will give the trustee the
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opportunity to ratify, join, or be substituted in this lawsuit. See De Pomar, 2010 U.S. Dist.
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LEXIS 143216 at *14; Runaj, 667 F.Supp.2d at 1210; Rowland, 949 F.Supp. at 1461.
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Alternatively, the Court will give Plaintiff the opportunity to file an amended complaint that
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alleges either exemption or abandonment by the bankruptcy trustee. See id.
With respect to the currently pending motion for preliminary injunction, first, Plaintiff no
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longer has standing to pursue the motion. Second, the TRO prohibits the Defendants from
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foreclosing on Plaintiff’s property. Both parties acknowledge that the bankruptcy proceedings
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will prevent foreclosure. See Court’s Docket Doc. Nos. 24, 25. In light of the on-going
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bankruptcy protection, the Court no longer sees a risk of irreparable harm to Plaintiff, nor does
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the Court currently see how an injunction would be in the public interest, nor does the Court
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currently see how the balance of equities tip in favor of an injunction. That is, irrespective of
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Plaintiff’s likelihood of success on the merits,2 each additional consideration regarding
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preliminary injunctions weighs against issuing an injunction. See Winter v. Natural Res. Def.
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Council, Inc., 129 S.Ct. 365, 374 (2008); Park Vill. Apt. Tenants Ass'n v. Mortimer Howard
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Trust, 636 F.3d 1150, 1160 (9th Cir. 2011). Plaintiff’s request to stay the hearing on the
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preliminary injunction is not well taken. The Court will not keep a motion that is “temporarily
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moot” on its docket for an uncertain period of time while bankruptcy proceedings are underway.
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Instead, in light of the bankruptcy filing, the Court will deny Plaintiff’s motion for preliminary
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injunction without prejudice.
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Again, Plaintiff’s lack of prudential standing means that she will not succeed on the merits. See Hernandez
2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21495 at *8-*13, *29.
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Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:
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The October 24, 2011, hearing on Plaintiff’ s motion for preliminary injunction is
VACATED;
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Plaintiff’s motion for preliminary injunction is DENIED without prejudice;
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3.
No later than 1:00 p.m. on November 18, 2011, either:
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a.
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A notice shall be filed with the Court of the bankruptcy trustee’s ratification,
joinder, or substitution pursuant to Rule 17(a)(3); or
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b.
Plaintiff shall file an amended complaint that alleges, consistent with Rule 11, that
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the causes of action alleged in this lawsuit are exempt from the bankruptcy estate
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or that the bankruptcy trustee has abandoned the causes of action alleged in this
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lawsuit;3 and
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The failure to abide by the time limitations in this order will result in the dismissal of the
entire action without further notice.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
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Dated:
0m8i78
October 20, 2011
CHIEF UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
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Any amended complaint shall comply with the federal pleading requirements as set forth in Ashcroft v.
Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. 1937 (2009).
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