Opinion ID: 547618
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Mandatory Abstention.

Text: 14 In response to Premier's motion to dismiss the Howes' lender liability claims, the Howes filed a motion to abstain and remand, urging the district court to abstain on the grounds set forth in 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1334(c)(2). That section provides: 15 Upon timely motion of a party in a proceeding based upon a State law claim or State law cause of action, related to a case under Title 11 but not arising under Title 11 or arising in a case under Title 11, with respect to which an action could not have been commenced in a Court of the United States absent jurisdiction under this Section, the district court shall abstain from hearing such proceeding if an action is commenced, and can be timely adjudicated, in a state forum of appropriate jurisdiction. 2 16 In other words, a district court must abstain from hearing a non-core, related matter if the action can be timely adjudicated in state court. The Howes argue that their action is a non-core, related proceeding at least in regard to those defendants who did not file a proof of claim in the original bankruptcy. We need not address the merits of the Howes' mandatory abstention argument, however, because the provisions of Sec. 1334(c)(2) do not apply to them. The 1984 Act states that its mandatory abstention provisions do not apply to cases pending on July 10, 1984, its date of enactment, or to proceedings arising in or related to such cases. 3 Because their action was pending on the date of the statute's enactment, the statute's mandatory abstention provisions do not apply to them. 17