Multibank 2009-1 RES-ADC Venture, LLC v. Aizenberg et al
Filing
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ORDER Granting 59 Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Jurisdiction. FURTHER ORDERED that 42 Motion to Strike Answer and Enter Default Judgment; and 70 Motion for Default Judgment are DENIED as moot. Signed by Judge James C. Mahan on 10/27/11. (Copies have been distributed pursuant to the NEF - MMM)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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DISTRICT OF NEVADA
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RES-NV TVL, LCC,
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2:10-CV-1084 JCM (PAL)
Plaintiff,
v.
TOWNE VISTAS LLC, et al.,
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Defendants.
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ORDER
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Presently before the court is defendants Fred Lessman and The Fred Lessman 2001 Living
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Trust’s motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction. (Doc #59). The plaintiff has filed an opposition
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(doc. #63) to which defendants have replied (doc. #69).
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The crux of plaintiffs’ argument is that because the FDIC’s ownership stake in plaintiff
destroys diversity jurisdiction. For the reasons outlined below, this court is inclined to agree.
Discussion
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Diversity jurisdiction is governed by 28 U.S.C. § 1332, which provides:
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(a) The district courts shall have original jurisdiction of all civil actions where the matter
in controversy exceeds the sum or value of $75,000, exclusive of interest and costs, and is
between –
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James C. Mahan
U.S. District Judge
(1) citizens of different States;
(2) citizens of a State and citizens or subjects of a foreign state;
(3) citizens of different States and in which citizens or subjects of a foreign state
are additional parties; and
(4) a foreign state, defined in section 1603(a) of this title, as plaintiff and citizens
of a State or of different States.
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The diversity statute is strictly construed. Kantor v. Wellesley Galleries, Ltd., 704 F.2d 1088,
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1092 (9th Cir. 1983). When a party is a limited liability company, such as the instant plaintiff, its
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citizenship is determined with reference to the citizenship of its members. Johnson v. Columbia
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Properties Anchorage, LP, 437 F.3d 894, 800 (9th Cir. 2006).
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Plaintiff’s sole member is Multibank 2009-1 RES-ADC Venture, LLC (“Multibank”).
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Mutlibank, in turn, is comprised of two members: (1) RL RES 2009-1 Investments, LLC (“RL
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RES”) and (2) the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). Accordingly, plaintiff’s
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diversity citizenship is dependent on the citizenship of Multibank and RL RES.
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As a federally-chartered corporation, the FDIC is not a citizen of any state, but rather is a
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national citizen only. See Hancock Financial Corp. v. Fed. Savings and Loan Ins. Corp., 492
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F.2d 1325, 1329 9th Cir. 1974; see also FDIC v. La Rambla Shopping Ctr., Inc., 791 F.2d 215,
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221 (1st Cir. 1986); FDIC v. Nat’l Surety Corp., 345 F. Supp. 885, 888 (S.D. Iowa 1972).
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Federal courts confronting the issue of the FDIC’s (or other federally-chartered
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corporation) citizenship have commented that if such entites were viewed as citizens of the
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District of Columbia, diversity jurisdiction would be expanded to almost all suits involving
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federally chartered corporations. Nat’l Surety, 345 F. Supp. at 888. The Ninth Circuit adopted
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the holding of National Surety, when it explained: “because the [Federal Savings Loan and
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Insurance Corporation] is an agency and instrumentality of the federal government it is not a
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citizen of any particular state for diversity purposes.” Hancock, 492 F.2d at 1329. Similarly, the
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FDIC is an “agency and instrumentality of the federal government,” and is therefore “not a
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citizen of any particular state for diversity purposes.” Id.; accord La Rambla, 791 F.2d at 221;
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Nat’l Surety, 345 F. Supp. at 888; Little League Baseball, Inc. v. Welsh Publ’g Group, 874 F.
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Supp. 648, 651 (M.D. Pa. 1995).
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The court notes that Multibank has previously advanced the same argument it now
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opposes. For example, in its motion to remand in RES-AZ Three, LLC v. Tellepsen, Case No.
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2:11-cv-00233-ROS (D. Ariz), and motion to dismiss in CRM Ventures, LLC v. Multibank 2009-
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1 RES-ADC Venture, LLC, Case No. 10-2432-EFM-GLR (D. Kan), it argued that the FDIC’s
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James C. Mahan
U.S. District Judge
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ownership interest in Multibank destroys diversity jurisdiction, because the FDIC is not a citizen
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of any state. See Def.’s Mot. to Dismiss, Ex. 2 at 1:26-28, 5:20-6:24; Ex.3 p. 1. Also, in
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Multibank 2009-1 RES-ADC Venture LLC v. CRM Ventures, LLC, Case No. 10-cv-02001-PAB-
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CBS (D. Colo.), the court remanded the case sua sponte holding “Federal courts do not have
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diversity jurisdiction over federally chartered corporations such as the FDIC because such
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corporations have no state citizenship.” See id., Ex. 4 (order remanding case).
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Plaintiff’s entire ownership structure must be diverse for purposes of § 1332. Here,
FDIC’s status as a federally-chartered bank destroys citizenship.
Accordingly,
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IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that defendants’ motion to
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dismiss (doc. #59) be, and the same hereby is, GRANTED. This matter is dismissed for lack of
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jurisdiction.
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IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that in light of this court’s lack of jurisdiction, plaintiff’s
remaining motions for entry of default judgment (docs. #42 and #70) are DENIED as moot.
DATED October 27, 2011.
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
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James C. Mahan
U.S. District Judge
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