Indianer v. Franklin Life Insurance

113 F.R.D. 595, 1986 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16014
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedDecember 23, 1986
DocketNo. 83-2187-CIV.
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 113 F.R.D. 595 (Indianer v. Franklin Life Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Indianer v. Franklin Life Insurance, 113 F.R.D. 595, 1986 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16014 (S.D. Fla. 1986).

Opinion

MARCUS, District Judge.

THIS CAUSE has come before the Court upon Plaintiff’s Motion for Class Action Determination Under the Second Amended Complaint. Plaintiff Paul Indianer has moved this Court for nationwide class certification under Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Plaintiff asserts that this proposed nationwide class action satisfies the numerosity, commonality, typicality, and adequate representation prerequisites to class action certification under 23(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Additionally, Plaintiff maintains that the class action may properly be certified under either 23(b)(1), (b)(2), or (b)(3).1

We need not reach any of Plaintiff’s 23(b) claims, however, because we find that we are without subject matter jurisdiction over the proposed nationwide suit. The jurisdictional problem in this case involves satisfaction of the amount in controversy requirement. Simply put, we find that none of the plaintiffs in the proposed nationwide class have suffered damages in excess of $10,000. Moreover, Plaintiffs' claims are separate and distinct and may not be aggregated. We also find that an impact upon the defendant is not a proper consideration in determining the jurisdictional amount in a diversity class action where the claims are demonstrably separate and distinct. Finally, even if impact upon the defendant of injunctive relief were a proper consideration in this case, we still would not have subject matter jurisdiction over the proposed suit. Unfortunately, Plaintiff’s claims for injunctive relief turn out to be governed by disparate bodies of law. Since these questions are therefore not common within the meaning of Rule 23(a), they are not proper for class action treatment. Only the issue involved in one damage claim is truly common. It would probably be certifiable, but for the fact that no class member’s damages can satisfy the $10,000 jurisdictional amount. Thus, we are without jurisdiction to entertain the only truly common claim—the damage claim.

In sum, this Court is without subject matter jurisdiction over those common portions of the case which would otherwise be appropriate for nationwide class treatment, and we may not treat on a nationwide class basis those disparate questions for whose determination subject matter jurisdiction at least arguably exists. An inquiry concerning the presence or absence of subject matter jurisdiction is usually made by the Court before examining the merits of a plaintiff’s claims. The instant case is atypical, however, for it is only by addressing [597]*597the merits of Plaintiff’s claims for commonality that the complete absence of subject matter jurisdiction over the nationwide class suit becomes manifest. Accordingly, and for the reasons set out at length below, Plaintiff’s Motion for Class Action Determination Under the Second Amended Complaint must be and is DENIED.

I. BACKGROUND

Plaintiff Indianer is the holder of two Franklin Life insurance policies which allow the holder to obtain loans against them. There are individuals holding identical Franklin Life policies in all fifty states. In addition to allowing policy holders to borrow against their policies, Franklin Life distributes dividends from its cash flow according to a formula which it sets each year. Thus its insurance policies are properly denominated “participating” policies. In or about October 1980, Franklin Life adopted a new dividend allocation formula whereby it drew a distinction between borrowing policyholders and non-borrowing policyholders. This new formula resulted in payment of lesser dividends to borrowing policyholders than to non-borrowing policyholders. Since Plaintiff Indianer had borrowed against both of his policies, he received lesser dividends than non-borrowers under the new formula.

Indianer originally filed suit in state court alleging that Franklin’s practice of paying lesser dividends to borrowing policyholders than to non-borrowing policyholders is wrongful. Once the Defendant had removed the action to federal court alleging jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1441, Plaintiff amended his complaint and sought class certification under Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, on behalf of all Florida residents holding participating policies issued by Franklin who had obtained loans on them. The Honorable James Lawrence King, United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, before whom this cause was originally pending, granted class certification under Rule 23(b)(1), (b)(2) and (b)(3).

Once the state-wide class was certified under the Amended Complaint and discovery showed identity of the pertinent parts of Franklin’s participating policies and of the “divisible surplus” distribution formula nationwide, Plaintiff amended his complaint a second time to make the allegations necessary to bring suit on behalf of all Franklin participating policyholders throughout the nation having loans on their policies. Count I of the Second Amended Complaint is for breach of fiduciary duty. Plaintiff alleges that the allocation and distribution of the “annual fund” in a discriminatory manner is a breach of Defendant’s fiduciary duty to borrowing policyholders. Count II of the Second Amended Complaint is for breach of contract. Plaintiff alleges that Defendant has breached the insurance contract first, by charging loan interest in excess of the contractually stipulated rate (i.e., by charging borrowing policyholders the stipulated interest rate plus the amount by which their dividends are reduced), and second, by breaching statutory provisions of the fifty states which have been incorporated into the insurance contracts and which prohibit unfair discrimination in payment of dividends. Count III of the Second Amended Complaint alleges that Defendant converted sums belonging to Plaintiff and class members by intentionally and wrongfully withholding from Plaintiff and class members the amounts by which their dividends were reduced.

Plaintiff seeks damages on all counts, declaratory relief and an accounting on Counts I and II, and injunctive relief on Count I and the second claim under Count II. Plaintiff specifically seeks injunctive relief requiring Defendant (1) to discharge its fiduciary duty to Plaintiff and class members by allocating and distributing the annual fund in a non-discriminatory manner and (2) to cease its practice of distributing its annual fund in a discriminatory manner thereby paying lesser dividends and/or surplus interest to borrowing policyholders than to non-borrowing policyholders.

[598]*598Defendant filed a motion to dismiss the Second Amended Complaint. Judge King denied Defendant’s motion and ordered Defendant to file an Answer to the Second Amended Complaint. After the Answer was filed, Plaintiff filed the instant Motion for Class Action Determination Under Second Amended Complaint.

II. JURISDICTION

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Bluebook (online)
113 F.R.D. 595, 1986 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16014, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/indianer-v-franklin-life-insurance-flsd-1986.