NO T F O R P UB LICATIO N IN W EST' S HAWAI # I REP O RTS AND P ACIF IC REP O RTER

NO. CAAP-20-0000463

IN THE INTERMEDIATE COURT OF APPEALS
O F THE STATE OF HAWAI # I

GORDON KLASSEN as Trustee of the Gordon Klassen Living Trust dated November 5, 2012 and BRENDA KLASSEN as Trustee of the Brenda Klassen Living Trust dated November 5, 2012, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. H eirs and/or assigns of INOA (k), aka

AINOA (k), deceased, Heirs and/or assigns of KALAMANU (k), deceased, Heirs and/or assigns of MARY MIRANDA, aka

MARY TRASK, deceased, Heirs and/or assigns of HATTIE HUDDY, aka HARRIET HUDDY, aka HATTIE TRASK and HARRIET TRASK, deceased, Heirs and/or assigns of BERYLE MAPUANA

BRUHN, deceased, Heirs and/or assigns of PAUL JAMES BRUHN, aka P AUL JAMES BRUHN, JR., deceased, PAUL MILIAKEALA BRUHN-LEONI, ELIZABETH K. WALLWORK, aka ELIZABETH KANOENA MUNDON, H eirs and/or assigns of JAMES HUDDY, JR., deceased, JAMES HUDDY, III, H eirs and/or assigns of ANNA HUDDY ORTIZ, deceased, S ANFORD L. HUDDY, Heirs and/or assigns of ELIZABETH HUDDY COCKETT, aka

ELIZABETH L. COCKETT, deceased, Heirs and/or assigns of ABRAHAM HUDDY, deceased, Heirs and/or assigns of DAVID HUDDY, deceased, Heirs and/or assigns of CHARLA HUDDY LUM, aka CHARLA ANN HAUNANI HUDDY, and CHARLA DERVILY, deceased, H eirs and/or assigns of JOHN A. TRASK, aka

J OHN AKIMA TRASK, deceased, H eirs and/or assigns of ANNIE APO aka ANNIE TRASK and ANNIE MIRANDA, deceased, Electronically Filed Intermediate Court of Appeals CAAP-20-0000463 06-JUN-2024 07:50 AM Dkt. 74 SONO T F O R P UB LICATIO N IN W EST' S HAWAI # I REP O RTS AND P ACIF IC REP O RTER
Heirs and/or assigns of HAZEL APO GROSS, aka ANNIE HAZEL APO, HAZEL APO, ANNIE HAZEL SHIN, and

HAZEL A. SHIN, deceased Heirs and/or assigns of ALMIRA KAWAILIULA APO, aka ALMIRA APO and ALMIRA KAUAILIULA#O#MANA O GOTO TANIGUCHI DUSENBERRY, deceased, ANNIE W. LACRO, CLIFFORD K. APO, HARTWELL P. APO, LANI APO, aka LANI KAEO APO; MITCHEL K. APO,

DALPHIN A.K. APO TREMAINE, DAPHNE A.K. APO NAWAI, aka DAPHNE ALYCE KAWAIULAILIAHI NAWAI, KATHERINE EASTMAN, A SHLEY L. APO, CODY K. APO, Heirs and/or assigns of DAVID ILIILII TRASK, deceased, Heirs and/or assigns of NANCY TRASK NAUKANA, aka NANCY TRASK NAUKANA, aka NANCY TRASK and

NANCY T. APO, deceased, Heirs and/or assigns of WILLIAM WERNER, JR. deceased, STATE OF HAWAI#I, Office of Hawaiian Affairs,

L VNV FUNDING LLC, COUNTY OF KAUAI, R OLAND STOER, SUSANNE SCHROEDER, owner and occupants of adjoining lands; (4)4-9-013-002 and JOHN DOES 1-100, JANE DOES 1-100, DOE PARTNERSHIPS 1-100,

DOE CORPORATIONS 1-100, DOE ENTITIES 1-100, DOE GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES 1-100 AND ALL OTHER UNKNOWN PERSONS CLAIMING ANY RIGHT, TITLE ESTATE, LIEN OR INTERESTS IN THE REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN THE C OMPLAINT ADVERSE TO PLAINTIFF'S TITLE, Defendants,

L EONAE RODRIGUES, Defendant-Appellant

APPEAL FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

(CIVIL NO. 14-1-0265
SUMMARY DISPOSITION ORDER (By: Leonard, Acting Chief Judge, Hiraoka and Nakasone, JJ.)

Defendant-Appellant Leonae Rodrigues ( Rodrigues ), selfrepresented, appeals from a June 29, 2020 Order Denying [Rodrigues's] "Motion the Court for Reconsideration on Hearing Below" Filed February 28, 2020 ( Order Denying Reconsideration ) entered by the Circuit Court of the Fifth Circuit ( Circuit
Court ). 1 On temporary remand from this court, on January 25, 2021, the Circuit Court entered an Amended Judgment, which is

1 The Honorable Kathleen N.A. Watanabe presided.
2NO T F O R P UB LICATIO N IN W EST' S HAWAI # I REP O RTS AND P ACIF IC REP O RTER

final and appealable pursuant to Hawai # i Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 54(b).

Rodrigues filed an Opening Brief, which we have carefully reviewed. However, Rodrigues's Opening Brief does not comply with the Hawai # i Rules of Appellate Procedure ( HRAP ) in numerous and important ways. See, e.g., HRAP Rules 28(b)(4), (7). We focus on the important infirmities because they hamper our review of her appeal. Rodrigues does not include any points of error or arguments that the Circuit Court erred in its rulings. Rodrigues does not include any citations to the record, including where she contends that the Circuit Court erred and where she raised her arguments or objections in the trial court. Rodrigues cites no statutes, rules, cases or other legal authorities supporting her contention that she is entitled to relief. Most fundamentally, Rodrigues makes no cogent argument that the Circuit Court erred in any way.

Hawai # i courts have long adhered to the policy of affording litigants the opportunity to be heard on the merits whenever possible. Morgan v. Planning Dep't, Cnty. of Kauai, 104 Hawai # i 173, 180-81, 86 P.3d 982, 989-90 (2004) (citing O'Connor v. Diocese of Honolulu, 77 Hawai # i 383, 386, 885 P.2d 361, 364 (1994)). In view of this longstanding policy, self-represented litigants like Rodrigues do not automatically have their access to appellate review foreclosed because of failure to conform to requirements of the procedural rules. Id. In that light, we have carefully reviewed Rodrigues's statements to the extent they

3NO T F O R P UB LICATIO N IN W EST' S HAWAI # I REP O RTS AND P ACIF IC REP O RTER

can be discerned. We nevertheless conclude that no relief can be granted on this appeal.

For these reasons, the Circuit Court's January 25, 2021 Amended Judgment is affirmed.

DATED: Honolulu, Hawai # i, June 6, 2024. On the briefs: /s/ Katherine G. Leonard Acting Chief Judge Leonae Rodrigues, Defendant-Appellant Pro Se
. /s/ Keith K. Hiraoka Associate Judge Glen T. Hale, for Plaintiffs-Appellees. /s/ Karen T. Nakasone Associate Judge

4