Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_06-cv-04842/USCOURTS-cand-4_06-cv-04842-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

OAKLAND DIVISION

VANCE S. ELLIOT,

Plaintiff,

 v.

SAN FRANCISCO RESIDENTIAL

RENT STABILIZATION and

ARBITRATION BOARD,

Defendant. 

No. C 06-04842 SBA

and Related Case:

No. C 07-04446 SBA

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE

[Docket Nos. 35, 39 & 46]

On August 4, 2006, pro se plaintiff Vance E. Elliot filed suit against defendant San Francisco

Residential Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Board (the “Board”). See Docket No. 1. He then

filed amended complaints on October 27, and November 8 and 29, 2006. See Docket Nos. 6, 9, and

entry dated 11/29/2006. He claimed the Board’s Uniform Visitor Policy violated the Fourteenth

Amendment by circumscribing visitors to single resident only (SRO) residences to between the

hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Docket No. 6 at 2. The Board Answered on December 5, 2006. 

See Docket No. 10. Despite this, Elliot filed three more amended complaints on January 17 and 18

and February 27, 2007. See Docket entries for these dates. 

On April 4, 2007 the Court issued a scheduling order, setting a discovery cutoff for

November 1, 2007, a motion cutoff for January 8, 2008, a pretrial conference for February 12, 2008,

and a jury trial for February 25, 2008. Docket No. 20. The Court also ordered the parties to hold a

mandatory settlement conference between from January 9 through 18, 2008. Id. 

Two days later, on April 6, 2007, the Court referred this matter to Magistrate Judge Brazil

for settlement purposes. See Docket entry for 4/6/07. On April 9, 2007, the ADR Clerk set a

telephone conference for April 18, 2007. See Docket No. 19. Elliott failed to participate. Docket

entry for 4/18/07. The ADR clerk set an in-person conference for May 1, 2007. Docket No. 22. 

Elliot appeared. See Docket entry for 5/1/07. 

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On June 26, 2007, Elliot filed a complaint against the Board, in case number MC-07-80166

(“80166”), which was assigned to Judge Vaughn R. Walker, see Docket No. 1-80166. Elliot raised

the same allegations he made in this matter. See id. On August 28, 2007, 80166 was terminated and

redesignated as C-07-04446 (“4446”), which was assigned to Judge Martin J. Jenkins. see Docket

No. 1-4446, see Docket entry for 8/28/2007, in 80166.

On October 3, 2007, on the Board’s motion [Docket No. 25], the Court related this matter to

cases 4446. See Docket No. 28. This same day, the Board filed an Answer in 4446. See Docket

No. 9-4446.

On October 10, 2007, Magistrate Judge Brazil sent notice to the parties setting a settlement

conference for January 17, 2008, and a deadline of January 8, 2008 for confidential settlement

statements. See Docket No. 29. On October 12, 2007, the Court referred 4446 to Magistrate Judge

Brazil for settlement. See Docket No. 30. On October 26, 2007, Magistrate Judge Brazil sent notice

to the parties joining 4446 with the existing settlement conference and statement schedule. See

Docket No. 32. 

On December 5, 2007, the Court set hearings on the Board’s two motions for February 26,

2008. See Docket No. 41. On December 10, 2007, Elliot filed an amended complaint in case 4446. 

See Docket entry for 12/10/2007, in 4446.

On January 18, 2008, Magistrate Judge Brazil issued an Order to Show Cause regarding

sanctions for Elliot’s failure to appear on January 17 or file any statement. See Docket No. 42. 

Elliot was ordered to file and serve a statement by February 8, 2008, explaining his failure to file a

settlement statement or appear at the conference, and to appear on February 15, 2008, before the

Magistrate Judge to explain his actions. Id. at ¶¶ 1-2. 

On February 20, 2008, Magistrate Judge Brazil issued a Report and Recommendation

Following Show Cause Hearing, recommending the Court dismiss both of Elliot’s matters, as he was

failing to prosecute his action, as he had not filed a statement or appeared, in response to the

January 18 Order to Show Cause. See Docket No. 46. 

In addition to Elliot’s failure to participate in the settlement proceedings, on November 29,

2007, the Board filed a motion to dismiss this matter for lack of standing. See Docket No. 35. This

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same day, the Board filed a motion to consolidate matter 04446 with this matter. See Docket No. 39. 

On December 5, 2007, the Court set hearings on the Board’s two motions for February 26, 2008. 

See Docket No. 41. The Court’s Order for Pretrial Preparation, filed April 4, 2007, warns the

parties, “The failure of the opposing party to file a memorandum of points and authorities in

opposition to any motion shall constitute a consent to the granting of the motion.” Docket No. 20

at 2:11-12. Elliot has not filed oppositions to the Board’s two motions. 

Accordingly, it is ORDERED that:

(1) Plaintiff shall appear in Courtroom 3 of the United States Courthouse, 1301

Clay Street, Oakland, California, on March 13, 2008, at 4:00 p.m., to show

cause why the above-captioned case and its related case should not be

dismissed without prejudice for (1) failure to comply with the Court’s order

and/or for failure to prosecute; and/or (2) failure to oppose the Board’s motion

to dismiss [Docket No. 35].

(2) At least ten days prior to the above hearing, Plaintiff must file a “Certificate

of Plaintiff” with the Clerk of the Court, to explain why the case and the

related case should or should not be dismissed for (1) failure to comply with

the Court’s order and/or failure to prosecute; and/or (2) failure to oppose the

Board’s motion to dismiss [Docket No. 35]. The Certificate shall set forth the

nature of the cause, its present status, the reason it has not been brought to

trial or otherwise terminated, any basis for opposition to dismissal by any

party, and its expected course if not dismissed. 

(3) Please take notice that this Order requires both the specified court appearance

and the filing of the Certificate of Plaintiff. Failure to fully comply with this

order will be deemed sufficient grounds to dismiss the action and the related

action.

(4) Any party to this action or the related action, other than plaintiff, may file a

statement, as described in paragraph (2), or appear at the hearing set in paragraph (1),

to argue why this action and the related action should not be dismissed.

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(5) The hearings set for February 26, 2008, at 1:00 p.m., for the Board’s Motion to

Dismiss For Lack of Standing [Docket No. 35] and Motion to Consolidate Cases

[Docket No. 36] are VACATED.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

February 27, 2008 _________________________________

Saundra Brown Armstrong 

United States District Judge

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

VANCE S ELLIOTT et al,

Plaintiff,

 v.

THE SAN FRANCISCO RENT AND

ARBITRATION et al,

Defendant. /

Case Number: CV06-04842 SBA 

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, the undersigned, hereby certify that I am an employee in the Office of the Clerk, U.S. District Court,

Northern District of California.

That on February 28, 2008, I SERVED a true and correct copy(ies) of the attached, by placing said

copy(ies) in a postage paid envelope addressed to the person(s) hereinafter listed, by depositing said

envelope in the U.S. Mail, or by placing said copy(ies) into an inter-office delivery receptacle located

in the Clerk's office.

Vance S. Elliott

The Baldwin House #227

74 Sixth Street

San Francisco, CA 94103

Dated: February 28, 2008

Richard W. Wieking, Clerk

By: LISA R CLARK, Deputy Clerk

Case 4:06-cv-04842-SBA Document 47 Filed 02/28/08 Page 5 of 5