Sanial v. Bossoreale

279 F. Supp. 940, 1967 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10575
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedApril 21, 1967
Docket63 Civ. 586
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 279 F. Supp. 940 (Sanial v. Bossoreale) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sanial v. Bossoreale, 279 F. Supp. 940, 1967 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10575 (S.D.N.Y. 1967).

Opinion

MOTLEY, District Judge.

MEMORANDUM OPINION ON MOTION TO DISMISS

All defendants in this action for personal injuries, pain and suffering, and wrongful death have moved to dismiss. The single ground of the motion is that, there being no diversity of citizenship between plaintiff and defendants, this court is without jurisdiction. This suit, brought by plaintiff as administratrix of the goods, chattels and credits of her deceased husband, is predicated wholly upon diversity jurisdiction. Title 28 U.S.C. § 1332. Defendants moved for a preliminary hearing of their motion pursuant to the provisions of Rule 12(d) Fed.R.Civ.P. The former motion was granted. A hearing was held on April 3 and 4, 1967.

As a result of that hearing, this court finds that plaintiff, who filed this action one month after she moved from New York to Maryland, was at the time of commencement of the action, a citizen of New York; that plaintiff moved to Maryland for a fixed, temporary period of time with the intention, at all times, of returning to New York at the end of that period; and that plaintiff never intended to abandon New York as her permanent domicile. It is not disputed that all defendants are citizens of New York. The fact that plaintiff was not a citizen of Maryland but a citizen of New York at the time this action was commenced means that there is lacking the requisite diversity of citizenship which [942]*942would give this court jurisdiction. The complaint must, therefore, be dismissed.1

The facts and the law upon which the foregoing findings and conclusions are based are set forth below.

Plaintiff and her deceased husband purchased a home in Setauket, Suffolk County, New York in 1958 or 1959. Plaintiff has voted every year in elections held in Suffolk County from 1958 through the last election held in 1966.

On December 12, 1961, plaintiff’s husband was killed in his automobile in an accident involving other vehicles owned or operated by defendants. Plaintiff alleges in her complaint here that her husband’s death was the result of the negligence of defendants in the operation of their vehicles.2

On February 12, 1962, plaintiff applied for a teaching position in the Setauket schools. On the same date, she wrote the supervising principal as follows:

My heartfelt thanks for your gracious interview. You have given me much encouragement.
I do believe my original decision about starting in 1963 is the correct one for me to make, and I hope you may have an opening for me at that time. I have given serious thought to your kind observation that it might be well for me to keep busy professionally — next year, but I feel that my obligation to my children is even more strongly defined now, and since it will be possible for me to remain with Mary for her last year at home, I should like to do so. I think my husband would want it this way.
In the meantime, perhaps any existing course requirements can be removed. My transcripts have been forwarded for re-evaluation as you suggested.
Again, I thank you for seeing me.

In the summer of 1962, plaintiff went to Europe for two months.

Thereafter, on December 7, 1962, plaintiff signed and returned, as directed, the original and one copy of a Notice of Salary sent her by the school clerk. This document notified plaintiff of what her salary would be for the school year 1963 to 1964. Subsequently, on December 10, 1962, the supervising principal notified plaintiff, by letter, that she was being recommended for appointment to the Setauket School staff, “at the salary indicated on the enclosed contract.” Plaintiff was directed to sign both copies of the contract and return same to the Setauket School Board for its signature at the next Board meeting on January 3, 1963. By letter dated January 3, 1963, the supervising principal notified plaintiff that she had been hired by the Board for the 1963-1964 school year. Then, on January 19, 1963, the supervising principal, by letter, confirmed plaintiff’s appointment by the Board for the school year beginning September 1963. He returned to plaintiff a duly executed copy of her contract.

On February 1, 1963, plaintiff moved from her home in Setauket, New York to Mount Rainier, Maryland. She was accompanied by her two minor children whose ages were 7 and 5. Plaintiff travelled in her car, which she drove, bearing a New York State license plate. She had applied for renewal of her New [943]*943York State driver’s license and registration in January 1963, as required by law. Into her car plaintiff had put her clothing and the clothing of her children. The only other belongings plaintiff moved were some kitchen utensils and linens. On the day on which plaintiff moved, a lease, previously executed, became effective on plaintiff’s house. The home was leased with all its furnishings except those removed as stated above. The lease was for a period of five months — February 1, 1963 to June 13, 1963.

Upon arriving in Mount Rainier, plaintiff moved into a previously leased furnished apartment as a month to month tenant; registered her children in the local schools; applied for a Maryland driver’s license and car registration for which she received a Maryland State license plate; notified her automobile insurer of change of address; opened a checking account in a local bank and a charge account in a local branch of a New York department store; changed her New York Blue Cross-Blue Shield membership to membership in Maryland; and registered as a student at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. At the university, plaintiff took three courses necessary to complete her New York State teacher certification requirements.

When plaintiff left for Maryland, she did not close or transfer her two New York savings accounts. She paid the gas, electric and telephone bills for these services at her Setauket home, all of which were continued unchanged in her deceased husband’s name.

Plaintiff returned to her home in New York in June 1963 and began teaching in the Setauket School in September 1963.

In short, plaintiff never really gave up her domicile in New York. She merely established a temporary residence in Maryland. This temporary residence in Maryland was established for five months. This period coincided with the time during which plaintiff completed three courses at the Catholic University in Washington, D.C. and the period for which she leased her home. Plaintiff finally received New York teacher certification in October 1965 after taking additional courses during the summers of 1964 and 1965 at the same university.

Plaintiff testified that when she left New York on February 1, 1963, it was her intention to make Mount Rainier, Maryland her home, but the objective facts overwhelmingly establish an intention not to abandon her New York domicile.

One month (March 1, 1963) after plaintiff arrived in Maryland, this action was commenced. In her complaint, plaintiff alleged that she “resides at 2710 Webster Street, Mt. Rainier, Maryland.” Plaintiff did not allege that she was a citizen of Maryland.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
279 F. Supp. 940, 1967 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10575, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sanial-v-bossoreale-nysd-1967.