Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-04-02385/USCOURTS-ca8-04-02385-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Jonathan Caputo
Appellant
Shari Caputo
Appellant
Developershed
Appellant
iNET Directories
Appellee

Document Text:

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 04-2385

___________

iNet Directories, LLC, *

*

Appellee, * Appeal from the United States

* District Court for the Western

v. * District of Missouri.

*

Developershed, Inc.; Shari Caputo; * [PUBLISHED]

Jonathan Caputo, *

*

Appellants. *

___________

Submitted: January 12, 2005

Filed: January 18, 2005

___________

Before WOLLMAN, McMILLIAN, and FAGG, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

iNet Directories, LLC brought a breach of contract action in Missouri state

court against Deverlopershed, Inc., and Shari and Jonathan Caputo (collectively

Developershed). The contract contained a forum selection clause stating, “The Parties

hereby irrevocably waive any and all objections which any Party may now or

hereafter have to the exercise of personal and subject matter jurisdiction by the

federal or state courts in the State of Missouri and to the laying of venue of any such

suit, action or proceeding brought in any such federal or state court in the State of

Missouri.” After Developershed removed the case to federal court based on the

diversity of the parties, iNet sought a remand to state court based on the contract’s

Appellate Case: 04-2385 Page: 1 Date Filed: 01/18/2005 Entry ID: 1855952 
*

The Honorable Dean Whipple, Chief Judge, United States District Court for

the Western District of Missouri. 

-2-

clause stating the parties waived any objections to the laying of venue. The district

court*

 enforced the contract provision and remanded the case. 

Developershed appeals. Relying on Weltman v. Silna, 879 F.2d 425, 427 (8th

Cir. 1989), Developershed argues the contract did not clearly and unequivocably

waive its right to removal. In Weltman, the contract did not address removal,

however. Id. Here, the contract states the parties waive any objections to the laying

of venue in any court in Missouri. We agree with the district court that after iNet

filed this action in Missouri state court, the contract’s forum selection clause

unambiguously prohibited Developershed from objecting to venue by removing the

case to federal court. Waters v. Browning-Ferris Indus., Inc., 252 F.3d 796, 797-98

(5th Cir. 2001) (holding nearly identical language “waving any objection . . . to laying

of venue” waives right to removal). 

We thus affirm the district court’s order remanding this case to state court.

______________________________

Appellate Case: 04-2385 Page: 2 Date Filed: 01/18/2005 Entry ID: 1855952