Opinion ID: 76013
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Summary Judgment on Counts I, II, V, and VI

Text: 15 Loren, Newbold, and Janke argue on appeal that the district judge erred in granting summary judgment to appellees on their claims relating to the chain-link fence, Counts I and II, and the For Sale sign, Counts V and VI. In the summary-judgment context, we have construed pro se pleadings more liberally than those of a represented party. Harris v. Ostrout, 65 F.3d 912, 915 (11th Cir.1995) (per curiam). Our court reviews the granting of summary judgment de novo  and appli[es] the same legal standards which bound the district court. Id. Summary judgment is appropriate if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c); Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323-24, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2553, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). The party opposing summary judgment must show that there is a genuine issue of material fact that precludes summary judgment and warrants trial. Fed. R. Civ. P 56(e); Clark v. Coats & Clark, Inc., 929 F.2d 604, 608 (11th Cir.1991). In determining whether a genuine issue of material fact remains for trial, courts must view all evidence and make all reasonable inferences in favor of the party opposing summary judgment. Harris, 65 F.3d at 915. A mere `scintilla' of evidence supporting the opposing party's position will not suffice; there must be enough of a showing that the jury could reasonably find for that party. Walker v. Darby, 911 F.2d 1573, 1577 (11th Cir.1990).
16 Loren, Newbold, and Janke argue that appellees discriminated against them by denying their application for a chain-link fence in their front yard because this fence was a reasonable modification of their property to permit the handicapped residents, Newbold and Janke, a safe and equal opportunity for full enjoyment of the premises under the Fair Housing Act. They assert that the chain-link fence was reasonable to allow Janke time outdoors with her guide dog without the possibility of her wandering from the premises and to prevent her guide dog from biting individuals who might come onto the property. They further represent that the front yard provides a more scenic space for her time outside than other parts of the lot. 17 Under the Fair Housing Act, a handicapped individual is one who has (1) a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of such person's major life activities, (2) a record of having such an impairment, or (3) be[en] regarded as having such an impairment. 42 U.S.C. § 3602(h)(1)-(3). The district judge correctly considered Newbold and Janke to be handicapped under the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits 18 (A) a refusal to permit, at the expense of the handicapped person, reasonable modifications of existing premises occupied or to be occupied by such person if such modifications may be necessary to afford such person full enjoyment of the premises .... [or] 19 (B) a refusal to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services, when such accommodations may be necessary to afford such person equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling .... 20 42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(A) & (B) (emphasis added); Fla. Stat. § 760.23(9)(a) & (b) (identical statutory wording). 21 The Supreme Court has decided that discrimination under the Fair Housing Act includes a refusal to make a reasonable accommodation for handicapped persons. City of Edmonds v. Oxford House, Inc., 514 U.S. 725, 729-30, 115 S.Ct. 1776, 1779, 131 L.Ed.2d 801 (1995). Whether a requested accommodation is required by law is `highly fact-specific, requiring case-by-case determination.' Groner v. Golden Gate Gardens Apartments, 250 F.3d 1039, 1044 (6th Cir.2001) (citation omitted). Under the Fair Housing Act, plaintiffs have the burden of proving that a proposed accommodation is reasonable. Groner, 250 F.3d at 1045; Bryant Woods Inn, Inc. v. Howard County, Md., 124 F.3d 597, 603-04 (4th Cir. 1997); Elderhaven, Inc. v. City of Lubbock, Tex., 98 F.3d 175, 178 (5th Cir.1996). 22 There is no evidence in this record that Hernando Beach, Inc., HBSPOA, or Sasser discriminated against appellants by denying their request for a chain-link fence in their front yard. Appellants failed to introduce any evidence that other houses in the deed-restricted subdivision have been permitted to construct fences on the front of their lots. Appellees informed appellants that they would approve construction of a chain-link fence on the back or the side of their house. For the specific reasons of preventing Janke from wandering from the premises, prohibiting her guide dog from biting anyone entering onto the premises, and enabling Newbold and Janke the ability to be outside unsupervised, a chain-link fence on the back or side of the house would accomplish the same purposes by providing an opportunity to be outdoors safely in accordance with the deed restrictions of the subdivision. While a chain-link fence on the back or side yard of their property may not be appellants' preference, it nevertheless would be a reasonable accommodation for the asserted needs of the handicapped appellants. We conclude that the district judge properly granted summary judgment to appellees on Counts I and II relating to the front-yard, chain-link fence because appellants have not established a genuine issue of material fact to show that appellees discriminated against them in violation of the Fair Housing Act by denying their application for a front-yard, chain-link fence. Significantly, a reasonable accommodation, compliant with the deed restrictions of the subdivision, was available to serve the stated purposes of appellants.
23 Appellants complain that HBSPOA's denying permission to post a For Sale sign in their front yard to expedite sale of their house with potential judicial enforcement of the deed restriction barring display of signs on the subdivision lots constituted state action and thereby denied appellants' rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments. To succeed on a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claim, a plaintiff must show that the violative conduct was committed by a person acting under the color of state law and that the conduct deprived a person of rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States. Parratt v. Taylor, 451 U.S. 527, 535, 101 S.Ct. 1908, 1913, 68 L.Ed.2d 420 (1981); Fullman v. Graddick, 739 F.2d 553, 561 (11th Cir. 1984). State action requires that the defendant acted under color of state law at the relevant time. Almand v. DeKalb County, Ga., 103 F.3d 1510, 1513 (11th Cir.1997). Actions by private organizations may be considered state action only if[ ] there is such a `close nexus between the State and the challenged action' that seemingly private behavior `may be fairly treated as that of the State itself.' Brentwood Academy v. Tennessee Secondary Sch. Athletic Ass'n, 531 U.S. 288, 295, 121 S.Ct. 924, 930, 148 L.Ed.2d 807 (2001) (quoting Jackson v. Metropolitan Edison Co., 419 U.S. 345, 351, 95 S.Ct. 449, 453, 42 L.Ed.2d 477 (1974)). 24 Appellant's argument, that the threat of judicial enforcement of the deed restriction constitutes state action, is unavailing. Although the Supreme Court has held that the enforcement of a racially restrictive covenant constitutes state action, Shelley v. Kraemer, 334 U.S. 1, 19-20, 68 S.Ct. 836, 845, 92 L.Ed. 1161 (1948), Shelley has not been extended beyond race discrimination, Davis v. Prudential Secs., Inc., 59 F.3d 1186, 1191(11th Cir.1995). The record in this case clarifies that Sasser, Hernando Beach Inc., and HBSPOA were not acting under state law. See Sofarelli v. Pinellas County, 931 F.2d 718, 723 (11th Cir.1991) (recognizing that the conduct of private individuals does not rise to the level of state action). Therefore, summary judgment correctly was granted to appellees on Counts V and VI relating to the For Sale sign because appellants failed to establish state action required for a cause of action under § 1983. 25 B. Sufficiency of the Evidence to Support the Jury Verdict on Counts III and IV 26 Appellants allege various evidentiary errors committed by the district judge in conducting the trial of this case on Counts III and IV relating to their application for construction of a deck and wheelchair ramp on the front of their house. We review a challenge to sufficiency of the evidence de novo; we view the facts and inferences therefrom in the light most favorable to the plaintiff and determine whether the evidence is so overwhelmingly in favor of the [defendant] that reasonable jurors could not arrive at a contrary verdict. Adams v. Sewell, 946 F.2d 757, 764 (11th Cir.1991), overruled on other grounds, McKinney v. Pate, 20 F.3d 1550, 1558 (11th Cir.1994) (en banc). Appellants, however, failed to provide a copy of the trial transcript in the appellate record in compliance with Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 10(b)(1) & (2). See 11th Cir. R. 10-1. 27 Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 10(b)(2) provides that [i]f the appellant intends to urge on appeal that a finding or conclusion is unsupported by the evidence or is contrary to the evidence, the appellant must include in the record a transcript of all evidence relevant to that finding or conclusion. Fed. R.App. P. 10(b)(2). The record shows that appellants attempted to order the trial transcript on the same day that they filed a motion to proceed in forma pauperis on appeal. R7-161, 162. The district judge denied their in forma pauperis motion because appellants' indigence had not been established, and it appeared to the judge that they were attempting to obtain a free trial transcript for which they were not eligible. Appellants have neither moved to proceed in forma pauperis in this court nor provided the trial transcript in the appellate record. Accordingly, we cannot review whether any evidentiary errors were committed by the district judge during the trial of this case, and we must affirm the district court when an appellant fails to provide all the evidence that the trial court had before it when making various contested evidentiary rulings. Borden, Inc. v. Florida East Coast Ry. Co., 772 F.2d 750, 758 (11th Cir.1985). 28 The appellant in Borden was not a pro se litigant, and our court has not used Rule 10(b)(2) for pro se litigants who have failed to provide trial transcripts for review on appeal. The Fifth and Ninth Circuits, however, have applied Rule 10(b)(2) to preclude review when pro se litigants have not supplied trial transcripts in the appellate record. See Richardson v. Henry, 902 F.2d 414, 415-16 (5th Cir.1990) (holding that the failure of an appellant to provide a trial transcript is grounds for dismissal of the appeal notwithstanding inability to pay for it); Syncom Capital Corp. v. Wade, 924 F.2d 167, 169 (9th Cir.1991) (per curiam) (`Because [appellant] did not provide a transcript of the trial, this court cannot properly review this case on appeal.' (alteration in original) (citation omitted)). Despite construction leniency afforded pro se litigants, we nevertheless have required them to conform to procedural rules. Brooks v. Britton, 669 F.2d 665, 666-67 (11th Cir.1982) (holding that pro se litigants are required to move timely for extension of time in order to file a late notice of appeal pursuant to Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 4(a)(5)). We agree with the reasoning of the Fifth and Ninth Circuits regarding pro se litigants' failing to provide trial transcripts for appellate review, which we adopt. Therefore, we also hold in this circuit that pro se appellants, like appellants represented by counsel, must provide trial transcripts in the appellate record to enable this court to review challenges to sufficiency of the evidence. Accordingly, we affirm the district judge's trial rulings regarding Counts III and IV relating to appellants' application for construction of a deck and wheelchair ramp on the front of their home.