Opinion ID: 4196342
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The desire to avoid piecemeal litigation.

Text: “Piecemeal litigation occurs when different tribunals consider the same issue, thereby duplicating efforts and possibly reaching different results.” Am. Int’l Underwriters (Philippines), Inc. v. Cont’l Ins. Co., 843 F.2d 1253, 1258 (9th Cir. 1988). For this factor to favor a stay, “the case must raise a special concern about piecemeal litigation, which can be remedied by staying or dismissing the federal proceeding,” and which “the court could [not] have avoided by other means.” R.R. St., 656 F.3d at 979 (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). The state and federal courts in this case did not consider precisely the same issue; the state court considered the validity of the Subject Claims, while the federal court considered condemnation of property interests in the Subject Claims. However, Montanore’s decision to file two separate actions in two different courts resulted in piecemeal litigation of its singular goal (that is, extinguishing Defendants’ claimed rights in the Subject Claims). It did not promote “conservation of judicial resources and comprehensive disposition of litigation,” Colorado River, MONTANORE MINERALS V. BAKIE 13 424 U.S. at 817, to have a federal court “adjudicate rights that [were] implicated in a vastly more comprehensive state action.” R.R. St., 656 F.3d at 979 (internal quotation marks omitted). Moreover, the validity of the Subject Claims was considered by the Commissioners in their compensation recommendation, resulting in duplication of efforts. Although the district court instructed the Commissioners that “[f]inal determination of the validity of Defendants’ unpatented mining claims [was] not before [the federal] court,” and would “be determined in a separate, state court action,” the district court also instructed the Commissioners to consider any evidence regarding the validity of the Subject Claims “for its bearing on the issue of the amount of just compensation owed to Defendants.” The district court also acknowledged in an order issued on April 29, 2014, that the validity of the Defendants’ claimed interests was relevant to the question of just compensation. In their report, which was adopted by the district court in its entirety, the Commissioners listed as two of the five reasons supporting the determination that no compensation was owed (1) that “questions exist as to the validity and even the location of the Subject Claims,” and (2) “the validity of the Subject Claims is subject to a state district court proceeding.” Although this case does not involve different tribunals ruling on precisely the same issue, the validity of the claims was crucial in both proceedings, and both courts considered the issue and reached arguably conflicting results. Thus, this factor favors a stay. 14 MONTANORE MINERALS V. BAKIE