Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_09-cv-04531/USCOURTS-cand-4_09-cv-04531-6/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 840
Nature of Suit: Trademark
Cause of Action: 15:1051 Trademark Infringement

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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1 On March 30, 2010, Mr. Benz filed another motion for leave

to file a motion for reconsideration. (Docket No. 89.) In that

motion, he repeats the same arguments discussed in his first motion

on this issue and requests that his motion be scheduled for

hearing. 

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

CRATERS & FREIGHTERS,

Plaintiff,

 v.

DAISYCHAIN ENTERPRISES, dba FREIGHT &

CRATE; CATHY BENZ; and FRED BENZ,

Defendants. /

No. C 09-4531 CW

ORDER DENYING

DEFENDANT LEAVE TO

FILE A MOTION TO

RECONSIDER AND

OVERRULING OBJECTION

TO REPORT AND

RECOMMENDATION

(Docket Nos. 86, 87

and 89)

Defendant Fred Benz moves for leave to file a motion to

reconsider the Court’s Order of March 2, 2010 on the motion to

dismiss filed by him and Cathy Benz.1 Mr. Benz also objects to the

report and recommendation by the Honorable Joseph C. Spero on

Plaintiff’s Motion for Default Judgment. Because both the motions

and the objection are premised on the same argument, the Court

considers them both below. 

As an initial matter, the Court notes that the papers filed by

Case 4:09-cv-04531-CW Document 98 Filed 05/03/10 Page 1 of 4
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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Mr. Benz state that they are also brought on behalf of Cathy Benz,

although she has not signed them, and corporate Defendant

Daisychain Enterprises. Because he is not an attorney authorized

to practice before this Court, Mr. Benz cannot represent either

Mrs. Benz or Daisychain Enterprises. See C.E. Pope Equity Trust v.

United States, 818 F.2d 696, 697 (9th Cir. 1987); United States v.

High Country Broad. Co., Inc., 3 F.3d 1244, 1245 (9th Cir. 1993)

(citing Rowland v. Cal. Men’s Colony, 506 U.S. 194 (1993) and 28

U.S.C. § 1654). The Court therefore construes the motions and

objections as brought solely on behalf of Mr. Benz. In the future,

Mrs. Benz must sign papers that she intends to join. However, as a

corporate entity, Daisychain must be represented by an attorney. 

Notably, John B. Lytle remains counsel of record for Daisychain; he

has not, as required by Civil L.R. 11-5, filed a motion for leave

to withdraw from this case. 

Mr. Benz re-asserts the argument, contained in the motion to

dismiss, that the Court lacks personal jurisdiction because

Plaintiff did not effect proper service. Because he only repeats

his prior argument, the Court need not consider his motions for

leave to file a motion to reconsider. See Civil L.R. 7-9. The

Court nevertheless addresses Mr. Benz’s argument because he poses

it as an objection to Judge Spero’s report and recommendation,

which concerns a dispositive matter. See 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B);

Civil L.R. 72-3. 

On March 3, 2010, Judge Spero recommended that default

judgment be entered against Daisychain and Mr. and Mrs. Benz and

that Plaintiff’s request for a permanent injunction and $47,006.00

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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in attorneys’ fees and costs be granted. On March 17, Mr. Benz

timely objected, asserting that the report and recommendation was

erroneous because the Court lacks personal jurisdiction over the

Defendants on grounds of improper service of process. The gravamen

of his argument is that Plaintiff’s attempt at service at a

residence on Wellington Circle in Windsor, California did not

constitute proper service under either federal or state law. 

In his report and recommendation, Judge Spero addressed the

issue of service of process by referring to this Court’s Order

denying Mr. and Mrs. Benz’s Motion to Dismiss. This Court denied

the motion based on Mr. and Mrs. Benz’s conduct; the ruling was not

based on a finding of proper service by Plaintiff. Although they

stated in prior filed papers that they did not intend to waive a

defense of insufficient process, Mr. and Mrs. Benz did so by

arguing, either through counsel or on their own, the merits of

Plaintiff’s case with respect to the entry of a preliminary

injunction. This constituted a general appearance, thereby waiving

the Rule 12(b)(5) defense under federal law. Benny v. Pipes, 799

F.2d 489, 492 (9th Cir. 1986); see also Bautista-Perez v. Mukasey,

2008 WL 314486, at *6-*7 (N.D. Cal.). Moreover, under California

law, 

Except as otherwise provided by statute, the court in

which an action is pending has jurisdiction over a party

from the time summons is served on him . . . . A general

appearance by a party is equivalent to personal service

of summons on such party.

Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 410.50(a). As noted in the Court’s prior

order, Mr. and Mrs. Benz sought two decisions on the merits of

Plaintiff’s case before formally raising their defense of improper

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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service. A defendant cannot first seek a court’s determination of

the merits of an action and subsequently request dismissal when

that decision is adverse to him or her. 

Accordingly, the Court DENIES Mr. Benz’s motions (Docket Nos.

86 and 89) and OVERRULES his objection to the report and

recommendation (Docket No. 87). 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: May 3, 2010 

CLAUDIA WILKEN

United States District Judge

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