Source: http://ca.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20120302_0001496.CCA.htm/qx
Timestamp: 2017-01-17 06:59:43
Document Index: 20977806

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1332', '§ 1441', '§ 1447', '§ 1332', '§ 1332', '§ 1447']

| Patricia Holick v. Pnc Bank
Patricia Holick v. Pnc Bank
PATRICIA HOLICKv.PNC BANK, N.A., ET AL.
The opinion of the court was delivered by: Present: The Honorable Percy Anderson, United States District Judge
Attorneys Present for Plaintiffs: Attorneys Present for Defendants: None None
Before the Court is a Notice of Removal filed by defendant PNC Bank, N.A. ("PNC Bank"). (Docket No. 1.) Defendant asserts that this Court has jurisdiction over the action brought against it by plaintiff Patricia Holick ("Plaintiff") based on the Court's diversity jurisdiction. See 28 U.S.C. § 1332.
Federal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction, having subject matter jurisdiction only over matters authorized by the Constitution and Congress. See, e.g., Kokkonen v. Guardian Life Ins. Co., 511 U.S. 375, 377, 114 S. Ct. 1673, 1675, 128 L. Ed. 2d 391 (1994). A suit filed in state court may be removed to federal court if the federal court would have had original jurisdiction over the suit. 28 U.S.C. § 1441(a). A removed action must be remanded to state court if the federal court lacks subject matter jurisdiction. 28 U.S.C. § 1447(c). "The burden of establishing federal jurisdiction is on the party seeking removal, and the removal statute is strictly construed against removal jurisdiction." Prize Frize, Inc. v. Matrix (U.S.) Inc., 167 F.3d 1261, 1265 (9th Cir. 1999). "Federal jurisdiction must be rejected if there is any doubt as to the right of removal in the first instance." Gaus v. Miles, Inc., 980 F.2d 564, 566 (9th Cir. 1992).
In attempting to invoke this Court's diversity jurisdiction, PNC Bank must prove that there is complete diversity of citizenship between the parties and that the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000. 28 U.S.C. § 1332. To establish citizenship for diversity purposes, a natural person must be a citizen of the United States and be domiciled in a particular state. Kantor v. Wellesley Galleries, Ltd., 704 F.2d 1088, 1090 (9th Cir. 1983). Persons are domiciled in the places they reside with the intent to remain or to which they intend to return. See Kanter v. Warner-Lambert Co., 265 F.3d 853, 857 (9th Cir. 2001). For the purposes of diversity jurisdiction, a corporation is a citizen of any state where it is incorporated and of the state where it has its principal place of business. 28 U.S.C. § 1332(c); see also Indus. Tectonics, Inc. v. Aero Alloy, 912 F.2d 1090, 1092 (9th Cir. 1990).
The Notice of Removal alleges that PNC Bank "is a national banking association with its principal place of business in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania" and that "PNC Bank should also be considered a Delaware citizen for diversity purposes." (Notice of Removal at 2:27 to 3:1--2.) Thus, PNC Bank alleges that it is a citizen of both Pennsylvania and Delaware. Citing Plaintiff's Complaint, the Notice of Removal also alleges that "Plaintiff was, and now is, an individual residing in the State of California." (Notice of Removal at 2:24--25, (citing Complaint ¶ 8).) However, as the Notice of Removal indicates, the Complaint alleges only Plaintiff's residence. Because the only support for PNC Bank's allegation of Plaintiff's citizenship is an allegation of residence, and residence is not the same as citizenship, the Notice of Removal's allegations are insufficient to establish Plaintiff's citizenship. "Absent unusual circumstances, a party seeking to invoke diversity jurisdiction should be able to allege affirmatively the actual citizenship of the relevant parties." Kanter, 265 F.3d at 857; Bradford v. Mitchell Bros. Truck Lines, 217 F. Supp. 525, 527 (N.D. Cal. 1963) ("A petition [for removal] alleging diversity of citizenship upon information and belief is insufficient."). As a result, PNC Bank's allegations are insufficient to invoke this Court's diversity jurisdiction.
Because PNC Bank has not properly alleged Plaintiff's citizenship, PNC Bank has not met its burden to establish this Court's jurisdiction. See Harris v. Bankers Life and Cas. Co., 425 F.3d 689, 694 (2005). Accordingly, the Court remands this action to the Los Angeles Superior Court, case number VC 060382, for lack of federal subject matter jurisdiction. See 28 U.S.C. § 1447(c).