Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-almd-3_11-cv-00981/USCOURTS-almd-3_11-cv-00981-6/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 350
Nature of Suit: Motor Vehicle Personal Injury
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Personal Injury

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IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE

MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA, EASTERN DIVISION

TAMMY JOHNSTON, )

Individually and as Next )

Friend and Legal Guardian )

of H.M.W., a minor child, )

)

Plaintiff, )

) CIVIL ACTION NO.

v. ) 3:11cv981-MHT

) (WO) 

U-HAUL INTERNATIONAL, INC., )

a Corporation, et al., )

)

Defendants. )

OPINION AND ORDER

This lawsuit is before the court on a consent motion

to substitute parties, which would in effect amend the

complaint in this case to substitute a party. The

proposed amendment is inadequate in, at least, two

respects.

First, an amended pleading must comply fully with

M.D. Ala., LR 15.1 (“A party who moves to amend a

pleading, document or other papers shall attach the

original of the amendment to the motion. Any amendment

to a pleading, document or other papers, whether filed as

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a matter of course or upon a motion to amend, must,

except by leave of Court, reproduce the entire pleading,

document or other papers as amended, and may not

incorporate any prior pleading, document or other papers

by reference. A failure to comply with this rule is not

grounds for denial of the motion.”) (emphasis added). 

Therefore, the plaintiff must file an amended complaint

reflecting the substitution.

Second, the allegations of the proposed complaint

must be sufficient to invoke the original basis for this

court's jurisdiction: 28 U.S.C. § 1332 (diversity of

citizenship). To invoke jurisdiction based on diversity,

a complaint must distinctly and affirmatively allege each

party's citizenship. McGovern v. American Airlines,

Inc., 511 F. 2d 653, 654 (5th Cir. 1975) (per curiam).

The allegations must show that the citizenship of each

plaintiff is different from that of each defendant. 28

U.S.C. § 1332. The proposed complaint must therefore

indicate the citizenship of proposed defendant Sovran

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Acquisition Limited Partnership. Because this entity is

a partnership, the complaint must indicate the

citizenship of the individual partners, both general and

limited, see Carden v. Arkoma Associates, 494 U.S. 185

(1990), and must indicate that their citizenship is

different from that of the plaintiff. 

***

Accordingly, it is the ORDER, JUDGMENT, and DECREE of

the court as follows:

(1) The consent motion to substitute parties (doc.

no. 116) is granted. 

(2) Sovran Holdings, Inc. is dismissed without

prejudice.

(3) Sovran Acquisition Limited Partnershipd d/b/a

Uncle Bob’s Self Storage is substituted for Sovran

Holdings, Inc. as a defendant.

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(4) Plaintiff is to file an amended complaint, that

meets the requirements of this order, by no later than

January 24, 2013.

DONE, this the 17th day of January, 2013.

 /s/ Myron H. Thompson 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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