Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_24-cv-02845/USCOURTS-azd-2_24-cv-02845-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 190
Nature of Suit: Other Contract Actions
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Breach of Contract

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WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Redland Holdings LLC,

Plaintiffs,

v. 

Dees Nuts LLC, et al.,

Defendants.

No. CV-24-02845-PHX-KML

ORDER 

The original complaint was filed by Suntree Snack Foods LLC. That complaint 

alleged Suntree was an LLC “registered and entitled to do business in the State of 

Delaware” and defendant Dees Nuts LLC was “a corporation duly organized and existing 

pursuant to the law of the state of Florida.” (Doc. 1 at 1.) Given the amount in controversy 

and the alleged diversity of citizenship, the complaint asserted the court had diversity 

jurisdiction.

The day after the complaint was filed, the court explained the jurisdictional 

allegations were insufficient because the citizenship of an LLC is determined by the 

citizenship of its members or owners and there were no allegations regarding the members 

or owners of either party. (Doc. 6.) The court ordered Suntree to file a supplemental 

disclosure regarding citizenship within one week. Suntree responded to that order by filing 

a “Diversity Disclosure Statement” that merely stated Suntree Snack Foods LLC was a 

citizen of Delaware while Dees Nuts LLC was a citizen of Florida. (Doc. 7.) The court 

issued a second order, again explaining that citizenship of an LLC is dependent on the 

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citizenship of its members. Suntree was ordered to file another supplement disclosing the 

members of each party and those members’ citizenships. (Doc. 8.)

Instead of a supplement, Suntree filed a motion to amend its complaint. That motion 

stated counsel had been “advised that the Plaintiff’s true corporate name is different than 

what was reflected in the original Complaint.” (Doc. 10 at 1.) The motion requested 

Redland Holdings LLC replace Suntree as the plaintiff. The court granted the motion to 

amend. The amended complaint still did not include sufficient allegations regarding the 

citizenship of the new plaintiff, nor did it include sufficient allegations regarding the 

citizenship of Dees Nuts. And despite the court’s order requiring a supplement identifying 

the parties’ citizenships, no supplement was filed.

The court then issued its third order attempting to determine whether jurisdiction 

exists. That order directed Redland to file a supplement “setting forth its own citizenship 

as well as the citizenship of defendant.” (Doc. 13.) The court warned that failure to establish 

jurisdiction might result in dismissal without prejudice. Redland filed a supplement stating 

it is a citizen of Delaware and New York based on the sole member of Redland being a 

Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in New York. As for Dees Nuts, 

the supplement stated Dees Nuts’s “registered agent” is an individual with an address in 

Florida and “Florida does not disclose the identity of members or manager” of LLCs. (Doc. 

14.) The court then issued its fourth order trying to elicit a meaningful response regarding 

the existence of federal jurisdiction.

The fourth order explained, again, how to determine the citizenship of a limited 

liability company and that Redland needed to at least make allegations regarding the 

citizenship of each member or owner of Dees Nuts. (Doc. 15.) The court ordered Redland 

to file another supplement and provided another warning that failure to establish 

jurisdiction would result in dismissal.

Redland’s latest supplement states, in relevant part:

Dee’s Nuts, LLC is a Florida limited liability company. Dee’s 

Nut’s principal address is 7949 Atlantic Blvd., Suite 203, 

Jacksonville, FL 32211. Its managing member and registered 

agent is Brian A. Ditore. Mr. Ditore’s address, as Dee’s Nut’s 

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registered agent, is 7949 Atlantic Blvd., Suite 203, 

Jacksonville FL 32211.

(Doc. 16 at 2.) This supplement does not indicate whether Brian A. Ditore is the sole 

member of Dees Nuts. As the court previously informed Redland, an LLC’s citizenship is 

based on the citizenship of all its members. See Johnson v. Columbia Properties 

Anchorage, LP, 437 F.3d 894, 899 (9th Cir. 2006). The latest supplement also seems to 

provide Ditore’s state of residence, not his citizenship. “[T]he diversity jurisdiction statute, 

28 U.S.C. § 1332, speaks of citizenship, not of residency.” Kanter v. Warner-Lambert Co., 

265 F.3d 853, 857 (9th Cir. 2001). Having failed for the fourth time to establish 

jurisdiction, the case is dismissed without prejudice for lack of jurisdiction.

IT IS ORDERED this case is DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE. The Clerk 

of Court shall close this case.

Dated this 5th day of December, 2024.

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