Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-3_09-cv-08212/USCOURTS-azd-3_09-cv-08212-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 442
Nature of Suit: Civil Rights Employment
Cause of Action: 28:451 Employment Discrimination

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Defendants’ Motion states that it is a “Motion to Dismiss for Insufficiency of

Process.” (Doc. 30). However, Plaintiff had 120 days from the filing of her Amended

Complaint on April 13, 2010 to effect service on Defendants. See Dollone v. Ventura

Unified Sch. Dist., 272 F. App’x 613, 615 (9th Cir. 2008) (holding that a Plaintiff has “120

days from the date the amended complaint is filed to serve all of the defendants”).

Accordingly, because Plaintiff had until August 11, 2010 to properly serve Defendants, the

Court construes the Motion as a Motion to Quash Service of Summons.

WO

NOT FOR PUBLICATION

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Robin J. Reidhead, 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

Heber-Overgaard Fire Department; Stan

Wagaman, Chief; Paul Rehman, Deputy

Chief, 

Defendants. 

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No. CV-09-8212-PCT-GMS

ORDER

Pending before the Court is a Motion to Quash Service of Summons1

 filed by

Defendants Heber-Overgaard Fire Department (“HFD”) and Paul Rehman (“Rehman”).

(Doc. 30). For the reasons set forth below, the Court grants the Motion. 

BACKGROUND

In May 2009, Plaintiff Robin J. Reidhead (“Reidhead”) applied for a job as an

ambulance driver with the HFD. (Doc. 20). Reidhead alleges that her application was

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rejected because, according to Stan Wagaman, Chief of the HFD, and Rehman, Deputy Chief

of the HFD, she had to be “EMT or National First Responder certified before [she] could be

hired.” Id. According to Reidhead, that requirement is in place because of an Arizona

regulation requiring that every ambulance have at least two medically-certified personnel on

board when transporting patients. Id. Reidhead also alleges, however, that around the time

of her application, the HFD hired five uncertified young men as ambulance drivers and

accommodated their lack of training by ensuring that the Arizona requirement was always

met. Id. Reidhead further asserts that the HFD’s policy and procedure manual allows for

ambulance drivers to be hired without certification so long as they are certified within one

year of employment. Id. 

Reidhead subsequently filed a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission (“EEOC”) for employment discrimination. Id. The EEOC was unable to

conclude that the information Reidhead provided established violations of any statutes. Id.

Pursuant to her rights granted by the EEOC, Reidhead initiated this action against Defendants

on November 30, 2009, alleging violations of Title VII. 

 DISCUSSION

I. Reidhead’s Service Upon Rehman was Insufficient

Under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (“Federal Rules”), “service upon an

individual may be made by ‘delivering a copy of the summons and of the complaint to the

individual personally; . . . leaving a copy of each at the individual’s dwelling or usual place

of abode with someone of suitable age and discretion who resides there; . . . [or] delivering

a copy of each to an agent authorized by appointment or by law to receive service of

process.’” Haskins v. Moynihan, 2010 WL 2691562, at *3 (D. Ariz. July 6, 2010) (citing Fed.

R. Civ. P. 4(e)(2)). Service may be performed by “any person who is at least 18 years old

and not a party.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(c)(2). Under the Federal Rules, a Plaintiff also has the

option of serving an individual by “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.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(e)(1). The Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure

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The Arizona Rules allow for service by a party “where expressly authorized by these

rules.” Ariz. R. Civ. P. 4(d). Service of an individual is not such a situation expressly

authorized by the Rules. 

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(“Arizona Rules”) mirror the requirements of the Federal Rules for service of an individual.

See Ariz. R. Civ. P. 4.1(d). Additionally, under the Arizona Rules, “service of process shall

be made by a sheriff, a sheriff’s deputy a private process server . . . or any other person

specially appointed by the court.” Ariz. R. Civ. P. 4(d). 

The record indicates that Reidhead has not properly served Rehman. The undisputed

evidence indicates that Reidhead attempted to effect service upon Rehman by sending the

complaint and the summons by certified mail. (Doc. 30, Doc. 31). Certified mail is not an

acceptable means of service upon an in-state individual under either the Federal Rules or the

Arizona Rules. Although the Arizona Rules allow for service by mail upon out-of-state

parties, there is no such allowance where the individual being served is within the territorial

limits of Arizona. See Ariz. R. Civ. P. 4. Furthermore, the record indicates that service was

insufficient because Reidhead herself attempted to effect service upon Rehman. Neither the

Federal Rules nor the Arizona Rules allow a party to serve another party to the lawsuit.2

 See

Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(c)(2); Ariz. R. Civ. P. 4(d). Accordingly, Reidhead’s service upon Rehman

through certified mail was insufficient.

II. Reidhead’s Service Upon the HFD was Insufficient

 In addition to the general requirements for process set forth above, the Federal Rules

mandate that a state, a municipal corporation, or any other state-created governmental

organization that is subject to suit must be served by “delivering a copy of the summons and

of the complaint to its chief executive officer or serving a copy of each in the manner

prescribed by that state’s law for serving a summons or like process on such a defendant.”

Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(j)(2). The Arizona Rules state, “Service upon a county or municipal

corporation or other governmental subdivision of the state subject to suit . . . shall be effected

by delivering a copy of the summons and of the pleading to the chief executive officer, the

secretary, clerk, or recording officer thereof.” Ariz. R. Civ. P. 4.1(i). 

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The evidence indicates that Reidhead has not sufficiently served the HFD as a

governmental entity. Reidhead has not demonstrated that she has effected service upon the

CEO, the secretary, clerk, or recording officer of the HFD as required by the Federal and

Arizona Rules. Furthermore, as discussed above, Reidhead’s attempted service of process

fails because (1) she attempted to do it herself in violation of Federal Rule 4(c)(2) and

Arizona Rule 4(d), and (2) because she attempted to do so by mail in violation of Federal

Rule 4(e) and Arizona Rule 4(d). Accordingly, Reidhead has failed to properly effect service

upon the HFD.

CONCLUSION

For the reasons set forth above, the Court grants the Motion to Quash Service of

Summons (Doc. 30). Although Reidhead would have had until August 13 to effectuate

service, Defendants filed their Motion challenging service on July 2. At that time, Reidhead

had 40 days remaining to serve Defendants. Accordingly, Reidhead shall now have until

September 7, 2010 to serve Defendants.

IT IS THEREFOR ORDERED that Defendants’ Motion to Quash Service of

Summons (Doc. 30) is GRANTED.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Plaintiff shall have until September 7, 2010 to

properly serve Defendants with her Amended Complaint.

DATED this 30th day of July, 2010.

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