Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_13-cv-01395/USCOURTS-azd-2_13-cv-01395-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 110
Nature of Suit: Insurance
Cause of Action: 28:2201 Declaratory Judgment (Insurance)

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WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Electric Insurance Company,

 Plaintiff,

vs.

Michael Lee Crane, et al.,

 Defendants.

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No. CV-13-01395-PHX-PGR 

 ORDER

 

 

In a complaint filed on July 11, 2013, the plaintiff alleges that the Court has

diversity of citizenship jurisdiction over this declaratory judgment action pursuant to

28 U.S.C. § 1332. Having reviewed the complaint, the Court finds that the

jurisdictional allegations therein are insufficient as a matter of law to establish the

existence of subject matter jurisdiction. The Court will therefore require the plaintiff

to file an amended complaint properly stating a jurisdictional basis for this action.

See 28 U.S.C. § 1653; see also, Smith v. McCullough, 270 U.S. 456, 459, 46 S.Ct.

338, 339 (1926) ("The established rule is that a plaintiff, suing in federal court, must

show in his pleading, affirmatively and distinctly, the existence of whatever is

essential to federal jurisdiction, and, if he does not do so, the court, on having the

defect called to its attention or on discovering the same, must dismiss the case,

Case 2:13-cv-01395-GMS Document 4 Filed 07/23/13 Page 1 of 3
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 The plaintiff is advised that the complete capitalization of a party’s name

in the caption of any document filed with the Court violates LRCiv 7.1(a)(3) unless

that party’s name is completely capitalized in its normal use. The caption of the

amended complaint must comply with the local rule. 

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unless the defect be corrected by amendment.")

The jurisdictional allegations concerning the defendants are that Michael

Crane is currently incarcerated in the Maricopa County jail and that his last known

residence was in Mesa, Arizona and that Jessica Gaudet, Heidi Gaudet and Melissa

Gaudet are all residents of Clark County, Nevada. These allegations are facially

deficient because it is black letter law that an allegation of residency does not suffice

for purposes of § 1332. See Steigleder v. McQuesten, 198 U.S. 141, 143, 25 S.Ct.

616, 617 (1905) ("It has long been settled that residence and citizenship [are] wholly

different things within the meaning of the Constitution and the laws defining and

regulating the jurisdiction of the ... courts of the United States; and that a mere

averment of residence in a particular state is not an averment of citizenship in that

state for the purpose of jurisdiction."); accord, Kanter v. Warner-Lambert Co., 265

F.3d 853, 857-58 (9th Cir. 2001) (Plaintiffs' complaint ... state[s] that Plaintiffs were

'residents' of California. But the diversity jurisdiction statute, 28 U.S.C. § 1332,

speaks of citizenship, not of residency. ... [The] failure to specify Plaintiffs' state of

citizenship was fatal to [the] assertion of diversity jurisdiction.") 

The plaintiff is advised that its failure to timely file an amended complaint that

cures the pleading deficiency noted in this Order shall result in the dismissal of this

action for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.1

 Therefore, 

IT IS ORDERED that the complaint is dismissed for lack of subject matter

jurisdiction.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the plaintiff shall file an amended complaint

Case 2:13-cv-01395-GMS Document 4 Filed 07/23/13 Page 2 of 3
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properly stating a jurisdictional basis for this action no later than August 5, 2013.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the plaintiff shall serve a copy of this Order

on any defendant already served with process.

DATED this 23rd day of July, 2013.

Case 2:13-cv-01395-GMS Document 4 Filed 07/23/13 Page 3 of 3