Court Opinion

ID: 9894798
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-03 00:00:33.64795+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:10:42.272936
License: Public Domain

Case: 23-30615         Document: 00516954349             Page: 1      Date Filed: 11/02/2023

              United States Court of Appeals
                   for the Fifth Circuit
                                      ____________                              United States Court of Appeals
                                                                                         Fifth Circuit

                                       No. 23-30615                                    FILED
                                                                                November 2, 2023
                                     Summary Calendar
                                     ____________                                 Lyle W. Cayce
                                                                                       Clerk
   Minh Vo,

                                                                     Plaintiff—Appellant,

                                             versus

   Entergy Company; City Sewer,

                                               Defendants—Appellees.
                      ______________________________

                      Appeal from the United States District Court
                          for the Middle District of Louisiana
                                USDC No. 3:22-CV-255
                      ______________________________

   Before Clement, Elrod, and Ho, Circuit Judges.
   Per Curiam: *
          Minh Vo appeals the district court’s order dismissing his amended
   complaint for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction. For the following reasons,
   we AFFIRM.
          Vo and his family live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Vo’s pro se amended
   complaint alleges that Entergy Company and City Sewer damaged the sewer

          _____________________
          *
              This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.
Case: 23-30615        Document: 00516954349              Page: 2       Date Filed: 11/02/2023

                                          No. 23-30615

   system in the backyard of his home which caused his toilets to overflow and
   flooded areas of his home. Vo alleges that the flooding led to mold, which, in
   turn, caused heath issues for him and his family.
           On the district court’s fillable form for pro se complaints, the first item
   reads: “State the grounds for filing this case in Federal Court (include federal
   statutes and/or U.S. Constitutional provisions, if you know them).” Vo left
   the answer box underneath this item blank. On the line for listing defendants,
   Vo stated that Entergy Company is a business located in Alabama and City
   Sewer is a business located in Louisiana.
           The district court dismissed the amended complaint for lack of
   subject-matter jurisdiction. First, the court held that Vo had failed to
   establish federal-question jurisdiction because the amended complaint did
   not identify any federal law that had allegedly been violated nor did the
   factual allegations therein establish a colorable issue of federal law. Second,
   the court held that it lacked diversity jurisdiction because, as pled, the parties
   were not completely diverse—Vo and City Sewer were both citizens of
   Louisiana. 1 We agree with the district court’s reasoning in its entirety. Vo
   remains free to pursue his claims in state court, subject, of course, to any
   applicable statutes of limitation.
           AFFIRMED.

           _____________________
           1
              The court also noted that, based on the public records of the Louisiana Secretary
   of State, it appeared that Entergy was a Louisiana citizen as well.

                                                2