Western Surety Company v. Marco Enterprises, Inc. et al
Filing
20
MEMORANDUM OPINION re 4 MOTION to Change Venue, the Motion is GRANTED. Thiscase is hereby TRANSFERRED to the Alexandria Division of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Signed by District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith and filed on 9/22/2011. (rsim)
UNITED
STATES DISTRICT
COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
Norfolk Division
WESTERN
SURETY COMPANY,
Plaintiff,
CIVIL NO.
v.
MARCO
et
ENTERPRISES,
2:llcv408
INC.,
al.,
Defendants
MEMORANDUM ORDER
This
Venue
case
comes
the
United
to
District
of
defendants,
For the
before
Virginia,
Marco
reasons
States
Marco
Enterprises,
Fagon,
on
contracts
South
also
July
Inc.,
20,
performed
Dakota
located
by
South
Maryland
corporation,
Maryland.
Donna
P.
its
2011,
with
its
its
for
Transfer
the
Eastern
Donna
P.
of
the
Seaton-Fagon.
is GRANTED.
History
Company,
brought
president,
to
The
P.
a
Seaton-
plaintiff
place
place
against
construction
of
Enterprises,
principal
is
suit
Donna
three
principal
Marco
Seaton-Fagon
to
("Motion"),
Enterprises.
Dakota.
with
and
relating
Marco
corporation,
in
Surety
and
Motion
Court
the Motion
Procedural
Western
a
Division
Inc.,
forth herein,
plaintiff,
on
District
Enterprises,
set
court
Alexandria
I.
The
the
of
citizen
is
business
Inc.,
is
business
of
a
a
in
Maryland.
Diversity
jurisdiction
plaintiff
amount
is
in
The
court
part
occurred
fl
ECF
breached
1
two
its
or
that
§
1332,
as
the
and
the
of
the
this
because
underlying
the
Virginia.
relating
in
in
plaintiff
located
venue
1391,
omissions
The
in
§
defendants
U.S.C.
District
19.
located
the
complaint
28
events
one
U.S.C.
a
PL's
that
alleges
Am.
the
three
separate
Virginia
in
to
Beach,
Virginia,
District
of
Columbia.
See
id.
8.
The
August
ripe
defendants
17,
for
2011.
filed
The
their
Motion
is
The
defendants
1404 (a)
and
witnesses,
Local
in
action
have
whether
to
claims
Transfer
Venue
and
therefore
pursuant
to
is
on
now
might
the
have
been
grant
of
to
Motion
the
a
any
motion
two
brought
convenience
justice,
other
brought."
following
been
Analysis
"For
civil
might
conduct
3.
interest
where
must
to
unopposed,
their
the
any
deciding
bring
Rule
transfer
it
Motion
decision.
II.
§
from
contracts
projects,
other
in
Eastern
No.
28
$75,000.
under
the
within
5,
construction
the
of
under
diverse
alleged
appropriate
defendants
and
completely
plaintiff
substantial
Compl.
proper
controversy exceeds
is
claim
is
in
to
28
a
the
district
U.S.C.
transfer
§
court
or
"MD
this
may
In
court
whether
forum;
and
division
1404 (a).
venue,
transferee
U.S.C.
of parties
district
inquiries:
28
and
the
(2)
whether
and
v.
the
interest
witnesses
Lee,
482
Microtek
The
justify
F.
Supp.
Int'l,
of
Division
to
first
250
the
convenience
that
Supp.
2d
citing
Va.
the
the
action
the
provides
the
Va.
have
Koh
v.
2003)).
on
the
the Alexandria
the
However,
could
Inc.
largest
the
proper
been
court
first place.
in
3 (C)
of
and
suit.
Tax,
argument
proximity
parties
(quoting
(E.D.
their
counsel,
underlying
Division
630
the
JTH
2007)
627,
of
the
of
forum.'"
(E.D.
entirety
whether
Rule
to
witnesses,
project
the Alexandria
and
735
F.
criteria,
assess
Local
731,
likely
construction
must
2d
spend
these
justice
transfer
Inc.,
defendants
second
of
brought
basis
for
in
this
determination:
Civil
actions
district
well.
also
The
an
the
venue
shall
venue
as
A
reads
civil
to
action
wherein
28
in
§
§
et
as
seq.
in
purpose
of
to
lay
1391
"judicial
the
this
division
the
which
terms
U.S.C.
1391
proper
U.S.C.
replaced with
3 (C)
§
For
in
division,
venue,
et
seq.
district"
term "division."
1391 (a),
the
applicable
follows:
diversity
in
the
28
the
proper
U.S.C.
filed.
in
if
as
of
provided
where
28
division
stated
Rule
proper
in
be
proper
were
is
the
determine
construed
be
Local
rule
to
rules
and "district"
Applying
rules
shall
the
venue
in
brought
apply
action
determining
which
be
venue
shall
which
for
shall
by
any
the
citizenship
law,
be
defendant
same
part
rise
claim
the
property
that
situated,
or
of
(2)
the
a
the
is
founded
except
only
if
a
in
all
or
or
a
subject
[division]
in
otherwise
[division]
defendants
in
the
any
reside
which
omissions
which
on
a
substantial
of
only
as
(1)
[division]
events
occurred,
is
(3)
may,
brought
resides,
State,
substantial
to
jurisdiction
a
giving
part
action
of
is
defendant
is
subject
action
action may
transfer
both
Info.
at
statute,
districts
adjusted
Services,
under
28
to
Alexandria
Apr.
is
clear
proper
not
defendants
Fagon
is
Defs.'
no
a
28
to
the
or
Alexandria
service
the
corporation
jurisdiction
Equifax
24650,
3(C)
non-diversity
28
Rule
case
not
instance,
1391(a)(l),
Venue
1,
pleadings
rise
The
the
as
it
ECF
Defs.'
No.
that
"a
to
the
appears
and,
it
action
may
from
is
is
in
Supp.
there
issue
the
of
subject
commenced.
of
are
the
within
concerned
Beach
and
within
pleadings
USC
the
Seaton-
part
reside
28
venue
occurred"
Virginia
under
P.
Second,
at
the
because
substantial
in
Inc.,
First,
Donna
claim
in
to
therefore,
Mem.
5.
contracts
division,
anywhere
the
Virginia;
See
lie
and,
§
within
1391(a)
properly
U.S.C.
Maryland.1
time
§
unavailable.
Alexandria
resides
the
first
Enterprises,
in
did
U.S.C.
is
outside
Division,
at
be
v.
Local
1404(a)
giving
Marco
venue
the
Division.
occurred
to
LEXIS
Dist.
a
of
version
reside
of
omissions
Defendant
U.S.
in
need
Mullins
(construing
venue
references
not
28
both
in
located
in
§
Transfer
Alexandria
projects
in
under
citizen
Mot.
the
does
Cf.
2006
2006)
that
U.S.C.
not
indications
events
1
do
the
already
therefore
3(C).
proper
time
[division]
1404(a),
3:05CV888,
substituted
Division,
under
§
Rule
at
no
be brought.
and
28,
is
1391(b)).
is
transfer
U.S.C.
No.
this
it
otherwise
Local
determine
Applying
case,
to
§
there
divisions,
Va.
U.S.C.
jurisdiction
if
28
LLC,
(E.D.
similarly
this
and
pursuant
*9-*13
personal
commenced,
which the
The
to
is
§
to
the
the
that
1391(c),
a
personal
District
of
additional
Columbia,
concerned
Norfolk
Division,
venue.
The
a
U.S.C.
§
1404(a)
U.S.C.
§ 1404 (b)
Mullins
Equifax
*14
motion to
Defs.'
2 Section 1404(b)
motion,
any
motion
division
within
is
in
a
the
proper
which
transfer
However,
any
underlying
Beach,
therefore,
to Transfer Venue
Services,
that
consent
suit
or
the
§
or
or
LLC,
this
under
transfer
1404(b)
1,
28
under
ECF No.
2006
U.S.
of
opposition
another
28
4;
Dist.
cf.
LEXIS
party
to
a
inapplicable).
pending
of
stipulation
proceeding
hearing
discretion
which
three
Division
a
provide
states:
action,
the
Mot.
Info.
(noting
any
not
improper.
transfer venue made
Upon
the
Virginia
is
that
is proper, 2 as all of the parties agree to the
See
at
be
of
Norfolk
brought,"
would
alleged
One
in
the
Division
been
transfer.3
v.
thus
are
id.
project
and
have
facts
See
Alexandria
"might
24650,
no
connections.
contracts
case
and
thereof,
the
other
may
court,
any
to
of
a
be
from
of
all
civil
parties,
nature
or
transferred,
in
the
division
division
in
the
in
same
district.
Thus,
suit
under
could
§
1404(b),
have
been
the
defendants
brought
in
the
would
not
transferee
need
to
show
the
division.
3 The court is perplexed as to why the defendants did not seek
transfer
this
case
under
does
28
not
U.S.C.
oppose
§
1404(b),
transfer.
given
that
the plaintiff
in
For
case
the
is
United
foregoing
hereby
TRANSFERRED
States
Virginia.
District
The
Memorandum
Clerk
Order
to
transfer of the case
It
is
SO
reasons,
to
Court
is
counsel
the
the
Motion
Alexandria
for
DIRECTED
for
is
the
to the Alexandria
the
to
GRANTED.
Division
Eastern
send
parties
a
of
the
District
of
copy
and
This
to
of
effect
this
the
Division.
ORDERED.
^
Rebecca Beach Smith
United States District Judge
Rebecca
Beach
Smith
United StatesDistrict
Norfolk,
September
Virginia
^& <
2011
Judge
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