2002 U.S. Dist. ],E?CIS 15217,
<br />Conclusory allegations of jurisdiction aze insufficient,
<br />and after-the-fact-rationalizations that the defendant has
<br />met its burden will not be considered by the court.
<br />Civil Procedure > Jurisdidion > Diversity Jurisdiction
<br />> Amount to Controversy
<br />(fIN3] Where a plaintiff seeks injunctive or equitable
<br />relief related to possession of property, the amount in
<br />controversy is the value of the realty dvecily affected.
<br />The court may examine the value of the realty from the
<br />perspective of either the plaintiff or the defendant.
<br />Civil Procedure > Jurisdiction > Diversity Jurisdiction
<br />> Amount in Controversy
<br />[HN4] The additional assertions and facts proffered in
<br />defendant's later filed response to plaintiffs motion to
<br />remand are untimely; defendant should have addressed
<br />the underlying facts and should have attached any
<br />supporting affidavits to its ootice of removal.
<br />Civil Procedure > Removal > Postremoval Remands
<br />(HNS] 28 US.GS. § 1447(c) pertnits the court to awazd
<br />just costs and any actual expenses, including attorney
<br />fees, incurred as a result of the removal.
<br />COUNSEL: For Atchisoq Kansas, City of, The,
<br />PLAINTIFF: Greg T Spies, McDowell, Rice, Smith &
<br />Gaaz, Kansas City, MO USA.
<br />For MacZuk Industries, Ltc, DEFENDANT: Ron L
<br />$odinsoq ]aeon E Pepe, Chelsi K Hayden, Shook,
<br />Hardy & Bacon I:LP, Overland Park, KS USA.
<br />For MacZuk Industries, Inc, COUNTER-CLAIMAN'T':
<br />Roa L Bodinsoq ]anon E Pepe, Chelsi K Haydeq
<br />Shook, Hardy & Bacon L13, Overland Park, KS USA.
<br />For Atclilsoq Kansas, City of, The, COUNTPR-
<br />DEFENDANT: Greg T Spies, McDowell, Rice, Smith &
<br />Gaaz, Kansas City, MO USA.
<br />NDGES: G. Thomas VattBebber, United States Senior
<br />District Judge.
<br />OPINIONBY: G. Thomas Van Bebber
<br />OPAVION: MEMORANDUM AND ORDER Plaintiff,
<br />the City of Atchison, Kansas, filed suit in Kansas state
<br />court against Defendant, Maczuk Industries, Inc., for
<br />possession of property that Plaintiff claims Defendant
<br />has been unlawfully occupying. Defendant removed the
<br />case pursuant ]•2] to 28 U.S.C. § 1441, claiming that
<br />this court has original diversity subject matter
<br />jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332. The matter is
<br />currently before the court on Plaintiffs motion to remand
<br />Page 2
<br />(Doc. 8). For the reasons set forth below, Plaintiffs
<br />motion is granted.
<br />I.BACKGROUND
<br />On May 24, 2002, Plaintiff, a Kansas municipality, filed
<br />this action in the District Court of Atchison County,
<br />Kansas, seeking possession from Defendant, a Missouri
<br />corpomtioq of a tract of land owned by Plaintiff on the
<br />west bank of the Missouri River in Atchisoq Kansas (the
<br />"Missouri River tract"). The following relevant facts are
<br />alleged in Plaintiffs state court petition or aze contained
<br />in the exhibits attached to Plaintiffs petition.
<br />]n May 1967, Boos Brothers, avow-banlwpt company,
<br />entered into a lease with Plaintiff for the Missouri River
<br />tract. The lease was for an initial term of ten years with
<br />options to extend the lease for nine additional periods of
<br />ten years. To exercise one of the options to extend, the
<br />tenant was required to provide Plaintiff with written
<br />notice of its intention to extend the lease at least 90 -•3]
<br />days but not more than 120 days prior to the expirntion
<br />of the then-current term of the ]ease. The rental rate
<br />under the options to extend was $ 50 per yeaz:
<br />Defendant was assigned the Boos Brothers' interest in the
<br />Missouri River tract in 1977. Although Plaintiffs petition
<br />and the exhtbits attached to Tt are not entirely cleaz on the
<br />matter, it appears that Defendant properly exercised
<br />options to extend for two additional ten year periods,
<br />with the second ten year period expiring on
<br />approximately May 1, 1997. Despite the expiration of the
<br />second extension, Defendant continued to remain in
<br />possession of the tract In Mazch 2002, Plaintiff notified
<br />Defendant that the teen of the lease had expired and that
<br />Defendant bad not paid rent or odter cotnpensation for
<br />the continued use of the property. Plaintiff demanded
<br />that Defendant either enter into a new lease with Plaintiff
<br />or immediately vacate the tract.
<br />Defendant refused to do either, and Plaintiff filed suit.
<br />Plaintiff did not allege an amount in controversy in its
<br />petition, requesting only that the court "award to Plaintiff
<br />from Defendant, the possession of the Property; awazd to
<br />Plaintiff, fiom Defendant, Plaintiffs cosu (•4] of
<br />collection incurred herein, including reasonable
<br />attorneys' foes; and grant Plaintiff such other and further
<br />relief as the Court deems just and proper."
<br />Defendant removed the action to this court on May 31,
<br />2002. In its notice of removal, Defendant asserts that this
<br />court has original diversity subject matter jurisdiction
<br />pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332 because the patties are
<br />citizens of different states and the amount in controversy
<br />exceeds $ 75,000. Defendant does not provide a specific
<br />accounting in iu notice of removal of how the amount in
<br />
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