Opinion ID: 2997029
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Reasonable opportunity

Text: We have held that “[w]hile the Rooker-Feldman doctrine bars federal subject matter jurisdiction over issues raised in state court, and those inextricably intertwined with such issues, ‘an issue cannot be inextricably intertwined with a state court judgment if the plaintiff did not have a reasonable opportunity to raise the issue in state court proceedings.’ ” Brokaw, 305 F.3d at 668 (quoting Long, 182 F.3d at 558). The “reasonable opportunity” inquiry focuses not on ripeness, but on difficulties caused by “factor[s] independent of the actions of the opposing part[ies] that precluded” a plaintiff from bringing federal claims in state court, such as 2 If, as a hypothetical example, attorney’s fees were wrongfully added to the balance Taylor owed on her mortgage in violation of the ECOA, and if, when her home was sold at foreclosure, the attorney’s fees were withheld from any balance owed to her, then she might have an independent claim for money damages in the amount of the wrongfully imposed attorney’s fees. But she does not claim any such wrongful action or other independent injury. 8 No. 03-3320 state court rules or procedures. Long, 182 F.3d at 558. Frankly, both the parties and the district court seem a bit confused about what the “reasonable opportunity” was, or is, in this case. This is not surprising, since we are faced with somewhat unusual circumstances with respect to this portion of our analysis. Usually, Rooker-Feldman is raised by defendants when a disappointed state court litigant brings suit in federal court to overturn the state court decision, or by plaintiffs when a defendant seeks removal of a state suit to federal court. Here, Taylor did sue in state court, but her suit was removed by the Defendants to federal court (apparently without any objection from Taylor) under asserted federal question jurisdiction. Once the district court raised the Rooker-Feldman doctrine as a potential bar to its subject matter jurisdiction, the Defendants admitted that Rooker-Feldman applied to bar federal jurisdiction, while Taylor had latched onto the federal venue and argued that her suit should remain in federal court. Taylor appealed the district court’s dismissal of her suit because she is concerned that her claims might be issue-precluded on remand, leaving her case “unduly postured for a state-court dismissal.” (Appellant’s Br. at 12.) Taylor’s concern is apparently the product of the district court’s determination that she had had a reasonable opportunity to bring her claims in the state court foreclosure proceedings and to challenge the foreclosure. Although we agree with the district court that Taylor has shown no barriers preventing her from bringing her claims in state court, and we therefore find that the district court’s decision to remand for lack of subject matter jurisdiction was correct, we must attempt to allay Taylor’s concern that her suit will be precluded on remand. Taylor’s fear (and her desire to remain in federal court) seems to stem from confusion about the relationship of the Rooker-Feldman doctrine to the doctrine of res judicata, which, as we have previously noted, “are not coextensive.” GASH Assoc. v. No. 03-3320 9 Rosemont, 995 F.2d 726, 728 (7th Cir. 1993). We have held that “[w]here Rooker-Feldman applies, lower federal courts have no power to address other affirmative defenses, including res judicata. . . . [W]e . . . recognize[ ] that the Rooker-Feldman doctrine should not be confused with res judicata (which we sometimes term ‘preclusion’) and that where Rooker-Feldman applies, the res judicata claim must not be reached.” Garry v. Geils, 82 F.3d 1362, 1365 (7th Cir. 1996). Our belief that no barriers exist to preclude Taylor from bringing her claims in state court is based on her failure to make us aware of any state laws, state court procedures or other impediments that would stand in the way of her bringing her claims in state court proceedings. Cf. Brokaw, 305 F.3d at 662-63 (finding that since minor plaintiff was not appointed a guardian at litem and was not allowed to appear at state court hearing where child abuse allegations determined, she did not have reasonable opportunity to bring constitutional claims in state court child neglect proceedings); Long, 182 F.3d at 559-60 (finding that the plaintiff did not have a reasonable opportunity to raise her federal claims in the state court eviction proceeding because Illinois law precluded her from doing so). We have not determined that Taylor is barred by res judicata because she could have or should have brought her claims as part of the foreclosure proceedings; the res judicata issue (if there is one) is for the state court to determine on remand.3 3 Although we may not consider the issue of res judicata because we lack the subject matter jurisdiction to do so, we note that Indiana allows independent actions for fraud on the court to be brought at any time after judgment has been entered. See Stonger v. Sorrell, 776 N.E.2d 353, 357 (Ind. 2002) (adopting federal authority in analyzing claims of fraud on the court under Indiana Trial Rule 60(B), which holds that there is no time limit on bringing independent actions for fraud on the court, though claims (continued...) 10 No. 03-3320