Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_15-cv-02091/USCOURTS-casd-3_15-cv-02091-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 422
Nature of Suit: Bankruptcy Appeals Rule 28 USC 158
Cause of Action: 28:0158 Notice of Appeal re Bankruptcy Matter (District or BAP)

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GL' _:.; :jl_ , ~,J'J -, r; _ ; - :-' 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

IN RE JUDITH JEAN HOFFMAN, 

Debtor. 

JUDITH JEAN HOFFMAN, 

Appellant, 

v. 

LESLIE T. GLADSTONE, Trustee; 

ROBERT HOFFMAN; HOFFMAN 

PROPERTIES, 

Appellees. 

Case No.: 15-CV-2091-BEN (KSC) 

Bankruptcy No. 13-05478-MM7 

ORDER: 

(1) GRANTING APPELLANT'S 

MOTION TO PROCEED IN FORMA 

PAUPERIS 

(2) GRANTING APPELLEE'S 

MOTION TO DISMISS APPEAL AS 

UNTIMELY 

21 This case comes before the Court on appeal from the Bankruptcy Court for the 

22 Southern District of California. 

23 On September 18,2015, Appellant Judith Jean Hoffman filed a Notice of Appeal, 

24 seeking review of a September 1, 2015 Order denying her motion for a stay pending 

25 appeal. (Docket No.1.) She also filed a Motion to Proceed In Forma Pauperis ("IFP"). 

26 (Docket No.2.) On October 13,2015, Appellee Leslie T. Gladstone, Trustee, filed a 

27 Motion to Dismiss Appeal for lack of jurisdiction. (Docket No.5.) For the reasons 

28 stated below, the Motions are GRANTED and the Appeal is DISMISSED. 

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15-cv-2091-BEN (KSC) 

Case 3:15-cv-02091-BEN-KSC Document 9 Filed 11/20/15 Page 1 of 3
1 I. Appellant's Motion to Proceed IFP 

2 All parties instituting any civil action, suit, or proceeding in a district court of the 

3 United States, except an application for a writ of habeas corpus, must pay a filing fee. 28 

4 U.S.C. § 1914(a). An action may proceed despite a party's failure to prepay the entire fee 

5 only if she is granted leave to proceed IFP pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a). Under 28 

6 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(I), 

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[A]ny court of the United States may authorize the commencement, 

prosecution or defense of any suit, action or proceeding, civil or criminal, or 

appeal therein, without prepayment of fees or security therefor, by a person 

who submits an affidavit that includes a statement of all assets such [person] 

possesses that the person is unable to pay such fees or give security therefor. 

It appears Appellant receives $1694 per month in social security benefits. (Mot. 

3.) She is not employed and has only $11.50 in cash and checking accounts. (Id.) 

Appellant's total monthly expenses amount to approximately $1655. (Id. at 5.) Although 

14 Appellant claims to own a home and a partnership interest in real estate, her home is in 

15 foreclosure and the partnership's real property is controlled by the ongoing bankruptcy 

16 proceedings. (Id. at 3.) Accordingly, Appellant has sufficiently shown that she cannot 

17 afford to pay the filing fees. Her Motion to Proceed IFP is therefore GRANTED. 

18 II. Appellee's Motion to Dismiss! 

19 The Trustee argues that the notice of appeal is untimely and thus, this Court lacks 

20 jurisdiction to hear the matter. Appellant did not file an opposition. 

21 Pursuant to Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 8002(a)(I), "a notice of appeal 

22 must be filed with the bankruptcy clerk within 14 days after entry of the judgment, order, 

23 or decree being appealed." Rule 8002(a)'s time requirement is jurisdictional. In re 

24 Wiersma, 483 F.3d 933, 938 (9th Cir. 2007) (citation omitted). "[U]ntimely filing of 

25 notice of appeal deprives [ an] appellate court of jurisdiction to review an order of the 

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27 1 The Court GRANTS the Trustee's Request (Docket No. 5-2), and judicially notices the 

28 Bankruptcy Court's June 18,2015 sale order in bankruptcy case no. 13-05478-MM7 and 

September 1,2015 order denying stay in adversary case no. 14-90098-MM. 

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Case 3:15-cv-02091-BEN-KSC Document 9 Filed 11/20/15 Page 2 of 3
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1 Bankruptcy Court." In re Camacho, 495 B.R. 515, 519 (E.D. Cal. 2013) (citing In re 

2 Wiersma, 483 F.3d at 938; In re Slimick, 928 F.2d 304, 306 (9th Cir. 1990)). Courts must 

3 therefore "construe the timeliness requirement strictly." Id. (citing In re Souza, 795 F.2d 

4 855,857 (9th Cir. 1986)). 

5 Evident from Appellant's own statement, the Bankruptcy Court issued an order 

6 denying a stay pending appeal on September 1,2015. (Notice of Appeal at 1; see also 

7 Appellee's Req. Judicial Notice, Ex. B.) According to Rule 8002(a), Appellant's 

8 deadline to file a notice of appeal was fourteen days later, on September 15,2015. 

9 Appellant did not file her Notice of Appeal until September 18,2015. The appeal is 

10 therefore untimely and this Court lacks jurisdiction to hear the matter. The Motion to 

11 Dismiss is GRANTED and the Appeal is DISMISSED. 

12 CONCLUSION 

13 Appellant's Motion to Proceed IFP is GRANTED. Appellee's Motion to Dismiss 

14 is GRANTED. The appeal is therefore DISMISSED as untimely. The Clerk may close 

15 the case. 

16 IT IS SO ORDERED. 

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Dated: November ~ 2015 

on. . Benitez 

United States District Judge 

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J5-cv-209J-BEN (KSC) 

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