Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_08-cv-01806/USCOURTS-casd-3_08-cv-01806-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 28:1446 Petition for Removal

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- 1 - 08cv1806 LAB (AJB)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

BANK OF NEW YORK, as Trustee for

the Certificate CWALT, INC,

ALTERNATIVE LOAN TRUST 2006-

OCT Mortgage pass-through Certificate,

Series 2006-OCT,

Plaintiff,

CASE NO. 08cv1806 LAB (AJB)

ORDER OF REMAND

vs.

CHRISTINA MONTES RANKIN,

Defendant.

Defendant filed a petition for removal (the “Petition”), purporting to remove this case

from the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of San Diego, Central

Division — Hall of Justice Regional Center. The only document from the state court record

attached to the petition is an application for an order to post and mail a summons to

Defendant Montes-Rankin and a co-defendant, Mark A. Torr, who is not identified as a

defendant in the removed case.

The Petition’s first two pages address the amount in controversy, which suggests

Defendant believes diversity forms the basis for the Court’s jurisdiction. Plaintiff contends

the complaint in state court erroneously identified the amount in controversy as $10,000, and

says the true amount in controversy exceeds $400,000. The Petition then lists several

pages of quotations from various opinions and legal reference works. On the ninth and tenth

Case 3:08-cv-01806-LAB-AJB Document 2 Filed 10/15/08 Page 1 of 3
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28 California Code of Civil Procedure 415.45 deals with the manner of giving notice in 1

actions for unlawful detainer of real property.

- 2 - 08cv1806 LAB (AJB)

pages, Defendant clarifies she (not Plaintiff) is now seeking $400,000 with respect to three

causes of action. The causes of action are not identified, but it is possible Defendant

believes she has described them in the string of quotations which forms the bulk of the

Petition. In any event, “three causes of action” cannot refer to Plaintiff Bank of New York’s

single unlawful detainer action in state court. Defendant does not allege the citizenship of

Plaintiff or of her co-defendant Mr. Torr, but the heading identifies her as a resident of San

Diego. The only portion of the state court record attached to the Petition is styled “Application

for Order to Post and mail Summons and Complaint — Unlawful Detainer {C.C.P. 415.45}.”1

Even assuming the parties are diverse (which does not appear on the face of the

pleadings), the Petition’s allegations show damages sought in the state court action do not

exceed $10,000, which is less than the threshold amount in controversy for diversity

jurisdiction. 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a). The Petition also shows Plaintiff now wishes to seek over

$400,000 in damages for claims she has yet to identify. Plaintiff cannot, however, remove

an action over which the Court lacks jurisdiction, and then add counterclaims in order to

create jurisdiction. Under § 1441(a), only cases which could originally have been filed in

federal court are properly removable. If the case is not “fit for federal adjudication when the

removal petition is filed,” remand is appropriate. Sparta Surgical Corp. v. Nat'l Ass'n. of Sec.

Dealers, Inc., 159 F.3d 1209, 1211 (9th Cir. 1998) (citing Lexecon, Inc. v. Milberg Weiss

Bershad Hynes & Lerach, 523 U.S. 26, 43 (1998)).

Therefore the petition shows this action was improperly removed and the jurisdictional

defect is not waivable. The Court must at any time before final judgment is entered sua

sponte remand any removed case over which it lacks jurisdiction. 28 U.S.C. § 1447(c).

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This case is therefore immediately REMANDED to the court from which it was

removed.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: October 14, 2008

HONORABLE LARRY ALAN BURNS

United States District Judge

Case 3:08-cv-01806-LAB-AJB Document 2 Filed 10/15/08 Page 3 of 3