Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-alnd-5_15-cv-01150/USCOURTS-alnd-5_15-cv-01150-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 370
Nature of Suit: Other Fraud
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-(Citizenship)

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07685.1478/4304520.1 STIPULATION TO TRANSFER VENUE PURSUANT TO 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a)

Case No.: C 15-02218 WHA

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David M. Mannion (State Bar No. 288627)

BLAKELEY LLP

54 W. 40th Street

New York, New York 10018

Telephone: (917) 472-9587

dmannion@blakeleyllp.com

Attorneys for Plaintiffs

MARK D. LONERGAN (State Bar No. 143622)

mdl@severson.com

REBECCA S. SAELAO (State Bar No. 222731)

rss@severson.com

SEVERSON & WERSON

A Professional Corporation

One Embarcadero Center, Suite 2600

San Francisco, California 94111

Telephone: (415) 398-3344

Facsimile: (415) 956-0439

Attorneys for Defendant

Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

PRODUCTOS Y SERVICIOS DEL CENTRO

S.A. DE C.V. and SUMMIT RAILROAD

PRODUCTS, INC.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A.

Defendant.

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Case No.: C 15-02218 WHA

STIPULATION TO TRANSFER VENUE

PURSUANT TO 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a), OR IN

THE ALTERNATIVE PURSUANT TO 28

U.S.C. § 1406, AND FURTHER EXTENDING

TIME FOR WELLS FARGO TO RESPOND

TO COMPLAINT

Case 5:15-cv-01150-AKK Document 22 Filed 07/07/15 Page 1 of 4
07685.1478/4304520.1 2

STIPULATION TO TRANSFER VENUE PURSUANT TO 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a)

Case No.: C 15-02218 WHA

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WHEREAS, This action was initiated on May 18, 2015, by Plaintiffs Productos Y Servicios

Del Centro S.A. de C.V. (“PYS”) and Summit Railroad Products, Inc. (“Summit,” and together with

PYS, “Plaintiffs”). Plaintiffs allege that certain funds were accidentally deposited by PYS into

Wells Fargo customer account no. XXXXXX4202 (the “Account”) in response to an allegedly

fraudulent email. (Complaint, filed May 18, 2015, at ¶¶ 1, 11.)

WHEREAS, according to Wells Fargo’s records the Account belongs to an Alabama limited

liability company, International Education Agency LLC (“IEA”). On information and belief, IEA

appears to be formed under the laws of the state of Alabama, and is registered with the Alabama

Secretary of State, with a principal place of business in Huntsville, Alabama. On information and

belief, IEA’s members appear to be residents of the judicial district for the Northern District of

Alabama. Additionally, the only authorized signers on the Account on behalf of IEA are Oluseyi

Babalola and Mary Babalola (the “Babalolas”). On information and belief, the Babalolas are

residents of the judicial district for the Northern District of Alabama.

WHEREAS, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (“Wells Fargo”) intends to file an interpleader

counterclaim and third party complaint against IEA and the Babalolas (the “Interpleader

Defendants”), to interplead funds in the Account pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1332, 1335, and 2361,

and pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 22.

WHEREAS, the parties anticipate that the Interpleader Defendants may not be subject to

personal jurisdiction in the Northern District of California, but, on information and belief, they are

subject to personal jurisdiction in the Northern District of Alabama.

WHEREAS, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a), or in the alternative pursuant to 27 U.S.C.

§ 1406, the parties consent to the transfer of this action to the Huntsville Division of the United

States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, and respectfully submit that such transfer

is in the interest of justice because the Interpleader Defendants may not be subject to personal

Case 5:15-cv-01150-AKK Document 22 Filed 07/07/15 Page 2 of 4
07685.1478/4304520.1 3

STIPULATION TO TRANSFER VENUE PURSUANT TO 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a)

Case No.: C 15-02218 WHA

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jurisdiction in this Court. Cf., Sparling v. Hoffman Const. Co., 864 F.2d 635, 639 (9th Cir. 1988)

(holding that transfer of litigation between subcontractor and general contractor to Alaska – under

circumstances where project owner resided in Alaska and project was located there – was not abuse

of discretion given trial court’s consideration of all factors affecting transfer, especially possibility

that owner, who might be joined as a party, probably would not be subject to personal jurisdiction

outside Alaska); see also Sandoval v. Redfin Corp., 14-4444 SC, 2015 WL 65085, at *1 (N.D. Cal.

Jan. 5, 2015) (granting parties’ stipulation to transfer case to C.D. Cal.). Additionally, Wells Fargo

contends that the Interpleader Defendants are necessary, indispensable, and/or desirable parties to

this action, further supporting transfer to a district with jurisdiction over the Interpleader Defendants.

See Celanese Corp. v. Fed. Energy Admin., 410 F. Supp. 571, 578 (D.D.C. 1976) (transferring case

under 28 U.S.C. § 1404 to location where additional arguably indispensable party was subject to

jurisdiction, and holding that “without deciding whether Consumers is indispensable, the Court

hereby recognizes that § 1406(a) provides an additional basis for the transfer of this action if

Consumers is an indispensable party to the proceedings before this Court.”) (collecting cases

approving transfer to forum with jurisdiction over necessary or indispensable parties).

WHEREAS, Plaintiffs agree that Wells Fargo shall have through and including one week

from the date that this Court approves transfer of this case, and the Northern District of Alabama

accepts transfer (or alternatively one week from the date this Court denies transfer), to answer or

otherwise respond to the Plaintiffs’ complaint, including by filing its interpleader counterclaim and

third party complaint. However, in the event this Court rules on this stipulation prior to July 8, 2015,

Wells Fargo shall have at least through July 15, 2015 to answer or otherwise respond to the

Plaintiffs’ complaint, including by filing its interpleader counterclaim and third party complaint.

WHEREAS, the parties’ stipulated injunction dated May 20, 2015 (Doc. No. 13) shall remain

in full force and effect, until further agreement of the parties or Order of this or the transferee Court.

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07685.1478/4304520.1 4

STIPULATION TO TRANSFER VENUE PURSUANT TO 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a)

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The Parties therefore STIPULATE as follows:

Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a), the parties consent to the transfer of this action in its entirety to

the Huntsville Division of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.

The parties’ stipulated injunction dated May 20, 2015 (Doc. No. 13) shall remain in full force

and effect, until further agreement of the parties or Order of this or the transferee Court.

IT IS SO STIPULATED.

DATED: July 6, 2015 SEVERSON & WERSON

By: /s/ Rebecca S. Saelao

Rebecca S. Saelao

Attorneys for Defendant WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A

DATED: July 6, 2015 BLAKELEY LLP

By: /s/ David M. Mannion

David M. Mannion

Attorneys for Plaintiffs

Pursuant to Local Civil Rule 5-1(i)(3) regarding signatures, I, Rebecca Saelao, attest that

concurrence in the filing of this document has been obtained from each of the other signatories.

By: /s/ Rebecca S. Saelao

PURSUANT TO STIPULATION, IT IS SO ORDERED.

Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a) [or, alternatively, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1406], the Court

DIRECTS the Clerk to transfer this action, in its entirety, to the Northern District of Alabama,

Huntsville Division. The parties’ stipulated injunction dated May 20, 2015 (Doc. No. 13) shall

remain in full force and effect, until further agreement of the parties or Order of this or the transferee

Court.

DATED: July ___, 2015

______________________________________

WILLIAM ALSUP

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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