Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_13-cv-00565/USCOURTS-casd-3_13-cv-00565-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 15:1681 Fair Credit Reporting Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ANGELA SCHNEIDER,

Plaintiff,

v.

WELLS FARGO, STEAMBOAT

PARTNERS, LLC,

Defendants. 

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Civil No. 13cv0565 JAH(DHB)

ORDER GRANTING

DEFENDANT’S UNOPPOSED

MOTION TO DISMISS [DOC. # 7]

AND VACATING HEARING DATE

INTRODUCTION

Pending before the Court is the motion to dismiss filed by defendant Wells Fargo

Bank, N.A. (erroneously sued as Wells Fargo) (“defendant”) for failure to state a claim

against defendant upon which relief may be granted pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) of the

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Plaintiff did not file an opposition to the motion. After

a careful review of defendant’s motion, this Court GRANTS defendant’s unopposed

motion to dismiss and vacates the date set for hearing the motion.

BACKGROUND

Plaintiff, appearing pro se, filed the instant complaint on March 11, 2013, seeking

damages based on defendant’s alleged violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15

U.S.C. § 1681, et seq., the Federal Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1692, et seq.

and California’s Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1788-

1788.33. See Doc. # 1 at 1. Defendant filed the instant motion to dismiss plaintiff’s 

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complaint on May 2, 2013. Doc. # 7. As of the date of this order, no opposition or other

response has been filed by plaintiff.

DISCUSSION

Defendant’s unopposed motion to dismiss seeks dismissal of the action for failure

to state a claim. The Ninth Circuit has held that a district court may properly grant a

motion to dismiss as unopposed pursuant to a local rule where the local rule permits, but

does not require the granting of a motion for failure to respond. See, generally, Ghazali v.

Moran, 46 F.3d 52, 53 (9th Cir. 1995) (per curiam) (affirming dismissal for failure to

timely file opposition papers). Civil Local Rule 7.1(f.3.c) expressly provides that “[i]f an

opposing party fails to file the papers in the manner required by Local Rule 7.1(e.2), that

failure may constitute a consent to the granting of that motion or other request for ruling

by the court.” 

 Prior to granting an unopposed motion for dismissal, the Court must weigh the

following factors: “(1) the public’s interest in expeditious resolution of litigation; (2) the

court’s need to manage its docket; (3) the risk of prejudice to the defendants; (4) the

public policy favoring disposition of cases on their merits; and (5) the availability of less

drastic sanctions.” Ghazali, 46 F.3d at 53 (quoting Henderson v. Duncan, 779 F.2d

1421, 1423 (9th Cir. 1986)). The Ninth Circuit has recognized that the first and fourth

factors cut in opposite directions. See Yourish v. California Amplifier, 191 F.3d 983, 990

(9th Cir. 1999) (first factor always weighs in favor of dismissal); Hernandez v. City of El

Monte, 138 F.3d 393, 401 (9th Cir. 1998) (fourth factor counsels against dismissal). 

After a review of the record, this Court finds that the second factor weighs in favor

of dismissal. As the court noted in Yourish, the routine noncompliance of litigants should

not prevent the court from managing its docket. Yourish, 191 F. 3d 990. Plaintiff failed

to comply with one of the most basic requirements of litigation and, to date, offers no

excuse for failing to respond to defendants’ motion to dismiss. The fact that plaintiff has 

yet to make any attempt to address the motion to dismiss also supports a finding of

prejudice towards defendant and weighs in favor of dismissal. Finally, with respect to

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whether less drastic measures have been considered, in the interest of lessening the

sanction imposed on plaintiff, the Court will grant defendant’s motion to dismiss without

prejudice. Thus, this Court finds the factors weigh heavily in favor of granting defendant’s

motion to dismiss.

CONCLUSION AND ORDER

Based on the foregoing, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Defendant’s motion to dismiss [doc. # 7] is GRANTED; 

2. The claims against defendant Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. contained in the

instant complaint are DISMISSED without prejudice; and

3. The date of June 17, 2013 set for hearing defendant’s motion is VACATED.

Dated: June 10, 2013

 

JOHN A. HOUSTON

United States District Judge

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