“Standing” In Unfamiliar Territory: Part Two in a Series on the California v. Texas Affordable Care Act Case

VIKRAM DAVID AMAR, EVAN CAMINKER, JASON MAZZONE

In this second of a series of columns on the latest prominent challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Illinois law dean Vikram David Amar, Michigan Law dean emeritus Evan Caminker, and Illinois law professor Jason Mazzone comment on the standing issue presented in California v. Texas. The authors explore the Solicitor General’s creative argument and argue that the argument leaves several hurdles unaddressed. The authors point out that even if the plaintiffs in these cases can overcome the hurdles, the Court should consider that embracing the Solicitor General’s broad new theory would open the door to other, even more aggressive, applications.

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Pennymac Corp. v. Godinez

Docket: SCWC-18-0000185

Opinion Date: October 8, 2020

Judge: Mark E. Recktenwald

Areas of Law: Real Estate & Property Law

The Supreme Court held that res judicata does not preclude a Haw. R. Civ. P. 60(b) motion for relief from judgment in a foreclosure proceeding and that the circuit court did not abuse its discretion in denying Appellant's Rule 60(b) motion in this case. The circuit court found Appellant in default on her mortgage and granted summary judgment in favor of Respondent. Before a foreclosure sale took place, Appellant filed a Rule 60(b) motion, challenging Respondent's standing to bring a foreclosure action against her. The circuit court denied the motion. The intermediate court of appeals affirmed, ruling that res judicata precluded Appellant's post-judgment Rule 60(b) motion. The Supreme Court affirmed on different grounds, holding (1) res judicata did not bar Appellant's Rule 60(b) motion; but (2) the circuit court properly denied the Rule 60(b) motion because there were no extraordinary circumstances warranting extraordinary relief under Rule 60(b)(6).