Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_15-cv-01551/USCOURTS-cand-5_15-cv-01551-5/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 891
Nature of Suit: Agricultural Acts
Cause of Action: 07:499 Agricultural Commodities Act

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Case No. 15-CV-01551-LHK 

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART MOTION TO SET ASIDE DEFAULT

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN JOSE DIVISION

FRESH PACKING CORPORATION,

Plaintiff,

v.

ROBERTO P. GUICHO, SR., et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 15-CV-01551-LHK 

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND 

DENYING IN PART MOTION TO SET 

ASIDE DEFAULT

Re: Dkt. No. 29

Plaintiff Fresh Packing Corporation moves to set aside the entry of default against the 

original defendants in this action, Roberto P. Guicho, d/b/a Guicho’s Produce, and Guicho’s 

Produce, Inc. (“Guicho’s Produce”). ECF No. 29 (“Mot.”). The motion was not noticed for a 

hearing, and the Court concludes that this matter is suitable for resolution without oral argument. 

See Civ. L.R. 7-1(b). Having considered Plaintiff’s motion, the relevant law, and the record in this 

case, the Court GRANTS the motion to set aside entry of default against Roberto P. Guicho and 

DENIES the motion to set aside entry of default against Guicho’s Produce.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On April 3, 2015, Plaintiff filed the instant action against Roberto P. Guicho and Guicho’s 

Produce. ECF No. 1. Although Roberto P. Guicho and Guicho’s Produce were served on June 

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Case No. 15-CV-01551-LHK 

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART MOTION TO SET ASIDE DEFAULT

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12, 2015, see ECF Nos. 7, 8, neither defendant appeared or answered the complaint. However, an 

individual named Roberto P. Guicho, Jr. filed a notice of stay of proceedings on July 22, 2015 due 

to his pending bankruptcy proceedings. ECF No. 12. On July 29, 2015, the Court declined to stay 

the proceedings based on Plaintiff’s representation that this lawsuit is against Roberto P. Guicho, 

Sr., not Roberto P. Guicho, Jr., and thus this lawsuit is unrelated to the noticed bankruptcy 

proceedings. ECF No. 17. Meanwhile, on July 28, 2015, the Clerk entered default as to Roberto 

P. Guicho and Guicho’s Produce. ECF No. 16. 

On December 3, 2015, the Court granted Plaintiff’s unopposed motion to amend the 

caption to clarify that Roberto P. Guicho, Sr., and not Roberto P. Guicho, Jr., is a defendant. ECF 

No. 26. Accordingly, on December 8, 2015, Plaintiff filed a First Amended Complaint (“FAC”)

naming Roberto P. Guicho, Sr. and Guicho’s Produce as defendants. ECF No. 27. On December 

10, 2015, Plaintiff filed the instant motion to set aside the entry of default against Roberto P. 

Guicho and Guicho’s Produce, so that Plaintiff could move for default against the defendants

named in the FAC. Mot. at 1. The deadline for Roberto P. Guicho, Sr. and Guicho’s Produce to 

respond to the instant motion was December 24, 2015. See ECF No. 29. Neither defendant filed a 

response, and Plaintiff declined to file a reply. 

II. DISCUSSION

Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 55(a), “the clerk must enter the party’s default” 

when “a party against whom a judgment for affirmative relief is sought has failed to plead or 

otherwise defend.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 55(a). In addition, “a court may set aside an entry of default 

for good cause.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 55(c). To determine whether good cause exists to set aside entry 

of default, the court considers three factors: (1) whether the defendant’s culpable conduct led to 

the default; (2) whether the defendant has a meritorious defense; or (3) whether reopening the 

default (or in this case, setting aside entry of default) would prejudice the plaintiff. United States 

v. Signed Personal Check No. 730 of Yubran S. Mesle, 615 F.3d 1085, 1091 (9th Cir. 2010). 

“Crucially, however, ‘judgment by default is a drastic step appropriate only in extreme 

circumstances; a case should, whenever possible, be decided on the merits.’” Id. (quoting Falk v. 

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Case No. 15-CV-01551-LHK 

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART MOTION TO SET ASIDE DEFAULT

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Allen, 739 F.2d 461, 463 (9th Cir. 1984)).

Here, default was entered against Roberto P. Guicho without identifying whether the 

defendant was Roberto P. Guicho, Sr. or Roberto P. Guicho, Jr. The FAC now clarifies that 

Roberto P. Guicho, Sr. is the defendant. See FAC. Setting aside the entry of default against 

Roberto P. Guicho will permit the correct defendant, Roberto P. Guicho, Sr., the opportunity to 

respond to the FAC and assert any potential defenses. Cf. Mesle, 615 F.3d at 1091. Additionally, 

setting aside entry of default will allow Plaintiff to clearly seek default against Roberto P. Guicho, 

Sr. The Court sees no prejudice to Plaintiff from setting aside entry of default, given that Plaintiff 

brought the instant motion. See id. Accordingly, the Court finds that good cause exists to set 

aside default against Roberto P. Guicho. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 55(c).

However, Plaintiff provides no reason to set aside the entry of default against Guicho’s 

Produce. See generally Mot. Throughout the instant action, there has been no confusion over the 

identity of Guicho’s Produce. Additionally, the FAC did not alter any allegations related to 

Guicho’s Produce. See FAC. Accordingly, Plaintiff has not shown that good cause exists to set 

aside the entry of default against Guicho’s Produce. 

III. CONCLUSION

For the reasons stated above, the motion to set aside entry of default is GRANTED as to 

Roberto P. Guicho and DENIED as to Guicho’s Produce. The Clerk shall set aside default against 

Roberto P. Guicho.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: January 5, 2016

______________________________________

LUCY H. KOH

United States District Judge

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