Source: http://ca.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20110725_0003646.CCA.htm/qx
Timestamp: 2017-01-17 13:31:42
Document Index: 216819836

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1331', '§ 1332', '§ 1443', '§ 1443', '§ 1443', '§ 1443', '§ 1443']

| Pnc Mortgage, A Division of P Nc Bank, National Association Sbm To v. Patricia Williams
Pnc Mortgage, A Division of P Nc Bank, National Association Sbm To v. Patricia Williams
PNC MORTGAGE, A DIVISION OF P NC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION SBM TO NATIONAL CITY MORTGAGE, A DIVISION OF NATIONAL CITY BANK, PLAINTIFF,v.PATRICIA WILLIAMS, DEFENDANT.
Currently before the Court is Plaintiff PNC Mortgage's ("Plaintiff") Motion to Remand. (Dkt. No. 13.) The Court deems the matter appropriate for decision without oral argument, see Fed. R. Civ. P. 78; L.R. 7-15, and for the following reasons, the Court REMANDS the case to Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Plaintiff instituted this unlawful detainer action in state court on September 17, 2010. On May 2, 2011, Defendant Patricia Williams ("Defendant") removed this case alleging jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1443. (Dkt. No. 1.) The Court, however, lacks subject matter jurisdiction in this case. Particularly, a federal question does not present itself in an unlawful detainer action. Galileo Fin. v. Miin Sun Park, No. EDCV 09-1660 PSG, 2009 WL 3157411, at *1 (C.D. Cal. Sept. 24, 2009) ("Here, the complaint only asserts a claim for unlawful detainer, a cause of action that is purely a matter of state law. Thus, from the face of the complaint, it is clear that no basis for federal question jurisdiction exists."). In addition, although not raised by Defendant, diversity jurisdiction does not exist in this matter. For a federal court to exercise diversity jurisdiction, there must be "complete" diversity between the parties and the amount in controversy requirement must be met. 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a). Here, Defendant's removal fails to establish complete diversity between the parties. Also, from the face of Plaintiff's complaint, it is apparent that Defendant will be unable to prove that the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000, exclusive of attorney's fees and costs. Thus, diversity jurisdiction is lacking.
Furthermore, Defendant contends that removal is proper pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1443. Section 1443 provides that a defendant may remove from the state court any action "[a]against any person who is denied or cannot enforce in the courts of such State a right under any law providing for the equal civil rights of citizens of the United States, or of all persons within the jurisdiction thereof." 28 U.S.C. § 1443(1). Section 1443(1) presents a "specific and extremely narrow" ground for removal. Davis v. Superior Ct. of Cal., 464 F.2d 1272, 1273 (9th Cir. 1972). "A petition for removal under § 1443(1) must satisfy the two-part test articulated by the Supreme Court in Georgia v. Rachel, 384 U.S. 780, 788-92, 794-804 (1966) and City of Greenwood, Miss. v. Peacock, 384 U.S. 808, 824-28 (1966)." Patel v. Del Taco, Inc., 446 F.3d 996, 998-99 (9th Cir. 2006). "First, the petitioners must assert, as a defense to the prosecution, rights that are given to them by explicit statutory enactment protecting equal racial civil rights. Second, petitioners must assert that the state courts will not enforce that right, and that allegation must be supported by reference to a state statute or a constitutional provision that purports to command the state courts to ignore the federal rights." Id. at 999 (quotation omitted).
Here, Defendant's allegations in her removal papers do not meet this two-part test.
Bare assertions as to the Superior Court's "pre-established bias toward [ ] Defendant" simply is not enough to support removal pursuant to § 1443. As the Supreme Court noted:
Since Defendant has failed to show that the state courts will not enforce her federal civil rights, removal under § 1443(1) is improper.