Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_17-cv-00467/USCOURTS-casd-3_17-cv-00467-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 890
Nature of Suit: Other Statutory Actions
Cause of Action: 15:1692 Fair Debt Collection Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

Vincent Manikan,

Plaintiff,

v.

Pacific Ridge Neighborhood Homeowners 

Association, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No.: 17-cv-00467-BEN-JLB

ORDER RESETTING MANDATORY 

SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE

[ECF No. 39]

On October 27, 2017, a minute order of recusal issued and hearings previously set 

before Magistrate Judge Barbara Lynn Major were transferred to Magistrate Judge Jill L. 

Burkhardt. (ECF No. 46.) Having reviewed the docket for this case and the operative 

scheduling order (ECF No. 39), it is hereby ORDERED:

1. Submission of Magistrate Judge Consent Form: No later than November 

10, 2017, each party shall provide Plaintiff’s counsel with an executed copy of the attached 

consent form, titled Notice, Consent, and Reference of a Civil Action to a Magistrate Judge. 

Pursuant to Civil Local Rule 73.1, if (and only if) all parties have consented to the reference 

to a magistrate judge, then Plaintiff shall file the consent form(s) in paper format at the 

Clerk’s Office by November 15, 2017. If the paper format filing reflects consent by all

parties, then the form(s) will be forwarded to the assigned district judge for approval. The 

consent form(s) should not be filed with the court electronically through its Case 

Management/Electronic Case Filing (CM/ECF) system. No consent form will be made 

available, nor will its contents be made known to any judicial officer, unless all parties 

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have consented to the reference to a magistrate judge. The parties are free to withhold 

consent without adverse substantive consequences. Questions related to the consent 

form(s) should be directed only to the clerk’s office at 619-557-5600. Please do not call 

chambers’ staff with questions related to the consent form(s).

2. Due to a conflict in the Court’s calendar, the Court hereby RESETS the 

Mandatory Settlement Conference (“MSC”) to May 2, 2018, at 9:00 AM in the Chambers 

of Magistrate Judge Jill L. Burkhardt, Edward J. Schwartz U.S. Courthouse, 221 West 

Broadway, Suite 5140, San Diego, California 92101.

The following are mandatory directions for the parties preparing for the MSC. 

Absent express permission obtained from this Court, and notwithstanding the 

pendency of any motion, counsel shall timely comply with the dates and deadlines

ordered herein.

a. Purpose of Conference: The purpose of the MSC is to permit an informal 

discussion between the attorneys, parties, and the settlement judge of every aspect of the 

lawsuit in an effort to achieve a resolution of the case. All conference discussions will be 

informal, off the record, privileged and confidential. Counsel for any non-English speaking 

parties is responsible for arranging for the appearance of an interpreter at the conference.

b. Personal Appearance of Parties Required: All parties, adjusters for insured 

defendants, and other representatives of a party having full settlement authority as 

explained below, and the principal attorneys responsible for the litigation, must be present 

in person and legally and factually prepared to discuss settlement of the case. Counsel 

appearing without their clients (whether or not counsel has been given settlement authority) 

will be cause for immediate imposition of sanctions and may also result in the immediate 

termination of the conference. If each of the principal attorneys responsible for the 

litigation is not listed on the docket as an “ATTORNEY TO BE NOTICED,” then they each 

shall enter their appearance on the docket as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 

ten calendar days prior to the MSC.

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Unless there are extraordinary circumstances, persons required to attend the 

conference pursuant to this Order shall not be excused from personal attendance. Requests 

for excuse from attendance for extraordinary circumstances shall be filed as a motion

at least ten calendar days prior to the conference. Failure to appear at the MSC will be 

grounds for sanctions.

c. Full Settlement Authority Required: In addition to counsel who will try the 

case, a party or party representative with full settlement authority1 must be present for the 

conference. In the case of a corporate entity, an authorized representative of the 

corporation who is not retained outside counsel must be present and must have 

discretionary authority to commit the company to pay an amount up to the amount of the 

Plaintiff’s prayer (excluding punitive damages prayers). The purpose of this requirement 

is to have representatives present who can settle the case during the course of the 

conference without consulting a superior. 

d. MSC Statements Required: On or before April 20, 2018, the parties shall 

lodge statements of five pages or less directly to the chambers of Magistrate Judge 

Burkhardt outlining the nature of the case, the claims, the defenses, and the parties’ 

positions regarding settlement of the case. The settlement position must include a specific 

and current demand or offer addressing all relief or remedies sought. If a specific demand 

or offer cannot be made at the time the brief is submitted, then the reasons therefor must 

be stated along with a statement as to when the party will be in a position to state a demand 

or offer. A general statement that a party will “negotiate in good faith,” “offer a nominal 

 

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“Full settlement authority” means that the individuals at the settlement conference must be 

authorized to explore settlement options fully and to agree at that time to any settlement terms acceptable 

to the parties. Heileman Brewing Co. v. Joseph Oat Corp., 871 F.2d 648, 653 (7th Cir. 1989). The person 

needs to have “unfettered discretion and authority” to change the settlement position of a party. Pitman 

v. Brinker Int’l, Inc., 216 F.R.D. 481, 485-86 (D. Ariz. 2003). The purpose of requiring a person with 

unlimited settlement authority to attend the conference contemplates that the person’s view of the case 

may be altered during the face to face conference. Id. at 486. A limited or a sum certain of authority is 

not adequate. See Nick v. Morgan’s Foods, Inc., 270 F.3d 590, 595-97 (8th Cir. 2001).

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cash sum,” or “be prepared to make an offer at the conference” is not a specific demand or 

offer. The statement shall also list all attorney and non-attorney conference attendees for 

that side, including the name(s) and title(s)/position(s) of the party/party representative(s) 

who will attend and have settlement authority at the conference. 

MSC statements shall be lodged via email at 

efile_burkhardt@casd.uscourts.gov. If exhibits are attached and the total submission 

amounts to more than 20 pages, a hard copy must also be delivered directly to chambers. 

Whether these statements are submitted confidentially or whether they are served on 

opposing counsel is within the parties’ discretion. Statements of more than five pages 

will not be considered.

e. Requests to Continue or Reschedule an MSC: Local Rule 16.3 governs 

MSCs. Requests to continue MSCs are rarely granted. However, the Court will consider 

formal, filed ex parte or joint motions to continue an MSC when extraordinary 

circumstances exist that make a continuance appropriate. In and of itself, having to travel 

a long distance to appear in person is not “extraordinary.” Absent extraordinary 

circumstances, requests for continuances will not be considered unless filed no less than 

ten calendar days prior to the scheduled conference.

f. Settlement Prior to MSC: The Court encourages the parties to work on 

settling the matter in advance of the MSC. In the event that the parties resolve the matter 

prior to the day of the MSC, the following procedures must be followed before the Court 

will vacate the MSC and excuse the parties from appearing:

i. The parties may file a Joint Motion to Dismiss and separately lodge by 

email a proposed order to the assigned District Judge.

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 If a Joint Motion 

to Dismiss is filed, the Court will vacate the MSC. The parties are 

 

2 See Electronic Case Filing Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual, United States District 

Court for the Southern District of California § 2(h), for the chambers’ official email address and 

procedures on emailing proposed orders.

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encouraged to contact Judge Burkhardt’s Chambers by telephone to 

notify the Court of their pending Joint Motion;

ii. If the parties settle more than 24 hours before the conference but are 

not able to file a Joint Motion to Dismiss, they must file a Notice of 

Settlement containing the electronic signatures of counsel for all 

settling parties and identifying a date by which the Joint Motion to 

Dismiss will be filed. The parties are encouraged to contact Judge 

Burkhardt’s Chambers by telephone to notify the Court of their filed 

Notice of Settlement;

iii. If the parties settle less than 24 hours before the conference, counsel for 

the settling parties must JOINTLY call chambers and inform the Court 

of the settlement and receive Court permission to not appear at the 

MSC.

After having reviewed Judge Burkhardt’s Civil Chambers Rules, appropriate 

questions regarding this case or the mandatory directions set forth herein may be addressed

through a joint call by the parties to Judge Burkhardt’s law clerks at (619) 557-6624. For 

additional information, please see Judge Burkhardt’s Civil Chambers Rules.

Dated: October 27, 2017

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* Pursuant to Civil Local Rule 73.1, if (and only if) all parties have consented to the reference to a magistrate judge, 

then Plaintiff shall file the consent form(s) in paper format at the Clerk’s Office. 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

Vincent Manikan, 

Plaintiff(s),

v. 

Pacific Ridge Neighborhood Homeowners 

Association, et al., 

Defendant(s).

Case No.: 17-cv-00467-BEN-JLB 

NOTICE, CONSENT, AND 

REFERENCE OF A CIVIL ACTION TO 

A MAGISTRATE JUDGE 

Notice of a magistrate judge's availability. A United States magistrate judge of this court is 

available to conduct all proceedings in this civil action (including a jury or nonjury trial) and to 

order the entry of a final judgment. The judgment may then be appealed directly to the United 

States court of appeals like any other judgment of this court. A magistrate judge may exercise this 

authority only if all parties voluntarily consent. 

You may consent to have your case referred to a magistrate judge, or you may withhold your 

consent without adverse substantive consequences. The name of any party withholding consent will 

not be revealed to any judge who may otherwise be involved with your case. 

Consent to a magistrate judge's authority. The following parties ☐ Consent / ☐ Do Not Consent* 

to have a United States magistrate judge conduct all proceedings in this case including trial, the 

entry of final judgment, and all post-trial proceedings. 

Printed Names Signatures of all parties and counsel for all parties Dates 

 

 

 

REFERENCE ORDER 

IT IS ORDERED: This case is referred to United States Magistrate Judge Jill L. Burkhardt to 

conduct all proceedings and order entry of a final judgment in accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 636(c), 

Fed. R. Civ. P. 73, and CivLR 73.1. 

 

Date United States District Judge 

 

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