Opinion ID: 502461
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: procedural problems with the summary judgment motion

Text: 18 AMA contends the district court had no power to consider and determine the motion for summary judgment at the time it did because no order granting relief from stay had yet been entered in the bankruptcy action. We disagree. 19 On June 24, 1986, the proceedings in the district court were automatically stayed under 11 U.S.C. Sec. 362(a) when AMA filed a Chapter 11 petition for bankruptcy. On August 4, 1986 the Band filed a motion for relief from the automatic stay under 11 U.S.C. Sec. 362(d)(1) in the bankruptcy court to proceed against AMA. On September 15, 1986, the bankruptcy court notified both parties that it was granting partial relief from the stay: 20 The Tribe should have relief from the stay for a limited purpose of obtaining a determination from the District Court with respect only to the declaration regarding the validity of the 1983 contract.... [p] Counsel for the Tribe is directed to prepare an order in accordance with this letter opinion within ten days from the date hereof. 21 (Emphasis in original). 22 On September 22, 1986, the Band filed a motion for summary judgment in the district court. On October 17, 1986, the district court orally granted the Band's motion. On November 7, 1986, the bankruptcy court's order granting the Band relief from the automatic stay was filed. On November 10, 1986, the district court entered judgment as to the first claim for declaratory relief as to the validity of the 1983 agreement. 23 The district court did not enter judgment as to the claim for declaratory relief until after the bankruptcy court entered its order granting the Band partial relief from the automatic stay. Thus, the district court had jurisdiction to enter judgment granting the Band's motion for summary judgment.
24 AMA next contends the district court did not have jurisdiction to rule on the Band's summary judgment motion because it did not formally withdraw its reference of the case under 28 U.S.C. Sec. 157(d) (Supp. III 1985) to the bankruptcy court. We disagree. 28 U.S.C. Sec. 157(d) provides: 25 The district court may withdraw, in whole or in part, any case or proceeding referred under this section [to the bankruptcy court], on its own motion or on timely motion of any party, for cause shown. The district court shall, on timely motion of a party, so withdraw a proceeding if the court determines that resolution of the proceeding requires consideration of both title 11 and other laws of the United States regulating organizations or activities affecting interstate commerce. 26 On June 22, 1987, the district court partially withdrew the reference of this case under Chapter 11 nunc pro tunc to September 15, 1986, to determine the issue of the validity of the tribal bingo management agreement. The district court stated: 27 [T]he Court finds that good cause exists in this case for this Court to withdraw its reference of this bankruptcy case from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of California, but only to the extent of permitting this Court to hear and determine the issue of the validity of the management agreement of May 11, 1983 between the parties under 25 U.S.C. Sec. 81, and to do so nunc pro tunc to September 15, 1986. 28 Thus, AMA's claim necessarily fails. AMA similarly claims the summary judgment motion was not timely filed under the local district court rules of court because the bankruptcy court had not filed its order granting the Band relief from the stay at the time the motion was filed. This claim is merely a restatement of the claim discussed above and rejected.