MEMORANDUM AND ORDER
Pending before the court is Plaintiff Elizabeth Holmes’s (“Holmes”) Motion to Remand. Holmes seeks remand to state court on the ground that this court lacks subject matter jurisdiction because the parties are not completely diverse. Having reviewed the pending motion, the submissions of the parties, the pleadings, and the applicable law, the court is of the opinion that remand is not warranted.
I. Background
On October 9, 2012, Holmes filed her original petition in the 260th Judicial District Court of Orange County, Texas, asserting claims for common law fraud, negligence, breach of contract, and violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (“DTPA”) and the Texas Insurance Code. It is undisputed that Holmes is a citizen and resident of the State of Texas. Defendant Acceptance Casualty Insurance Company (“Acceptance”) is a Nebraska corporation with its principal place of business in North Carolina. Defendant Wellington Claim Service Company (“Wellington”) is a Texas corporation.
On December 7, 2012, Acceptance removed the case to this court on the basis of diversity of citizenship, alleging that complete diversity exists among the real parties in interest and that the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000.00, exclusive of interest and costs. Acceptance asserts that because Wellington was improperly joined as a defendant to defeat diversity, it should be dismissed as a party to this action and its citizenship ignored for jurisdictional purposes. On January 7, 2013, Holmes filed a motion to remand the case to state court, contending that Wellington was properly joined, and, therefore, because complete diversity does not exist among the parties, federal jurisdiction is lacking.
II. Analysis
“‘Federal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction.’ ” Rasul v. Bush,
Federal courts have subject matter jurisdiction and are authorized to entertain causes of action only where a question of federal law is involved or where there is diversity of citizenship between the parties and the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000.00, exclusive of interest and costs. See 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331, 1332; Arbaugh v. Y & H Corp.,
In the case at bar, although there is no dispute that Plaintiff Holmes and Defendant Acceptance are citizens of different states and that more than $75,000.00 is at issue, complete diversity may be lacking in this case because Defendant Wellington is a citizen of Texas. Therefore, to establish the existence of diversity jurisdiction, Acceptance must show that Wellington was fraudulently or improperly joined as a defendant to this action. See Crockett,
A determination of improper joinder must be based on an analysis of the causes of action alleged in the complaint at the time of removal. See Borden v. Allstate Ins. Co.,
While a court, when considering allegations of improper joinder, should refrain from pretrying the case or conducting an evidentiary hearing, it may utilize a summary judgment-type procedure “that allows it to pierce the pleadings and examine affidavits and deposition testimony for evidence of fraud or the possibility that the plaintiff can state a claim under state law against a nondiverse defendant.” Great Plains Trust Co.,
“A district court should ordinarily resolve [claims of] improper joinder by conducting a Rule 12(b)(6)-type analysis.” McDonal,
In the instant case, because Defendant does not claim actual fraud in Plaintiffs recitation of jurisdictional facts, it must demonstrate that there is no possibility that Holmes could establish a cause of action against Wellington. See Gasch,
In assessing whether a plaintiff could possibly establish a claim against a non-diverse defendant, the court must apply the law of the state in which the action was brought-in this case, Texas. See Travis,
Texas follows a “fair notice” pleading standard, which requires “a short statement of the cause of action sufficient to give fair notice of the claim involved. ...” Tex.R. Civ. P. 47; Tex. Dep’t of Parks & Wildlife v. Miranda,
Here, in her state court petition, Holmes seeks damages against Defendants, including Wellington, asserting claims for fraud, negligence, breach of contract, as well as for violations of the Texas Insurance Code and the DTPA. There is no dispute in this case that an insurance adjuster, like Wellington, may be held liable for deceptive or misleading acts in violation of the Texas Insurance Code and the DTPA. See Gasch,
The court must determine whether Holmes’s pleadings allege actionable facts specific to Wellington. See Griggs, 181
On or about May 20, 2012, Plaintiffs [sic] home was damaged due to a fire. Upon inspection of the home at 7960 Wade Road, Orange, Texas, she discovered extensive damage to the home and her personal property caused by the fire. Immediately after discovering the damage, Mrs. Holmes notified the defendants and filed a claim for the damage to the structure of her home and loss of her personal property caused by the fire. The Defendants have refused to fully compensate Mrs. Holmes for her loss.
Further, Holmes asserts that Defendants engaged in certain deceptive trade practices, merely parroting provisions of the DTPA and the Texas Insurance Code. The listed causes of actions are not supplemented by any facts specific to Holmes’s case.
“Plaintiffs must put defendants on fair notice of the allegations against them, not require defendants to ‘glean’ the factual basis of such allegations from a list of ambiguous legal conclusions.” TAJ Props., LLC v. Zurich Am. Ins. Co., No. H-10-2512,
III. Conclusion
An evaluation of the relevant facts and controlling law reveals that this court has subject matter jurisdiction over this action. Although no federal question is presented, complete diversity of citizenship exists between the parties, as the in-state defendant was improperly joined, and the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000.00.
Accordingly, Plaintiffs Motion to Remand is DENIED, and Wellington is DISMISSED as a party to this action.
Notes
. See also Espinoza v. Companion Commercial Ins. Co.. No. 7:12-CV-494.
. Indeed, Plaintiff's petition does not even allege that Wellington was the adjuster responsible for processing Plaintiff's insurance claim. See Jimenez v. Travelers Indent. Co., No. H-09-1308,
. The court notes that some courts within this circuit have found similar factual allegations that closely track the statutory language sufficient to support a reasonable basis for recovery. See Harris v. Allstate Tex. Lloyd’s, No. H-10-0753,
