Opinion ID: 559980
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Remand of the Removed Case

Text: 30 Sofarelli argues that the district court abused its discretion in granting Hibbing's motion to remand the removed case back to state court. Before we can review the propriety of the remand order, we must determine whether the order is appealable.
31 In general, remand orders are not immediately appealable. 28 U.S.C.A. Sec. 1447(d) (West Supp.1990). We agree with Sofarelli's contention, however, that the instant remand order is appealable because the case was initially removed from state court pursuant to 28 U.S.C.A. Sec. 1443 (West Supp.1990). Section Sec. 1447(d) provides as follows: 32 (d) An order remanding a case to the State court from which it was removed is not reviewable on appeal or otherwise, except that an order remanding a case to the State court from which it was removed pursuant to section 1443 of this title shall be reviewable by appeal or otherwise. (emphasis added) 33 Section 1447(d) expressly permits appellate review of remand orders in cases that were originally removed to federal court under Sec. 1443. 34 This case was properly removed under Sec. 1443. 5 The case originally filed against Sofarelli in state court involved issues of property ownership and land use rights, issues appropriately addressed by state courts. Sofarelli subsequently suspected, however, that the plaintiffs had racial motivations for attempting to enjoin him from completing the house move. Accordingly, he counterclaimed that the lawsuit filed in state court by Hibbing was an effort to coerce, intimidate or deter him from providing housing in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The parties do not dispute that this allegation falls within the United State Supreme Court's holding in State of Georgia v. Rachel, 384 U.S. 780, 86 S.Ct. 1783, 16 L.Ed.2d 925 (1966), that removal under Sec. 1443 is proper when a lawsuit filed in state court is itself the act by which the movant's civil rights are violated. See also Northside Realty Assoc., Inc. v. Chapman, 411 F.Supp. 1195 (N.D.Ga.1976) (applying Rachel to hold that lawsuits filed in state court which violate the defendant's rights under the Fair Housing Act are properly removable under Sec. 1443). Having determined that the case was properly removed under Sec. 1443, we have jurisdiction to review the propriety of the remand order under Sec. 1447(d).
35 The district court remanded the case based upon a determination that Sofarelli failed to show he is eligible to properly assert a cause of action under the Fair Housing Act so that the only remaining issues in the case involved state law. Order Granting Motions to Dismiss and to Remand, Record Excerpts, Case No. 90-3281 at 10. A claim under the Fair Housing Act presents a federal question for purposes of federal question jurisdiction. Therefore, whether the remand order was proper depends upon whether the district court erred in determining that Sofarelli failed to state a claim under the Fair Housing Act. 36 In view of our holding supra that Sofarelli stated a valid claim under the Fair Housing Act against Hibbing, Swetay and their neighbors, the district court erred in finding that no federal question remained in the case. Therefore, the district court's remand order is vacated and the removed case will remain in federal court. 6