NO. 28329




IN THE INTERMEDIATE COURT OF APPEALS

OF THE STATE OF HAWAI`I





LESLIE L. HAMAOKA, Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
HYATT CORPORATION, foreign corporation doing business
under the trade name HYATT REGENCY WAIKIKI RESORT,
JILL FISHER, BONNIE KIYABU, and CARLA THOMAS,
Defendants-Appellees,
and
JOHN DOES 1 to 5 and JANE DOES 1 to 5, Defendants



APPEAL FROM CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIRST CIRCUIT
(CV. NO. 04-1-0390)





ORDER DENYING THE MARCH 8, 2007 MOTION FOR A STAY OF
PROCEEDINGS DUE TO AN AUTOMATIC STAY FROM BANKRUPTCY COURT
(By: Burns, C.J., Lim and Foley, JJ.)

Upon review of (1) Plaintiff-Appellant Leslie L. Hamaoka's (Appellant Hamaoka) March 8, 2007 motion for a stay of these proceedings due to an automatic stay in United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Hawaii Case No. 05-50011, (2) Defendant-Appellee Hyatt Corporation's March 16, 2007 memorandum in opposition to Appellant Hamaoka's March 19, 2007 motion for a stay, and (3) the record, it appears that Appellant Hamaoka's March 8, 2007 motion for a stay lacks merit.

Pursuant to 11 U.S.C.A. § 362(a) (Supp. 2006), "[w]hen a debtor files a bankruptcy petition, an automatic stay immediately arises[.]" Hillis Motors, Inc. v. Hawaii Automobile Dealers' Association, 997 F.2d 581, 585 (9th Cir. 1993). "It is designed to effect an immediate freeze of the status quo by precluding and nullifying post-petition actions, judicial or nonjudicial, in nonbankruptcy fora against the debtor or affecting the property of the estate." Id. (citations omitted). Thus, "[t]he appellate court shall not consider motions or requests for relief during the pendency of the bankruptcy." HRAP 54(c).

However, an automatic stay under 11 U.S.C.A. § 362(a) (Supp. 2006) "is applicable only to proceedings against the debtor." In re Miller, 397 F.3d 726, 729 (9th Cir. 2005). Appellant Hamaoka has not submitted proof that a party in appellate court case number 28329 is a debtor-party in any pending bankruptcy proceeding. In the absence of such proof, it appears that the automatic stay under 11 U.S.C.A. § 362(a) (Supp. 2006) does not apply to appellate court case number 28329. Therefore,

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Appellant Hamaoka's March 8, 2007 motion for a stay of these proceedings due to an automatic stay in United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Hawaii Case No. 05-50011 is denied.

DATED: Honolulu, Hawai`i, March 23, 2007.