Opinion ID: 1276610
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Striking Portion of Counterclaim

Text: Randle next argues that a portion of its counterclaim, labeled by the district court as Reconstructing or Reproducing Delta's Amended REA, should not have been struck by the district court. The district court held that this claim was made without basis and should have been amended or withdrawn, and because it was not, the court struck this portion of the counterclaim. We review a district court's decision to strike for an abuse of discretion and will not disturb a decision that is reasonable and not arbitrary. Holbrook v. Norfolk S. Ry. Co., 414 F.3d 739, 745 (7th Cir.2005); see also Adusumilli v. City of Chicago, 164 F.3d 353, 359 (7th Cir.1998). Under this standard, we find that the district court's actions were proper. Rule 12(f) provides that a district court may strike from a pleading an insufficient defense or any redundant, immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous matter. Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(f). The court may either strike on its own or on a motion by a party and has considerable discretion in striking any redundant, immaterial, impertinent or scandalous matter. Id.; Talbot v. Robert Matthews Distrib. Co., 961 F.2d 654, 665 (7th Cir.1992). Randle's counterclaim, in pertinent part, sought damages for the amount paid to the law firm to entirely re-construct a third and final REA, after Delta could not do what it was hired to. Undisputably, a third REA was never created. Randle later attempted to explain that the damages sought were the contingent fee payment to the law firm which would not have been necessary had Delta properly performed its duties. The district court quoted Randle that the law firm was hired to file suit and not to re-present the REA to the School District and struck the claim as without basis. The district court alternatively found that had Randle amended this claim to seek the contingent fee, Randle would still have failed. Here, Randle needlessly spends much of its argument on this issue addressing the district court's alternative decision that had Randle amended his claim seeking attorney's fees, there would still have been no recovery. We need not consider this alternative argument because Randle failed to sufficiently argue what is properly before our court: whether the district court abused its discretion when it struck the portion of the counterclaim. On this issue, Randle's opening brief dedicated only five lines of argument that consisted entirely of a false suggestion and a conclusory allegation. First, Randle begins by suggesting that the district court erred when it struck this component of the [c]ounterclaim although no motion to strike had been filed by [Delta]. However, Rule 12(f) expressly tells us that a court can act on its own. Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(f)(1). Second, Randle states that this reference to a potential measure of damages does not constitute redundant, immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous matter. However, Randle does not, and could not, elaborate on this conclusory allegation because, as the district court properly found, there is no basis for the claim at all. A third REA was never created. In addition, the district court never prohibited Randle from amending its counterclaim, and we note that Randle never sought leave of court to file its amendment. Randle simply failed to amend this portion of its counterclaim, leaving behind an impertinent, immaterial claim that was well within the discretion of the district court to strike. See Talbot, 961 F.2d at 665 (district court did not abuse discretion in striking allegations devoid of factual basis under Rule 12(f)).