U.S. Supreme Court ST. PAUL MERCURY INDEM. CO. v. RED CAB CO., 303 U.S. 283 (1938)

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to pay, or obligate itself to pay, for medical, hospital, or dental bills in connection with such injuries; to the damage of the respondent in the sum of $4,000. It was alleged that the petitioner had acted, in making the contract, through Harlan, its authorized agent and representative, and an order was prayed that Harlan retain all moneys due by him to the petitioner for the purpose of answering any judgment which might be recovered. The complaint concluded by demanding $4,000 and other appropriate relief. Upon the petitioner's timely application the cause was removed to the United States District Court for Southern Indiana. The respondent thereafter filed an amended complaint, the substance of which is not now material, and later a 'second amended complaint for breach of contract and for damages,' in which the allegations of the original complaint were repeated and damages were claimed in the sum of $4,000. An exhibit was attached which gave the names of the employes and the amounts expended in connection with their asserted injuries totaling $1,380.89. The court dismissed Harlan as a defendant, transferred the cause to the law docket, and overruled a demurrer to the complaint as not stating facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action. The answer denied the making of the contract. A jury trial was waived and the court made findings, stated its conclusions, and entered judgment for the respondent for $1,162. 98. The petitioner appealed. The Circuit Court of Appeals refused to decide the merits on the ground that as the record showed respondent's claim did not equal the amount necessary to give the District Court jurisdiction, the case should have been remanded to the State court. [Footnote 1]

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United States is section 24 of the Judicial Code. [Footnote 2] So far as here material, the Code confers jurisdiction of a suit of a civil nature, where the matter in controversy exceeds, exclusive of interest and costs, the sum or value of $3,000 and is between citizens of different states.

Authority for removal of certain causes from a state to a federal court was first given by section 12 of the Judiciary Act of 17893 which permitted removal of a civil suit, instituted by a citizen of the state in which the suit was brought, against a citizen of another state, where the matter in dispute exceeded the sum or value of $500, exclusive of costs. Such removal could be had only at the instance of the nonresident defendant. The Act of July 27, 1866,4 enlarged the privilege of removal by providing that if, in such a civil suit, it was shown that a nonresident defendant was party to a separable controversy, which could be determined without the presence of other defendants, that defendant might remove the cause.

The Judiciary Act of 18755 altered preexisting law to permit suits involving a controversy between citizens of different states to be removed by either party. The Judiciary Acts of 1887, 18886 increased the jurisdictional amount to more than $2,000, exclusive of interest and costs, and confined the right of removal to a nonresident defendant, and the Judicial Code increased the limit to over $3,000, exclusive of interest and costs, and also restricted the privilege to nonresident defendants. [Footnote 7] The

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the court's action. The principles governing dismissal of a cause intiated in the federal court or the remand of one begun in a state court have remained as they were before the section was adopted.

The intent of Congress drastically to restrict federal jurisdiction in controversies between citizens of different states has always been rigorously enforced by the courts. The rule governing dismissal for want of jurisdiction in cases brought in the federal court is that, unless the law gives a different rule, the sum claimed by the plaintiff controls11 if the claim is apparently made in good faith. [Footnote 12]

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It must appear to a legal certainty that the claim is really for less than the jurisdictional amount to justify dismissal. [Footnote 13] The inability of plaintiff to recover an amount adequate to give the court jurisdiction does not show his bad faith or oust the jurisdiction. [Footnote 14] Nor does the fact that the complaint discloses the existence of a valid defense to the claim. 15 But if, from the face of the pleadings, it is apparent, to a legal certainty, that the plaintiff cannot recover the amount claimed or if, from the proofs, the court is satisfied to a like certainty that the plaintiff never was entitled to recover that amount, and that his claim was therefore colorable for the purpose of conferring jurisdiction, the suit will be dismissed. [Footnote 16] Events oc-

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curring subsequent to the institution of suit which reduce the amount recoverable below the statutory limit do not oust jurisdiction. [Footnote 17]

What already has been said, and circumstances later to be discussed lead to the conclusion that a dismissal would not have been justified had the suit been brought in the federal court. The principles which govern remand of a removed cause, more urgently require that it should not have been remanded. In a cause instituted in the federal court the plaintiff chooses his forum. He knows or should know whether his claim is within the statutory requirement as to amount. His good faith in choosing the federal forum is open to challenge not only by resort to the face of his complaint, but by the facts disclosed at trial, and if from either source it is clear that his claim never could have amounted to the sum necessary to give jurisdiction there is no injustice in dismissing the suit. Indeed, this is the court's duty under the Act of 1875. In such original actions it may also well be that plaintiff and defendant have colluded to confer jurisdiction by the method of the one claiming a fictitious amount and the other failing to deny the veracity of the averment of amount in controversy. Upon disclosure of that state of facts the court should dismiss.

A different situation is presented in the case of a suit instituted in a state court and thence removed. There is a strong presumption that the plaintiff has not claimed a large amount in order to confer jurisdiction on a federal court or that the parties have colluded to that end. [Footnote 18]

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For if such were the purpose suit would not have been instituted in the first instance in the state but in the federal court. It is highly unlikely that the parties would pursue this roundabout and troublesome method to get into the federal court by removal when by the same device the suit could be instituted in that court. [Footnote 19] Moreover, the status of the case as disclosed by the plaintiff's complaint is controlling in the case of a removal, since the defendant must file his petition before the time for answer or forever lose his right to remove. [Footnote 20] Of course,

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if, upon the face of the complaint, it is obvious that the suit cannot involve the necessary amount, removal will be futile and remand will follow. [Footnote 21] But the fact that it appears from the face of the complaint that the defendant has a valid defense, if asserted, to all or a portion of the claim, or the circumstance that the rulings of the district court after removal reduce the amount recoverable below the jurisdictional requirement, 22 will not justify remand. And though, as here, the plaintiff after removal, by stipulation, by affidavit, or by amendment of his pleadings, reduces the claim below the requisite amount, this does not deprive the district court of jurisdiction. [Footnote 23]

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and the cause was thereupon removed. The jurisdiction thus acquired by the circuit court was not devested by plaintiff's subsequent action.'

Fifty years earlier in Kanouse v. Martin, 15 How. 198, the court had held that voluntary reduction of the amount demanded below the sum necessary to give the circuit court jurisdiction could not defeat that jurisdiction once removal proceedings had been perfected. In reliance upon these precedents many cases, cited in Note 23, have been decided.

We think this well established rule is supported by ample reason. If the plaintiff could, no matter how bona fide his original claim in the state court, reduce the amount of his demand to defeat federal jurisdiction the defendant's supposed statutory right of removal would be subject to the plaintiff's caprice. The claim, whether well or ill founded in fact, fixes the right of the defendant to remove, and the plaintiff ought not to be able to defeat that right and bring the cause back to the state court at his election. If he does not desire to try his case in the federal court he may resort to the expedient of suing for less than the jurisdictional amount, and though he would be justly entitled to more, the defendant cannot remove. [Footnote 25]

This view is further supported by the authorities as to causes in which jurisdiction depends on diversity of citizenship. It uniformly has been held that in a suit properly begun in the federal court the change of citizenship of a party does not oust the jurisdiction. [Footnote 26] The same

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rule governs a suit originally brought in a state court and removed to a federal court. [Footnote 27]

The decisions as to remand of a cause removed because it involves a separable controversy are not inconsistent with those concerning remand for lack of jurisdictional amount. In the case of a separable controversy, if, after removal, the plaintiff discontinues or dismisses as to the defendant who removed, so that there no longer exists any separable controversy, the cause must be remanded. [Footnote 28] If a cause be removed on this ground the whole case, including the controversy between citizens of the same state, is taken over by the federal court only because one or more of the defendants is entitled to invoke its jurisdiction. The basis of federal jurisdiction failing, it is proper that the remaining parties, who were involuntarily taken into the federal court, should, upon the cessation of the separable controversy which was the cause of their transmission to another tribunal, have their case returned to the state court.

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each, in turn was itself the total of several items of expenditure or liability. There is nothing to indicate that all of the sums for which reimbursement was claimed had actually been expended prior to the beginning of suit or that the sums thereafter to be expended had been ascertained. Not until the second amended complaint was filed in the United States court, in November 1934, did the respondent furnish a statement of the particulars of its claim. That statement is not inconsistent with the making of a claim in good faith for over $3,000 when the suit was instituted. Nor is there evidence that the petitioner when it removed the cause knew, or had reason to believe, that the respondent's claim, whether well or ill founded in law or fact involved less than $3, 000. On the face of the pleadings petitioner was entitled to invoke the jurisdiction of the federal court and a reduction of the amount claimed after removal, did not take away that privilege.

The judgment is reversed and the cause is remanded to the Circuit Court of Appeals for further proceedings in conformity to this opinion.

Reversed and remanded.

So ordered.

Mr. Justice CARDOZO and Mr. Justice REED took no part in the consideration or decision of this case. Footnotes

Footnote 1 7 Cir., 90 F.2d 229.

Footnote 2 Act of March 3, 1911, c. 231, 24, 36 Stat. 1091, as amended, U.S.C. tit. 28, 41, 28 U.S.C.A. 41.

Footnote 3 Act of Sept. 24, 1789, 12, 1 Stat. 73, 79.

Footnote 4 Chapter 288, 14 Stat. 306.

Footnote 5 Act of March 3, 1875, 18 Stat. 470.

Footnote 6 Act of March 3, 1887, 1, 24 Stat. 552; Act of Aug. 13, 1888, 1, 25 Stat. 433.

Footnote 7 Act of March 3, 1911, c. 231, 24, 28, 36 Stat. 1087, 1091, 1094, 28 U.S.C.A. 41, 71.

Footnote 8 Act of March 3, 1911, c. 231, 37, 36 Stat. 1098, U.S.C., tit. 28 , 80, 28 U.S.C.A. 80.

Footnote 9 18 Stat. 472.

Footnote 10 Prior to 1875 the courts did not act of their own motion, but upon a motion to dismiss or a plea in abatement. Smith v. Kernochen, 7 How. 198; McNutt v. General Motors Corporation, 298 U.S. 178, 183, 56 S.Ct. 780, 782. Since then it has been their duty not only to act upon a motion to dismiss, (Steigleder v. McQuesten, , 25 S.Ct. 616) or, if the state practice permits, upon a denial of jurisdiction in the answer, (Gilbert v. David, 235 U.S. 561, 35 S.Ct. 164; North Pac. S.S. Co. v. Soley, 257 U.S. 216, 42 S. Ct. 87) but to act sua sponte (McNutt v. General Motors Corporation, supra, 298 U.S. 178, 184, 56 S.Ct. 780, 782) upon any disclosure, whether in the pleadings or the proofs, which satisfies the court, in the exercise of a sound judicial discretion, that the plaintiff did not in fact have a claim for the jurisdictional amount or value, and knew, or reasonably ought to have known, that fact. Williams v. Nottawa, , 211; McNutt v. General Motors Corporation, supra, 298 U.S. 178, 184, 56 S.Ct. 780, 782.

It is plaintiff's burden both to allege with sufficient particularity the facts creating jurisdiction, in view of the nature of the right asserted, and, if appropriately challenged, or if inquiry be made by the court of its own motion, to support the allegation. McNutt v. General Motors Corporation, supra, , at pages 182-189, 56 S.Ct. 780, 782-785; KVOS v. Associated Press, 299 U.S. 269, 57 S.Ct. 197. Even an appellate court must notice the absence of the elements requisite to original jurisdiction or to a removal. Williams v. Nottawa, supra; Robinson v. Anderson, 121 U.S. 522, 7 S.Ct. 1011; McNutt v. General Motors Corporation, supra; American Bridge Co. v. Hunt, 6 Cir., 130 F. 302; International & G.N.R. Co. v. Hoyle, 5 Cir., 149 F. 180.

Footnote 11 Wilson v. Daniel, 3 Dall. 401, 407, 408; Barry v. Edmunds, 116 U.S. 550, 6 S.Ct. 501; Sherman v. Clark, Fed. Cas.No.12,763, 3 McLean 91; Stuckert v. Alexander, D.C., 4 F.Supp. 172, 173.

Footnote 12 Peeler v. Lathrop, 5 Cir., 48 F. 780; Ung Lung Chung v. Holmes, C. C., 98 F. 323; Washington County v. Williams, 8 Cir., 111 F. 801; Greene County Bank v. Teasdale Co., C.C., 112 F. 801; American Sheet & Tin Plate Co. v. Winzeler, D.C., 227 F. 321; Bruner Co. v. Manefee Co., 9 Cir., 292 F. 985; Walker Grain Co. v. Southwestern Tel. & Tel. Co., 5 Cir., 10 F.2d 272.

Footnote 13 Barry v. Edmunds, supra; Wetmore v. Rymer, 169 U.S. 115, 122, 18 S. Ct. 293; Put-In-Bay Waterworks Co. v. Ryan, 181 U.S. 409, 432, 433 S., 21 S.Ct. 709; Hampton Stave Co. v. Gardner, 8 Cir., 154 F. 805.

Footnote 14 Smithers v. Smith, , 27 S.Ct. 297; Holden v. Utah & M. Co., C.C., 82 F. 209; Maffet v. Quine, C.C., 95 F. 199; Kunkel v. Brown, 4 Cir., 99 F. 593; Ung Lung Chung v. Holmes, supra; Washington County v. Williams, supra; Denver City Tramway Co. v. Norton, 8 Cir., 141 F. 599; Hampton Stave Co. v. Gardner, supra; Lewis Mercantile Co. v. Klepner, 2 Cir., 176 F. 343; St. Tammany Bank v. Winfield, 5 Cir., 263 F. 371; Ragsdale v. Rudich, 5 Cir., 293 F. 182; Walker Grain Co. v. Southwestern Tel. & Tel. Co., 5 Cir., 10 F.2d 272; Kimel v. Missouri State Life Ins. Co., 10 Cir., 71 F.2d 921; Simecek v. U.S. Nat. Bank, 8 Cir., 91 F.2d 214.

Footnote 15 Interstate B. & L. Ass'n v. Edgefield Hotel Co., C.C., 109 F. 692; Armstrong v. Walters, D.C., 219 F. 320; Mullins Lumber Co. v. Williamson Land Co., 4 Cir., 246 F. 232.

Footnote 16 Williams v. Nottawa, supra; Barry v. Edmunds, supra; Vance v. Vandercook Co., 170 U.S. 468, 18 S.Ct. 645; Lion Bonding Co. v. Karatz, 262 U.S. 77, 43 S.Ct. 480; First National Bank v. Louisiana Highway Comm., 264 U.S. 308, 44 S.Ct. 340; Simon v. House, C.C., 46 F. 317; Horst v. Merkley, C.C., 59 F. 502; Cabot v. McMaster, C.C., 61 F. 129; Bank of Arapahoe v. Bradley & Co., 8 Cir., 72 F. 867; Armstrong v. Walters, supra; Maurel v. Smith, D.C., 220 F. 195; LeRoy v. Hartwick, D.C., 229 F. 857; Sclarenco v. Chicago Bonding Co., D.C., 236 F. 592; Operators' Co. v. First Wisconsin Trust Co., 7 Cir., 283 F. 904; Wilderman v. Roth, 3 Cir., 17 F.2d 486; Chick v. New England Tel. Co., D.C ., 36 F.2d 832; Nixon v. Town Taxi Inc., D.C., 39 F.2d 618; Cohn v. Cities Service Co., 2 Cir., 45 F.2d 687; Miller-Crenshaw Co. v. Colorado Mill Co., 8 Cir., 84 F.2d 930.

Footnote 17 Mutual Life Ins. Co. v. Rose, D.C., 294 F. 122; Hood v. Bell, 4 Cir., 84 F.2d 136.

Footnote 18 In Smith v. Greenhow, 109 U.S. 669, 3 S.Ct. 421, 422, a case of trespass for entering plaintiff's premises and carrying away goods of the value of $100, interfering with plaintiff's business, annoying and disturbing him, &c., the damages were laid at $6,000. Though there was not diversity of citizenship, as the pleadings raised a federal question, the cause was removed. It was remanded as the circuit court thought there was no federal question involved. The decision was reversed. Speaking of the facts disclosed the court said: 'There is a ground for remanding the cause suggested by the record, but not sufficiently apparent to justify us in resorting to it to support the action of the circuit court.

The value of the property taken is stated in the declaration to be but $ 100, although the damages for the alleged trespass are laid at $6,000 . ... We cannot, of course, assume, as a matter of law, that the amount laid, or a less amount, greater than $500, is not recoverable upon the case stated in the declaration, and cannot, therefore, justify the order remanding the cause, on the ground that the matter in dispute does not exceed the sum or value of $500. But if the circuit court had found, as matter of fact, that the amount of damages stated in the declaration was colorable, and had been laid beyond the amount of a reasonable expectation of recovery, for the purpose of creating a case removable under the act of congress, so that, in the words of the fifth section of the act of 1875, it appeared that the suit 'did not really and substantially involve a dispute or controversy properly within the jurisdiction of said circuit court,' the order remanding it to the state court could have been sustained.' This appears to be the only reported case of a removal by the plaintiff as authorized by the Act of 1875, and is distinguishable on that ground, as respects the possibility that plaintiff's claim may have been colorable for the purpose of removing the case.

Footnote 19 Hayward v. Nordberg Mfg. Co., 6 Cir., 85 F. 4, 9, per Taft, Lurton and Clark, JJ.

Footnote 20 Gordon v. Longest, 16 Pet. 97; Kanouse v. Martin, 15 How. 198; Chesbrough v. Northern Trust Co., 252 U.S. 83, 40 S.Ct. 237, affirming Chesbrough v. Woodworth, 6 Cir., 251 F. 881; Muns v. DeNemours, Fed.Cas.No.9,931, 2 Wash.C.C. 463; Riggs v. Clark, 6 Cir., 71 F. 560; Hayward v. Nordberg Mfg. Co., supra; Johnson v. Computing Scale Co., C.C., 139 F.2d 339.

Footnote 21 North American T. & T. Co. v. Morrison, 178 U.S. 262, 20 S.Ct. 869.

Footnote 22 Levinski v. Middlesex Banking Co., 5 Cir., 92 F. 449; Tennent- Stribling Shoe Co. v. Roper, 5 Cir., 94 F. 739; Mannheimer v. Nederlandsche, D.C., 6 F.Supp. 564. Contra: Jones v. Western Union Tel. Co ., D.C., 233 F. 301.

Footnote 23 Kanouse v. Martin, supra; Kirby v. American Soda Fountain Co., 194 U.S. 141, 24 S.Ct. 619; Wright v. Wells, Fed.Cas.No.18,101, Pet.C.C. 220; Roberts v. Nelson, Fed.Cas.No.11,907, 8 Blatchf. 74; Zinkeisen v. Hufschmidt, Fed.Cas.No.18,214, 1 Cent.L.J. 144; Waite v. Phoenix Ins. Co., C.C., 62 F. 769; Riggs v. Clark, supra; Hayward v. Nordberg Mfg. Co., supra; Johnson v. Computing Scale Co., supra; Coffin v. Philadelphia, W. & B.R. Co., C.C., 118 F. 688; Donovan v. Dixieland Amusement Co., C.C., 152 F. 661; Bernheim v. Louisville Property Co., D.C., 221 F. 273; Jellison v. Krell Piano Co., D.C., 246 F. 509; Twin Hills Gasoline Co. v. Bradford Oil Corporation, D.C., 264 F. 440; Kane v. Reserve Oil Corporation, D.C., 52 F.2d 972; Travelers' Protective Ass'n v. Smith, 4 Cir., 71 F.2d 511; Beddings v. Great Eastern Stages, Inc., D.C., 6 F.Supp. 529. Contra: Hughes & Co. v. Peper Tobacco W. Co., C.C., 126 F. 687. In two tort cases where large damages were claimed, but it appeared at trial that plaintiff's injuries and losses were so slight that a verdict for more than a fraction of the jurisdictional amount could not be sustained the courts remanded. Though not placed upon that ground, their action may have been justified by the conviction that the defendant when it removed knew that the amount involved was too little to give jurisdiction: Turmine v. West Jersey R. Co., D.C., 44 F.2d 614; American Stores Co. v. Gerlach, 3 Cir., 55 F.2d 658.

Footnote 24 The same principle applies in cases where a fixed amount is requisite to jurisdiction on appeal. Lee v. Watson, 1 Wall. 337; Cook v. United States, 2 Wall. 218.

Footnote 25 Woods v. Massachusetts Protective Ass'n, D.C., 34 F.2d 501. And an amendment in the state court reducing the claim below the jurisdictional amount before removal is perfected is effective to invalidate removal and requires a remand of the cause: Maine v. Gilman, C.C., 11 F. 214; Waite v. Phoenix Ins. Co., supra; Harley v. Firemen's Fund Ins. Co., D.C., 245 F. 471.

Footnote 26 Morgan v. Morgan, 2 Wheat. 290, 297; Mullen v. Torrance, 9 Wheat. 537; Dunn v. Clarke, 8 Pet. 1; Clarke v. Mathewson, 12 Pet. 164; Tug River Coal Co. v. Brigel, 6 Cir., 86 F. 818, affirming C.C., 73 F. 13.

Footnote 27 Haracovic v. Standard Oil Co., C.C., 105 F. 785; Lebensberger v. Scofield, 6 Cir., 139 F. 380. Change of parties by substitution or by intervention does not oust the jurisdiction: Phelps v. Oaks, 117 U.S. 236, 6 S.Ct. 714; Hardenbergh v. Ray, 151 U.S. 112, 14 S.Ct. 305; Wichita R.R. & Light Co. v. Public Utilities Comm., 260 U.S. 48, 43 S.Ct. 51.

Footnote 28 Texas Transportation Co. v. Seeligson, 122 U.S. 519, 7 S.Ct. 1261; Torrence v. Shedd, 144 U.S. 527, 12 S.Ct. 726; Iowa Homestead Co. v. Des Moines N. & R. Co., C.C., 8 F. 97; Bane v. Keefer, C.C., 66 F. 610; Youtsey v. Hoffman, C.C., 108 F. 699; Cassidy v. Atlanta, etc., Ry. Co., C.C., 109 F. 673; Sklarsky v. Great Atlantic, etc., Tea Co., D.C., 47 F.2d 662.