Nelson v. Guardian Towing, Inc

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA Ethan NELSON, Case No.: 22-cv-0306-AGS-BLM

Plaintiff,

ORDER GRANTING PARTIAL

v. SUMMARY JUDGMENT (ECF 27) GUARDIAN TOWING, INC., et al., Defendants.

While deployed overseas with the military, plaintiff learned that—back home—his beloved pickup truck had been towed away. After the towing company later sold the truck to defray its storage costs, plaintiff sued. The defense moves for summary judgment. BACKGROUND1 Plaintiff Ethan Nelson’s “great-grandfather” bought a “1999 Toyota Tacoma” truck that has since “been in the family for as long as [Nelson] can remember.” (ECF 33-2, at 37–38, 67–68.) In 2016, the truck passed to Nelson as a high school “graduation gift.” (Id. at 37–38.) Although the vehicle is two decades old, it has “sentimental value,” as Nelson has nothing else “to really remember [his] great-grandpa by now.” (Id. at 142.) By 2021, Nelson was an active-duty U.S.…