Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_07-cv-01486/USCOURTS-caed-1_07-cv-01486-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 290
Nature of Suit: Other Real Property Actions
Cause of Action: 28:1441 Petition for Removal

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1

McGREGOR W. SCOTT

United States Attorney

BENJAMIN E. HALL

Assistant United States Attorney

United States Courthouse

2500 Tulare Street, Suite 4401

Fresno, California 93721

Telephone: (559) 497-4000

Facsimile: (559) 497-4099

Attorneys for Defendant United States of America

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

WEST HILLS COMMUNITY COLLEGE ) 

FOUNDATION, )

 )

Plaintiff, )

)

v. )

)

JOSEPH A. UREMOVIC, Trustee )

Under Agreement Dated May 7, )

1977, as amended; RICHARD V. )

GUNNER; GEORGE ANDROS; COUNTY )

OF FRESNO; UNITED STATES OF )

AMERICA, DISTRICT DIRECTOR OF )

INTERNAL REVENUE; ALL PERSONS )

UNKNOWN, CLAIMING ANY LEGAL OR)

EQUITABLE RIGHT, TITLE, ESTATE)

LIEN OR INTEREST IN THE )

PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN THE )

COMPLAINT ADVERSE TO )

PLAINTIFF’S TITLE OR ANY CLOUD)

ON PLAINTIFF’S TITLE THERETO; ) 

and DOES 1 through 50, )

inclusive, )

)

Defendants. )

 )

Case No. 1:07-cv-01486-LJO-SMS

STIPULATION AND ORDER FOR

DISMISSAL OF UNITED STATES OF

AMERICA AND REMAND

Plaintiff, West Hills Community College Foundation

(“West Hills”), and Defendant United States of America, District

Director of Internal Revenue (“United States”) hereby stipulate,

subject to the approval of the Court as provided for hereon, as

follows:

Case 1:07-cv-01486-LJO -SMS Document 8 Filed 11/19/07 Page 1 of 5
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1. The Internal Revenue Service filed with the Fresno

County Recorder certain notices of federal tax liens against

Joseph A. Uremovic as follows: Serial No. 770269420, dated

December 23, 2002, and recorded January 6, 2003, in the amount of

$152,329.95; Serial No. 770371254, dated March 6, 2003, and

recorded March 17, 2003, in the amount of $131,337.25; Serial No.

214160005, dated February 14, 2005, and recorded February 23,

2005, in the amount of $193,057.83; Serial No. 291750806, dated

May 16, 2006, and recorded June 2, 2006, in the amount of

$8,265.38; and Serial No. 342685007, dated January 30, 2007, and

recorded February 12, 2007, in the amount of $55,153.95 (the

“Federal Tax Liens”).

2. On or about July 18, 2007, West Hills filed in the

Superior Court of California, County of Fresno, its Complaint for

Specific Performance, Breach of Contract, Declaratory Relief,

Quiet Title and Fraudulent Inducement of Contract (the

“Complaint”).

3. West Hills alleges that on or about November 15,

1995, Uremovic, as Trustee under an agreement dated May 7, 1977,

granted to West Hills an exclusive, irrevocable option to

purchase (the “Option to Purchase”) certain real property

described as follows: Lots 27 to 32, inclusive, in Block 39 of

the town of Firebaugh, according to the Map thereof recorded in

Book 1, Page 13 of Miscellaneous Maps, Fresno County Records,

together with the portion of the abandoned canal running through

a portion of said lots (the “Property”).

4. West Hills alleges that by virtue of the Option to

Purchase, Uremovic was divested of his interest in the Property

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as of November 15, 1995, such that any subsequent liens or

encumbrances, including the Federal Tax Liens, could not attach.

5. Uremovic has answered the Complaint by denying its

material allegations and asserting, among other things, that West

Hills failed to timely exercise the Option to Purchase.

6. On October 11, 2007, the United States removed the

case to this Court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1340, 1441 and 1442.

7. To the extent the Option to Purchase is

enforceable and West Hills timely and properly exercised the

Option to Purchase, such that Uremovic may be compelled to convey

title to West Hills, West Hills’ interest in the Property primes

the Federal Tax Liens, and the United States has no right, title

or interest in the Property.

8. To the extent that West Hills failed to timely and

properly exercise the Option to Purchase, or the Option to

Purchase is otherwise invalid or unenforceable, this Stipulation

and Order shall have no force or effect with respect to the

interest of the United States in the Property.

9. This Stipulation and Order shall have no force or

effect with respect to the Federal Tax Liens except as expressly

set forth in the preceding paragraphs.

10. The United States is DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE

from this litigation. Because the United States is no longer is

a party, the action is hereby REMANDED to the Superior Court,

Fresno County.

11. The United States may intervene in this action at

any time, subject to the Superior Court’s approval, and West

Hills shall not object to its intervention.

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12. The Court’s Clerk, or, if the Court does not mail

it, West Hills’ counsel, immediately upon receipt, shall mail to

the United States Attorney’s Office a copy of any final order or

judgment that decides or resolves any property interests or lien

priorities in the Property.

Respectfully submitted,

Dated: November 16, 2007. McGREGOR W. SCOTT

United States Attorney

By: /s/ Benjamin E. Hall 

BENJAMIN E. HALL

Assistant U.S. Attorney

Attorneys for Defendant

United States of America

Dated: November 16, 2007. MARDEROSIAN, RUNYON, CERCONE,

LEHMAN & ARMO

By: /s/ Sue Ann Cercone 

(As authorized on 11/16/07)

SUE ANN CERCONE

Attorneys for Plaintiff, West

Hills Community College

Foundation

ORDER

This Court:

1. DISMISSES without prejudice defendant United States of

America; 

2. ORDERS the parties to abide by the above stipulation;

and

3. DIRECTS the clerk to take necessary steps to remand

this action to the Fresno County Superior Court and to

/ / /

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close this action.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: November 16, 2007 /s/ Lawrence J. O'Neill 

66h44d UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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