Domingo Gutierrez v. Bernard Fox, 141 F.3d 425, 2d Cir. (1998)

141 F.
3d 425
Domingo GUTIERREZ, Plaintiff-Appellee,

v.
Bernard FOX, Defendant-Appellant.
Docket No. 97-7807.
United States Court of Appeals,

Second Circuit.
Argued Jan. 7, 1998.
Decided April 13, 1998.
Jeffrey A. Block, New York City (Thomas P. Kinney, Block &

Associates, New York City, of counsel), for Plaintiff-Appellee.
Stuart D. Schwartz, New York City (Hugh J. Helfenstein, David L.
Kremen, Oshman & Helfenstein, New York City, of counsel), for
Defendant-Appellant.
Before: VAN GRAAFEILAND, WALKER, Circuit Judges, and
RAKOFF, District Judge.*
VAN GRAAFEILAND, Circuit Judge.
Bernard Fox appeals from an order of the United States District Court for the
Southern District of New York, Scheindlin, J., dismissing the above entitled
action for lack of diversity jurisdiction after the jury had returned a verdict
against him in the amount of $65,000. For the reasons that follow, we hold that
this somewhat unusual appeal has merit.
On October 1, 1995, Domingo Gutierrez, a 27-year-old, long-time New Jersey

resident, was injured when his automobile collided with an automobile owned
and operated by Fox, a New York resident, in the City of New York. On
October 5, 1995, Gutierrez retained attorney Jeffrey Block's law firm to
represent him. On July 18, 1996, Block instituted this action by preparing,
signing, and filing a complaint in the Southern District.
The most important allegation in the complaint was the statement of
The most important allegation in the complaint was the statement of

jurisdiction--the so-called "threshold" allegation. See Tcherepnin v. Knight,
389 U.S. 332, 346, 88 S.Ct. 548, 558, 19 L.Ed.2d 564 (1967); Londoff Bowling
Lanes, Inc. v. Landmark North County Bank & Trust Co., 516 F.Supp. 17, 18
(E.D.Mo.1981). The district court could not address the merits of plaintiff's
claim without first determining that it had jurisdiction. See Lingle v. Norge
Div. of Magic Chef, Inc., 823 F.2d 1031, 1037 (7th Cir.1987), rev'd on other
grounds, 486 U.S. 399, 108 S.Ct. 1877, 100 L.Ed.2d 410 (1988). Without
jurisdiction, any decision or ruling by the court would be a nullity. See Naum v.
Brown, 604 F.Supp. 1186, 1187 (E.D.N.Y.1985). Accordingly, before signing
and filing the complaint, Block should have determined "at a minimum"
whether the district court had jurisdiction. Hussey Copper, Ltd. v. Oxford
Financial Group, 121 F.R.D. 252, 254 (W.D.Pa.1987).
Federal Rule 11 of Civil Procedure "explicitly and unambiguously imposes an

affirmative duty on each attorney to conduct a reasonable inquiry into the
viability of a pleading before it is signed." Eastway Const. Corp. v. City of New
York, 762 F.2d 243, 253 (2d Cir.1985). If an attorney alleges jurisdiction when
reasonable inquiry would show that it did not exist, he may be held liable for
sanctions substantial in amount. See International Shipping Co., S.A. v. Hydra
Offshore, Inc., 875 F.2d 388, 390 (2d Cir.1989); Oliveri v. Thompson, 803 F.2d
1265, 1275 (2d Cir.1986); Weisman v. Rivlin, 598 F.Supp. 724, 726
(D.D.C.1984).
We assume that Jeffrey Block, an experienced lawyer, was familiar with Rule
11 and the penalties to which he, and perhaps his client as well, would be
exposed if he did not follow the Rule's dictates. We also assume that Block, as
Gutierrez's legal spokesman, was better qualified than anyone else to speak with
authority concerning Gutierrez's domiciliary status at the time the action was
brought. We find nothing in the record that might be deemed to have influenced
Block to make an improper statement of domicile. New York State courts were
as available as were the federal courts. In short, we conclude that Block's
allegation of jurisdiction based upon reasonable inquiry is a strong factor in
favor of a similar judicial finding.
A review of the trial record discloses that on March 5, 1997, nine months after
the lawsuit was brought and one day before the case went to the jury, Attorney
Block, in response to the district court's sua sponte inquiry concerning
jurisdiction, was as adamant as he was when he subscribed to the complaint.
Speaking to the judge, he said:
MR. BLOCK: Your Honor, if I may, Mr. Gutierrez was a resident of the state
of New Jersey. He resided at three different addresses in New Jersey with his
mother.
8
THE COURT: Right, including at the time the suit was brought.
MR. BLOCK: Absolutely. His common-law wife, as he calls her, resided on

Stanton Street.
10
THE COURT: I understand. What was the point in time where he said he spent
200 days a year?
11
MR. BLOCK: That was the year of the deposition, which at that point in time
he testified he had spent about 200 days a year. But his home, his residence,
was the state of New Jersey. It is only just now that he said he moved in to live
with her regularly.
12
Another factor that militates in favor of Gutierrez's New Jersey domicile is the
century-old presumption that a long-time domicile in a particular jurisdiction is
presumed to continue. See, e.g., Mitchell v. United States, 88 U.S. (21 Wall.)
350, 353, 22 L.Ed. 584 (1874) ("A domicil once acquired is presumed to
continue until it is shown to have been changed."); Desmare v. United States,
93 U.S. (3 Otto.) 605, 23 L.Ed. 959 (1876); Katz v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber
Co., 737 F.2d 238, 243 (2d Cir.1984); Stine v. Moore, 213 F.2d 446, 447 (5th
Cir.1954).1
13
As a corollary to this presumption, the person alleging a change of domicile has

the burden of proving it. See Desmare, 93 U.S. (3 Otto.) at 610 ("Where a
change of domicil is alleged, the burden of proof rests upon the party making
the allegation."). To satisfy this burden, two things are indispensable:
14 residence in a new domicil; and, second, the intention to remain there. The
First,
change cannot be made except facto et animo. Both are alike necessary. Either
without the other is insufficient. Mere absence from a fixed home, however long
continued, cannot work the change.
15
Sun Printing & Publishing Ass'n v. Edwards, 194 U.S. 377, 383, 24 S.Ct. 696,
698, 48 L.Ed. 1027 (1904) (citing Mitchell, supra ); Desmare, supra; Kaiser v.
Loomis, 391 F.2d 1007, 1009 (6th Cir.1968); Kubin v. Miller, 801 F.Supp.
1101, 1110-11 (S.D.N.Y.1992); Boston Safe Deposit and Trust Co. v. Morse,
779 F.Supp. 347, 349 (S.D.N.Y.1991).
16
The American Law Institute, summing up the foregoing holdings in section 19

of its Restatement (Second) of Conflict of Laws, states that "[a] domicil once
established continues until it is superseded by a new domicil." Comment (c) to
this section provides further that "[t]he burden of proof is on the party who
asserts that a change of domicil has taken place."
17
Instead of following the foregoing well-established rules of law, the district

court was led astray by Gutierrez's testimony that he spent 200 days of the
preceding year in New York City, the court disregarding in the process the
remaining 165 days that were spent in New Jersey. The following colloquy
between the court and counsel illustrates well the district court's
misunderstanding of the law:
18
MR. BLOCK: Judge, one more point. I'm sorry. In that light his testimony is
also that one of the reasons he stayed in New York for that period of time was
that he had someone to care for him there post-accident.
19
THE COURT: It wouldn't make a bit of difference from a jurisdiction respect.

If he is here, he is a resident of New York and there is no diversity.
20
MR. BLOCK: But if he is a resident of New Jersey--
21
THE COURT: The issue will simply turn on the 200 days at the time of the
suit. It doesn't matter why he chose to do it.
22
In contradiction to the district court's apparent belief, "mere absence from a

fixed home, however long continued, cannot work [a change in domicile].
There must be animus to change the prior domicile from another. Until the new
one is acquired, the old one remains." Welsh v. American Sur. Co. of New
York, 186 F.2d 16, 17 (5th Cir.1951) (citing Mitchell, 88 U.S. (21 Wall.) at
352). The district court clearly erred when it stated: "The issue will simply turn
on the 200 days at the time of the suit. It doesn't matter why he chose to do it."
23
This error was exacerbated by the following statement in the district court's
order dismissing the action:
24
Based
on the totality of the evidence, I have no substantial doubt that plaintiff
changed his domicile to New York prior to the commencement of this lawsuit. The
burden therefore shifts to defendant to prove that diversity in fact did exist between
the parties.
25
No matter how we read this statement, we are unable to fit it into the rubric of
the above cited authorities, which establish the basic principle that when a
change in domicile is alleged, the burden of proof rests upon the party making
the allegation. No one asserted a change of domicile in the instant case before
the district court sua sponte raised the issue at the close of proof. Indeed, the
district court criticized defense counsel for not having raised the issue sooner.
Plaintiff's counsel, on the other hand, argued for New Jersey domicile from the
time the complaint was filed until the jury returned its verdict, which plaintiff
(or his attorney) thought was too low. Plaintiff's counsel then changed horses
when he was far past the middle of the stream and argued for change of
domicile.
26
The district court was, of course, duty bound to ascertain that it had jurisdiction.
However, it also was duty bound to follow established principles of law; and,
when it undertook to make factual findings, it was bound by the same
presumptions as any other factfinder would be. Although Gutierrez worked in
New York, banked in New York, and had a girl friend who lived in New York
with whom he stayed from time to time, it is undisputed that, as of October 1,
1995, he resided in New Jersey. As his counsel put it, the sole issue before the
court was whether in the nine months between the time of the accident in
October 1995 and the filing of the complaint in July 1996, Gutierrez changed
his domicile to New York. Both the evidence and the established legal
presumptions indicate that he did not.
27
When Gutierrez was asked on direct examination why there were 200 days in
1996 that he stayed at his girl friend's house, he explained that they were giving
their relationship a trial period which ultimately led to a decision by Gutierrez
to permanently move in with her in January 1997. He testified:
28 were getting ourselves you know better situated. You know before it was like
We
we weren't, relationship wasn't working out so good. So now started getting a little
better. That's actually why I spent more time in New York, and as of January the 1st
I actually made my decision of everything, you know, we were going to stay living
together.
29
He said the same thing on cross-examination:
30
Q. Mr. Gutierrez, moments earlier you testified that you made a decision to stay
with Ms. Baez, you said it was in January, correct?
31
A. Yes.
32
Q. Is that January this year?
33
A. Yes, sir.
34
Q. January of '97?
35
A. I change all my documentations to.
36
Q. To New York?
37
A. Right, even the license and registration.
38
Q. And that's because things had gotten better and it was now your intent to
stay with her in New York, correct?
39
A. Yes.
40
In response to interrogatories dated October 9, 1996, Gutierrez stated that he

resided in New Jersey. In his oral deposition conducted on November 26, 1996,
he testified that he did not reside with his girl friend in Manhattan; that he lived
with his mother in New Jersey. His attorney believed him, and so did the
defendant's. There was no reason for them not to do so. Gutierrez testified under
oath that he did not form an intent to move his residence to New York until
January 1997. The district judge cited proper authority for the proposition that,
in order to change one's domicile, one must be present in the new domicile and
have an intent to remain there indefinitely. However, she disregarded the fact
that in 1996 Gutierrez spent 165 days in New Jersey and stated under oath that
he did not decide to stay in New York until January 1, 1997. Her statement that
"the issue will simply turn on the 200 days at the time of suit. It doesn't matter
why he chose to do it" is wrong as a matter of both law and fact.
CONCLUSION
41
We are convinced as a matter of fact and law that Gutierrez was domiciled in
New Jersey when this action was commenced. Accordingly, we remand the
case to the district court with instructions to enter a judgment in accordance
with the jury's verdict.
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff of the United States District Court for the
Southern District of New York, sitting by designation

1
The district court apparently viewed this presumption as merely evidentiary in

nature, placing on the party asserting a change in domicile a burden simply of
coming forward with some evidence of that change. Cf. Fed.R.Evid. 301. While
there is some support for this view, see Coury v. Prot, 85 F.3d 244, 250 (5th
Cir.1996); Bank One, Texas, N.A. v. Montle, 964 F.2d 48, 50 (1st Cir.1992);
Lew v. Moss, 797 F.2d 747, 751 (9th Cir.1986), it misconceives the purpose of
this hallowed presumption, which, unlike evidentiary presumptions, is
premised not on probabilities or on which party has more ready access to
pertinent information, see, e.g., GTS Industries S.A. v. S/S "Havtjeld", 68 F.3d
1531, 1537 (2d Cir.1995), but rather on a judicial policy determination that in
ascertaining diversity jurisdiction in a highly mobile society there is a need to
fix domicile with some reasonable certainty at the threshold of litigation. This
substantive policy, by which federal courts are able to ascertain their diversity
jurisdiction without repeated disruption and waste of judicial resources, would
be undermined if domicile had to be re-proven every time a party who had once
invoked such jurisdiction came forward with any evidence of a change. Indeed,
such a flimsy presumption would invite precisely the risk of undoing valid
verdicts at the whim of disappointed litigants that the instant case presents

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141 F.

Domingo GUTIERREZ, Plaintiff-Appellee,

United States Court of Appeals,

Jeffrey A. Block, New York City (Thomas P. Kinney, Block &

On October 1, 1995, Domingo Gutierrez, a 27-year-old, long-time New Jersey

The most important allegation in the complaint was the statement of

The most important allegation in the complaint was the statement of

Federal Rule 11 of Civil Procedure "explicitly and unambiguously imposes an

MR. BLOCK: Absolutely. His common-law wife, as he calls her, resided on

As a corollary to this presumption, the person alleging a change of domicile has

The American Law Institute, summing up the foregoing holdings in section 19

Instead of following the foregoing well-established rules of law, the district

THE COURT: It wouldn't make a bit of difference from a jurisdiction respect.

MR. BLOCK: But if he is a resident of New Jersey--

In contradiction to the district court's apparent belief, "mere absence from a

He said the same thing on cross-examination:

Q. Is that January this year?

A. I change all my documentations to.

A. Right, even the license and registration.

In response to interrogatories dated October 9, 1996, Gutierrez stated that he

Southern District of New York, sitting by designation

The district court apparently viewed this presumption as merely evidentiary in

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