Ahluwalia v. PNC Bank, National Association

Filing 4

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE: Order to Show Cause Hearing set for 11/20/2014 10:00 AM. Show Cause Response due by 11/6/2014. Signed by Judge Maria-Elena James on 10/27/2014. (cdnS, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 10/27/2014)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

Case No. 14-cv-04693-MEJ

Plaintiff,
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v.

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE

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NAVJOT AHLUWALIA,
Defendant.

United States District Court
Northern District of California

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On October 22, 2014, Defendant Navjot Ahluwalia removed this unlawful detainer action

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from Contra Costa County Superior Court. However, an unlawful detainer action does not arise

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under federal law but is purely a creature of California law. Wells Fargo Bank v. Lapeen, 2011

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WL 2194117, at *3 (N.D. Cal. June 6, 2011); Wescom Credit Union v. Dudley, 2010 WL

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4916578, at *2 (C.D. Cal. Nov. 22, 2010). Thus, it appears that jurisdiction is lacking and the case

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should be remanded to state court. Accordingly, the Court ORDERS Defendant to show cause

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why this case should not be remanded to the Contra Costa County Superior Court. Defendant

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shall file a declaration by November 6, 2014, and the Court shall conduct a hearing on November

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20, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. in Courtroom B, 15th Floor, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco,

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California. In the declaration, Defendant must address how this Court has jurisdiction over

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Plaintiff’s unlawful detainer claim.

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Defendant should be mindful that an anticipated federal defense or counterclaim is not

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sufficient to confer jurisdiction. Franchise Tax Bd. of Cal. v. Constr. Laborers Vacation Trust,

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463 U.S. 1, 10 (1983); Berg v. Leason, 32 F.3d 422, 426 (9th Cir. 1994). “A case may not be

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removed to federal court on the basis of a federal defense, . . . even if the defense is anticipated in

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the plaintiff’s complaint, and even if both parties admit that the defense is the only question truly

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at issue in the case.” ARCO Envtl. Remediation, LLC v. Dep’t of Health and Envtl. Quality of the

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State of Montana, 213 F.3d 1108, 1113 (9th Cir. 2000); see also Valles v. Ivy Hill Corp., 410 F.3d

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1071, 1075 (9th Cir. 2005) (“A federal law defense to a state-law claim does not confer

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jurisdiction on a federal court, even if the defense is that of federal preemption and is anticipated

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in the plaintiff's complaint.”). Thus, any anticipated defense, such as a claim under the Protecting

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Tenants at Foreclosure Act (“PTFA”), Pub.L. No. 111–22, § 702, 123 Stat. 1632 (2009), is not a

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valid ground for removal. See e.g. Aurora Loan Serv., LLC v. Montoya, 2011 WL 5508926, at *4

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(E.D. Cal. Nov. 9, 2011); SD Coastline LP v. Buck, 2010 WL 4809661, at *2–3 (S.D. Cal. Nov.19,

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2010); Wescom Credit Union v. Dudley, 2010 WL 4916578, at 2–3 (C.D. Cal. Nov. 22, 2010);

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United States District Court
Northern District of California

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Aurora Loan Serv., LLC v. Martinez, 2010 WL 1266887, at * 1 (N.D. Cal. March 29, 2010).
IT IS SO ORDERED.

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Dated: October 27, 2014
______________________________________
MARIA-ELENA JAMES
United States Magistrate Judge

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

Case No. 14-cv-04693-MEJ

Plaintiff,
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v.

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

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NAVJOT AHLUWALIA,
Defendant.

United States District Court
Northern District of California

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I, the undersigned, hereby certify that I am an employee in the Office of the Clerk, U.S.
District Court, Northern District of California.
That on 10/27/2014, I SERVED a true and correct copy(ies) of the attached, by placing
said copy(ies) in a postage paid envelope addressed to the person(s) hereinafter listed, by
depositing said envelope in the U.S. Mail, or by placing said copy(ies) into an inter-office delivery
receptacle located in the Clerk's office.

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Navjot Ahluwalia
1371 Regan Way
Brentwood, CA 94513

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Dated: 10/27/2014

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Richard W. Wieking
Clerk, United States District Court

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By:________________________
Chris Nathan, Deputy Clerk to the
Honorable MARIA-ELENA JAMES

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