Sheldon v. Vermonty

204 F.R.D. 679, 2001 WL 1715814
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedDecember 10, 2001
DocketNo. CIV.A. 98-2277-JWL
StatusPublished
Cited by95 cases

This text of 204 F.R.D. 679 (Sheldon v. Vermonty) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sheldon v. Vermonty, 204 F.R.D. 679, 2001 WL 1715814 (D. Kan. 2001).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

LUNGSTRUM, United States Magistrate Judge.

This matter is before the Court on the following motions: (1) Plaintiffs Motion to Amend His Complaint Pursuant to FRCP 15 (doc. 127); (2) Defendants’ request for Rule [681]*68111 sanctions based on Plaintiffs filing of his Motion to Amend (doc. 177); (3) Defendants’ Motion to Amend Scheduling order (doc. 152); (4) Defendants’ Motion to Strike Plaintiffs Amended Final Witness and Exhibit List (doc. 171); and (5) Plaintiffs Motion and Amended Motion to Compel and related requests for sanctions (doc. 141,170).

I. Nature of the Case and Procedural Background

Plaintiff brings this action against various Defendants for violations of the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”), the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”), and the Kansas Securities Act. The claimed violations allegedly occurred in connection with Plaintiffs purchase of shares of stock in Power Phone, Inc. (“PP”), both before and after its failed merger with TMC Agroworld, Inc. (“TMC”). Plaintiff also asserts various causes of action arising under state law.

Defendants Jay Vermonty, Carmen Ver-monty, Gershon Tannenbaum, and Hector Cruz filed a motion to dismiss the Third Amended Complaint on March 4, 1999. The District Court granted the motion to dismiss, finding that none of the claims asserted in the Third Amended Complaint stated a cause of action upon which relief could be granted. See doc. 65. Later, the Court denied Plaintiffs request for reconsideration and motion to amend his complaint, and directed the entry of judgment against Plaintiff under Fed.R.Civ.P. 54(b). See doc. 79.

Plaintiff appealed the District Court’s rulings, and on October 30, 2000, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld in part and reversed in part the District Court’s entry of judgment. See Sheldon v. Vermonty, Nos. 99-3202, 99-3389, 2000 WL 1616436 (10th Cir. Oct.30, 2000), order revised and reh’g denied, 2000 WL 1774038 (Dec. 4, 2000). As to Defendants Jay Vermonty, Carmen Ver-monty, and Gershon Tannenbaum, the Tenth Circuit reversed the dismissal of the following claims: section 12(a)(2) Securities Act claim (Count I); section 15 Securities Act controlling person liability claim (Count III); section 20 Exchange Act controlling person liability claim (Count IV); section 10(b) Exchange Act claim (Count V); Kansas Securities Act claim (Count VI); unjust enrichment (Count VII); common law fraud (Counts VIII, IX and X); and conspiracy (Count XII). The Tenth Circuit upheld the dismissal of the section 12(a)(1) Securities Act claim (Count I), the section 12 and 13 Exchange Act claims (Count II), and the breach of fiduciary duty claim (Count XI). The Tenth Circuit also upheld the dismissal of all claims against Defendant Cruz. In addition, the Tenth Circuit ruled that the District Court did not abuse its discretion in denying Plaintiffs request to amend. The Tenth Circuit held, however, that “the issue of amendment as to these claims is best left to the district court’s discretion on remand.” Sheldon, 2000 WL 1774038, at *5.

After remand, a scheduling conference was held before the undersigned Magistrate Judge on April 23, 2001. The Court set May 4, 2001 as the deadline for filing any motions to amend. See Scheduling Order, doc. 126. Plaintiff filed his Motion to Amend on that date. Defendants filed a response, opposing the motion. On September 14, 2001, the Court asked Plaintiff to provide the Court and Defendants with a copy of his Proposed Fourth Amended Complaint with notations or highlighting indicating what allegations were added. The Court also gave the parties the opportunity to submit supplemental briefs. The Court has received Plaintiffs highlighted version of his proposed Fourth Amended Complaint and Defendants’ supplemental opposition to the Motion to Amend.

The Court is now prepared to rule on the Motion to Amend and the other pending pretrial motions.

II. Plaintiff’s Motion to Amend (doc. 127) and Defendants’ Request for Rule 11 Sanctions Relating Thereto (doc. 177)

A. The Proposed Amendments

In his Proposed Fourth Amended Complaint Plaintiff adds numerous allegations to the sections entitled “Parties,” “Jurisdiction,” “Venue,” and “Factual Allegations.” In addition, he alleges new facts in support of those claims that the Tenth Circuit ruled should not have been dismissed. Plaintiff asserts that these allegations were added to “bolster [682]*682his fraud allegations with additional specificity.” Mot. to Amend, Doc. 127 at 2. In addition, Plaintiff has revised Count II to add two new claims arising under sections 14 and 15 of the Exchange Act.1 Finally, Plaintiff has deleted those claims that the Tenth Circuit held were properly dismissed.

B. Standard for Ruling on a Motion to Amend

Rule 15 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure allows one amendment of the complaint before a responsive pleading is served or within twenty days after service of the complaint. Subsequent amendments are allowed by leave of court or by written consent of an adverse party, and leave to make subsequent amendments “shall be freely given when justice so requires.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 15(a). The Supreme Court has emphasized that “this mandate is to be heeded.” Foman v. Davis, 371 U.S. 178, 182, 83 S.Ct. 227, 9 L.Ed.2d 222 (1962). The decision to grant leave to amend a complaint, after the permissive period, is within the trial court’s discretion and will not be disturbed absent an abuse of that discretion. Woolsey v. Marion Labs., Inc., 934 F.2d 1452, 1462 (10th Cir.1991). The court should deny leave to amend only when it finds “undue delay, undue prejudice to the opposing party, bad faith or dilatory motive, failure to cure deficiencies by amendments previously allowed, or futility of amendment.” Frank v. U.S. West, Inc., 3 F.3d 1357, 1365 (10th Cir.1993).

A court may deny a motion to amend as futile if the proposed amendment would not withstand a motion to dismiss or if it otherwise fails to state a claim. Lyle v. Commodity Credit Corp., 898 F.Supp, 808, 810 (D.Kan.1995) (citing Ketchum v. Cruz, 961 F.2d 916, 920 (10th Cir.1992)). Thus, the court must analyze a proposed amendment as if it were before the court on a motion to dismiss pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6).

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Bluebook (online)
204 F.R.D. 679, 2001 WL 1715814, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sheldon-v-vermonty-ksd-2001.