Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_18-cv-00103/USCOURTS-cand-5_18-cv-00103-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN JOSE DIVISION

NANCY ANN PRICE,

Plaintiff,

v.

DANNY LEROY BAILOR,

Defendant.

Case No.18-cv-00103-VKD 

ORDER LIFTING STAY AND SETTING 

STATUS CONFERENCE

Pro se plaintiff Nancy Price brings this action for wrongful death on behalf of the estate of 

her deceased son, Thomas Horner. Dkt. No. 1. According to the complaint, defendant Danny 

Bailor drove the car that struck and killed Mr. Horner in 2016. Id. at 2. 

Mr. Bailor filed for bankruptcy on June 9, 2017. In re Danny LeRoy Bailor, No. 17-51395

MEH, Dkt. No. 1 (Bankr. N.D. Cal. June 9, 2017). In the bankruptcy court, Ms. Price filed an 

adversary claim for wrongful death on August 3, 2017 and sought to exempt that debt from 

discharge. Estate of Thomas Horner v. Bailor (In re Bailor), Adv. No. 17- 05604, Dkt. No. 1 

(Bankr. N.D. Cal. Aug. 3, 2017). On January 5, 2018, while the bankruptcy proceeding was 

pending, Ms. Price filed the complaint in this action. Dkt. No. 1. This Court stayed Ms. Price’s 

action pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 362 pending the resolution of Mr. Bailor’s bankruptcy proceedings. 

Dkt. No. 25. 

On March 2, 2018, the bankruptcy court granted Mr. Bailor’s motion for summary 

judgment, finding that Ms. Price had not established that her claims should be exempted from 

discharge. Estate of Horner, Adv. No. 17-ap-05604, Dkt. No. 32 (Bankr. N.D. Cal. Mar. 2, 2018). 

The bankruptcy court held a status conference on April 2, 2018, during which it explained its 

summary judgment decision. Estate of Horner, Adv. No. 17-ap-05604, Dkt. No. 39 (Bankr. N.D. 

Case 5:18-cv-00103-VKD Document 57 Filed 09/06/18 Page 1 of 3
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

Cal. Apr. 2, 2018). The bankruptcy court also observed at the status conference that because Ms. 

Bailor filed this action before the district court without first seeking relief from the bankruptcy 

stay, her district court action was void as a matter of law. Id. 

The bankruptcy court entered the discharge and final decree on April 4, 2018. In re Bailor, 

No. 17-51395 MEH, Dkt. No. 14 (Bankr. N.D. Cal. Apr. 4, 2018). Attached to the discharge and 

final decree is a document entitled “Explanation of Bankruptcy Discharge in a Chapter 7 Case,” 

which states in part: “In addition, this discharge does not stop creditors from collecting from 

anyone else who is also liable on the debt, such as an insurance company or a person who 

cosigned or guaranteed a loan.” Id. at 2.

Ms. Price now requests a case management conference before the Court. Dkt. No. 55. 

Based on her most recent submission to the bankruptcy court (In re Bailor, No. 17-51395 MEH, 

Dkt. No. 16 (Bankr. N.D. Cal. July 16, 2018)) and her earlier request for leave to amend her 

complaint (Dkt. No. 27), the Court understands that Ms. Price wishes to renew her motion to 

amend the complaint to name Mr. Bailor’s insurance company as defendant in place of Mr. Bailor. 

The bankruptcy proceedings having been concluded and the debt against Mr. Bailor 

discharged, the Court hereby lifts the stay in this action.

The Court will conduct a status conference in this matter on October 4, 2018, at 1:30 

p.m., in Courtroom 2, Fifth Floor, 280 South First Street, San Jose, California 95113. In advance 

of the status conference, the parties shall confer regarding the following matters:

1. Whether Ms. Price intends to proceed as plaintiff on behalf of Mr. Horner’s estate, or 

as a plaintiff in her own name;

2. Whether Ms. Price intends to seek leave to name Mr. Bailor’s auto insurance company

as a defendant, now that her debt against Mr. Bailor himself has been discharged;

3. Whether Ms. Price intends to seek leave to make other amendments to her complaint; 

4. The parties’ views on a schedule for further proceedings in this case; and

5. Any other matters that may facilitate a just and efficient disposition of this case.

On or before September 27, 2018, the parties shall jointly file a status report addressing these 

matters. In the alternative, the parties may each file a separate status report.

Case 5:18-cv-00103-VKD Document 57 Filed 09/06/18 Page 2 of 3
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: September 6, 2018

VIRGINIA K. DEMARCHI

United States Magistrate Judge

Case 5:18-cv-00103-VKD Document 57 Filed 09/06/18 Page 3 of 3