Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_06-cv-02314/USCOURTS-azd-2_06-cv-02314-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America
Defendant
Randall Nunley
Plaintiff

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WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Randall Nunley, D.D.S., ) No. CV 06-2314-PHX-PGR

)

Plaintiff, )

)

vs. ) ORDER

)

)

Berkshire Life Insurance Co. of )

America, )

)

Defendants. )

____________________________)

 Although the current Complaint (Doc. 1) does not specify what statute provides the

District Court with jurisdiction in this matter, the Court assumes that the Plaintiff is basing

subject matter jurisdiction on diversity of citizenship pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332.

However, having reviewed the Complaint, the Court finds that the jurisdictional allegations

therein are inadequate to establish the existence of subject matter jurisdiction inasmuch as

the Complaint fails to properly allege the citizenship of the parties.

The jurisdictional allegation regarding Plaintiff Randall Nunley, D.D.S. is inadequate

since it merely states that the Plaintiff "was and so remains a resident of Maricopa County,

Arizona." As the Supreme Court has repeatedly made clear,

[i]t has long been settled that residence and citizenship [are]

wholly different things within the meaning of the Constitution

and the laws defining and regulating the jurisdiction of the ...

courts of the United States; and that a mere averment of

Case 2:06-cv-02314-PGR Document 5 Filed 10/02/06 Page 1 of 3
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residence in a particular state is not an averment of citizenship

of that state for purposes of jurisdiction. 

Steigleder v. McQuesten, 198 U.S. 141, 143 (1905); accord, Kanter v. Warner-Lambert Co.,

265 F.3d 853, 857-58 (9th Cir. 2001) (Plaintiff's complaint ... state[s] that Plaintiffs were

'residents' of California. But the diversity statute, 28 U.S.C. § 1332, speaks of citizenship,

not residency. ... [The] failure to specify Plaintiff's state of citizenship was fatal to [the]

assertion of diversity jurisdiction.") 

The jurisdictional allegation regarding Defendant Berkshire Life Insurance Company

of America ("Berkshire Life") is also inadequate because it merely states that the Defendant

"was at all times hereinafter mentioned a foreign insurer licensed to transact and transacting

insurance in the State of Arizona." Although the parties do not specific whether this entity

is a corporation. the Court assumes that it is. For diversity purposes, a corporation is a

citizen both of the state in which it was incorporated and the state in which it has its principle

place of business. 28 U.S.C.A. § 1332(c)(1); Montrose Chemical Corp. of Cal. v. Am.

Motorists Ins. Co., 117 F.3d 1128, 1134 (9th Cir. 1997). Thus, a complaint involving a

corporate party which fails to affirmatively allege both the corporation’s state of

incorporation and the state in which it has its principal place of business fails to allege

diversity jurisdiction. See, e.g., Fifty Assocs. v. Prudential Ins. Co. of Am., 446 F.2d 1187,

1190 (9th Cir. 1970). Therefore,

IT IS ORDERED that the Plaintiff's Complaint is dismissed for lack of subject matter

jurisdiction, and the Plaintiff shall file an amended complaint properly asserting a

jurisdictional bases for this action no later than November 2, 2006. The Plaintiff's failure

to timely comply with this Order shall result in the dismissal of this action without further

notice. 

Case 2:06-cv-02314-PGR Document 5 Filed 10/02/06 Page 2 of 3
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IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Plaintiff shall give notice of this Order to any

Defendant already served with process.

DATED this 2nd day of October, 2006.

Case 2:06-cv-02314-PGR Document 5 Filed 10/02/06 Page 3 of 3