Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_15-cv-01338/USCOURTS-casd-3_15-cv-01338-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 443
Nature of Suit: Civil Rights Accommodations
Cause of Action: 42:405 Fair Housing Act

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15cv1338 BEN (JLB)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

LORRAINE FELS, an individual; C.C., a 

minor by and through his guardian ad 

litem, GEORGINA PENA et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

JOHN I. NOBEL, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No.: 15cv1338 BEN (JLB)

ORDER GRANTING PETITIONER 

GEORGINA PENA’S MOTION FOR 

APPOINTMENT OF GUARDIAN AD 

LITEM 

[ECF No. 4] 

Presently before the Court is Petitioner Georgina Pena’s motion for appointment of 

guardian ad litem.1 (ECF No. 4.) The motion seeks a court order appointing Georgina 

Pena (“Petitioner” or “Ms. Pena”) as guardian ad litem for her five minor grandchildren, 

Plaintiffs C.C., C.C., C.C., C.C., and M.F. (Id.) For the following reasons, Petitioner’s 

motion is GRANTED. 

I. DISCUSSION

Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 17, “[a] minor . . . who does not have a 

duly appointed representative may sue by a next friend or by a guardian ad litem. The court 

must appoint a guardian ad litem – or issue another appropriate order – to protect a minor 

. . . who is unrepresented in an action.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 17(c)(2). An individual’s capacity 

 

1 This motion was referred to Magistrate Judge Burkhardt on June 26, 2015. (ECF No. 5.) 

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to sue is determined “by the law of the individual’s domicile.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 17(b). Here, 

all five minor Plaintiffs are domiciled in California. (ECF No. 1 at 3.) Under California 

law, an individual under the age of eighteen is a minor. Cal. Fam. Code § 6502. A minor 

may bring suit as long as a guardian conducts the proceedings, and the court may appoint 

a guardian ad litem to represent the minor’s interests. Cal. Fam. Code § 6601; Cal. Code 

Civ. P. § 372(a).

“A court has broad discretion in ruling on a guardian ad litem application.” Williams 

v. Superior Court of San Diego, 147 Cal. App. 4th 36, 47 (2007) (citing In re Emily R., 80 

Cal. App. 4th 1344, 1356 (2000)). When determining whether to appoint a particular 

guardian ad litem, the court must consider whether the minor and guardian have divergent 

interests. Cal. Code Civ. P. § 372(b)(1). 

When there is no conflict of interest, the guardian ad litem appointment is usually 

made on an ex parte application and involves minimal exercise of discretion by the court. 

Kulya v. City and County of San Francisco, 2007 WL 760776, * 1 (N.D. Cal. 2007); see 

also In re Marriage of Caballero, 27 Cal. App. 4th 1139, 1149 (1994). When choosing a 

guardian ad litem for a civil lawsuit, the most important issue is protection of the minor’s 

interest in the litigation. Williams, 147 Cal. App. 4th at 47.

Here, Plaintiffs C.C., C.C., C.C., C.C., and M.F. are all under the age of eighteen. 

(See ECF No. 1 at 3.) Therefore, their ability to bring suit is contingent upon appointment 

by the court of a guardian ad litem. Plaintiffs’ grandmother, Georgina Pena, states that she 

is “competent and willing to act as guardian ad litem for the minor children.” (ECF No. 4 

at 2.) Ms. Pena is not herself a party to the lawsuit and, upon review of the complaint, does 

not appear to have any interests in conflict with the minor Plaintiffs she seeks to represent.2 

(See ECF No. 1.) The Court finds that Ms. Pena is qualified to serve as guardian ad litem 

 

2 The Court notes that the mother of the five minor Plaintiffs - Lorraine Fels - is a party to the lawsuit. 

(See ECF No. 1 at 3.) 

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for her five minor grandchildren and that the appointment of the proposed guardian ad 

litem will be in the minors’ best interests. Accordingly, Ms. Pena’s appointment as 

guardian ad litem for Plaintiffs C.C., C.C., C.C., C.C., and M.F. is appropriate.

II. CONCLUSION

Petitioner’s motion for appointment of guardian ad litem is hereby GRANTED. 

Georgina Pena is appointed to act as guardian ad litem for minor Plaintiffs C.C., C.C., C.C., 

C.C., and M.F., and is authorized to prosecute this action on their behalf.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: July 13, 2015

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