Duke v. Flying J, Inc.

178 F. Supp. 3d 918, 2016 WL 1425886
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedApril 11, 2016
DocketNos. C 15-2564 PJH, C 15-2566 PJH
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 178 F. Supp. 3d 918 (Duke v. Flying J, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Duke v. Flying J, Inc., 178 F. Supp. 3d 918, 2016 WL 1425886 (N.D. Cal. 2016).

Opinion

ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO TRANSFER VENUE; ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Phyllis J. Hamilton, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Before the court is plaintiff’s motion to transfer venue of the above-entitled actions to the Eastern District of North Carolina, and defendants’ motion for summary judgment as to all claims asserted by plaintiff in these actions. Having read the parties’ papers and carefully considered their arguments and the relevant legal authority, the court hereby DENIES plaintiffs motion to transfer and GRANTS defendants’ motion for summary judgment.

BACKGROUND

The Constitution grants the Weights and Measures power to Congress in U.S. Constitution art. I, § 8, cl.5. In exercising this power, Congress established the National Bureau of Standards (“NBS” — now known as the “NIST”), and empowered it to “develop, maintain, and retain custody of the national standards of measurement, and provide the means 'and methods for making measurements consistent with [920]*920those standards.” Seé 15 U.S.C. § 272(b)(2).

Congress directed NIST to “cooperate with' the other departments and agencies of the Federal Government, with industry [and] with state and local governments ... in establishing standard practices, codes, specifications, and voluntary consensus standards.” 15 U.S.C. § 272(b)(10). NIST has defined the “customary” “gallon” as “231 cubic inches” without reference to temperature. 33 Fed.Reg. 10755 (July 28,1968); 40 Fed.Reg. 3486 (July 22, 1975).

NIST established the National Conference on Weights and Measures (“NCWM”) to “ensure that uniform standards are applied to commercial transactions by developing regulatory standards for consideration by each jurisdiction.” NIST Handbook 44, which has been adopted by every state at issue in the present case, (a) provides technical requirements for weighing and measuring devices, including motor fuel dispensers, (b) requires that motor fuel be dispensed to retail customers in gallons or liters; and defines “gallon as a unit of volume equal to 231 cubic inches” “exactly” and that “a unit is fixed by definition and is independent of such physical conditions as temperature” and provides as examples, “the meter, the liter, ... the gallon.”

Rushing v. Alon, Case No. 06-7621, was originally filed in this court on December 13, 2006, as a proposed class action, asserting claims against numerous defendants under the consumer protection laws of Arizona, California, Florida, New Jersey, North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. The original plaintiffs’ claims all arose from the retail sale of gasoline and diesel fuel. Plaintiffs alleged that because the volume of motor fuel expands as its temperature rises, selling a gallon of motor fuel (231 cubic inches at 60 degrees Fahrenheit) at a temperature exceeding 60 degrees Fahrenheit (“hot fuel”) without disclosing that fact to consumers or adjusting the price to compensate constituted an unlawful and deceptive business practice. In the first amended complaint, filed March 4, 2007, plaintiffs added claims under the consumer protection laws of Arkansas, Nevada, New Mexico, the District of Columbia, plus a claim of breach of contract.

On July 9, 2007, the case was transferred to MDL No. 1840 in the District of Kansas, Case No. 07-MD-1840, where it was coordinated for pretrial proceedings. On August 30, 2013, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation issued a conditional remand order, directing that the claims asserted against certain defendants be remanded to this court. The MDL court subsequently severed the claims asserted against each of four defendants, created three new cases, and remanded all four to this court. The sole remaining plaintiff in the remanded cases was Lesley Duke.1

MOTION TO TRANSFER VENUE

Plaintiff seeks an order transferring the above-entitled actions to the Eastern District of North Carolina. He references both 28 'U.S.C. § 1406(a) and 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a). However, he provides no basis for a transfer under § 1406(a), and his sole argument in support of transfer under § 1404(a) is that “[i]t would be an inconvenience for plaintiff to travel approx; 3000 miles to appear in California court” and “it would also be an ineonveni[en]ce for possible witnesses to travel to CA.”

Defendants Pilot Travel Centers LLC and Flying J, Inc. (“Pilot/Flying J”)2 op[921]*921pose the motion. First, they assert, § 1406(a) provides no authority for this case to be transferred, because plaintiff chose to commence this case in this court nine years ago, and thus waived the right to allege “improper” venue. Moreover, they contend, improper venue is an affirmative defense, which a defendant can raise either in its answer or in a motion prior to its answer. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b).

Second, Pilot/Flying J contend that this case cannot be transferred under § 1404(a), for the additional reasons that plaintiff has not established that the suit “could have been brought” in the Eastern District of North Carolina, and has not established that the “convenience” factors warrant transfer. Defendants, also note that a transfer for “convenience” should be brought as soon as the convenience becomes apparent, but that here, plaintiff has unduly delayed in seeking transfer.

In addition, Pilot/Flying J assert that plaintiff has not identified any witnesses who will be inconvenienced by the transfer, or the locations of any fuel purchases in North Carolina, or explained why, of all the possible states, North Carolina is the most convenient for witnesses and parties, including defendants. They contend that because defendants and witnesses will most likely have to travel no matter what venue is chosen, California is not materially worse than any other venue at this late stage of the litigation (particularly in view of the fact that all discovery is complete). They assert further that plaintiff knew he would have to travel to California from North Carolina when he filed the original complaint in 2006, when he filed the second amended complaint in 2009, and when he filed the operative complaint in his individual cases in the MDL (prior to the remand).

Finally, Pilot/Flying J argue, a change of venue so late in the case would prejudice them because such a change would substantially increase the expense of the litigation, as they would have to file another motion for summary judgment in the new venue.

The court finds that the motion must be DENIED. Plaintiff has not met his burden of showing that transfer is warranted under either § 1406(a) or § 1404(a). First, by choosing a particular forum to commence the action, a plaintiff is generally considered to have waived objections to proceeding in that forum. See Olberding v. Illinois Cent. Ry. Co. 346 U.S. 338, 340, 74 S.Ct. 83, 98 L.Ed. 39 (1953).

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178 F. Supp. 3d 918, 2016 WL 1425886, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/duke-v-flying-j-inc-cand-2016.