Lamar Haddox Contractor, Inc. v. Potashnick

552 F. Supp. 11, 37 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 1024, 1982 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16172
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Louisiana
DecidedDecember 1, 1982
DocketCiv. A. 81-241-A
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 552 F. Supp. 11 (Lamar Haddox Contractor, Inc. v. Potashnick) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lamar Haddox Contractor, Inc. v. Potashnick, 552 F. Supp. 11, 37 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 1024, 1982 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16172 (M.D. La. 1982).

Opinion

JOHN V. PARKER, Chief Judge.

Plaintiff, Lamar Haddox Contractor, Inc., a corporate citizen of Louisiana, brought this action against R.B. Potashnick, a citizen of Missouri, and Aetna Casualty and Surety Company, a Connecticut citizen, in the 19th Judicial District Court for the Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Potashnick and Aetna removed the action to this court upon the basis of diversity jurisdiction, 28 U.S.C. § 1332. Subsequent to removal, Potashnick asserted a counterclaim against Haddox and filed a third party demand against Loop, Inc. and McClelland Engineers, Inc. On November 19, 1981, Haddox filed an amended and supplemental complaint, naming Loop and McClelland, the third party defendants, as additional defendants. Although unnoticed at the time, Loop is a corporate citizen of Louisiana and its presence in the suit destroys diversity of citizenship between plaintiff and all defendants.

After Haddox amended its complaint to include Loop, it was brought to the court’s attention that Loop’s citizenship is nondi-verse to that of plaintiff. Since diversity of citizenship, was the basis for removal, the court sua sponte requested all parties to submit briefs on the issue of subject matter jurisdiction.

All parties agree that Haddox is a Louisiana corporation and that Loop is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Louisiana. For diversity purposes, a corporation “shall be deemed a citizen of any state by which it has been incorporated and the state where it has its principal place of business.” 28 U.S.C. § 1332(c).

Both Haddox and Potashnick argue that the court should entertain Haddox’s claim against Loop under ancillary jurisdiction. Failing that, they suggest that Loop is an indispensable party.

Because federal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction, the court must, before accepting jurisdiction, satisfy itself not only that Article III of the Constitution permits it, but that the Congress has not negated it. United Mine Workers v. Gibbs, 383 U.S. 715, 86 S.Ct. 1130, 16 L.Ed.2d 218 (1966). Under Rule 14, Fed.R.Civ.P., where there is diversity between the plaintiff and the defendant, the defendant may implead a third party defendant of the same citizenship as plaintiff, Fawvor v. Texaco, Inc., 546 F.2d 636 (5th Cir.1977). While Rule 14 also authorizes the plaintiff to assert any claim against a third party defendant which arises out of the subject matter of the main demand, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure do not create or withdraw jurisdiction and complete diversity is required between plaintiff and all defendants. 28 U.S.C. § 1332. Accordingly, the plaintiff may not sue a non-diverse defendant along with a diverse defendant in the absence of an independent basis for federal jurisdiction, and judicial economy does not authorize a federal court to exercise ancillary jurisdiction over such a claim. Owen Equipment and Erection Co. v. Kroger, 437 U.S. 365, 98 S.Ct. 2396, 57 L.Ed.2d 274 (1978); Fawvor v. Texaco, Inc., supra.

Having concluded that Haddox may not assert its claims against Loop in federal court, we must now determine whether only that claim should be dismissed or whether the entire action should be remanded. The determination of that issue depends on whether Loop is an indispensable party un *14 der Rule 19(b), Fed.R.Civ.P. Jett v. Zink, 362 F.2d 723 (5th Cir.1966).

Indispensable parties are those who have such an interest in the controversy that a final decree cannot be entered without either affecting their interests or leaving the controversy in such a condition that a final determination may be wholly inconsistent with equity and good conscience. Lumbermen’s Mutual Casualty Co. v. Elbert, 348 U.S. 48, 75 S.Ct. 151, 99 L.Ed. 59 (1954).

Rule 19(b) lists several factors the court must consider in determining whether a party is indispensable:

“First, to what extent a judgment rendered in the person’s absence might be prejudicial to him or those already parties; second, the extent to which, by protective provisions in the judgment, by shaping of relief, or other measures, the prejudice can be lessened or avoided; third, whether a judgment rendered in the person’s absence will be adequate; fourth, whether the plaintiff will have an adequate remedy if the action is dismissed for nonjoinder.”

As stated by the Fifth Circuit in Schutten v. Shell Oil Company, 421 F.2d 869 (1970):

“The distilled essence of these ‘criteria’ of subdivision (b) is the attempt to balance the rights of all concerned. See Provident Tradesmens Bank & Trust Co. v. Patterson, [390 U.S. 102, 88 S.Ct. 733, 19 L.Ed.2d 936], supra. The plaintiff has the right to ‘control’ his own litigation and to choose his own forum. This ‘right’ is, however, like all other rights, ‘defined’ by the rights of others. Thus, the defendant has the right to be safe from needless multiple litigation and from incurring avoidable inconsistent obligations. Likewise the interests of the outsider who cannot be joined must be considered. Finally there is the public interest and the interest the court has in seeing that insofar as possible the litigation will be both effective and expeditious.” 421 F.2d at 873.

In addition, the jurisprudence indicates that the court should make its determination not on formalistic grounds but rather on pragmatic analysis of the effect of a party’s absence. Provident Tradesmens Bank & Trust Co. v. Patterson, 390 U.S. 102, 88 S.Ct. 733, 19 L.Ed.2d 936 (1968); Bethell v. Peace, 441 F.2d 495 (5th Cir.1971).

According to the allegations of the pleadings, Loop let a general contract to Potash-nick for construction of a brine storage reservoir in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana; Potashnick subcontracted a portion of the work to plaintiff, Haddox. McClelland served Loop as project engineer and construction manager of the project.

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552 F. Supp. 11, 37 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 1024, 1982 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16172, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lamar-haddox-contractor-inc-v-potashnick-lamd-1982.