Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_04-cv-00003/USCOURTS-caed-2_04-cv-00003-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:12101 Americans with Disabilities Act

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1 Because oral argument will not be of material

assistance, the court orders this matter submitted on the briefs. 

See E.D. Cal. Local Rule 78-230(h).

1

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

----oo0oo----

JERRY DORAN,

NO. CIV. S-04-0003 FCD PAN

Plaintiff,

v. MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

JJ MOTELS dba SUPER 8

MOTEL,

Defendant.

----oo0oo----

This matter is before the court on plaintiff Jerry Doran’s

motion for attorneys’ fees, including litigation expenses and

costs, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and

California law.1 Plaintiff brought this suit against defendant

JJ Motels dba Super 8 Motel, alleging that a number of

architectural barriers he encountered at the motel violated the

Case 2:04-cv-00003-FCD-CMK Document 38 Filed 08/26/05 Page 1 of 4
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2 Plaintiff’s motion for fees was originally noticed for

hearing on August 12, 2005. However, the court continued the

hearing to August 26 due to defendant’s failure to file a timely

opposition or statement of non-opposition to the motion. (Order

to Show Cause, filed August 2, 2005.)

2

ADA, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq., and various state laws.2 

On May 23, 2005 the court entered judgment in favor of

plaintiff pursuant to the court’s order of May 23, 2005, granting

plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment based on defendant’s nonopposition thereto. (Non-Opp’n, filed May 13, 2005.) 

Plaintiff now moves for attorneys’ fees, including

litigation expenses and costs, in the amount of $28,642.28. 

42 U.S.C. § 12205. In large part, defendant does not oppose

plaintiff’s motion. “Defendant does not oppose the motion in so

far as it seeks attorneys’ fees of $8,910.00 and paralegal and

legal assistant fees of $1,757.00. Further, the expert fees or

costs requested of $16,231.88 are not opposed by defendant.” 

(Kays Decl., filed Aug. 12, 2005, ¶ 3.) Thus, defendant agrees

to pay $26,898.88.

Defendant objects to the remainder of the fee request on two

grounds: First, some of the fees/expenses were requested in

plaintiff’s bill of costs and the appropriate award was made by

the court. These are (1) fees of the clerk ($150.00); (2) fees

for service of process ($132.00); (3) the subpoenaed documents

charge ($359.00); and (4) photocopies ($107.50). Defendant is

correct. These fees were previously considered and ruled upon by

the court in its June 21, 2005 order on plaintiff’s bill of costs

and are not properly sought again here. 

Case 2:04-cv-00003-FCD-CMK Document 38 Filed 08/26/05 Page 2 of 4
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3

Second, defendant objects to certain fees as unnecessary or

not reasonably related to preparation of the case. Specifically,

defendant objects to the request for overnight mail expenses

($45.10), the generic charges for flat rate on calls and faxes

($50.00), the asset report ($550.00) and the preliminary site

inspection ($350.00). The ADA provides for the recovery of

reasonable out-of-pocket litigation expenses in addition to

attorneys’ fees. 42 U.S.C. § 12205. Here, defendant argues that

overnight mail expenses were not necessary expenses for service

of any document in the case, and the charges for telephone calls

and faxes are not properly charged to defendant; the asset

report, defendant maintains, is a post-judgment collection

effort, and the site inspection report is duplicative of other

expert and attorney work already charged by plaintiff. Plaintiff

did not file a reply to respond to defendant’s objections, and

his moving papers do not describe the reasonableness of each of

these claimed litigation expenses (rather plaintiff only makes a

general request for fees for these expenses). (Mem. of P.& A.,

filed June 21, 2005, at 5:18-23). As such, the court does not

award fees for these expenses.

Accordingly, the court awards plaintiff fees in the amount

of $26,898.88. The order to show cause, filed August 2, 2005, to

defendant’s counsel is DISCHARGED based on counsel’s declaration 

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Case 2:04-cv-00003-FCD-CMK Document 38 Filed 08/26/05 Page 3 of 4
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filed August 12.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

 DATED: August 25, 2005

 /s/ Frank C. Damrell Jr. 

FRANK C. DAMRELL, Jr.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 2:04-cv-00003-FCD-CMK Document 38 Filed 08/26/05 Page 4 of 4