William Hancock v. Kulana Partners, LLC

FILED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS JUN 09 2017 FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK U.S. COURT OF APPEALS WILLIAM R. HANCOCK, individually No. 14-15233 and as Trustee of Hancock and Company, Inc. Profit Sharing Trust, under trust D.C. No. instrument April 3, 1993, 1:13-cv-00198-DKW-RLP District of Hawaii, Plaintiff-Appellant, Honolulu v. ORDER KULANA PARTNERS, LLC, a Hawaii Limited Liability Company; et al., Defendants-Appellees. Before: WALLACE, FARRIS, and WATFORD, Circuit Judges. The mandate issued in this case is hereby RECALLED. We WITHDRAW our previous memorandum disposition filed on November 7, 2016 (Dkt. 37) and replace it with the one filed concurrently with this order. IT IS SO ORDERED. FILED NOT FOR PUBLICATION JUN 09 2017 UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT WILLIAM R. HANCOCK, individually No. 14-15233 and as Trustee of Hancock and Company, Inc. Profit Sharing Trust, under trust D.C. No. instrument April 3, 1993, 1:13-cv-00198-DKW-RLP Plaintiff-Appellant, MEMORANDUM* v. KULANA PARTNERS, LLC, a Hawaii Limited Liability Company; et al., Defendants-Appellees. Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii Derrick Kahala Watson, District Judge, Presiding Argued and Submitted October 20, 2016 Honolulu, Hawaii Before: WALLACE, FARRIS, and WATFORD, Circuit Judges. William R. Hancock appeals from the district court’s judgment dismissing his claims for declaratory relief, injunctive relief, and trespass and ejectment. We * This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3. have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291. Having reviewed the relevant materials, we believe that a clarification of Hawaii law would resolve this case. Accordingly, we vacate the judgment and remand to the district court with instructions to certify the following questions to the Hawaii Supreme Court pursuant to Hawaii Rule of Appellate Procedure 13: 1. Whether a claim relating to a forged deed is subject to the statute of limitations for fraud? 2. Whether the recording of a deed provides constructive notice in an action for fraud? We are mindful that our framing of these questions does not limit the Hawaii Supreme Court’s “consideration of any issues that it determines are relevant” and that “it may in its discretion reformulate the question[s].” Cornhusker Cas. Ins. Co. v. Kachman, 514 F.3d 982, 989 (9th Cir. 2008). VACATED AND REMANDED. 2