Martin Gonzalez et al v. General Motors LLC et al

Filing 16

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE WHY THE ACTION SHOULD NOT BE REMANDED FOR LACK OF SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION by Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha: The parties are ORDERED TO SHOW CAUSE, in writing only, within 14 days from the date of this Order, why this action should not be remanded for lack of subject matter jurisdiction because the amount in controversy does not exceed the jurisdictional threshold. The parties are encouraged to submit evidence and/or judicially noticeable facts in response to the courts Order. Responses shall be limited to 10 pages in length. The parties should consider this Order to be a two-pronged inquiry into the facial and factual sufficiency of Defendants demonstration of jurisdiction. As Defendant is the party asserting federal jurisdiction, Defendant's failure to respond timely and adequately to this Order shall result in remand of the action without further notice (lc)

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 Plaintiffs, 12 13 14 15 16 Case No. 2:23-cv-10763-FLA (JCx) MARTIN GONZALEZ, et al., ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE WHY ACTION SHOULD NOT BE REMANDED FOR LACK OF SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION v. GENERAL MOTORS LLC, et al., Defendants. 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 1 1 Federal courts are courts of “limited jurisdiction,” possessing only “power 2 authorized by the Constitution and statute[.]” Kokkonen v. Guardian Life Ins. Co. of 3 Am., 511 U.S. 375, 377 (1994); U.S. Const. art. III, § 2, cl. 1. Courts are presumed to 4 lack jurisdiction unless the contrary appears affirmatively from the record. See 5 DaimlerChrysler Corp. v. Cuno, 547 U.S. 332, 342 n. 3 (2006). Additionally, federal 6 courts have an obligation to examine jurisdiction sua sponte before proceeding to the 7 merits of a case. See Ruhrgas AG v. Marathon Oil Co., 526 U.S. 574, 583 (1999). 8 9 Federal courts have jurisdiction where an action arises under federal law or where each plaintiff’s citizenship is diverse from each defendant’s citizenship and the 10 amount in controversy exceeds $75,000, exclusive of interest and costs. 28 U.S.C. 11 §§ 1331, 1332(a). Thus, a notice removing an action from state court to federal court 12 must include “a plausible allegation that the amount in controversy exceeds the 13 jurisdictional threshold.” Dart Cherokee Basin Operating Co., LLC v. Owens, 574 14 U.S. 81, 89 (2014). Where “the plaintiff contests, or the court questions, the 15 defendant’s allegation” concerning the amount in controversy, “both sides [shall] 16 submit proof,” and the court may then decide whether the defendant has proven the 17 amount in controversy “by a preponderance of the evidence.” Id. at 88–89. “Federal 18 jurisdiction must be rejected if there is any doubt as to the right of removal in the first 19 instance.” Gaus v. Miles, Inc., 980 F.2d 564, 566 (9th Cir. 1992). 20 The court has reviewed Defendant General Motors LLC’s (“Defendant”) Notice 21 of Removal and is presently unable to conclude it has subject matter jurisdiction under 22 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a). In particular, and without limitation, the court finds that the 23 allegations in the Notice of Removal do not demonstrate by a preponderance of the 24 evidence that the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000. 25 The parties are ORDERED TO SHOW CAUSE, in writing only, within 26 fourteen (14) days from the date of this Order, why this action should not be remanded 27 for lack of subject matter jurisdiction because the amount in controversy does not 28 exceed the jurisdictional threshold. The parties are encouraged to submit evidence 2 1 and/or judicially noticeable facts in response to the court’s Order. Responses shall be 2 limited to ten (10) pages in length. The parties should consider this Order to be a two- 3 pronged inquiry into the facial and factual sufficiency of Defendant’s demonstration 4 of jurisdiction. See Leite v. Crane Co., 749 F.3d 1117, 1122 (9th Cir. 2014). 5 As Defendant is the party asserting federal jurisdiction, Defendant’s failure to 6 respond timely and adequately to this Order shall result in remand of the action 7 without further notice. 8 9 IT IS SO ORDERED. 10 11 Dated: January 22, 2024 12 13 14 ______________________________ FERNANDO L. AENLLE-ROCHA United States District Judge 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 3

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