Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_14-cv-05672/USCOURTS-cand-3_14-cv-05672-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Navjot Ahluwalia
Defendant
PNC Bank, National Association
Plaintiff

Document Text:

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

Plaintiff(s),

v.

NAVJOT AHLUWALIA,

Defendant(s).

___________________________________/

No. C-14-05672 DMR

ORDER REASSIGNING CASE TO

DISTRICT JUDGE; REPORT AND

RECOMMENDATION TO REMAND TO 

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA

Defendant Navjot Ahluwalia (“Defendant”) removed this case pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1441

from Contra Costa County Superior Court, where it was pending as a complaint for unlawful

detainer against Defendant. The Notice of Removal states that removal is proper because diversity

exists between the parties. (Notice of Removal ¶ 3.) 

When a notice of removal is filed, the court must examine it “promptly,” and, “[i]f it clearly

appears on the face of the notice and any exhibits annexed thereto that removal should not be

permitted, the court shall make an order for summary remand.” 28 U.S.C. § 1446(c)(4). The parties

have not yet filed a declination or consent to the jurisdiction of a magistrate judge pursuant to 28

U.S.C. § 636(c). Therefore, the court issues herein a Report and Recommendation and reassigns this

case to a District Judge for final disposition, with the recommendation that summary remand be 

Case 3:14-cv-05672-WHA Document 4 Filed 01/09/15 Page 1 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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ordered.

I. Procedural History

On December 31, 2014, Defendant removed this action, Case No. PS14-0459, from Contra

Cost County Superior Court. It appears that this is the third time Defendant has removed this

unlawful detainer action from Superior Court. Defendant removed the same case, No. PS14-0459,

from Contra Costa County Superior Court on July 8, 2014. See PNC Bank, N.A. v. Ahluwalia, No.

14-3086 MMC (N.D. Cal.). It was remanded on August 1, 2014. Defendant again removed Case

No. PS 14-0459 to this Court on October 22, 2014, see PNC Bank, N.A. v. Ahluwalia, No. 14-4693

JST (N.D. Cal.), and it was remanded on December 1, 2014.

II. Discussion

A district court has diversity jurisdiction where the parties are diverse and “the matter in

controversy exceeds the sum or value of $75,000, exclusive of interests and costs.” 28 U.S.C.

§ 1332. “[I]n determining whether a challenged jurisdictional amount has been met, district courts

are permitted only to assess the allegations in a complaint and not the validity of any asserted

defenses . . . .” Ochoa v. Interbrew Am., Inc., 999 F.2d 626, 629 (2d Cir. 1993). Potential defenses

to all or part of a plaintiff’s claim do not affect the amount in controversy, because the defense may

be shown to be invalid. See Riggins v. Riggins, 415 F.2d 1259, 1261-1262 (9th Cir. 1969) (that

statute of limitations defense might bar portion of relief sought did not affect amount in

controversy). Similarly, the amount in controversy is determined without regard to any

counterclaim to which a defendant may be entitled. See Snow v. Ford Motor Co., 561 F.2d 787, 789

(9th Cir. 1977). 

Defendant avers that this case fulfills the diversity jurisdiction requirements, and claims that

the amount in controversy in this case exceeds $75,000. (Notice of Removal ¶¶ 3, 5-7.) However,

the notice of removal states that Defendant is a resident of California and that Plaintiff is a

California corporation. (Notice of Removal ¶¶ 5, 6.) Therefore, the parties are not diverse. Further,

the face of the complaint for unlawful detainer unequivocally places its demand “UNDER $10,000.” 

(Compl.) In unlawful detainer actions, the amount of damages sought in the complaint, not the

value of the subject real property, determines the amount in controversy, and, pursuant to California

Case 3:14-cv-05672-WHA Document 4 Filed 01/09/15 Page 2 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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Code of Civil Procedure section 86(a)(4), an unlawful detainer is a limited civil action where the

“whole amount of damages claimed” must be “twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) or less.” Cal.

Civ. Pro. § 86(a)(4). Under 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a), a district court has original jurisdiction over civil

actions only where the amount in controversy, exclusive of interest and costs, exceeds $75,000. 

Further, possession of the real property is the sole issue in the Complaint. The value of the property

is irrelevant to the issue of possession. Accordingly, there is no basis for exercising diversity

jurisdiction over the unlawful detainer action. 

III. Conclusion

For the reasons above, the court recommends that this action be remanded to the Contra Cost

County Superior Court and that the Clerk be ordered to close the case file. The Clerk is directed to

reassign this case to a District Judge.

Any party may file objections to this report and recommendation with the district judge

within 14 days after being served with a copy. See 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1); Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(a);

N.D. Cal. Civ. L.R. 72-2. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: January 9, 2015

 DONNA M. RYU

United States Magistrate Judge

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORN

I

A

IT IS SO ORDERED

Judge Donna M. Ryu

Case 3:14-cv-05672-WHA Document 4 Filed 01/09/15 Page 3 of 3