Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_17-cv-00697/USCOURTS-casd-3_17-cv-00697-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983cv Civil Rights Act - Civil Action for Deprivation of Rights

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

CATHERINE BRYAN,

Plaintiff,

CASE NO. 17cv697-LAB (BLM)

ORDER DENYING MOTION FOR

PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION AND

MOTIONS FOR LEAVE TO

SUPPLEMENT AND TO ADD PARTY

DEFENDANTS;

ORDER GRANTING IN PART MOTION

TO DISMISS; AND

ORDER OF DISMISSAL

[DOCKET NUMBERS 8, 17, 29, 30.]

vs.

CITY OF CARLSBAD, et al.,

Defendants.

Plaintiff Catherine Bryan, proceeding pro se, filed her complaint, bringing civil rights

claims under 42 U.S.C. §§ 1983, 1985(w), and 1986; Elder Financial Abuse claims under

Cal. Welfare Code §15610, and state law claims for fraud, deceit, intentional

misrepresentation; and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

Bryan alleges that the City of Carlsbad’s Code Enforcement Department unlawfully

searched a residence where she lives. Although she refers to it as her home, the property

was sold in a foreclosure sale in 2009.1(Compl., ¶ 7.) Although the complaint says unlawful

1 Bryan unsuccessfully brought an earlier case challenging the foreclosure sale,

10cv1605-CAB (KSC), Bryan v. Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc. The Ninth Circuit affirmed

the grant of summary judgment against her, and that case is now final. Bryan v. Select

Portfolio Servicing, Inc., 697 Fed. App’x 561 (9th Cir. 2017). The Court may, and does, take

judicial notice of the docket and records in this related case. See Trigueros v. Adams, 658

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searches occurred four times since October 23, 2009 (id.), the complaint only mentions one

search, on March 29, 2017, which was conducted pursuant to a warrant.

Defendants filed a motion to dismiss, supported by requests for judicial notice.

(Docket no. 8.) While that motion was pending, Bryan filed a motion for preliminary

injunction (Docket no. 17), a motion for leave to file a supplemental complaint (Docket no.

29), and a motion for leave to add new party defendants. (Docket no. 30.)

Bryan claims that the house belongs to her, and her claim rests heavily on this

allegation. She claims she prevailed in a case in this Court and that the Court ruled in her

favor, determining that she was the owner of the house. (Compl., ¶30.) The only other case

in which she has been a party in this Court is number 10cv1605-CAB (KSC), Kokopelli

Community Workshop, et al. v. Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc., et al.2

 

In fact, the reverse happened. In case 10cv1605, the Court ruled that Bryan cannot

challenge the foreclosure sale and has no ownership interest in this property. (See Order

Granting Summary Judgment (Docket no. 308) in case 10cv1605, at 7:12–19 (holding that

Catherine Bryan had transferred her interest in the subject property to Kokopelli Community

Workshop Corporation before the foreclosure, and therefore had no standing to challenge

the foreclosure sale or otherwise claim title to the property).) (See also Order Denying

Reconsideration (Docket no. 311) in case 10cv1605, at1:25–2:2 (“[P]laintiff Catherine Bryan

had no title interest in the subject property at the time of foreclosure and thereafter.”).) Bryan

took an appeal, which was unsuccessful, and that case is now final.

/ / /

F.3d 983, 987 (9th Cir. 2011). 

2 Bryan is apparently referring to the first of at least two unlawful detainer actions filed

against her, number 37-2009-00040923, MTGLQ Investors, L.P. v. Catherine Bryan, Betty

Bryan, et al. She attaches a jury verdict form deciding that MTGLQ had not complied with

the provisions of California Civil Code 2924 and was not entitled to possession of the

premises. But it does not show, as Bryan claims, that she owns the house. According to

Bryan, the outcome of that case was that the court ordered that she and her family were to

“remain in lawful possession of the subject property until final resolution of Plaintiff’s property

rights by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.” (Compl., 14:11–15.) Even assuming that to

be an accurate statement of the court’s order (which she has not provided), the Ninth Circuit

has now ruled, and the final determination is that Bryan is not the owner of the property.

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Motion for Preliminary Injunction

The motion for preliminary injunction, which spans over 400 pages, is primarily aimed

at the condemnation and demolition of the house where Bryan lives. These claims involve

other parties who are not yet named as Defendants, and claims not yet added to this case.

For reasons discussed at length below, Bryan’s request to add these claims and parties is

being denied. Furthermore, Bryan’s motion falls far short of the standard for preliminary

injunctive relief, and it is DENIED. 

Motion to File Supplemental Complaint; and Motion to Add Parties

Bryan filed two motions, a motion to supplement her complaint and a motion to add

new Defendants. Because the motions were unclear, the Court ordered her to supplement

them, which she has done. (Docket no. 32.) Defendants have filed an opposition. (Docket

no. 33.)

Bryan seeks to add a claim based on an inspection report she says is false, the City

of Carlsbad’s notice of order to repair, and a mandatory order to demolish the house unless

upgrades and repairs were made. She says that violations identified by City officers are

provably false and that she is unjustly being ordered to pay for repairs or her home will be

demolished. 

Bryan wants to name as new Defendants Carlsbad city council members who, she

says, are acquiescing in the City’s unconstitutional action. Although her proposed

supplemental complaint mentions a conspiracy, the only overt act they are accused of is

failing to act in response to a demand letter she sent them. (Docket no. 29-1, ¶¶ 6–7, 9, 10.)

She has also attached a demand letter she sent to them, asking that they withdraw the

order.

The statements in Bryan’s motions are inaccurate. The order, which is attached as

an exhibit, is addressed to her mother, Betty Bryan. (See Docket no. 29-3 at 4–5.) Plaintiff

was not ordered to pay anything. Although she says she lived there for many years, she

does not own the house. She has not shown that she has any legally cognizable interest in

the house, or that the order would require her to pay or do anything. She therefore has not

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shown she has standing to seek this relief. See Stacey v. City of Hermitage, 178 Fed. App’x.

94, 100 (3d Cir. 2006) (holding that son had not established standing to bring a § 1983 claim

based on demolition of his mother’s home). See also Shanko v. Lake County, 116 F. Supp.

3d 1055, 1062 (N.D. Cal., 2015) (“. . . Plaintiff does not have standing to bring a Fourth

Amendment claim for the County’s destruction of someone else’s home.”)

Furthermore, the relief she is asking for is an order from this Court requiring the city

council members to rescind the order and to undertake further proceedings such as

consulting a structural engineer. As Defendants correctly point out, local legislators are

absolutely immune from claims arising from their discretionary legislative activities. In Bogan

v. Scott-Harris, 523 U.S. 44, 46 (1998), for example, the Supreme Court unanimously held

that city council members are entitled to absolute immunity from civil liability for their

legislative activities. What Bryan has charged the city council members with is failure to take

legislative action, which falls squarely within this holding. The Court has no authority to order

the council members to vote to rescind the order, nor can the Court punish them for their

failure to do so. 

Finally, the notice itself provides an opportunity for appeal. (See Docket no. 29-3 at

5.) Bryan has not shown that she or anyone else appealed, or if they did, whether the matter

is still pending or how it was resolved. A claim based on a non-final order appears to be

unripe. See Adam Bros. Farming v. County of Santa Barbara, 604 F.3d 1142, 1147 (9th

Cir.2010).

For these reasons, the motions are DENIED.

Motion to Dismiss

The complaint, including its exhibits is 128 pages long and not well organized. With

the adjudication of Bryan’s claim to ownership of the house in case 10cv1605, however, this

case has been simplified considerably. Bryan filed an opposition to the motion to dismiss,

supported by a request for judicial notice of twelve sets of documents.

/ / /

/ / /

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Legal Standards

A Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss tests the sufficiency of the complaint. Navarro v.

Block, 250 F.3d 729, 732 (9th Cir. 2001). In ruling on a motion to dismiss, the Court accepts

all allegations of material fact in the complaint as true and construes them in the light most

favorable to the non-moving party. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center v. National League of

Postmasters of U.S., 497 F.3d 972, 975 (9th Cir. 2007). In addition to allegations on the face

of the complaint, the Court may consider documents attached to the complaint, documents

incorporated by reference in the complaint, or matters judicially noticed. United States v.

Ritchie, 342 F.3d 903, 908 (9th Cir. 2003). New or expanded allegations in opposition to a

motion to dismiss are considered when deciding whether to grant leave to amend, but are

not considered when ruling on a 12(b)(6) motion. See Schneider v. Cal. Dep't of Corr. &

Rehab., 151 F.3d 1194, 1197 n.1 (9th Cir. 1998). 

The Court construes pro se pleadings in civil rights cases liberally, King v. Atiyeh, 814

F.2d 565, 567 (9th Cir.1987), but will not supply facts a plaintiff has not pleaded. See Ivey

v. Board of Regents of the Univ. of Alaska, 673 F.2d 266, 268 (9th Cir.1982). 

The pleading standard is governed by Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544

(2007) and Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662 (2009), and not—as Bryan argues—by Conley

v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45–46 (1957). See Twombly at 561–62 (disapproving the Conley

standard). A complaint must “give the defendant fair notice of what the . . . claim is and the

grounds upon which it rests” and its factual allegations must “raise the right to relief above

a speculative level.” Id. at 555. The complaint must contain enough factual allegations that,

accepted as true, would state a claim for relief that is “plausible on its face.” Iqbal, 556 U.S.

at 678. The Court need not accept conclusions of law as true, however, even if cast as

factual allegations. Id. at 678. A claim may be dismissed under Rule 12(b)(6) either for lack

of a cognizable legal theory or failure to allege sufficient facts to support a cognizable legal

theory. Taylor v. Yee, 780 F.3d 928, 935 (9th Cir. 2015).

The Court is required to address jurisdictional issues such as standing, before

proceeding to the merits. See Steel Co. v. Citizens for a Better Environ., 523 U.S. 83, 93–94

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(1998). Because Article III standing is jurisdictional, the Court must raise and address issues

that call its jurisdiction into question, even if not briefed by the parties. See Alabama

Legislative Black Caucus v. Alabama, __ U.S. ___ 135 S. Ct. 1257, 1269–70 (2015); Safari

Club Int’l v. Rudolph, 862 F.3d 1113, 1117 n.1 (9th Cir. 2017).

Judicial Notice

The Court may judicially notice facts that are not subject to reasonable dispute

because they are generally known within the Court’s territorial jurisdiction, or because they

can be accurately and readily determined from sources whose accuracy cannot reasonably

be questioned. Fed. R. Evid. 201(b). 

The Court may take judicial notice sua sponte, and must take notice if a party

requests it and if the Court is supplied with the necessary information. But the Court need

not take notice of documents that do not provide any additional relevant information, even

if they would otherwise be the proper subject of judicial notice. See Adriana Int’l Corp. v.

Thoeren, 913 F.2d 1406, 1410 n.2 (9th Cir. 1990) (declining to take judicial notice of another

action “not relevant” to the case); Neylon v. County of Inyo, 2016 WL 6834097, at *4 (E.D.

Cal., Nov. 21, 2016) (“[I]f an exhibit is irrelevant or unnecessary to deciding the matters at

issue, a request for judicial notice may be denied.”). 

In support of their motion to dismiss, Defendants request judicial notice of four public

records: an affidavit filed with the San Diego Superior Court in support of an application for

an inspection warrant; the inspection warrant issued by Judge Dahlquist; the execution and

return of the inspection warrant, submitted to the San Diego Superior Court; and Judge

Bencivengo’s order granting summary judgment in case 10cv1605. These official

documents are all appropriate for judicial notice under Fed. R. Evid. 201, and the request

is GRANTED. See Bunkley v. Verber, 2018 WL 1242168 at *2 (N.D. Cal, Mar. 9, 2018)

(taking judicial notice of warrant, and of the name that appeared on it).

In the case of the affidavit, warrant, and return of service, the Court is taking note of

their existence as public records, rather than of reasonably disputable facts they contain. For

example, the existence of the warrant to search the house contradicts Bryan’s allegation that

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no warrant was sought or obtained. And what the return of service shows that Bryan has

mischaracterized what the return said. But the Court is not assuming, for instance, that facts

stated in the return regarding the condition of the house and property are true. See Bunkley

at *2 (citing Lee v. City of Los Angeles, 250 F.3d 668, 689–90 (9th Cir. 2001)) (taking notice

of records’ existence, but not of reasonably disputable facts contained in them). The

exception is that Bryan has, to some extent, affirmed the accuracy of the documents. For

example, some of the documents attached to the affidavit are also attached to the complaint,

and the Court accepts those as part of the pleading for purposes of ruling on the motion to

dismiss. See Ritchie, 342 F.3d at 908. 

Bryan requested notice of twelve documents, totaling over 200 pages, and giving a

brief explanation of why she thinks each one is relevant. The Court has taken notice of the

records in case 10cv1605, including the notice of appeal (Ex. 1) Bryan proffers.

Exhibit 2 is an incident report by the Carlsbad fire department, apparently reporting

on the RV fire alleged in the complaint. It says the fire was unintentional and caused by a

mechanical failure or malfunction. It also says someone named Dean Griffin was repairing

the engine when the fire ignited. Such a report is probably not judicially noticeable. See Pina

v. Henderson, 752 F.2d 47, 50 (2d Cir.1985) (holding that the existence and content of a

police report are not properly the subject of judicial notice). Even if it were noticeable, the

Court would not assume the truth of the statements in it. Those statements are unhelpful to

Bryan in any event, because they undermine the complaint’s characterization of the RV fire

and later events as some kind of cloak and dagger affair. The second part of Exhibit 2 is a

motion for a change of venue in a different case, along with four subpoenas, none of which

seem to have any bearing on this case. 

Exhibit 3 is a copy of § 17912 of the California Building Code. While the Court can

take notice of statutes, this statute has no bearing on this case. The second part of Exhibit

3 is a collection of records relating to the house. The first of these is a “Residential Building

Record.” After this is a “Master Property Record” showing improvements on the land dating

from 1958 to 1969. This has some tangential bearing on the case, but nothing directly.

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Apparently Bryan is relying on these to argue that because no other structures are listed on

these records, those structures were never built. In fact, all it would show is that those

structures were never recorded. If, as City officials apparently believed, unauthorized

structures were built on the property and unpermitted alterations had been made, they would

not be listed in these records.

Exhibits 4 through 6 are records from case 10cv1605, of which the Court has already

taken notice.

Exhibit 7 is a copy of a declaration of a loan service accountant filed in Betty Bryan’s

bankruptcy case. Exhibit 8 is a copy of Betty Bryan’s declaration in that case. The existence

of these documents has no clear bearing on this case and, as noted, the Court will not take

notice of the facts they aver.

Exhibit 9 is a recorded trustee’s deed upon sale, and Exhibit 10 is a recorded notice

of rescission. The Court could take notice of the fact that these were recorded, if it had any

bearing on this case. But the fact that a trustee’s sale took place is not in dispute. In the

case of the notice of rescission, many of its exhibits are arguments authored by Bryan.

Taking notice that these documents were recorded would not show that anything Bryan says

in her notice of rescission is true or that her reasoning is valid. Moreover, the issue of

Bryan’s right of rescission was already adjudicated in case 10cv1605.

Exhibit 11 is a copy of the special verdict form that Bryan attached to the complaint.

As noted below, this is attached to the complaint and therefore already part of the record.

Furthermore, Bryan appears to have misinterpreted this as being helpful to her case.

Exhibit 12 is collection of correspondence. These do not meet the Fed. R. Evid. 201

standard and are not appropriate for judicial notice. 

Bryan’s request is GRANTED, with the limitations noted, as to Exhibits 1, 4, 5, and

6. It is DENIED as to Exhibits 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. 

Overview of Sufficiency of Allegations

The complaint’s factual allegations are generally not in chronological or any other

recognizable order. Nevertheless, some are identified with dates or at least years, mostly

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ranging from 2005 to 2009. Defendants argue that some claims are clearly time-barred. She

mentions, for example, predatory mortgage loans, Defendant Scott Rudinger’s alleged fraud,

and an unlawful search of the home in 2005. (Compl., ¶¶ 35, 69.) Bryan, aware of the

three-year limitations period for fraud, argues that because these are all part of an ongoing

conspiracy, her claims all accrued on March 29, 2017, the date of the last overt act. 

Many of Bryan’s allegations are vague and conclusory. Her generalized allegations

that every Defendant conspired with every other Defendant, all ratified all of each other’s

acts, and each one acted in concert with all the others as to all alleged activities (Compl.,

¶¶ 14–20) do not meet the pleading standard. Formulaic and conclusory recitations like this

are routinely rejected by courts as insufficient. See, e.g., Choyce v. SF Bay Area

Independent Media Center, 2013 WL 6234628 at *9 (N.D. Cal., Dec. 2, 2013) (citing

Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555); Mindlab Media, LLC. v. LWRC Int’l, LLC, 2012 WL 386695 at

*2, *4 (C.D. Cal., Feb. 6, 2012) (quoting and rejecting similar allegations as being nothing

more than bare legal conclusions). She mentions a number of incidents that she believes

are connected, but does not say when they occurred or allege facts reasonably suggesting

they are part of a conspiracy. (Compl., ¶¶ 12–13, 29.) 

Bryan repeatedly says she has evidence and can provide witnesses to back up her

claims, and she has attached some of the evidence to the complaint without explaining its

significance or alleging facts. (Compl., ¶¶ 25, 31, 33, 38.) While it is common for pro se

litigants to attach all documents they think might be relevant in some way, doing so isn't a

sufficient way to raise all potential issues or claims that might arise out of or be related to

those documents, because that would require the Court to overstep its role as neutral arbiter.

“The courts cannot assume the role of advocates and create arguments never made.”

Donahue v. United States, 660 F.3d 523, 524 (1st Cir. 2011). See also Jacobson v. Filler,

790 F.2d 1362, 1364–66 (9th Cir. 1986)). Merely alleging that evidence or witnesses exist

is even less helpful.

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Sufficiency of Conspiracy Allegations

Allegations of conspiracy, like any other claim for relief, must meet the Iqbal pleading

standard, and as such, must include facts sufficient to show facial plausibility by “defin[ing]

the scope of any conspiracy . . . , what role [a conspirator] had, or when or how the

conspiracy operated.” Lacey v. Maricopa County, 693 F.3d 896, 937 (9th Cir. 2012) (en

banc); Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 679. Here, Bryan has alleged only that the City, Rudinger, and

MTGLQ Investors, L.P. engaged in a conspiracy from about 2004 onward to steal her house. 

Other than the March 29, 2017 search, the only overt acts she has alleged with any

degree of specificity are two incidents, both of which occurred no later than 2007. 

The first incident involved the alleged arson of an RV by some unknown person.

(Compl, ¶ 13.) According to Bryan, an unknown person parked an RV illegally in front of her

house, then set it on fire in the hope that it would ignite two tall palm trees that were in front

of her house, and that those in turn would lead to her house burning, which in turn would

force her and her mother to move out. (Id.) This was thwarted when the City’s own fire

department put the fire out. (Compl., Ex. 1 at 40.) Then, Bryan says, the City towed the

burned-out RV onto her lot. She says no towing company would agree to tow it away

because she was not the owner, so it sat there for five months, after which the City

threatened to fine her if she did not move both it and the two sailboats she was storing on

the lot. (Id.) But some time before 2006,3 all this was resolved in Bryan’s favor. (Id., Compl.,

¶ 13.) 

The second incident involved an attempt by Rudinger in 2005 to trick her into telling

her she needed to raise $600,000 for home upgrades, force her into a predatory loan, and

arrange for the loan principal to be embezzled. (Compl., ¶¶ 69–74.) Then in 2013, when

Bryan was confronted with records of numerous code violations, she accused Rudinger of

being corruptly involved with MTGLQ. (Id., ¶ 75.) Bryan believes this angered Rudinger so

much that he arranged for the March 29, 2017 search. (Id., ¶ 76.) He did this, she says, by

3 Bryan requested judicial notice of an incident report showing the fire occurred on

December 21, 2007. (Bryan’s Request for Judicial Notice, Ex. 2.) It may be that Bryan

means the issue involving storage of the sailboats was resolved before 2006.

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making false representations to the judge. (Id.) She says the deliberate falsehood is evident

because the return said there was no new building or electrical work, the property had

running water, and the “home and its surrounding property [were] always clean and

attractively maintained.” (Id., ¶ 77.) 

These three incidents or groups of incidents occurred over at least a fifteen year

period, and are strung together with conclusory and non-detailed claims of conspiracy,

corruption, and bad faith, similar to those Lacey held were inadequate. The role of each

conspirator, what they said to each other or agreed to do, and when they agreed to it are not

alleged. Furthermore, the facts that are pled do not plausibly point to a conspiracy as

opposed to a combination of misfortunes (such as fire damage to trees, or Bryan’s inability

to get the RV towed away for five months) and events logically related to the City’s efforts

to enforce its codes. Even if the City’s suspicions about code violations were mistaken, it

does not imply bad faith, much less a conspiracy to steal her home. To plead a conspiracy,

a plaintiff must allege facts that, taken together raise a suggestion of an unlawful

conspiratorial agreement. Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556–57. Facts that could just as well be

explained by non-actionable conduct are not enough. Id. at 557.

Furthermore, it is evident Bryan has misinterpreted at least some of the facts. The

warrant Judge Dahlgren signed, for example, said Robbie Hickerson (not Rudinger)

appeared before him. The affidavit bears Hickerson’s signature and identifies him as a code

enforcement officer for the City. The return does not bear out Bryan’s characterization of it

as attesting to the home’s clean and attractive condition and it does not show that the

affidavit was filled with fabrications.

Searches and Fourth Amendment Claim

Bryan’s nonspecific allegations of “at least four” unlawful searches of her home

(Compl., ¶ 4) do not meet the pleading standard. Aside from the March 29, 2017 search,

the only other search she is able to put in any time frame is one that occurred some time in

2005. Bearing in mind that she claims a conspiracy has been going on for years, vague 

/ / /

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references to other searches do not suffice to give Defendants fair notice of what Bryan is

referring to, or what claims she might be bringing.

The only claim that is pled with any degree of specificity is the claim that law

enforcement officers unlawfully conducted an inspection of the house on March 29, 2017. 

The judicially noticed records show that this inspection was conducted pursuant to a warrant

issued by Judge Wahlberg. This warrant was an administrative, not a criminal warrant, and 

the standard for issuance of this kind of warrant is lower. See Marshall v. Barlow’s, Inc., 436

U.S. 307, 319 (1978); Camara v. Mun. Ct. of San Francisco, 387 U.S. 523, 534–38 (1967).

The warrant application was supported by Hickerson’s declaration. It identifies

complaints about conditions on the property, his own observations from outside the fence,

and other facts gleaned from research. The declaration details a number of significant

nuisances and probable code violations. It also says, based on complaints the City had

received, that Hickerson had reason to believe ten to twenty people were living on the

property in unsanitary and dangerous conditions. It also mentions accumulated debris,

improper storage of boats and trailers, suspected problems with on-site wastewater

treatment, construction of an unpermitted building, and various other violations and

nuisances. The declaration says he sent a request to the property owner, lienholder, and

tenants, requesting voluntary permission to inspect the property, and in return received an

eight-page letter from Catherine and Betty Bryan, which he also attaches to the declaration.

The declaration is also supported by photographic exhibits of the property. Several of these

supporting documents, including the letter, an article about renovation of a building and

water lines on the property, and the request for permission to inspect are also attached to

the Complaint.

Based on the declaration, issuance of a warrant was proper under Camara. Bryan’s

eight-page letter admits there are many people on the property, but says they come there

daily to do farm work, and do not live on the property. The letter admits there is an

outbuilding (a greenhouse) on the property. Based on the letter’s tone, and remarks made 

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in it about the presence of many people, officers would have had reason to be cautious

when conducting the inspection.

The return was signed by another officer, Mike Peterson, who is also not a Defendant

and not alleged to be part of the conspiracy. His statement supported some of the

suspected violations, including an apparently compromised sewer system, no hot water or

heat, a leaking roof and mold inside the house, and windows covered with boards or tarps. 

Although Peterson said he could not identify which parts of the structure had been permitted,

he said some of the work clearly would not have been approved if permission had been

sought. The return is supported by illustrative photographs which bear out Peterson’s

description, as well as earlier reports of accumulated debris.

The application, warrant, and return appear to be in order, and nothing about them

suggests any Fourth Amendment or other constitutional violation. Although Bryan alleges

that Rudinger made them (Compl., ¶¶ 76–77), the records themselves show otherwise.

Judge Dahlgren’s warrant says Hickerson, not Rudinger, appeared before him. Bryan

argues that the return shows the declaration was replete with lies. (Id. ¶ 77.) But the return

substantially bears out the declaration, mentioning safety hazards, ad hoc repairs, and the

house’s and property’s overall poor maintenance.

Bryan’s assertions that the inspection violated her rights or was unreasonable or

illegal are almost entirely conclusory. A few factual details might support a Fourth

Amendment claim for excessive in some other context. For example, Bryan alleges that

eighteen officers arrived to conduct the inspection, that they had their guns drawn and

pointed, and that they forced their way in. (Compl., ¶¶ 10, 61, 82.) In some other situation,

this might amount to an unreasonable search. But given that Bryan in her letter had told

them to expect a large number of people on site, had refused them entry, and had made

clear she was hostile to them, sending a large number of officers and arming them was not

unreasonable. Bryan has not alleged they failed to knock and wait, or otherwise request

voluntary entry, nor that she was willing to let them in. See Richards v. Wisconsin, 520 U.S.

385 (1997) (citing Wilson v. Arkansas, 514 U.S. 927 (1995) (holding that the Fourth

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Amendment embodies the common-law principle that, in general, officers should first knock

and announce their identity and purpose, then wait a reasonable time before attempting

forcible entry). The warrant authorized officers to enter the home, so if she did refuse them

entry, they had authority to force their way in. A warrant is a command from a court. (See

Docket no. 8-3, Ex. 2 (Warrant) at 37 (commanding officers to inspect the premises, and

commanding them to have access to the interiors of all structures, boats and trailers).) A

resident is not permitted to thwart or delay execution of a warrant, even an administrative

inspection warrant on a non-urgent matter, by refusing to allow officers to enter. 

Bryan seeks to hold the City liable under a Monell theory. See Monell v. Dep’t of Soc.

Servs., 436 U.S. 658 (1978). But as Defendants correctly point out, she has not adequately

alleged any policy that led to any constitutional violation. She does nothing more than

allege, in very general terms, that the City had a policy of permitting constitutional violations

and abuses, and that it knew Rudinger was dishonest and corrupt. (Compl., ¶¶ 46–49.) This

does not meet the pleading standard. See AE ex rel. Hernandez v. County of Tulare, 666

F.3d 631, 636–37 (9th Cir. 2012). See also, e.g., Warner v. County of San Diego, 2011 WL

662993 at *3–*4 (S.D. Cal., Feb. 14, 2011) (allegation that sheriff’s department had an

unlawful policy, custom, or habit of permitting or condoning various constitutional violations

was insufficient to plead Monell liability).

Sufficiency of Fraud Allegations

Fraud must be pled specifically, see Fed. R. Civ. P. 9(b), and here it is not. Even if

it is true that Rudinger, municipal code officer, in 2005 falsely told Bryan the property needed

$600,000 worth of upgrades, that alone does not amount to fraud. See Milne Employees

Ass’n v. Sun Carriers, 960 F.2d 1401, 1408 (9th Cir.1991) (setting forth elements of fraud

under California law). The complaint goes on to claim, without providing any details, that she

entered into a predatory loan with Rudinger, and that Rudinger forced them into foreclosure. 

(Compl., ¶¶ 69–74.) As noted above, the factual allegations in the complaint do not make

out a plausible claim for fraud. 

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The allegedly predatory loan was the subject of litigation in case 10cv1605, and the

Court’s findings there show her allegations here are implausible. Catherine Bryan did not

enter into a loan with Rudinger; rather, Betty Bryan was the sole borrower. (Docket no. 308

in case 10cv1605 (Order Granting Summ. J.), at 5:24–26 and n.6.) Furthermore, the loan

was intended for business purposes — specifically, for Betty Bryan’s income generating

properties — and was not intended to be used to pay contractors for correcting numerous

code violations on this property, as Bryan now claims. (Id. at 6:6–19 (citing sworn statement

by Betty Bryan and Catherine Bryan’s verified complaint).) 

Even assuming the other elements of a fraud claim were adequately pled, the

elements of justifiable reliance and resulting damage, see Milne, 960 F.2d at 1408, were not.

Whatever Rudinger told Bryan did not induce her to enter into a loan. And the loan her

mother Betty entered into was for purposes unrelated to Rudinger’s alleged misstatements.

Defendants also correctly point out that Cal. Govt. Code § 818.8 prevents the City

from being liable for injuries caused by any of Rudinger’s alleged misstatements.

Statute of Limitations

A claim may be dismissed as untimely under Rule 12(b)(6) if the running of the statute

of limitations is apparent on the face of the complaint. Von Saher v. Norton Simon Museum

of Art at Pasadena, 592 F.3d 954, 969 (9th Cir. 2010).

In light of the many acts Bryan mentions, and the fact that the claims are not always

well delineated, it is difficult to know which statute of limitations applies to each claim. The

limitations period for Bryan’s state law fraud claim is three years. See Peel v. Brooks

America Mortg. Corp., 788 F. Supp. 2d 1149, 1162 (C.D. Cal., 2011) (citing Cal. Civ. P. Code

§ 338(d)).4 But some are shorter than three years. For example, § 1983 claims for Fourth

Amendment violations and personal injury claims are subject to a two-year limitations period. 

See Brown v. Kelly, 2016 WL 5661751 at *3 (E.D. Cal., Sept. 30, 2016) (citing Colony Cove

Propertis, LLC v. City of Carson, 640 F.3d 948, 956 (9th Cir. 2011). Nevertheless, three years

4 Because this is a state law claim, it accrues as provided under state law, i.e., from

the date a plaintiff discovers the facts constituting the fraud. Peel, 788 F. Supp. 2d at 1162. 

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appears to be the longest applicable one, and it is on the fraud claim that Defendants’

motion focuses.

Under California law, if the plaintiff brings the action more than three years after the

alleged fraud, she has the burden of pleading facts showing she was not negligent in failing

to discover the fraud sooner, and had no actual or presumptive knowledge of facts sufficient

to put her on notice. Id. at 1162–63 (citing Sun ‘n Sand, Inc. v. United Cal. Bank, 21 Cal.3d

671, 701–02 (1978)). Far from pleading such facts, Bryan has pled facts showing she knew

or suspected a fraud much earlier, because she says she filed a mortgage fraud complaint

in 2007. (Compl. at 35:1–2.) The only reason she did not add Rudinger and the City as

defendants in that complaint, she claims, is that although she knew Rudinger’s name, she

did not know where to find him or whether he was a duly authorized City employee. (Id. at

34:23–35:2.) Bryan’s earlier allegations, however, show she had ample reason to believe

he was a City employee. In fact her claim depends on her belief that he was. And her claim

that she did not know where to find him does not explain why she did not add him as a

defendant in 2007.

In short, Bryan’s own allegations make clear she knew of all the facts supporting her

fraud claim against Rudinger and the City in 2007 at the very latest, and nothing stood in the

way of her suing them then. 

While state law prescribes the statute of limitations, federal law governs the time of

accrual of § 1983 claims. Gibson v. United States, 781 F.2d 1334, 1340 (9th Cir. 1986). 

Even if Bryan had adequately pled the existence of a conspiracy, the mere existence of a

conspiracy does not necessarily extend the limitations period for her other claims. Under

Ninth Circuit precedent, the cause of action flows from each overt act, not from the

conspiracy or series of conspiracies. Id. What Bryan is describing is not a continuous

violation, but a series of several overt acts over many years. Therefore, Bryan’s causes of

action over the years accrued with each separate overt act. 

The many events she describes from 2005 through 2009 therefore accrued as soon

as she had reason to know of her injury. See Maldonado v. Harris, 370 F.3d 945, 955 (9

th

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Cir. 2004). The fact that she did not subjectively know she had a cause of action or did not

investigate does not prevent the cause of action’s accrual. See Gibson, 781 F.2d at 1344. 

Bryan has not alleged any facts that would reasonably amount to fraudulent concealment,

so as to delay the accrual of her claims. See id. at 1344–45.

Collateral Estoppel as to Elder Abuse Claim

Defendants correctly point out that Bryan raised her elder abuse claim unsuccessfully

in case 10cv1605. In that case, the Court found she lacked standing, and granted summary

judgment to the defendants on that claim. (Docket no. 308, at 5:20–6:4.) She is estopped

from challenging that determination now.

Other State Law Claims

Defendants argue that public employees are immune under Cal. Govt. Code § 820.4.

They also argue, citing Cal. Govt. Code § 815.2, that because Rudinger and other

employees are immune, the City as their employer also cannot be liable.

To the extent Bryan’s claims arise from the March 29, 2017 search, they are correct. 

See County of Los Angeles v. Sup. Ct., 181 Cal. App. 4

th

218, 228 (Cal. App. 2 Dist. 2009)

(officers immune from tort claims arising from execution of warrant); Hansen v. Calif. Dept.

of Corr. & Rehabilitation, 171 Cal. App. 4

th

1537, 1547 (Cal. App. 5 Dist. 2008) (public

employees acting within the scope of their employment for were immune from tort liability in

connection with statements made to secure a warrant); Amylou R. v. County of Riverside,

28 Cal. App. 4

th

1205, 1209 (Cal. App. 4 Dist. 1994) (recognizing immunity for officers

against claims by anyone negligently injured in connection with judicial or administrative

proceeding).

Furthermore, all claims other than those arising out of the March 29, 2017 search are

time-barred.

Conclusion and Order

For the reasons set forth above, the complaint is DISMISSED. All claims other than

Bryan’s 42 U.S.C. §§ 1983, 1985(w), and 1986 claims arising out of the March 29, 2017

search are DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE. If Bryan believes she can correct the defects

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this order has identified, she may file an ex parte motion (without obtaining a hearing date)

for leave to amend, no later than April 5, 2018. She must attach a copy of her proposed

amended complaint as an exhibit. The proposed amended complaint may bring §§ 1983,

1985(w), and 1986 claims arising from the March 29, 2017 search. It must not include

Bryan’s fraud, elder abuse, or emotional distress claims. It may not include new parties or

new claims. If she needs more time, she should request it by ex parte motion, explaining

the reason. Bryan must not seek reconsideration of the Court’s ruling or any part of it

without complying with the chambers’ Standing Order in Civil Cases, ¶ 4(j). If the motion for

leave to amend does not comply with these requirements, it may be summarily denied.

If Bryan files a motion for leave to amend, defendants may file an opposition within

21 calendar days of the date her motion is docketed. No reply is to be filed without leave.

The Court will set a hearing if appropriate; otherwise, the matter will be deemed submitted

on the papers.

If Bryan does not file a motion for leave to amend within the time permitted, the Court

will construe it to mean she believes she cannot correct the defects identified in this order,

and this action will be dismissed without leave to amend.

 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: March 19, 2018

HONORABLE LARRY ALAN BURNS

United States District Judge

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