Opinion ID: 202808
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Failure to Consolidate Defenses

Text: 21 The district court dismissed the Plaintiffs' claims by allowing a narrow motion to dismiss and then subsequently allowing a broader motion for judgment on the pleadings. Marrero attacks the district court's allowance of the second motion by parroting the general rule for consolidation of defenses found in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(g). According to Marrero, the Defendants waived the grounds upon which the district court relied in the second motion by failing to raise them when the Housing Department moved to dismiss on Eleventh Amendment grounds. 22 Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(g) provides that: 23 A party who makes a motion under this rule may join with it any other motions herein provided for and then available to the party. If a party makes a motion under this rule but omits therefrom any defense or objection then available to the party which this rule permits to be raised by motion, the party shall not thereafter make a motion based on the defense or objection so omitted, except a motion as provided in subdivision (h)(2) hereof on any of the grounds there stated. 24 Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(g) (emphasis added). 25 Marrero ignores the rule's express exception that cross-references subdivision (h)(2) and permits a defense of failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted to be raised by motion for judgment on the pleadings. Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(h)(2); see Silva v. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 239 F.3d 385, 387-88 (1st Cir. 2001). 26 Here, the district court entertained and allowed a motion for judgment on the pleadings that raised a defense of failure to state a claim. The district court's action thus squarely meets the exception to the general rule expressed in Rule 12(g) and undermines Marrero's argument.