WILLIAM F. JUNG, District Judge.
Plaintiff Reynolds was driving his car and got hit by an underinsured motorist ("UM"). Reynolds' UM carrier was Defendant Integon. Reynolds claimed injuries from the crash and sued Integon for UM coverage (Count I) and statutory "bad faith" (Count II) in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit on August 22, 2018. (Dkt. 2).
Integon removed the case, alleging in the notice of removal diversity of citizenship and amount in controversy exceeding $75,000. (Dkt.1; 28 U.S.C. §§ 1332(a), 1441). Plaintiff's motion to remand (Dkt. 15) is granted.
The policy in suit has a coverage limit of $10,000 per person/per occurrence. (Dkt. 2 at 3; Dkt. 15 at 1). At the time of removal the amount in controversy was clearly not met. See PTA-FLA, Inc. v. ZTE USA, Inc., 844 F.3d 1299, 1306 (11
The statutory "bad faith" claim, Count II, is inchoate and not accrued. It may never accrue, as Integon admits in its motion dismiss. (Dkt. 8). Count II is not considered in this calculus. See Jenkins v. Allstate Ins. Co., No. 5:08-cv-285-Oc-10GRJ, 2008 WL 4934030 (M.D. Fla. Nov. 12, 2008); Curran v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., No. 6:09-cv-463-Orl-28DAB, 2009 WL 2003157 (M.D. Fla. July 2, 2009).
Finally, Integon argues that the instant case, which plainly supports no subject matter jurisdiction, should be consolidated with Vetter v. Integon, No, 8:18-cv-2381-T-02AAS, a related case involving the same accident (but different plaintiff and one other insurance defendant). Integon suggests the instant case could be carried with the Vetter case under the Court's pendant jurisdiction. But the instant case had no basis or grounds for being removed and this removal was not proper ab initio. Moreover, the Vetter case itself has been remanded for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.