Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_08-cv-00636/USCOURTS-azd-2_08-cv-00636-0/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

Developers Surety and Indemnity

Company, an Iowa corporation, 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

First National Bank of Arizona, an

Arizona financial institution, 

Defendant. 

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No. CV 08-636-PHX-JAT

ORDER

On April 3, 2008, in setting the hearing on the pending motion for temporary

restraining order and motion for preliminary injunction, the Court ordered Plaintiff to come

to the hearing prepared to properly allege jurisdiction in this case (Plaintiff claims

jurisdiction is based on diversity). The burden of proving jurisdiction is on Plaintiff because

Plaintiff is the party asserting that this Court has jurisdiction. Industrial Tectonics v. Aero

Alloy, 912 F.2d 1090, 1092 (9th Cir. 1990). Specifically, the Court advised Plaintiff to be

prepared to prove jurisdiction in light of Wachovia Bank v. Schmidt, 546 U.S. 303 (2006) and

Lehman Bros. Bank, FSB v. Frank T. Yoder Mortg., 415 F.Supp.2d 636 (E.D.Va. 2006).

At the hearing, Plaintiff alleged that Defendant is a national banking association.

Defendant did not confirm nor deny this allegation. Plaintiff did not make any allegation

regarding Defendant’s citizenship. Defendant claimed it is “domiciled” in Arizona. The

Court does not know whether “domiciled” was intended to be synonymous with “citizenship”

Case 2:08-cv-00636-JAT Document 21 Filed 04/21/08 Page 1 of 2
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 Wachovia defined national banks as, “corporate entities chartered not by any State,

but by the Comptroller of the Currency of the U.S. Treasury.” 546 U.S. at 306.

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for purposes of diversity jurisdiction. Assuming Plaintiff is correct that Defendant is a

national banking association,1

 then under Wachovia, Defendant is a citizen of the state where

its main office, as set forth in its articles of association, is located. 546 U.S. at 307.

At the hearing on April 4, 2008, the Court instructed the parties to file a brief on this

issue. The parties have not done so. Therefore,

IT IS ORDERED that by April 24, 2008, Plaintiff (as the party asserting jurisdiction)

shall file a brief properly pleading this Court’s jurisdiction, or this case will be dismissed for

lack of federal subject matter jurisdiction.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that if Plaintiff does not seek to have this Court rule

on the pending motion for temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction (Doc. #4)

by May 2, 2008 (one month from when the request for emergency relief was filed), the Court

will deem the emergency to be moot and will deny the motion as such.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that because the Court held an emergency hearing on

the motion for temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, the motion to expedite

(Doc. #6) is denied as moot.

DATED this 21st day of April, 2008.

Case 2:08-cv-00636-JAT Document 21 Filed 04/21/08 Page 2 of 2