HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017CV01 - Hoffman & Hunt V. City Of Fort Collins, Et Al - 025 - Final OrderMUNICIPAL COURT, FORT COLLINS, COLORADO
Case No.: 2017CIVIL01
FINAL ORDER
Plaintiffs:
COLLEEN HOFFMAN,
RICK HOFFMAI`z, and
ANN .HUNT.
V.
Defendants:
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS, the governing body of a Colorado
municipal corporations: and THE ADMINISTRATION BRANCH OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS, by and through its City Manager, Darin Atteberry, and
Defendant -Intervenor:
SUMMITT MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
THIS MATTER cones before the Court on Plaintiffs' Complaint filed pursuant to
Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure 106. Having reviewed the pleadings and all applicable
ordinances, substantive law and procedural law, the Court makes the following findings and
order:
1. On March 7.2017, Plaintiffs, Colleen Hoffman, Rick Hoffman, and Ann Hunt filed a
Complaint and Request for Injunctive Relief under C.R.C.P. 106 against the City Council of Fort
Collins and the Administrative Branch of the City of Fort Collins. Plaintiffs allege the City
Council abused its discretion. by affirming the Planning and Zoning Board's approval of the
Landmark Apartments Expansion Project Development Plan PDP 4160013.
Colorado Rule of Civil Procedure 106(4) provides:
(4) Where an governmental body or officer or any lower judicial body exercising
judicial or quasi-judicial functions has exceeded its jurisdiction or abused its discretion,
and there is no plain, speedy and adequate remedy otherwise provided by law:
(I) Review shall be limited to a determination of whether the body or officer has
exceeded its jurisdiction or abused its discretion, based on the evidence in the
record before the body or officer.
(II) Review pursuant to this subsection (4) shall be commenced by the filing of a
complaint. An answer or other responsive pleading shall then be filed in
accordance with the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure.
(Ill) if the complaint is accompanied by a motion and proposed order requiring
certification of the record, the court shall order the defendant body or officer to
file with the clerk on a specified date, the record or such portion of the transcript
thereof as is identified in the order, together with a certificate of authenticity. The
date for filing the record shall be after the date upon which an answer to the
complaint must be filed.
(IV) Within 21 days after the date of receipt of an order requiring certification of
a record. a defendant may file with the clerk a statement designating portions of
the record not set forth in the order which it desires to place before the court. The
cost of preparing the record shall be advanced by the plaintiff, except that the
court may, on. objection by the plaintiff, order a defendant to advance payment for
the costs of preparing such portion of the record designated by the defendant as
the court shall determine is unessential to a complete understanding of the
controversy; and upon a failure to comply with such order, the portions for which
the defendant has been ordered to advance payment shall be omitted from the
record. Any party may move to correct the record at any time.
(V) The proceedings before or decision of the officer may be stayed pursuant to
.Rule 65 of the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure.
(VI) Where claims other than claims under this Rule are properly joined in the
action, the court shall determine the manner and timing of proceeding with
respect to all claims.
(VII) A defendant required to certify a record shall give written notice to all
parties, simultaneously with filing, of the date of filing the record with the clerk.
The plaintiff shall file, and serve on all parties, an opening brief within 42 days
after the date on which the record was filed. If no record is requested by the
plaintiff the plaintiff shall file an opening brief within 42 days after the defendant
has served its answer upon the plaintiff. The defendant may file and serve an
answer brief' within 35 days after the service of the plaintiff's brief and the
plaintiff may fi.le and serve a reply brief to the defendants answer brief within 14
days after service ofthe answer brief:
(VIII) — The court may accelerate or continue any action which, in the discretion
of the court, requires acceleration or continuance.
(IX) In the event the court determines that the governmental body, officer or
judicial body has failed to make findings of fact or conclusions of law necessary
for a review of its action, the court may remand for the making of such findings of
fact or conclusions of law.
2. Plaintiffs' complaint was not accompanied by a motion and proposed order requiring
certification of the record and therefore, pursuant to section III, the Court did not order
Defendants to file with the clerk by a specified date, the record and a certificate of authenticity.
3. Un May 29, 2017. the Court ordered Plaintiffs to file a motion and proposed order
requiring certification of the record by no later than June 5, 2017. Plaintiffs did not file a motion
and proposed order by June- 5.2017.
4. Because Plaintiffs did not to file a motion and proposed order with their complaint or
file a motion and order by June 5, 2017 as ordered by the Court, the timeline for filing supporting
briefs set forth in C.R.C.P. 106 (a)(4)(VII) :is determined by the date Defendants served its
answers on Plaintiffs.
5. Defendant, City of Port Collins, served its answer on May 12, 2017 and Defendant,
Summit Management Services, served its answer on May 18, 2017. Applying the latest date of
May 1.8, 2017, Plaintiffs' opening brief was due by June 29, 2017. Defendants' answer briefs
would have been due by July 3) 1, 2017, and Plaintiffs' reply brief would have been due by
August 14, 2017.
6. The deadlines for filing supporting briefs under C.R.C.P. 106(a)(4)(VII) have expired.
7. The Court's review under section (a)(4) is limited to a determination of whether the
goveznn3e�ital body or officer leas exceeded its jurisdiction or abused its discretion, based on the
evidence in the record before the defendant body or officer. Covereel Bridge, .Inc. v. Town of
I i il, 197 P.ad 281 (Colo. App. 2008).
8. This Court does not have a certified record or a supporting brief from Plaintiffs for it
to conduct a meaningful review. "Meaningful review requires that there be a record that
accurately and fully reflects the evidence relied upon and the findings of fact and conclusions of
law from the agency's proceedings, so that the reviewing court is able to determine, upon the
state of the record before it, whether the agency's actions were arbitrary and capricious."
;Martinez v. Bd. of Comm 'rs of the Housing Auth. of'the City of Pueblo, 992 P.2d 692 (Colo.
App. 1999).
9. Plaintiffs filed their complaint over live months ago and with the exception of several
miscellaneous motions, Plaintiffs have failed to comply with C.R.C.P. 106(4) and properly
pursue their case.
IT 1S HEREBY ORDERED that this matter be DISMISSED with prejudice.
DATED this clay of , 2017.
BY TH COURT
B
eri R. Joneson, MunicippYtourt Judge
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I certify that on —9 1��_ [2O ( . 1 served the above and forgoing FINAL ORDER to the
following persons via electronic mail as follows:
Plaintiffs:
Colleen Hoffman
cohoff(a',comcast.net
Defendants:
Kimberly B. Schutt
kschutt(a77,wicklaw.com
Rick Hoffman
Rick-hoffmanrcomcast net
John R. Duval
iduvalL�#'cgov.com
Intervenors:
Martha Fitzgerald Carolynne C. White
mfitz<rerald@..bhfs.com cwhitegbhfs.com
Patty Netherton, Court Administrator
Ann Hunt
ARM@comcast.net
Gina L Tincher
gtincherta'�,bhfs.com