ROBERT C. JONES, District Judge.
This case arises out of the default of four commercial loans. Pending before the Court is a Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 69). For the reasons given herein, the Court denies the motion.
Between April 2007 and February 2008, non-party Colonial Bank gave Defendant Kiley Ranch Communities ("Kiley Ranch") four loans totaling $45 million (the "Loans") in order to build Kiley Ranch North (the "Development") in Sparks, Nevada. (See Am. Compl. ¶ 14, June 7, 2012, ECF No. 5). Each of the Loans was made via its own promissory note and was secured by a Common Deed of Trust (the "CDOT") against the Development. (Id. ¶ 15). The Loans were further secured by separate guaranties (the "Guaranties"), all of which were signed by Defendants Matthew N. Kiley, individually and as trustee of the Matthew N. Kiley Trust; Megan L. Kiley, individually and as trustee of the Megan L. Kiley Trust; L. David Kiley, as trustee of the Matthew N. Kiley Trust and as trustee of the Megan L. Kiley Trust; and Michael and Kellee Kiley, both individually and as trustees of the Michael P. Kiley and Kellee Kiley Living Trust Instrument (collectively, "Guarantors"). (See id. ¶¶ 4-9, 16).
Repayment on each of the Loans was originally due within one year, but Colonial Bank granted Kiley Ranch three extensions on the $20 million, $2 million, and $13 million loans and one extension on the $10 million loan via separate Loan Modifications. (Id. ¶ 17).
On August 14, 2009, the FDIC put Colonial Bank into receivership after the State Banking Department of the State of Alabama closed it. (Id. ¶ 21). The FDIC transferred the rights to the Loans to non-party BB&T the same day, recording an "Assignment of Security Instruments, Notes and Other Loan Documents" (the "FDIC Assignment") in Washoe County. (Id. ¶ 22).
On September 14, 2009, counsel for BB&T sent Kiley Ranch and Guarantors demand letters as to each of the Loans. (Id. ¶ 19).
Plaintiff sued Defendants in this Court for: (1) Deficiency (against Kiley Ranch); (2) Breach of Guaranty (against Guarantors); and (3) Breach of the Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing (against Guarantors). Defendants included with their Answer counterclaims for: (1) Breach of Contract; (2) Breach of the Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing; (3) Intentional Interference with Prospective Economic Advantage; and (4) Declaratory Judgment.
Plaintiff moved to dismiss certain counterclaims and affirmative defenses as precluded by a previous state court action. Plaintiff also moved to dismiss Defendants' affirmative defense and counterclaim under NRS section 40.459(1)(c), arguing that it did not apply retroactively to the Loans. Defendants asked the Court to certify the latter issue to the Nevada Supreme Court or at least stay the case until the Nevada Supreme Court ruled in two pending consolidated appeals (Sandpointe Apartments, LLC v. Dist. Ct., No. 59507 and Nielsen v. Dist. Ct., No. 59823) that were expected to determine the issue or at least inform a resolution. The Court denied the motions to dismiss, without prejudice, and granted the motion to stay. The Nevada Supreme Court later ruled on the merits in Sandpointe and denied the writ petition in Nielsen, and Plaintiff filed a new motion to dismiss the counterclaim and strike the related affirmative defense under NRS section 40.459(1)(c). The Court granted that motion, ruling that the statute did not apply retroactively to pre-enactment assignments, and that if it did it would violate the Contract Clause in the present case. Defendants have now moved to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.
Federal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction, possessing only those powers granted by the Constitution and statute. See United States v. Marks, 530 F.3d 799, 810 (9th Cir. 2008) (citing Kokkonen v. Guardian Life Ins. Co. of Am., 511 U.S. 375, 377 (1994)). The party asserting federal jurisdiction bears the burden of overcoming the presumption against it. Kokkonen, 511 U.S. at 377. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) provides an affirmative defense for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1). Additionally, a court may raise the question of subject matter jurisdiction sua sponte at any time during an action. United States v. Moreno-Morillo, 334 F.3d 819, 830 (9th Cir. 2003). Regardless of who raises the issue, "when a federal court concludes that it lacks subject-matter jurisdiction, the court must dismiss the complaint in its entirety." Arbaugh v. Y & H Corp., 546 U.S. 500, 514 (2006) (citing 16 J. Moore et al., Moore's Federal Practice § 106.66[1], pp. 106-88 to 106-89 (3d ed. 2005)).
Although Article III of the U.S. Constitution permits Congress to create federal jurisdiction where there is minimal diversity, i.e., where any plaintiff is diverse from any defendant, State Farm Fire & Cas. Co. v. Tashire, 386, U.S. 523, 530-31 (1967), 28 U.S.C. § 1332 requires, inter alia, complete diversity, i.e., every plaintiff must be diverse from every defendant, see Lincoln Prop Co. v. Roche, 546 U.S. 81, 82 (2005) (citing Strawbridge v. Curtis, 7 U.S. 267 (1806)). For the purposes of the diversity statute, a partnership is a citizen of every state of which any of its partners are citizens. Schnabel v. Lui, 302 F.3d 1023, 1030 n.3 (9th Cir. 2002).
Defendants argue that the case must be dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction because: (1) the FDIC became BB&T's partner or joint venturer by entering into certain agreements for BB&T to purchase the Loans and share the losses with the FDIC; (2) Eagle became FDIC's partner or joint venturer when BB&T assigned its interest in the Loans to Eagle; (3) the partnership or joint venture is the real party in interest in this case, not Eagle; and (4) because one member of the partnership or joint venture, the FDIC, is a citizen of no state, there is not complete diversity. The Court denies the motion for several reasons.
First, a named plaintiff's citizenship is ignored in favor of a real party in interest only when the named plaintiff is only a nominal plaintiff such as an unincorporated association. Navarro Sav. Ass'n v. Lee, 446 U.S. 458, 461 (1980). Defendants argue that Eagle and the FDIC are in a partnership or a joint venture with one another, so both Eagle's and the FDIC's citizenship must be considered under § 1332. The conclusion does not follow, however, because here no party has attempted to sue in the name of any unincorporated association such as the alleged partnership. Nevada law permits, but does not require, a partnership to sue in its own name. See Nev. Rev. Stat. § 87.4331(1). Defendants do not argue that Eagle has no interest in the present case, but only that the FDIC also has an interest because of its alleged partnership or joint venture with Eagle. That argument may implicate Rule 19 if the FDIC is an indispensable party, but it has nothing to do with whether Eagle is itself a real party in interest. Eagle may sue or defend with or without other putative partners joining in, and the partnership itself need not be named as a party. See Schnabel v. Lui, 302 F.3d 1023, 1031 (9th Cir. 2002) (ruling that under California law, which permitted actions against individual partners, partnerships need not be joined as indispensable where they have no name, assets, or contracts as a partnership with any outside parties).
Second, dismissal under Rule 19 for failure to join an indispensable party—Defendants do not argue under Rule 19, but the Court will address the issue, as it is clearly implicated—is not appropriate under the circumstances, even assuming there is a partnership or joint venture between Eagle and the FDIC. "If a person who is required to be joined if feasible cannot be joined, the court must determine whether, in equity and good conscience, the action should proceed among the existing parties or should be dismissed." Fed. R. Civ. P. 19(b). Rule 19 provides:
Fed. R. Civ. P. 19(a). Neither subsection (A) nor (B) is satisfied as to the FDIC's absence from this case. The Court can afford complete relief between Eagle and Defendants without the FDIC's involvement. If Eagle recovers a judgment, it may be required to turn over some fraction of it to the FDIC, but that does not require the FDIC's participation in the present case in order for Eagle to obtain its fraction of what is allegedly owed to it. Next, the FDIC's ability to protect its interests in a recovery from Defendants will not be impaired by the present action. On the contrary, if Eagle prevails, the FDIC will recover without any effort at all. Eagle will simply remit the FDIC's share of the recovery under the agreement. And if Eagle does not prevail, or does not prevail to the extent it desires, the FDIC would not be bound by the ruling as to any of its own putative claims. Finally, there is no risk of any existing party being subjected to multiple or inconsistent obligations. That is because, according to facts no party appears to dispute, the FDIC has only a contractual interest in Eagle's recovery, having assigned the Loans, CDOT, and Guaranties to Eagle. It has not retained the claims such that it might bring its own action in the future.
Third, even assuming: (1) there were a partnership or joint venture between Eagle and the FDIC; and (2) the FDIC were an indispensable party, the FDIC could still be joined without destroying diversity, because when the FDIC acts in its capacity as a receiver, it is the citizenship of the defunct bank of which the FDIC has taken receivership that matters for the purposes of diversity, and the FDIC's presence in such a case will not defeat diversity unless the presence of the defunct bank itself would defeat diversity. 12 U.S.C. § 1819(b)(2)(E); RES-NV CHLV. LLC v. Shull, No. 2:11-cv-593, 2011 WL 6752547, at *10 (D. Nev. Dec. 23, 2011) (Pro, J.) (citing FDIC v. Lindquist & Vennum, 702 F.Supp. 749, 751 (D. Minn. 1989)). No party appears to dispute that the defunct bank in this case, Colonial Bank, was an Alabama citizen and that no Defendant is an Alabama citizen.
Fourth, even assuming: (1) there were a partnership or joint venture between Eagle and the FDIC (there isn't); (2) the FDIC were therefore an indispensable party under Rule 19 (it wouldn't be); and (3) the joinder of the FDIC would otherwise destroy diversity under § 1332 (it wouldn't), the FDIC's joinder would create subject matter jurisdiction under § 1331. See 28 U.S.C. § 1331 (providing for subject matter jurisdiction wherever a case arises "under the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States"); 12 U.S.C. § 1819(b)(2)(A) ("[A]ll suits of a civil nature at common law or in equity to which the [FDIC], in any capacity, is a party shall be deemed to arise under the laws of the United States. . . .").
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 69) is DENIED.
IT IS SO ORDERED.