Rivas v Terminix Intl Co., 2013 WL 6443381 (N.D. Cal. Dec. 9, 2013).

In this action, a California federal court reaffirmed the oft-repeated finding that when a class action is properly removed, a subsequent amendment of the complaint to delete class allegations did not divest the district court of its original jurisdiction, and refused to remand the case.

The plaintiff filed this action in the state court asserting six causes action, and each one was brought on behalf of a class, including the Sixth Cause of Action by which the plaintiff alleged a claim under the Private Attorneys General Act. The defendants removed the complaint to the federal court under CAFA. Thereafter, the plaintiff filed a first amended complaint, pleading only one cause of action, the PAGA claim, which was no longer brought on behalf of the class. The plaintiff then moved to remand the case to the state court.

At the very outset, the district court noted that once a putative class action is properly removed, it stays removed. This effectively meant that post filing developments did not defeat the jurisdiction if the jurisdiction was properly invoked as of the time of filing. Here, the district court found that the removal of the initial complaint was proper under CAFA, in light of the defendants’ showing that the parties were minimally diverse, and that the amount-in-controversy exceeded $5 million. Consequently, the district court ruled that the plaintiffs’ subsequent amendment did not divest it of the original jurisdiction.

Accordingly, the district court denied the motion to remand. –JR