FI L ED U.S. COURT OF APPEAL S EL EVENTHCI RCUI T FEB 11, 2011 J OHN L EY CL ERK [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE U

NITED STATE S COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELE VENTH CIRCUIT

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__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ D.C. Dock etNo. 1 :1 0- cv -0 08 94 -J EC PROVIDENT FUNDING ASSOCIATES, LP, ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Plai nt iff -Ap pe ll ee, vers us BRIDGET OBANDE, an d/ orOccupa nt s, ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defend an t-Ap pe ll an t.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

th e Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t forth e Nor th ern Dis tri ctof Ge or gi a

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (Feb ru ary 11 , 20 11 ) Befo re CARNES, BAR KETT, an d M ARCUS, Ci rcu itJu dg es . PER CURI AM: Bri dg etOban de ap pe al s p ro se t he di st ric t co ur t’s o rd er re m an di ng afo recl os ur e p ro ceed in g b ro ug htag ai ns t h er b y Pro vi de ntFu nd in g As so ci at es , LP, to st at e co urt. PFA i ni ti al ly bro ug htth e fo recl os ur e act io n i n Geo rg iast at e co urt, bu t Ob an de fil eda no ti ce o f rem ov al in th e U.S. Dis tri ctCo urt fo r th e Nor th ern Dis tri ctof Ge or gi a, arg ui ng th atrem ov al was p ro pe r un de r 28 U.S.C. §§ 14 41 an d 14 43 . Inco nt en di ng th atth e d is tri ctco ur t erredingra nt in g P FA’s m ot io n t o rem an d, Ob an de m ak es two m ai n a rg um en ts . Firs t s he arg ue s t ha t t he di st ric t co urt h adrem ov al juri sd ic ti on un de r § 1 44 1 b as edon di ve rs it y of c it iz en sh ip . Seco ndsh e arg ue s t ha t re m ov al was p ro pe r un de r § 1 44 3( 1) be cau se sh e al le ge d th athe r Sev en th Am en dm en t an d Du e Pro ces s C laus e ri gh ts were v io la te d b y Geo rg ia ’s di sp os se ss ory

laws . W e rev ie w de n ov o t he qu es ti on of wh et he r a d is tri ctco ur t h adrem ov al juri sd ic ti on . Hens on v. Ci ba -Gei gy Corp ., 26 1 F .3d10 65 , 10 68 (11 th Cir . 20 01 ).

“ Pro se p le ad in gs are h el d t o ales s s tri ng en t s ta nd ardth an pl ead in gs dra fte d b y at to rn ey s an d wi ll , th eref or e, be li be ral ly con st ru ed .” Tann enbaum v. Un it ed St at es , 14 8 F .3d12 62 , 12 63 (11 th Cir . 19 98 ). As a g en eral rul e, we can no t re vi ew a d is tri ctco ur t’s d eci si on rem an di ng a cas e to st at e co urt. Hern an de z v . Sem in ol e Co un ty, Fl a., 33 4 F .3d12 33 , 12 35 (1 1t h C ir. 2 00 3) ; 2 8 U.S.C. § 14 47 (d ). Thatrul e, whi ch is co di fie d i n § 14 47 (d ), 2ap pl ie s wh en th e d is tri ctco urt co nc lu de s t ha t i t “ la ck [s ] rem ov al juri sd ic ti on un de r

§ 1 44 1 [b ecau se ] th e cas e is no t o ne ov er wh ic h t he co ur t h as ori gi na l juri sd ic ti on .” Co gd el l v . Wy et h, 3 66 F.3d12 45 , 12 48 (11 th Cir . 20 04 ). Sect io n 1 44 7( d) , ho wev er, ex pr es sl y ex em pt s fr om it s co ve rag e certa in civ il rig ht s cas es rem ov edun de r 28 U.S.C. § 1 44 3
. See 2 8 U.S.C. § 14 47 (d ) (p erm it ti ng ap pe ll at e rev ie w of “ an ord er re m an di ng a cas e to th e St at e co ur t fr om whi ch it was rem ov edpu rs ua ntto sec ti on 14 43 of t hi s t it le ”). Whe re an ap pe ll an t’s ch al le ng e to a di st ric t co urt’s re m an d o rd er i s b as edon th e co ur t’s h av in g re m ov al juri sd ic ti on un de r bo th §§ 14 41 an d 1 44 3, we h av e d is m is se d t he ap pe al to th e ex te ntitch al le ng edth e rem an d o rd er b as edon § 1 44 1 b utall owe d i t t o p ro ceedto th e ex te ntitch al le ng edth e co urt’s d et erm in at io n t ha t re m ov al ba se d o n § 14 43 was im pr op er. Alaba m a v . Con le y , 24 5 F .3d12 92 , 12 93 n.1 (11 th Cir . 20 01 ). Und er § 14 43 , a de fen da ntm ay rem ov e an act io n i f itis bro ug ht“ [a]gai ns t an y pe rs on who is de ni edor c an no t en fo rce i n the co ur ts of s uc h S ta te a ri gh t un de r an y law p ro vi di ng forth e equa l ci vi l ri gh ts of c it iz en s o f th e Uni te d S ta te s, orof a ll pe rs on s wi th in th e juri sd ic ti on th ereo f.” 2 8 U.S.C. § 14 43 (1 ). A rem ov al pe ti ti on fil edun de r § 1 44 3 m us t s at is fy

th e two -p ro ng tes t s etou t i n Geo rg iav. Rac he l, 3 84 U.S. 78 0, 7 92 , 79 4, 8 6 S .Ct. 1 78 3, 1 79 0, 1 79 1 (1 96 6) . “ Fi rs t, the pe ti ti on er m

us t s ho w th atth e ri gh t upo n wh ic h t he pe ti ti on er re li es ari se s u nd er a 3fed eral law ‘pro vi di ng forsp eci fic civ il rig ht s s ta te d i n t erm s o f rac ia l eq ua li ty.’ ”

Co nl ey , 24 5 F .3dat 1 29 5 (q uo ti ng Rach el , 38 4 U.S. at79 2, 8 6 S .Ct. at17 90 ).

“ Seco nd , th e p et it io ne r m us t s ho w th athe ha s b een de ni edor c an no t en fo rce t ha t rig htinth e st at e co urts .” Id . A defe nd an t’s re li an ce o n b ro adco ns ti tu ti on al or st atut ory pro vi si on s d oe s n otsupp or t re m ov al un de r § 1 44 3 wh en th os e p ro vi si on s

“ are p hr as edin term s o f ge ne ral ap pl ic at io n a va il ab le to all pe rs on s o r ci ti zen s, rat he r th anin th e sp eci fic lan gu ag e o f raci al equa li ty tha t s ect io n 1 44 3 d em an ds .” Rac he l, 3 84 U.S. at 7 92 , 86 S.Ct . at 1 79 0 (h ol di ng th at“ th e d efen da nt s’ bro ad co nt en ti on s u nd er t he Fir stAm en dm en t an d t he Due P ro ces s C laus e o f th e Fo urte en th Am en dm en t ca nn otsupp or t a v al idcla im forrem ov al un de r § 1 44 3” ). W e d is m is s Ob an de ’s app eal to th e ex te ntitch al le ng es th e d is tri ctco ur t’s rem an d o rd er u nd er § 14 41 . Thatde te rm in at io n i s n otrev ie wab le by thi s C ou rt. See 2 8 U.S.C. § 14 47 (d ). Andalt ho ug h we m ay rev ie w Oban de ’s cla im

th at rem ov al was p ro pe r un de r § 1 44 3( 1) , rem ov al of h er ca se was n otau th or iz ed un de r th atst atut e b ecau se Oban de di d n otass ertth atth e st at e co ur t p ro ceed in gs wou ldvi ol at e a fed eral law p ro vi di ng forsp eci fic civ il rig ht s s ta te d i n t erm s o f raci al equa li ty. Acco rd in gl y , we di sm is s i n p artan d a ffi rm in part. DISMI SSED I N PART, AF FIRMED I N PART.

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