FOR PUBLICATION

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

EVA HALL, 

Plaintiff-Appellant, No. 04-16182

v. D.C. No.

NORTH AMERICAN VAN LINES, INC.;  CV-04-00510-BZ

GEORGE CORREA; ALL CITY OPINION MOVING AND STORAGE,

Defendants-Appellees. 

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Northern District of California

Bernard Zimmerman, Magistrate Judge, Presiding

Argued and Submitted

April 13, 2005—San Francisco, California

Filed January 29, 2007

Before: Robert R. Beezer, Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain, and

Andrew J. Kleinfeld, Circuit Judges.

Opinion by Judge Beezer

1061
COUNSEL

Jeffrey K. Perkins, San Francisco, California, for the plaintiffappellant. 

Greg S. Garfinkel, Stone, Rosenblatt & Cha, Encino, California, for defendant-appellee North American Van Lines, Inc. 

Robert T. Lazzarini, Low, Ball & Lynch, San Francisco, California, for defendants-appellees George Correa and All-City

Moving and Storage.

OPINION

BEEZER, Circuit Judge: 

We consider whether federal law preempts state law claims

for breach of an interstate shipping contract and for common

law fraud and conversion. The district court concluded that it

had removal jurisdiction over Plaintiff-Appellant Eva Hall’s

complaint because her claims were completely preempted by

the 1906 Carmack Amendment to the Interstate Commerce

Act of 1887, 49 U.S.C. § 14706. The district court denied

Hall’s motion to remand and dismissed each of her claims. 

We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 and we

affirm. 

I

The district court dismissed Hall’s complaint pursuant to

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). We accept as true

1064 HALL v. NORTH AMERICAN VAN LINES
the facts as Hall pleaded them in her complaint. See Maduka

v. Sunrise Hosp., 375 F.3d 909, 911 (9th Cir. 2004). 

Eva Hall contracted with North American Van Lines1 in

March 2001 to ship her household goods from San Francisco,

California to Montana. The contract comprised a service order

and a bill of lading. The bill of lading required that any claim

for “loss or damage, injury or delay” be filed within nine

months after “a reasonable time for delivery has elapsed.”

Although the contract omitted the estimated shipping charges

and estimated date of arrival, Hall alleges that the Carriers

orally agreed to a total charge of $6,144, payable upon the

arrival of her goods in Montana. 

After signing the contract, Hall released her property to the

Carriers for shipment and departed for Montana. When she

inquired several weeks later why her goods had not arrived,

the Carriers informed Hall that they would not release her

goods from storage and ship them until she paid $9,000 in

transportation and storage charges. Hall acquiesced, but after

14 months of additional delay the Carriers demanded another

$18,000. Hall refused to pay. She later convinced the Carriers

to release her goods to her in San Francisco for a final additional payment of $4,612. 

Hall filed her complaint in California state court in December 2002. The complaint alleged that the Carriers (1) breached

the contract by refusing to ship her goods and demanding

charges in excess of the $6,144 originally agreed upon, (2)

fraudulently concealed their intentions to hold her goods for

ransom and (3) converted Hall’s goods to their personal use.

Hall sought $500,000 in damages for her contract claim. She

sought $13,312 in “bogus” shipping charges and $50,000 in

1Because there are few relevant factual distinctions between North

American Van Lines, its agent All-City Moving and Storage and

employee George Correa, we refer to the Defendants-Appellees collectively as the “Carriers.” 

HALL v. NORTH AMERICAN VAN LINES 1065
special damages for her fraud claim, together with unspecified

damages for her conversion claim. 

The Carriers removed the case from state court under 28

U.S.C. §§ 1337(a) and 1441(b), asserting that Hall’s complaint framed a cause of action under the Carmack Amendment, 49 U.S.C. § 14706.2

 The district court denied Hall’s

motion to remand and dismissed the case, concluding that the

Carmack Amendment preempted claims arising from an interstate bill of lading. The district court also granted the Carriers’ separate motion to dismiss based on Hall’s failure to file

a loss claim within the contract’s nine-month limitations

period. The district court granted Hall leave to amend her

complaint to state an express Carmack Amendment claim. 

Hall declined to amend and instead filed a notice of appeal,

after which the district court entered final judgment. We deem

Hall’s premature appeal to have been taken from the judgment. See Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(2).

II

We review de novo the district court’s dismissal of Hall’s

complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief could

be granted. See Adams v. Johnson, 355 F.3d 1179, 1183 (9th

Cir. 2004). We also review de novo the district court’s denial

of Hall’s motion to remand. See Vasquez v. N. County Transit

Dist., 292 F.3d 1049, 1054 (9th Cir. 2002). 

We may affirm on any basis supported by the record,

whether or not relied upon by the district court. Adams, 355

F.3d at 1183.

2The Carmack Amendment limits a carrier’s liability under an interstate

bill of lading to “the actual loss or injury to the property caused by” the

carrier. 49 U.S.C. § 14706(a). A plaintiff may bring a Carmack claim in

state or federal court, id. § 14706(d)(3), but the district courts have original jurisdiction only if the amount in controversy exceeds $10,000, exclusive of interests and costs, 28 U.S.C. § 1337(a). 

1066 HALL v. NORTH AMERICAN VAN LINES
III

This appeal presents a series of questions: 

(A) whether the district court had removal jurisdiction by

virtue of a federal question on the face of Hall’s well-pleaded

complaint; 

(B) whether, in the alternative, federal jurisdiction arose

because Hall’s “artfully pleaded” complaint contains a cause

of action that is completely preempted by the Carmack

Amendment; and 

(C) whether any of Hall’s claims survive preemption and

should be remanded to state court. 

A

We begin by deciding whether Hall’s common law claims

for breach of contract, fraud or conversion established federal

jurisdiction. 

[1] Under 28 U.S.C. § 1441(a), the district courts have

removal jurisdiction over any claim that could have been

brought in federal court originally. “The presence or absence

of federal-question jurisdiction is governed by the ‘wellpleaded complaint rule,’ which provides that federal jurisdiction exists only when a federal question is presented on the

face of the plaintiff’s properly pleaded complaint.” Caterpillar Inc. v. Williams, 482 U.S. 386, 392 (1987). 

[2] Hall’s complaint does not contain a well-pleaded federal claim on its face. Each of her three claims relies exclusively on state law. See id. (plaintiff “may avoid federal

jurisdiction by exclusive reliance on state law”). 

The Carriers raise federal preemption as a defense, but “the

existence of a defense based upon federal law is insufficient

HALL v. NORTH AMERICAN VAN LINES 1067
to support jurisdiction.” Wayne v. DHL Worldwide Express,

294 F.3d 1179, 1183 (9th Cir. 2002). 

Hall’s complaint also references and attaches an interstate

shipping contract, but the presence of underlying federal

issues does not create jurisdiction over a well-pleaded state

law claim. See Easton v. Crossland Mortgage Corp., 114 F.3d

979, 982 (9th Cir. 1997); see also Opera Plaza Residential

Parcel Homeowners Ass’n v. Hoang, 376 F.3d 831, 840 (9th

Cir. 2004) (claims “for damages stemming from alleged

breach of contract” ordinarily arise under state law). 

[3] Subject matter jurisdiction over Hall’s complaint must

arise, if at all, from something other than a well-pleaded federal claim.

B

[4] The absence of a federal claim on the face of Hall’s

complaint does not end our jurisdictional inquiry. Although

we usually defer to the plaintiff’s choice to plead state law

claims, there exist “a handful of ‘extraordinary’ situations

where even a well-pleaded state law complaint will be

deemed to arise under federal law for jurisdictional purposes.”

Holman v. Laulo-Rowe Agency, 994 F.2d 666, 668 (9th Cir.

1993). Under the “artful pleading” doctrine, a well-pleaded

state law claim presents a federal question when a federal statute has completely preempted that particular area of law. See

Balcorta v. Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp., 208 F.3d

1102, 1107 (9th Cir. 2000). “[A]ny claim purportedly based

on that preempted state law is considered, from its inception,

a federal claim, and therefore arises under federal law.” Id. A

complaint containing a completely preempted claim may be

removed to district court under § 1441. Beneficial Nat’l Bank

v. Anderson, 539 U.S. 1, 8 (2003). 

[5] The Carriers argue that the Carmack Amendment, 49

1068 HALL v. NORTH AMERICAN VAN LINES
U.S.C. § 14706, is among the few statutes3

 that completely

preempt well-pleaded state claims by “provid[ing] the exclusive cause of action for the claim asserted and also set[ting]

forth procedures and remedies governing that cause of

action.” Beneficial Nat’l Bank, 539 U.S. at 8. We have

described the Carmack Amendment as providing “a uniform

national liability policy for interstate carriers.” Hughes Aircraft Co. v. N. Am. Van Lines, Inc., 970 F.2d 609, 613 (9th

Cir. 1992); see also Hunter v. United Van Lines, 746 F.2d

635, 638 (9th Cir. 1985) (observing that plaintiffs’ contract

claim would have been completely preempted if it had satisfied Carmack’s minimum amount in controversy). It is well

settled that the Carmack Amendment is the exclusive cause of

action for interstate-shipping contract claims alleging loss or

damage to property.4See, e.g., Ga., Fla., & Ala. Ry. Co. v.

Blish Milling Co., 241 U.S. 190, 195 (1916) (“[T]he question

as to the proper construction of the bill of lading is a Federal

question.”); Adams Express Co. v. Croninger, 226 U.S. 491,

3The Supreme Court has identified only four such statutes: section 301

of the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, 29 U.S.C. § 185; section 502(a) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, 29

U.S.C. § 1132(a); and sections 85 and 86 of the National Bank Act of

1864, as amended, 12 U.S.C. §§ 85, 86. Beneficial Nat’l Bank, 539 U.S.

at 6-8, 11. 

4Hall relies on Hunter and its progeny to argue that complete preemption occurs only when federal law provides “a superseding remedy replacing the state law cause of action.” Williams v. Caterpillar Tractor Co., 786

F.2d 928, 932 (9th Cir. 1986), aff’d sub nom. Caterpillar Inc. v. Williams,

482 U.S. 386 (1987). The Supreme Court has rejected this view, stating

that the “ ‘breadth or narrowness of the relief which may be granted under

federal law . . . is a distinct question from whether the court has jurisdiction over the parties and the subject matter.’ ” Caterpillar, 482 U.S. at 391

n.4 (quoting Avco Corp. v. Aero Lodge No. 735, Int’l Ass’n of Machinists

& Aero Space Workers, 390 U.S. 557, 561 (1968)). 

Our jurisdictional analysis requires us to decide only “whether [Hall’s]

claim arose under [federal law], thus permitting removal to federal court,”

even though Hall “may have sought a remedy available only under state

law.” Newberry v. Pac. Racing Ass’n, 854 F.2d 1142, 1146 (9th Cir.

1988). 

HALL v. NORTH AMERICAN VAN LINES 1069
505-06 (1913) (Carmack covers “the subject of the liability of

the carrier under a bill of lading . . . so completely that there

can be no rational doubt but that Congress intended to take

possession of the subject, and supersede all state regulation

with reference to it”); Hoskins v. Bekins Van Lines, 343 F.3d

769, 778 (5th Cir. 2003) (“Congress intended for the Carmack

Amendment to provide the exclusive cause of action for loss

or damages to goods arising from the interstate transportation

of those goods by a common carrier.” (emphasis omitted)).

These cases establish that the Carmack Amendment completely preempts a contract claim alleging loss or damage to

property. 

[6] Hall argues that her contract claim is not completely

preempted because it arises from the Carriers’ refusal to

deliver rather than loss or damage to her property. We have

not previously considered this argument, but the Fifth Circuit

holds that the Carmack Amendment completely preempts a

contract claim alleging the late delivery of goods, even without loss or property damage. Moffit v. Bekins Van Lines Co.,

6 F.3d 305, 306-07 (5th Cir. 1993). We agree with that court’s

observation that making finer distinctions between types of

contract damages would “defeat the purpose of the statute,

which was to create uniformity out of disparity.” Id. at 307;

see also Duerrmeyer v. Alamo Moving & Storage One, Corp.,

49 F. Supp. 2d 934, 936 (W.D. Tex. 1999) (Carmack Amendment completely preempts “state law claims seeking to

recover damages for charging an improper rate for transporting the goods and the failure to fulfill duties closely related

to the duty of delivery”). 

[7] We hold that the Carmack Amendment is the exclusive

cause of action for contract claims alleging delay, loss, failure

to deliver or damage to property.5 Hall’s breach of contract

5Hall relies on First and Seventh Circuit cases holding that a claim for

intentional infliction of emotional distress that does not allege loss or damage of goods may avoid preemption. See Gordon v. United Van Lines,

Inc., 130 F.3d 282, 289 (7th Cir. 1997); Rini v. United Van Lines, Inc., 104

F.3d 502, 506 (1st Cir. 1997). Hall’s contract claim finds no support in

these cases. 

1070 HALL v. NORTH AMERICAN VAN LINES
claim is completely preempted by the Carmack Amendment

and satisfies the minimum amount in controversy. See 28

U.S.C. § 1337(a) ($10,000 minimum).6

[8] Because Hall’s completely preempted contract claim

presents a federal question, the district court properly denied

Hall’s motion to remand, see Franchise Tax Bd. v. Constr.

Laborers Vacation Trust, 463 U.S. 1, 13 (1983), and dismissed her contract claim on the merits, see Moffit, 6 F.3d at

306-07.

C

[9] Having concluded that Hall’s preempted contract claim

established removal jurisdiction over the entire case, we need

not decide whether her fraud and conversion claims also arise

under federal law. The only remaining question is whether the

district court properly dismissed Hall’s fraud and conversion

claims on the merits rather than remanding to state court.7

[10] Even if Hall’s fraud and conversion claims do not arise

under federal law, those claims were properly dismissed. See

Avco, 390 U.S. at 561 (“The nature of the relief available after

6For removal purposes, the amount of damages sought in the complaint

controls. Singer v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 116 F.3d 373, 375 (9th

Cir. 1993). Hall’s complaint alleges that the Carriers’ breach of contract

was the proximate cause of general and consequential damages of at least

$500,000. These damages, although based on the Carriers’ refusal to

deliver rather than loss or damage to property, are recoverable under the

Carmack Amendment. See Contempo Metal Furniture Co. v. E. Tex.

Motor Freight Lines, Inc., 661 F.2d 761, 765 (9th Cir. 1981) (Carmack

does not alter “common law rule that special, or consequential damages”

are recoverable if foreseeable “as ordinary, natural consequences of a

breach when the contract was made”). 

7The district court dismissed Hall’s “federal” contract claim in the same

order as her remaining state law claims. We need not consider whether the

district court properly exercised supplemental jurisdiction over Hall’s

fraud and conversion claims under 28 U.S.C. § 1367. See Munger v. City

of Glasgow Police Dep’t, 227 F.3d 1082, 1088 n.4 (9th Cir. 2000). 

HALL v. NORTH AMERICAN VAN LINES 1071
jurisdiction attaches is, of course, different from the question

whether there is jurisdiction to adjudicate the controversy.”).

The Carmack Amendment may constitute an affirmative

defense even to state law claims that are not completely preempted.8

See Wayne, 294 F.3d at 1182-85. We so held in

Hughes, concluding that the Carmack Amendment required

the dismissal of a common law negligence claim against a

carrier. 970 F.2d at 613. 

[11] Our holding in Hughes applies to Hall’s common law

fraud and conversion claims, even though Hall’s claims arise

from events other than loss or damage to her property. It is

well settled that the Carmack Amendment constitutes a complete defense to common law claims alleging all manner of

harms. See Southeastern Express Co. v. Pastime Amusement

Co., 299 U.S. 28, 29 (1936) (delay); Blish Milling, 241 U.S.

at 197 (mistaken delivery); Adams Express, 226 U.S. at 505-

06 (loss). It applies equally to fraud and conversion claims

arising from a carrier’s misrepresentations as to the conditions

of delivery or failure to carry out delivery. See Blish Milling,

241 U.S. at 197 (conversion, or “trover”); Smith v. United

Parcel Serv., 296 F.3d 1244, 1247 (11th Cir. 2002) (dismissing claims that carrier committed fraud by accepting shipments it “had no intention of fulfilling or attempting to

deliver”) (internal quotation marks omitted)). 

[12] Hall was not entitled to have her fraud and conversion

claims remanded to state court.9

8Complete preemption (a jurisdictional issue) converts a well-pleaded

state law claim into an inherently federal claim for jurisdictional purposes;

defensive preemption (a substantive issue) does not enable removal, but

does constitute a complete defense to a state law claim. See Hughes, 970

F.2d at 613 (no jurisdictional question presented, but Carmack required

dismissal of common law negligence claim). 

9Because Hall declined to amend her complaint to add a Carmack claim,

we need not address the district court’s separate ground for dismissal

based on Hall’s failure to plead compliance with the contract’s nine-month

limitations period. 

1072 HALL v. NORTH AMERICAN VAN LINES
IV

The district court properly denied Hall’s motion to remand

and properly dismissed each of Hall’s common law claims on

the merits. 

AFFIRMED. 

HALL v. NORTH AMERICAN VAN LINES 1073