HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022CV30661 - Sanctuary Field Neighborhood Network, Et Al, V. Council Of The City Of Fort Collins - 026 - Order Deny Motion To StrikeDISTRICT COURT, LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO
Court Address:
201 La Porte Ave., Suite 100
Fort Collins, CO 80521
Plaintiffs: Sanctuary Field Neighborhood Network, a
Colorado nonprofit corporation; and Miranda Spindel
v.
Defendants: City Council of the City of Fort Collins,
Solitaire Homes East, LLC, and
Solitaire Homes, LLC
Andrew Pipes, #53233
Frascona, Joiner, Goodman and Greenstein, P.C.
4750 Table Mesa Drive
Boulder, CO 80305
Phone Number: 303-494-3000
Fax #: 303-494-6309
E-mail: andrew@frascona.com
COURT USE ONLY
_________________________
Case Number: 2022CV030661
Div. 5A Ctrm:
MOTION TO STRIKE SOLITAIRE’S SUPPLEMENT TO ITS ANSWER BRIEF
Plaintiffs Sanctuary Field Neighborhood Network, a Colorado nonprofit corporation
(“SFNN”), and Miranda Spindel (“Miranda,” and together with SFNN, the “Plaintiffs”), by and
through their undersigned attorney hereby submit this Motion to Strike Solitaire’s Supplement to
its Answer Brief as follows:
On October 4, 2022, Plaintiffs filed this action and subsequently filed their Opening Brief
on January 30, 2023. On March 6, 2023, the Defendant and Intervenors filed their Answer Briefs,
pursuant to C.R.C.P. 106(a)(4)(VII). Shortly thereafter, Plaintiffs filed their Reply Brief, which
noted a discrepancy in a certain page that was referenced in the Defendant’s and Intervenors’
Answer Briefs but was not contained in the record. On April 1, 2023, Defendant filed an
Unopposed Motion to Amend the Record, which was subsequently granted. Now, the Intervenors
are attempting to supplement their Answer Brief, presumably under C.R.C.P. 15(d), without
DENIED BY COURT
05/17/2023
STEPHEN JOHN JOUARD
District Court Judge
DATE FILED: May 17, 2023 3:01 PM
CASE NUMBER: 2022CV30661
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seeking leave from this Court or conferring with Plaintiffs, in violation of C.R.C.P. 121 § 1-15(8).
As a result of the Intervenors’ refusal to adhere to the Rules of Civil Procedure, Plaintiffs
respectfully request that this court strike the Intervenors’ improper Supplement to its Answer Brief
(the “Supplement”).
C.R.C.P. 12(f) permits a party to ask the court to strike any pleading, motion or other paper
that is deemed redundant, immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous. C.R.C.P. 106(a)(4)(VII)
provides the parties a timeline and process for filing briefs to the court. Therefore, any supplements
thereto, which are not contained in Rule 106, is only permitted by right via a Rule of Civil
Procedure or upon leave of this Court.
Without more, the Supplement is not permitted by right under Rule 106 and thus, appears
to constitute either an amended pleading under Rule 15(d) or a surreply. Regardless of the
Supplement’s categorization, the Intervenor must seek leave from this Court. See C.R.C.P. 15(d)
(“Upon motion of a party the court may, upon reasonable notice and upon such terms as are just,
permit him to serve a supplemental pleading setting forth transactions or occurrences or events
which have happened since the date of the pleading sought to be supplemented.”). See also Olson
v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 174 P.3d 849, 860 (Colo. App. 2007) (A trial court has discretion
to deny the request for a surreply.); Giguere v. SJS Family Enterprises, Ltd., 155 P.3d 462, 471
(Colo. App. 2006) (Party’s can preserve their position by seeking leave to file a surreply.); C.A.R.
28.1(f) (“No further briefs may be filed except with leave of court.”). Therefore, the Supplement
was filed without any procedural right or permission from this Court.
Further, the Intervenors compounded their procedural defect by failing to confer or
otherwise provide Plaintiff notice of the Supplement, in direct contradiction to C.R.C.P. 121 § 1-
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15(8). Thus, the Intervenors’ procedural failures render the Supplement improper and Plaintiffs
request that it be stricken from the record pursuant to C.R.C.P. 12(f).
WHEREFORE, Plaintiffs respectfully request that this Court grant Plaintiffs’ motion and
strike the Supplement along with any other relief as this Court deems just and proper under the
circumstances.
Dated: April 6, 2023.
Respectfully submitted,
Frascona, Joiner, Goodman and Greenstein, P.C.
/s/ Andrew Pipes
Andrew Pipes, Atty. Reg. No. 53233
4750 Table Mesa Drive
Boulder, Colorado 80305-5500
(303) 494-3000
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
The undersigned hereby certifies that on April 6, 2023, a true and correct copy of the
foregoing MOTION TO STRIKE SOLITAIRE’S SUPPLEMENT TO ITS ANSWER BRIEF
was served via Colorado Courts E-Filing on the parties as listed below:
Attorneys for Defendant
Corey Y. Hoffmann, No. 24920
Katharine J. Vera, No. 53995
Firm: Hoffmann, Parker, Wilson & Carberry, P.C.
511 16th Street, Suite 610
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: (303) 825-6444
E-mail: cyh@hpwclaw.com
kjv@hpwclaw.com
Attorneys for Proposed Intervenors,
Solitaire Homes East, LLC and Solitaire
Homes, LLC
Ballard Spahr LLP
Andrew J. Petrie
Andrew Valencia
1225 17th St., Ste. 2300
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 292-2400
petriea@ballardspahr.com
valenciaa@ballardspahr.com
/s/ Scarlet Ramirez___________
Scarlet Ramirez, Paralegal