Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_23-cv-01906/USCOURTS-caed-2_23-cv-01906-12/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 195
Nature of Suit: Contract Product Liability
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Product Liability

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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GREGORY RITTENHOUSE, and LINDA 

GAGE, individually and on behalf 

of all others similarly 

situated,

Plaintiffs,

v.

BLENDJET, INC., and RYAN 

PAMPLIN,

Defendants.

No. 2:23-cv-01906 WBS DB

ORDER RE: PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION 

FOR ALTERNATIVE SERVICE ON 

DEFENDANT RYAN PAMPLIN

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Plaintiffs Gregory Rittenhouse and Linda Gage seek

leave to serve defendant BlendJet’s CEO Ryan Pamplin (a) via 

first-class mail to BlendJet’s corporate headquarters, and (b)

via email at ryan@blendjet.com and support@blendjet.com. (Docket 

No. 47.) 1 Through their counsel, plaintiffs represent that they 

1 Pursuant to Local Rule 230(g), the court finds the 

motion suitable for decision on the papers without the need for 

oral argument and vacates the hearing on this motion which was 

scheduled for February 3, 2025.

Case 2:23-cv-01906-WBS-SCR Document 50 Filed 01/16/25 Page 1 of 2
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have not been able to serve Pamplin despite their best efforts to 

locate him. (Decl. of George A. Donnelly ¶¶ 1-5 (Docket No. 47-

1).)

Federal law requires that alternative service of 

process comply with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4 and 

“constitutional notions of due process.” Rio Props., Inc. v. Rio 

Int’l Interlink, 284 F.3d 1007, 1016-17 (9th Cir. 2002). In 

other words, alternative service “must be ‘reasonably calculated, 

under all the circumstances, to apprise interested parties of the 

pendency of the action and afford them an opportunity to present 

their objections.” Id. (quoting Mullane v. Cent. Hanover Bank & 

Trust Co., 339 U.S. 306, 314 (1950)).

Pursuant to that standard, the Ninth Circuit has upheld 

“alternative methods of service including publication, ordinary 

mail, mail to defendant’s last known address, delivery to the 

defendant’s attorney, telex, and most recently, email.” Rio 

Props., 284 F.3d at 1016. The court finds that plaintiffs’ 

suggested methods of alternative service are consistent with 

federal law.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that plaintiffs’ motion for 

alternative service on Pamplin (Docket No. 47) be, and the same 

hereby is GRANTED. Plaintiffs have ten days from the date of 

this Order to serve Pamplin in the manner consistent with this 

Order and to file a proof of such service with the court.

Dated: January 16, 2025

Case 2:23-cv-01906-WBS-SCR Document 50 Filed 01/16/25 Page 2 of 2