Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_05-cv-00770/USCOURTS-caed-2_05-cv-00770-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 446
Nature of Suit: Americans with Disabilities Act - Other
Cause of Action: 42:12101 Americans with Disabilities Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

----oo0oo----

SCOTT N. JOHNSON,

NO. CIV. S-05-0770 WBS GGH

Plaintiff, 

v. ORDER SETTING ASIDE DEFAULT 

 

JIN WONG, WONDA WONG, and 

GORDON WONG,

Defendants.

----oo0oo----

A default has been entered against defendants Jin Wong,

Wonda Wong, and Gordon Wong (“defendants”). Defendants now move

to set aside the entry of default. Plaintiff has no opposition

to the motion.

On April 20, 2005, plaintiff filed a complaint

requesting relief for violations of the Americans with

Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 12101-12300, and various

California statutes. (Compl. 17-18.) Defendants failed to

answer plaintiff’s complaint, appear, or plead. (Clerk’s

Certificate of Entry of Default.) Defendants Wonda and Gordon

Wong represent that, at the time, they believed that defendant

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Rule 60(b) is more restrictive with regard to setting 1

aside default, but it applies to a default judgment and not an

entry of default. Haw. Carpenters’ Trust Funds v. Stone, 794

F.2d 508, 513 (9th Cir. 1986)(“Rule 55(c) provides the standards

for determining whether relief from a default entry or default

judgment should be granted . . . . But when default judgment has

been entered, Rule 55(c) refers to Rule 60(b), which provides

that relief from a final judgment may be granted only under

specific conditions.”)

In addition, Rule 77(c) allows a court to suspend,

alter, or rescind an entry of default or a judgment by default

entered by the clerk’s office for “cause shown.” Fed. R. Civ. P.

77(c). Because setting aside the entry of default is warranted

under the stricter “good cause” standard provided by Rule 55(c),

applying Rule 77(c) would not change the result. 

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Jin Wong had taken responsibility for responding to the

complaint. (Defs.’ Mot. to Set Aside Default 4.) Defendant Jin

Wong represents that he mistakenly thought his responsibility was

to attend a hearing at which he could prove that he had complied

with the ADA. (Jin Wong Decl. ¶ 2.) He did not discover his

mistake until after the entry of default. (Defs.’ Mot. to Set

Aside Default 4; see also Jin Wong Decl. ¶ 2.) The clerk’s entry

of default occurred on August 1, 2005. (Entry of Default.) 

Default judgment has not yet been entered. (Defs.’ Mot. to Set

Aside Default 3-4.) Defendants filed this motion less than two

months after the clerk’s entry of default. (See id. at 2.) 

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 55(c) provides that:

“For good cause shown the court may set aside an entry of default

. . . .” Defendants argue that their collective mistake and 1

quick action to redress that error merit a finding of good cause. 

(Def.’s Mot. to Set Aside Default 3.) Plaintiff does not oppose

this motion. (Pl.’s Opp’n to Mot. to Set Aside Default.) 

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IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that defendants’ motion to

set aside default be, and the same hereby is, GRANTED. 

DATED: January 4, 2006

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