Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_07-cv-00590/USCOURTS-azd-2_07-cv-00590-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

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WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Stanley Fishman, 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

Spring Valley Apartments, 

Defendant. 

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No. 07-0590-PHX-DGC

ORDER

Plaintiff Stanley Fishman has filed an amended complaint and a second motion to

proceed in forma pauperis. Dkt. ##5-6. For the reasons set forth below, the Court will

dismiss the amended complaint without prejudice and deny the motion to proceed in forma

pauperis as moot.

I. Dismissal of the Complaint.

Plaintiff commenced this action by filing a pro se complaint against Defendant Spring

Valley Apartments on March 20, 2007. Dkt. #1. On March 27, 2007, the Court dismissed

the complaint without prejudice for failure to allege facts that would support federal subject

matter jurisdiction. Dkt. #4 at 2. The Court clearly outlined the requirements for subject

matter jurisdiction and noted the deficiencies in Plaintiff’s complaint. Id. 

Case 2:07-cv-00590-DGC Document 7 Filed 04/24/07 Page 1 of 3
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Plaintiff filed an amended complaint on April 6, 2007. Dkt. #5. The only substantive

amendment to the complaint is Plaintiff’s assertion that the events took place in Mayer, AZ.

Id. This fact is insufficient to establish subject matter jurisdiction. 

Plaintiff may attempt to establish subject matter jurisdiction in one of two ways. First,

he may allege a cause of action “arising under the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United

States.” 28 U.S.C. § 1331. This type of jurisdiction is called federal question or “arising

under” jurisdiction. 

Second, Plaintiff may allege diversity jurisdiction. To do so, Plaintiff must allege that

the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000 and that he is a citizen of a different state than

the corporation that owns Defendant Spring Valley Apartments. 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a).

Plaintiff should note that a corporation is deemed to be a citizen only of the state in which

it is incorporated or the state where it has its principal place of business. 28 U.S.C.

§ 1332(c)(1). If Plaintiff believes that the Court has diversity jurisdiction over his case,

Plaintiff must clearly show that Defendant and he are citizens of different states and that the

amount in controversy is greater than $75,000. 

Because Plaintiff has failed to establish that the Court possesses subject matter

jurisdiction, the Court will dismiss the complaint without prejudice and allow Plaintiff to file

an amended complaint that properly invokes the Court’s jurisdiction. This is the last chance

Plaintiff will have. If Plaintiff does not file a properly amended complaint, the Court will

dismiss the complaint without leave to amend. Plaintiff shall have until Friday, May 11,

2007 to file an amended complaint.

II. Plaintiff’s Motion to Proceed In Forma Pauperis.

Because the complaint will be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, the Court will deny

as moot Plaintiff’s motion to proceed in forma pauperis. Plaintiff may file another motion

to proceed in forma pauperis if he decides to file an amended complaint as permitted by this

order. 

Case 2:07-cv-00590-DGC Document 7 Filed 04/24/07 Page 2 of 3
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IT IS ORDERED:

1. Plaintiff’s amended complaint (Dkt. #5) is dismissed without prejudice for

lack of subject matter jurisdiction.

2. Plaintiff has until May 11, 2007 to file an amended complaint.

3. Plaintiff’s amended motion to proceed in forma pauperis (Dkt. #6) is denied

as moot.

DATED this 24th day of April, 2007.

Case 2:07-cv-00590-DGC Document 7 Filed 04/24/07 Page 3 of 3