Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_17-cv-02515/USCOURTS-casd-3_17-cv-02515-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 110
Nature of Suit: Insurance
Cause of Action: 28:1332in Diversity-Insurance Contract

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17cv2515-L-BGS

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

STATE FARM LIFE INSURANCE 

COMPANY,

Plaintiff,

v.

HAYDEE HERNANDEZ ET AL.,

Defendants.

Case No.: 17cv2515-L-BGS

ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF'S 

MOTION TO SERVE BY 

PUBLICATION

Pending before the Court in this interpleader action for distribution of life 

insurance proceeds is Plaintiff's Motion for Order Authorizing Service by Publication. 

No opposition has been filed. For the reasons stated below, the motion is granted.

Plaintiff State Farm Life Insurance Company ("State Farm") issued a life insurance 

policy to insure the life of Salvador Villagomez, Jr. Pursuant to an Order Establishing 

Fact of Death, filed in state court on October 15, 2014, Mr. Villagomez died in March 

2007. (Compl. Ex. 1 (doc. no. 1).) Because of potential conflicting claims, State Farm 

filed the pending interpleader action against Haydee Hernandez, Mr. Villagomez' widow, 

his estate ("Estate"), and his son, Salvador Villagomez III. The Court has subject matter 

jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §1332.

/ / / / /

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17cv2515-L-BGS

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Despite extensive investigation spanning nearly a year, State Farm has been unable 

to locate a legal representative of the Estate, or determine if one has been appointed at all. 

(See Decl. of Robert R. Pohls (doc. no. 18-2).) It requests to serve the Estate by 

publication in The San Diego Union Tribune, as all Defendants are San Diego County 

residents.

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(e)(1) allows for service of process on an 

individual “following state law for serving a summons in an action brought in courts of 

general jurisdiction in the state where the district court is located, or where service is 

made . . ..” State Farm requests leave to serve by publication as provided in California 

Code of Civil Procedure § 415.50(a). Section 415.50(a) provides in pertinent part:

A summons may be served by publication if upon affidavit it appears to the 

satisfaction of the court in which the action is pending that the party to be 

served cannot with reasonable diligence be served in another manner 

specified in this article and that . . . [¶] A cause of action exists against the 

party upon whom service is to be made or he or she is a necessary or proper

party to the action.

“[C]onstitutional principles of due process of law, as well as the authorizing statute, 

require that service by publication be utilized only as a last resort.” Watts v. Crawford, 

10 Cal. 4th 743, 749 n.5 (1995) (internal citations omitted). "The term 'reasonable 

diligence' denotes a thorough, systematic investigation and inquiry conducted in good 

faith . . .." Id. (internal quotation marks, brackets, ellipses and citations omitted). What

is required is

A number of honest attempts to learn defendant’s whereabouts or his address 

[from] the likely sources of information, [which] must be searched before 

resorting to service by publication. Before allowing a plaintiff to resort to 

service by publication, the courts necessarily require him to show exhaustive 

attempts to locate the defendant, for it is generally recognized that service by 

publication rarely results in actual notice.

Id. (internal quotation marks and citations omitted). 

/ / / / /

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17cv2515-L-BGS

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State Farm's efforts, described in its counsel's affidavit (Decl. of Robert R. Pohls 

(doc. no. 18-2)), demonstrate a diligent and exhaustive search. Accordingly, the motion 

to serve the Estate by publication is granted as follows:

1. The summons and complaint shall be served by publication at least once per 

week for four successive weeks in The San Diego Union Tribune. 

2. If, during the 28 days of publication, State Farm identifies and locates a legal 

representative of the Estate of Salvador Villagomez, Jr., State Farm shall immediately 

serve the representative by mail with a copy of the summons, complaint and this order, 

and file a proof of service. 

3. Service by publication will be deemed completed at the end of the 28th day 

of publication.

4. State Farm shall file a certificate of service no later than five calendar days 

after completion of service by publication. 

5. The Estate of Salvador Villagomez, Jr. shall serve a response, if any, no later 

than the 21

st day after completion of service by publication.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: April 8, 2019

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