Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_08-cv-01258/USCOURTS-caed-2_08-cv-01258-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Richard Martinez
Defendant
MetSun Two Carmichael CA Senior Living, LP
Plaintiff

Document Text:

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

METSUN TWO CARMICHAEL CA

SENIOR LIVING, LP,

No. 2:08-CV-1258-MCE-KJM

Plaintiff,

v. TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER

RICHARD MARTINEZ,

Defendant.

----oo0oo----

This matter came before the Court on Plaintiff MetSun Two

Carmichael CA Senior Living, LP's ("MetSun") Motion for a

Temporary Restraining Order on June 12, 2008. Eileen Diepenbrock

and Charlie Lee appeared on behalf of Plaintiff, MetSun. 

Defendant, Richard Martinez did not appear at the hearing despite

receiving notice from MetSun of the hearing.

Plaintiff moves for a temporary restraining order

restraining Defendant Richard Martinez from taking any action to

harm certain real property, and improvements thereon, that is at

the center of the related case, Martinez v. Martinez, Docket

No. 2:08-cv-00426-MCE-KJM.

Case 2:08-cv-01258-MCE-KJM Document 24 Filed 06/16/08 Page 1 of 6
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It appears from the record that Martinez's father and

stepmother owned the real property in question and sold the

property to MetSun in December of 2007. MetSun is currently

constructing a senior housing facility on the property. MetSun

now believes that Martinez will take some action to damage or

destroy their construction site if this Court does not enter a

temporary order restraining him or anyone else from doing so.

In the related case, Martinez is suing his parents with a

complaint that is largely incomprehensible, but alleges twentyeight causes of action including: obstruction of justice,

embracery, real estate fraud, hate crimes, spoliation of

evidence, larceny, and libel. Martinez’s threats against MetSun

appear to be in conjunction with this related case. It appears

from the record that Martinez believes he had an interest in the

property based on the fact he was not paid for construction work

performed on his parents' restaurant and other properties owned

by the family business. It also appears that Martinez will argue

that because he was never paid for the work performed, that he

somehow has an interest in the property.

The threats Martinez has made against MetSun are as follows:

• Sending the pleadings from the related case against his

parents to MetSun.

• Leaving four voice messages for MetSun threatening to

"bulldoze" the existing construction work if MetSun did

not halt the construction.

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Case 2:08-cv-01258-MCE-KJM Document 24 Filed 06/16/08 Page 2 of 6
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• Specifically, Martinez left one voicemail saying: "You

need to stop the construction there. I'm taking

photographs of the construction and if you don't stop

the work and you lose the lawsuit I'm going to bulldoze

it and you're going to be responsible. And I don't

care if I win I don't care what's there. I'm going to

bulldoze it and I'm going to build the restaurant."

• Sending MetSun a notice to settle or be named as a

co-defendant in the related case.

• Additionally, when Martinez received notice of the

hearing date for this temporary restraining order, he

left a voicemail for Plaintiff’s counsel threatening to

take civil and criminal action against her for pursuing

the temporary restraining order.

Issuance of a temporary restraining order, as a form of

preliminary injunctive relief, is an extraordinary remedy, and

plaintiffs have the burden of proving the propriety of such a

remedy by clear and convincing evidence. See Granny Goose Foods,

Inc. v. Teamsters, 415 U.S. 423, 442 (1974). In order to warrant

issuance of such relief, certain prerequisites must be satisfied. 

Under the so-called “traditional” standard, an injunction may be

had if the court determines that (1) the moving party will suffer

the possibility of irreparable injury if the relief is denied;

(2) there is a strong likelihood that the moving party will

prevail on the merits at trial; (3) the balance of potential harm

favors the moving party; and (4) the public interest favors

granting relief. Johnson v. Cal. State Bd. of Accountancy, 72

F.3d 1427, 1430 (9th Cir. 1995). 

Case 2:08-cv-01258-MCE-KJM Document 24 Filed 06/16/08 Page 3 of 6
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Under the “alternative” standard, an injunction properly issues

when a party demonstrates either: (1) a combination of probable

success on the merits and the possibility of irreparable injury

if relief is not granted; or (2) the existence of serious

questions going to the merits combined with a balancing of

hardships tipping sharply in favor of the moving party. Id., see

also Idaho Sporting Congress, Inc. v. Alexander, 222 F.3d 562,

565 (9th Cir. 2000); Earth Island Institute v. U.S. Forest

Service, 442 F.3d 1147, 1158 (9th Cir. 2006). The requirement

for showing a likelihood of irreparable harm increases or

decreases in inverse correlation to the probability of success on

the merits, with these factors representing two points on a

sliding scale. United States v. Nutri-cology, Inc., 982 F.2d

394, 397 (9th Cir. 1992).

The propriety of a temporary restraining order, in

particular, hinges on a significant threat of irreparable injury

(Simula, Inc. Autoliv, Inc., 175 F.3d 716, 725 (9th Cir. 1999))

that must be imminent in nature. Caribbean Marine Serv. Co. v.

Baldridge, 844 F.2d 668, 674 (9th Cir. 1988).

As to the question of immediacy, Martinez’s statements are

inconsistent. He threatens to “bulldoze” the work MetSun has

performed to date. At one instance he threatens to bulldoze the

property if he wins the lawsuit, but in the same message he

states he does not care if he wins or loses the lawsuit, he is

going to bulldoze the property. In light of the several messages

left by Mr. Martinez, this Court finds that the threat is

imminent.

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Plaintiff has met its burden of proof under both the

traditional and the alternative tests. The threatened injury is

that Martinez will demolish the work performed on MetSun’s

property. Although monetary damages may be available to MetSun,

it appears that Mr. Martinez is probably a judgment-proof party. 

Given that Mr. Martinez failed to oppose this application for the

temporary restraining order and failed to appear at the hearing,

this Court will accept as true that Martinez does not have

sufficient funds to compensate MetSun for the damage he is

threatening. Further, any delays caused by Mr. Martinez

bulldozing the property would likely result in delays to the

construction which could cause irreparable injuries to MetSun,

particularly in the current real estate market.

As to the likelihood of success on the merits, this factor

also weighs in MetSun’s favor because it appears that Martinez’s

claims are largely without merit. Finally, the balance of

hardships weighs in favor of MetSun. If Mr. Martinez bulldozes

the property, the delays to MetSun’s construction will cause

additional costs and expenses to MetSun and its contractors and

subcontractors. 

Based on consideration of the written and oral arguments of

the parties it is hereby ordered that a temporary restraining

order be entered, requiring that:

1. Richard Martinez shall be restrained from taking any

action that will harm MetSun's property located at 5451 Fair Oaks

Boulevard, Carmichael, California 95608 and any improvements

thereon;

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2. Richard Martinez shall be restrained and enjoined from

entering or ordering others to enter MetSun's property located at

5451 Fair Oaks Boulevard, Carmichael, California 95608 for the

purposes of injuring the property or improvements thereon, or

hindering and interfering with the ongoing construction

activities;

3. Richard Martinez shall remain at least one hundred

(100) yards from the perimeter of MetSun's property located at

5451 Fair Oaks Boulevard, Carmichael, California 95608; and

4. Richard Martinez shall cease any and all telephone

calls, facsimiles, e-mails or other forms of electronic

communications to any MetSun or Sunrise Senior Living,

Inc.-related entity or persons representing MetSun or Sunrise

Senior Living, Inc., including, without limitation, its counsel.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: June 16, 2008

_____________________________

MORRISON C. ENGLAND, JR.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 2:08-cv-01258-MCE-KJM Document 24 Filed 06/16/08 Page 6 of 6