Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_12-cv-00015/USCOURTS-azd-2_12-cv-00015-0/pdf.json

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

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WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Bank of America, N.A.,

 Plaintiff,

vs.

POST Integrations, Inc., et al.,

 Defendants.

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No. CV-12-0015-PHX-PGR

 

 ORDER

 

In an amended complaint filed on January 6, 2012, the plaintiff alleges that

the Court has diversity of citizenship jurisdiction over this action pursuant to 28

U.S.C. § 1332(a)(1). Having reviewed the complaint, the Court finds that the

jurisdictional allegations in the complaint are insufficient as a matter of law to

establish the existence of subject matter jurisdiction. The Court will therefore

require the plaintiff to file a second 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

Case 2:12-cv-00015-PGR Document 8 Filed 01/09/12 Page 1 of 3
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 Since only a corporation or an individual may be a citizen for purposes

of § 1332 jurisdiction, the second amended complaint must set forth any sublayers of partners or members that Ebocom, L.L.C. may have.

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discovering the same, must dismiss the case, unless the defect be corrected by

amendment.")

The jurisdictional allegation concerning defendant Ebocom, L.L.C. is

merely that it “is a Delaware corporation, with its principal place of business in

Arizona.” This allegation is deficient as a matter of law because a limited liability

company is not treated as a corporation for purposes of determining whether

diversity of citizenship exists under § 1332; rather, the citizenship of a LLC is the

citizenship of each of its members. Johnson v. Columbia Properties Anchorage,

LP, 437 F.3d 894, 899 (9th Cir. 2006) ("Notwithstanding LLCs' corporate traits, ...

every circuit that has addressed the question treats them like partnerships for the

purposes of diversity jurisdiction. ... We therefore join our sister circuits and hold

that, like a partnership, an LLC is a citizen of every state of which its

owners/members are citizens.") Since the amended complaint fails to set forth

the citizenship of any Ebocom, L.L.C. member, the Court will require the plaintiff

to specifically identity in its second amended complaint each Ebocom, L.L.C.

member by name, specifically allege the type of business entity that any nonindividual member is, and affirmatively allege the state of citizenship of each

member.1

The plaintiff is advised that its failure to timely or sufficiently comply with

this order will result in the dismissal of this action for lack of subject matter

jurisdiction. Therefore,

IT IS ORDERED that the amended complaint (Doc. 6) in this action is

Case 2:12-cv-00015-PGR Document 8 Filed 01/09/12 Page 2 of 3
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 The parties are 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),

as amended effective December 1, 2011, unless that party’s name is completely

capitalized in its normal use.

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dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the plaintiff shall file a second amended

complaint properly stating a jurisdictional basis for this action no later than

January 23, 2012.2

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the plaintiff shall immediately provide a

copy of this order to any defendant already served with process.

DATED this 9th day of January, 2012.

Case 2:12-cv-00015-PGR Document 8 Filed 01/09/12 Page 3 of 3