Anderson v. Consol-Pennsylvania Coal Co.

740 F. Supp. 1126, 1990 WL 90670
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJune 18, 1990
DocketCiv. A. Nos. 87-1962 to 87-1966, 87-1968, 87-1970 and 87-1971
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 740 F. Supp. 1126 (Anderson v. Consol-Pennsylvania Coal Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Anderson v. Consol-Pennsylvania Coal Co., 740 F. Supp. 1126, 1990 WL 90670 (W.D. Pa. 1990).

Opinion

[1127]*1127OPINION

D. BROOKS SMITH, District Judge.

These eight consolidated cases arise from the acquisition of a right of way in Greene and Washington counties, Pennsylvania, on which defendants built a railroad line in or about 1982-83. These cases are related to another set of eight consolidated cases, Loughman, et al., Consol-Pennsylvania Coal Co., et al., 740 F.Supp. 1114 (W.D.Pa.1990) (the “Loughman cases”) which recently were retried to verdict before this Court. In all sixteen cases, plaintiffs allege that defendants conspired to acquire plaintiffs’ real estate at lower than its “true value” by misrepresenting their condemnation powers and by concealing the involvement of the defendant coal companies in the right-of-way acquisition and construction of the rail line.1

Defendants are several coal companies,2 The Monongahela Railway Company, The Upshur Agency, which is a land company, various landsmen employed by Upshur, Ewing Pollock, an attorney, and Pollock Pollock and Thomas, his Washington, Pennsylvania law firm. The coal company defendants had entered into a joint venture to develop the Bailey Mine, part of which project involved the construction of a railroad to transport coal from the mine to market. There is no dispute that the coal company defendants entered into an agreement with Monongahela that they would finance the construction of the railroad spur, including the cost of acquiring the right of way. The defendant landsmen were hired by some of the defendants to acquire a right-of-way for a railroad spur to be built from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania to the Bailey Mine. The Loughman and Anderson plaintiffs allege that a conspiracy was formed to have the landsmen make misrepresentations to plaintiffs concerning the land acquisitions.

[1128]*1128The Loughman cases were filed in April and July, 1983. They meandered through the litigation process until they were tried to verdict, first before the Honorable Hubert Teitelbaum in early 1987, and on retrial by this Court in March, 1990. A multimillion dollar verdict was returned by the jury in the first trial; approximately six months later, the eight complaints in the above-captioned lawsuits (the “Anderson cases”) were filed.

In these cases, the Anderson plaintiffs allege that defendants’ conduct violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (“RICO”), 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (“Section 1983”) and Pennsylvania common law.3 Presently before us are three dispositive motions: Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment and Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment,4 and Plaintiffs’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment.

The Supreme Court has explained the standard for evaluating summary judgment motions in Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 323-24, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552, 2552-53, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986):

In our view, the plain language of Rule 56(c) mandates the entry of summary judgment, after adequate time for discovery and upon motion, against a party who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party’s case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial. * * * * * *
One of the principal purposes of the summary judgment rule is to isolate and dispose of factually unsupported claims or defenses, and we think it should be interpreted in a way that allows it to accomplish this purpose, (footnote omitted).

In Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986), the Court further explained the plaintiff’s burden in the summary judgment context:

The mere existence of a scintilla of evidence in support of the plaintiff’s position will be insufficient; there must be evidence on which the jury could reasonably find for the plaintiff.

Id. at 252, 106 S.Ct. at 2512.

A. Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment

Defendants seek summary judgment on plaintiffs’ RICO and civil rights claims on grounds that they are barred by the relevant statutes of limitations. Alternatively, defendants attack these claims on sufficiency grounds. Finally, defendants urge us to dismiss plaintiffs’ pendant state law claims on abstention grounds. United Mine Workers v. Gibbs, 383 U.S. 715, 726, 86 S.Ct. 1130, 1139, 16 L.Ed.2d 218 (1966) (where all federal claims are dismissed before trial, state claims should be dismissed as well).

1. The RICO claims

The Anderson complaints were filed in September 1987, and concern events surrounding land transactions occurring from late 1981 through June, 1982. The elements of a RICO claim are: 1) the conducting of 2) an enterprise, 3) through a pattern, 4) of racketeering activity. A private plaintiff also must show that he has been injured in his business or property by the violative conduct to establish standing. Keystone Ins. Co. v. Houghton, 863 F.2d 1125, 1128 (3d Cir.1988). Here, plaintiffs have alleged that defendants “... used a telephone and/or U.S. Mail ... as part of a pattern of racketeering activity engaged in [1129]*1129fraudulently forcing individuals to sell their property for below its true market value.” Anderson Complaint, If 67; Gensler Complaint, 11 67; Deiteich Complaint, 11 67; Reese Complaint, If 65; Grable Complaint, II 67; Stoner Complaint, H 67; Eisiminger Complaint, 11 68; Huffman Complaint, 11 66.5

a. Statute of Limitations

RICO claims are subject to a four-year statute of limitations. Agency Holding Corp. v. Malley-Duff & Assoc., Inc., 483 U.S. 143, 107 S.Ct. 2759, 97 L.Ed.2d 121 (1987), aff'g in part, rev’ing in part, Malley-Duff & Assoc., Inc. v. Crown Life Insurance Co., 792 F.2d 341 (3d Cir.1986). Defendants urge us to examine the four years immediately preceding the filing date of plaintiffs’ complaints, i.e., September 17, 1983 through September 17, 1987, and to determine that all alleged predicate acts and injuries occurred prior to the commencement of this period.

Plaintiffs advance three arguments for not applying the four-year statute of limitations. First, they contend that the statute of limitations was tolled by the filing of a class action in the Loughman cases. Second, they argue that applying the four-year statute constitutes a retroactive application of precedent which would be improper under the circumstances. Third, they allege that equitable tolling is appropriate due to defendants’ alleged fraudulent concealment of the facts.

i.

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Related

Kocher v. Larksville Borough
926 F. Supp. 2d 579 (M.D. Pennsylvania, 2013)
Eisiminger v. Consol-Pennsylvania Coal Co.
945 F.2d 394 (Third Circuit, 1991)
Anderson v. Consol-Pennsylvania Coal Co.
945 F.2d 394 (Third Circuit, 1991)
Deitreich v. Consol-Pennsylvania Coal Co.
945 F.2d 394 (Third Circuit, 1991)
Gensler v. Consol-Pennsylvania Coal Co.
945 F.2d 395 (Third Circuit, 1991)
Grable v. Consol-Pennsylvania Coal Co.
945 F.2d 395 (Third Circuit, 1991)
Huffman v. Consol-Pennsylvania Coal Co.
945 F.2d 395 (Third Circuit, 1991)
Reese v. Consol-Pennsylvania Coal Co.
945 F.2d 396 (Third Circuit, 1991)
Stoner v. Consol-Pennsylvania Coal Co.
945 F.2d 396 (Third Circuit, 1991)

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Bluebook (online)
740 F. Supp. 1126, 1990 WL 90670, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/anderson-v-consol-pennsylvania-coal-co-pawd-1990.