2005 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 8-16-2005 

# C he n v . Ro chford P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 04-3153

F o llow thi s and a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2005

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e and ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2005 D e c i sion s b y an authori z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " C he n v . Rochfor d " (2005). 2005 D e cisio n s . P ape r 696. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2005/696NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT N O . 04- 3153

________________ S HI H- L I NG C HE N,

A ppel l ant V. EDW AR D V . RO CH FORD , Sh e r i f f o f M o rr i s Cou n ty ; * LAW REN CE W ASD YK E, M orr i s C ountySher i ff’ s D eputyO ffi cer , per s onal l yand i n hi s capa ci tyas a governm ent e m p lo y e e ; * R O F F , M o rris C o u n tyS h e rif f ’s D e p u tyO f

f ice r, p e rso n a llya n d in h is c a p a c itya s a g o v e rn m e n t em p lo y e e ; JO H N D O E 1 -1 0 ; JA N E D O E 1 -1 0 , M o rris C o u n ty S h e r i f f ’ s Of f i c e r s , i n th e i rc a p a c i tya s g o v e rn me n te mp l o y e e s a n d p e r s o n a l l y ; HAC K, P IR O , O ’D A Y , M E R K L IN G E R , W A L L A C E & M C K E N N A , personall y& as partners, A t t orneyforC i t i corp M or t gage I nc. ; A N G E L A J . M E N D E L SO H N , E SQ . , per s onal l yand a s a n e mp l o y e e f

o rHa c k , P i r o , O’ Da y , M e r k l i n g e r , W a l l a c e & M c Ke n n a ; BAER, A R B E ITE R ; P L O S H N IC K , T A N E N B A U M & W E ISS , personall yand as partners, A t t orney s forA l as ka Seaboa r d Par tner s ; J O H N F. K W A SN I K , E SQ . , per s onal l yand as a n e mp l o y e e f

o rBa e r , Arb e i t e r , P l o s h n i c k , T a n e n b a u m & We i s s ; DE UT CH & F L AK, P C, p e r s o n a l l ya n d a s p a r tn e r s , At t o rn e yf o rAl a s k a S e a b o a r d P a r tn e r s ; KENNET H C. M A C K E N Z I E , N J Super i orC our t , per s onal l yand as an empl oy ee f orN ew J er s ey Super i orC our t ; W I L L C O L L I E R , Sal es A s s oci at es / For ecl os ur e Speci al i s t , per s onal l yand a s a n e m p lo y e e f

o r A m e ric a n R e a ltyS e rv ice s G ro u p ; S H E R Y L F E IN S T E IN , T h ird p a rty s h e r i f f s a l e p u r c h a s e r1 3 Bi r c h Tr e e La n e , Li v i n g s t o n , NJ ; CI TI CO RP M OR TGA GE, I NC . ; ALA SKA SEABO AR D PA RTN ERS, Li mi t e d Pa r tn e r s h i p ; SECURI TY NAT I ONAL ; GI RA RD S AVI NGS BA NK; WI L S HI RE CR E DI T CO RP OR AT I ON; U N K N O W N J O H N D O E S, 1- 15; U N K N O W N J A N E D O E S, 1- 15 *( A m ended i n acc or dance w i th C l erk’ s O r derdat ed 8/ 30/ 04)

____________________________________ O n A p p ea l Fro m the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt Forthe D i s tr i ctof N ew J er s ey ( D . N . J . C i v. N o. 03- cv- 00417 ) D istri ct Ju d g e: H o n o rab le W il li am G . B assler

_______________________________________2 Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

FE B R U A R Y 18, 2005 B efore: R O T H , M C K E E A N D A M B R O , C i rcui tJudg es.

( Fi l ed : A ugus t16, 2005)

_______________________

OP I NI ON

_______________________ P E R C UR I AM A ppel l antShi h- L i ng C hen fi l ed a c om pl ai nti n the U ni t ed St at es D i s tr i ctC our tfor the D i s tr i ctof N ew J er s eyagai ns tnum er ous defe ndant s , al l egi ng cons t i tut i onal vi ol at i ons and vi ol at i ons of fe der al s t atut es and s t at e l aw i n connec t i on w i th the for ecl os ur e s al e of hi s pr operty . T he D i s tr i ctC our tdi s m i s s ed the compl ai nt , and deni ed C hen’ s s ubs equent m ot i on forr econs i der at i on. Forthe r eas ons di s cus s ed bel ow , w e conc l ude thatw e l ack appel l at e j ur i s di ct i on t o r evi ew the D i s tr i ctC our t ’ s or der s beca us e C hen’ s appea l w as unt i m el yfi l ed. A f ter C h e n f

iled h is c o m p lain t in Ja n u a ry2 0 0 3 , se v e ra l d e f e n d a n ts m o v e d to di s m i s s i t . I n an or derent er ed O ct ober23, 2003, the D i s tr i ctC our tgr ant ed thes e mot i ons a n d d ism iss e d th e c o m p lain t w ith p re ju d ice a s to a d e f

e n d a n t itf

o u n d im m u n e f

ro m su it, and w i thoutpr ej udi ce a s t o t he otherdefe ndant s . O n N ovember12, 2003, C hen fi l ed a m ot i on forr econs i der at i on of the O ct ober23 or der , al l egi ng thatthe D i s tr i ctC our thad exD i s tr i ctof C ol um bi a C our tof A ppeal s v. Fel dm an, 460 U . S. 462, ( 1983) ; R ookerv. 1 F id. T rust C o . , 2 6 3 U . S . 4 1 3 (19 2 3 ). 3 part e comm uni cat i ons w i th a def endant , chal l engi ng i t s fi ndi ng of i m m uni ty , and ar gui ng th e m e rits o f

th e c o m p lain t. T h e o th e r d e f e n d a n ts m o v e d to d ism iss th e c o m p lain t. C oncl udi ng thatthe cl ai m s i n C hen’ s compl ai ntw er e pr emi s ed on conduc the u n su cc essf

u ll ych all en g ed in state co u rt , o n N o v em b er 2 6 , 2 0 0 3 , the D istri ct C o u rt di s m i s s ed the compl ai ntw i th pr ej udi ce a s t o al l defe ndant s beca us e i tl acke d s ubj ect m att erj ur i s di ct i on underthe R ooker - Fel dm an doctr i ne. T he D i s tr i ctC our tal s o gr ant ed 1 th e o th e rd e f

e n d a n t s ’ mo t i o n s t o d i s mi s s b a s e d u p o n th e i ri mm u n i tyf r o m s u i t . On D ece m ber11, 2003, the D i s tr i ctC our tent er ed an or derdeny i ng C hen’ s m ot i on for rec o n side rati o n o f it s O ctob er 2 3 o rde r. O n Ja n u a ry9 , 2 0 0 4 , C h e n f iled a p o st-ju d g m e n t m o tio n f o r re c o n sid e ra tio n , ag a in a lleg in g th a t th e D istric t C o u rt h a d e x p a rte c o m m u n ica tio n s w ith a d e f e n d a n t, chal l engi ng i t s fi ndi ng of i m m uni tyand ar gui ng the mer i t s of hi s compl ai nt . I n an or der ent er ed J une 28, 2004, the D i s tr i ctC our tdeni ed the mot i on, fi ndi ng i tunt i m el yand s t at i ng thati thad al r eadyaddr es s ed C hen’ s ar gum ent s i n deny i ng hi s N ovember12 m o tio n f o r re c o n sid e ra tio n o f

its O c to b e r 2 3 o rd e r. C h e n f iled a n o tice o f

a p p e a l o n Ju ly 26, 2004. A lth o u g h th e p a rties h a v e n o t ch a llen g e d th e tim e lin e ss o f C h e n ’s n o tice o f

a p p e a l, w e have a cont i nui ng obl i gat i on t o exami ne ourj ur i s di ct i on. Sm i th v. E vans , 853 F. 2dA s C h e n a g a in ra ise d th e iss u e o f th e D istric t C o u rt Ju d g e ’s a lleg e d e x p a rte 2 c o m m u n ica tio n s, o n w h ich re lief w a s p re v io u slyd e n ied , an d a rg u e d th a t th e d e f e n d a n ts ar e noti m m une, the J anuary9 m ot i on i s pr oper l ycons trued as a mot i on for r econs i der at i on underR ul e 59( e) , nota mot i on forr el i ef unde rR ul e 60( b) . See i d. ( expl ai ni ng thata R ul e 59( e) m ot i on i s a devi ce t o r el i t i gat e the or i gi nal i s s ue dec i ded by th e d is tr ic t c o u rt , a n d u s e d to a lle g e le g a l e rr o r) . 4 155, 157 ( 3d C i r . 1988) . T he D i s tr i ctC our tent er ed i t s fi nal or deron D ece m ber11, 2003, w h e n it d e n ie d C h e n ’s N o v e m b e r 1 2 m o tio n f o r r e c o n s id e ra tio n o f

its O c to b e r 2 3 o rd e r. A tthi s t i m e, the D i s tr i ctC our thad di s pos ed of a l l pendi ng m ot i ons and had a dj udi cat ed al l of C hen’ s cl ai m s agai ns tal l of the def endant s . C hen had thi r tyday s t o fi l e an a ppeal a b s e n t th e f

ilin g o f a tim e ly p o s t-

ju d g m e n t m o tio n th a t to lle d th e tim e to f ile a n a p p e a l. S e e F e d . R . A p p . P . 4 (a )( 1 )( A ), 4 (a )( 4 ). T he D i s tr i ctC our tpr oper l yfound C hen’ s J anuary9 m ot i on forr econs i der at i on unt i m el yunderFeder al R ul e of Ci vi l Pr ocedur e 59( e) beca us e i tw as fi l ed more than t en d a y s a f ter it en ter e d its f

in a l o rd e r. A n u n tim e lym o tio n f o r re c o n sid e ra tio n d o e s n o t to ll the tim e to f

il e a n ap p ea l. U n it ed S tat es v . F iorell i, 3 3 7 F . 3 d 2 8 2 , 2 8 8 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 3 ). 2 B e c a u se C h e n ’s J a n u a ry9 m o tio n h a s n o to lli n g e f f e c t, his n o tice o f

a p p e a l f iled o n Ju ly 26, 2004 – m or e than thi r tyday s aft erthe D i s tr i ctC our tent er ed i t s D ece m ber11 fi nal o rd e r, se e F e d . R . A p p . P . 4 (a )(1 )(A ) – is u n tim e ly . T h u s, th e C o u rt lac k s ju risd ictio n to r evi ew thi s or der . See B r ow derv. D i r ect or , D ep’ tof C orr ect i ons , 434 U . S. 257, 264 ( 1978) ( s t at i ng thatthe t i m e l i m i tforfi l i ng a not i ce of appea l i s m andat oryand ju risd ictio n a l). T o th e e x ten t C h e n se e k s to a p p e a l th e Ju n e 2 8 , 2 0 0 4 o rd e r d e n y in g h ism ot i on forr econs i der at i on, the C our tl acks j ur i s di ct i on beca us e anys ubs t ant i ve ac t i on a

cou rtt akes on an u nti m el ym oti on i s a null i ty . S m i th, 85 3 F . 2d at15 9. S ee al so A m at angel o v. B or ough of D onor a, 212 F. 3d 776, 780 ( 3d C i r . 2000) ( s t at i ng thatan u n tim e ly m o tio n f

o r r e c o n s id e ra tio n is “ v o id a n d o f n o e f f e c t” ). A c c o rd in g ly, w e w ill d is m is s th is a p p e a l f o r l a c k o f

a p p e lla te ju ri s d ic tio n .

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