Anglin et al v. Merchants Credit Corporation et al
Filing
80
ORDER denying Plaintiff's 76 Motion to alter and/or amend judgment. Signed by Judge Barbara J. Rothstein. (TH)
Case 2:18-cv-00507-BJR Document 80 Filed 08/19/20 Page 1 of 3
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON
AT SEATTLE
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HEIDI and ERNEST ANGLIN
Case No.: 18-cv-507-BJR
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Plaintiffs,
ORDER DENYING MOTION TO
ALTER JUDGMENT
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v.
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MERCHANTS CREDIT CORPORATION, et
al.
Defendants.
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I.
INTRODUCTION
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Heidi and Ernest Anglin (“Plaintiffs”) brought this action against Merchants Credit
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Corporation (“Merchants”) and Jason Woehler (“Woehler”) (collectively, “Defendants”),
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alleging that Defendants violated state and federal statutes and acted negligently when they
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obtained a writ of garnishment against Ms. Anglin as part of a debt collection action. Dkt. No. 2.
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On July 15, 2020, the Court granted Defendants’ motion to dismiss the second amended
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complaint and judgment was entered against Plaintiffs. Dkt. Nos. 74-75. Currently before the
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Court is Plaintiffs’ motion to alter and/or amend judgement under Federal Rule of Civil
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Procedure (“FRCP”) 59(e). Dkt. No. 76. Having reviewed the motion, the record of the case, and
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Case 2:18-cv-00507-BJR Document 80 Filed 08/19/20 Page 2 of 3
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the relevant legal authority, the Court will deny the motion. The reasoning for the Court’s
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decision follows.
II.
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LEGAL STANDARD
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Altering or amending a judgment under Rule 59(e) is an “extraordinary remedy,”
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available only in limited circumstances. Rishor v. Ferguson, 822 F.3d 482, 491-2 (9th Cir. 2016);
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Motorola, Inc. v. J.B. Rodgers Mechanical Contractors, Inc., 215 F.R.D. 581, 582 (D. Ariz.
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2003) (noting that motions for reconsideration are disfavored). A motion under Rule 59(e) may
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be granted only where “1) the motion is necessary to correct manifest errors of law or fact upon
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which the judgment is based, 2) the moving party presents newly discovered or previously
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unavailable evidence, 3) the motion is necessary to prevent manifest injustice or 4) there is an
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intervening change in controlling law.” Hiken v. Department of Defense, 836 F.3d 1037, 1043
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(9th Cir. 2016) (internal citations and quotations omitted) (emphasis deleted). A Rule 59(e)
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motion may not be used to “raise arguments or present evidence for the first time when they
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could reasonably have been raised earlier in the litigation.” Carroll v. Nakatani, 342 F.3d 934,
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945 (9th Cir. 2003). “Nor should a motion for reconsideration be used to ask the court to rethink
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what it has already thought through.” Keller v. Berryhill, 2018 WL 6112560, *2 (C.D. Cal. Jan.
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8, 2018). “Rule 59(e) is intended to afford relief to parties only in ‘highly unusual
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circumstances.’” Id. (quoting 389 Orange Street Partners v. Arnold, 179 F.3d 656, 665 (9th Cir.
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1999)).
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III.
DISCUSSION
Plaintiffs do not meet their burden under FRCP 59(e). Indeed, Plaintiffs do not even
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identify on what ground they believe the judgment should be modified: manifest error, newly
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discovered evidence, or an intervening change in the law. Instead, Plaintiffs simply rehash the
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Case 2:18-cv-00507-BJR Document 80 Filed 08/19/20 Page 3 of 3
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arguments they raised in their opposition to the motion to dismiss the second amended
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complaint—arguments this Court has already considered and rejected—or cite to legal authority
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that Plaintiffs could have raised in their opposition to the motion. Neither is the proper basis for a
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Rule 59(e) motion. “A Rule 59(e) motion is not an opportunity for a party to get a ‘second bite at
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the apple’ i.e., an opportunity to re-argue an issue already presented to the court or to raise new
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arguments that could have been raised in the original briefs.” Keller v. Berryhill, 2018 WL
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6112560, *2 (C.D. Cal. Jan. 8, 2018) (quoting Weeks v. Bayer, 246 F.3d 1231, 1236 (9th Cir.
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2001)). Accordingly, Plaintiffs’ motion must be denied.
IV.
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CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, the Court DENIES Plaintiffs’ motion to alter and/or amend
judgment. Dkt. No. 76.
Dated this 19th day of August 2020.
A
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Barbara Jacobs Rothstein
U.S. District Court Judge
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