Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_16-cv-05468/USCOURTS-cand-3_16-cv-05468-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
John Allen
Counter-defendant
Carlvin Justice
Counter-claimant

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JOHN ALLEN,

Plaintiff,

v.

CARLVIN JUSTICE,

Defendant.

Case No.3:16-cv-05468-JD 

ORDER REMANDING CASE

Re: Dkt. No. 1

This is an unlawful detainer case alleging $200 in damages that plaintiffs John Allen and 

Ken David originally filed in Alameda County Superior Court on April 22, 2016. Dkt. No. 1 at 4. 

On September 26, 2016, pro se defendant Carlvin Justice removed the case to this Court and filed 

an accompanying application to proceed in forma pauperis. Dkt. Nos. 1, 3. The Court finds this 

case was removed improvidently and without jurisdiction. The Court remands the action to

Alameda County Superior Court and terminates as moot the application to proceed in forma 

pauperis.

A defendant may remove a civil action from state court to federal court if original 

jurisdiction would have existed at the time the complaint was filed. 28 U.S.C. § 1441(a). “The 

‘strong presumption against removal jurisdiction means that the defendant always has the burden 

of establishing that removal is proper,’ and that the court resolves all ambiguity in favor of remand 

to state court.” Hunter v. Philip Morris USA, 582 F.3d 1039, 1042 (9th Cir. 2009) (quoting Gaus 

v. Miles, Inc., 980 F.2d 564, 566 (9th Cir. 1992)). 

Defendant Justice alleges subject matter jurisdiction on a federal question. Dkt. No. 1-1 at 

1. For the Court to have federal question jurisdiction, the plaintiff’s case must arise under federal 

law. 28 U.S.C. § 1331. And the federal question on which jurisdiction is premised must “‘be 

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

disclosed on the face of the complaint’” not “supplied via a defense.” Provincial Gov’t of 

Marinduque v. Placer Dome, Inc., 582 F.3d 1083, 1086 (9th Cir. 2009) (quoting Phillips 

Petroleum Co. v. Texaco, Inc., 415 U.S. 125, 127–28 (1974)). 

These conditions do not exist here. The complaint alleges a single claim for unlawful 

detainer and no other causes of action. Dkt. No. 1 at 3-5. “The right to relief on the unlawful 

detainer action does not depend on the resolution of a substantial question of federal law.” Litton 

Loan Servicing, L.P. v. Villegas, Case No. C 10-05478 PJH, 2011 WL 204322, at *2 (N.D. Cal. 

Jan. 21, 2011). Defendant’s brief description of the cause of action states “This action did arose 

[sic] under federal law and is now removable pursuant to U.S. Const. 8 Amendment XIV section 

1.” Dkt. No. 1 at 2. It is impossible to discern from defendant’s notice of removal any of the 

essential details that would trigger federal court jurisdiction or the legal theories for which he 

seeks relief in federal court. Even so, any possible federal question defenses would not arise as 

part of the well-pleaded complaint. Defendant has not met his burden of establishing federal 

question jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1331.

Federal district courts may also have jurisdiction over suits for more than $75,000 where 

the citizenship of each plaintiff is different from that of each defendant. 28 U.S.C. § 1332. But

the damages sought in the complaint appear to be $200, and in any event no diversity of 

citizenship appears on the face of the complaint. Dkt. No. 1 at 3-6. Consequently this Court lacks 

diversity jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1332. This case is remanded to Alameda County Superior 

Court. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: October 17, 2016

JAMES DONATO

United States District Judge

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