Opinion
Case No. 1:15-cv-290
05-07-2015
VIVIAN JANET BOWMAN, Plaintiff, v. LYNESSA ELLIS HARRISON, Defendant.
Dlott, J.
REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION
Plaintiff Vivian Janet Bowman, a resident of Cincinnati, Ohio, brings this action against Lynessa Ellis Harrison, plaintiff's former apartment manager. By separate Order, plaintiff has been granted leave to proceed in forma pauperis pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915. This matter is before the Court for a sua sponte review of plaintiff's complaint to determine whether the complaint, or any portion of it, should be dismissed because it is frivolous, malicious, fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted or seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B).
In enacting the original in forma pauperis statute, Congress recognized that a "litigant whose filing fees and court costs are assumed by the public, unlike a paying litigant, lacks an economic incentive to refrain from filing frivolous, malicious, or repetitive lawsuits." Denton v. Hernandez, 504 U.S. 25, 31 (1992) (quoting Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 324 (1989)). To prevent such abusive litigation, Congress has authorized federal courts to dismiss an in forma pauperis complaint if they are satisfied that the action is frivolous or malicious. Id.; see also 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2)(B)(i). A complaint may be dismissed as frivolous when the plaintiff cannot make any claim with a rational or arguable basis in fact or law. Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 328-29 (1989); see also Lawler v. Marshall, 898 F.2d 1196, 1198 (6th Cir. 1990). An action has no arguable legal basis when the defendant is immune from suit or when plaintiff claims a violation of a legal interest which clearly does not exist. Neitzke, 490 U.S. at 327. An action has no arguable factual basis when the allegations are delusional or rise to the level of the irrational or "wholly incredible." Denton, 504 U.S. at 32; Lawler, 898 F.2d at 1199. The Court need not accept as true factual allegations that are "fantastic or delusional" in reviewing a complaint for frivolousness. Hill v. Lappin, 630 F.3d 468, 471 (6th Cir. 2010) (quoting Neitzke, 490 U.S. at 328).
Congress also has authorized the sua sponte dismissal of complaints that fail to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915 (e)(2)(B)(ii). A complaint filed by a pro se plaintiff must be "liberally construed" and "held to less stringent standards than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers." Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 94 (2007) (per curiam) (quoting Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97, 106 (1976)). By the same token, however, the complaint "'must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to 'state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.'" Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (quoting Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)); see also Hill, 630 F.3d at 470-71 ("dismissal standard articulated in Iqbal and Twombly governs dismissals for failure to state a claim" under §§ 1915A(b)(1) and 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii)).
"A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged." Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556). The Court must accept all well-pleaded factual allegations as true, but need not "accept as true a legal conclusion couched as a factual allegation." Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555 (quoting Papasan v. Allain, 478 U.S. 265, 286 (1986)). Although a complaint need not contain "detailed factual allegations," it must provide "more than an unadorned, the-defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation." Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555). A pleading that offers "labels and conclusions" or "a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do." Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555. Nor does a complaint suffice if it tenders "naked assertion[s]" devoid of "further factual enhancement." Id. at 557. The complaint must "give the defendant fair notice of what the . . . claim is and the grounds upon which it rests." Erickson, 551 U.S. at 93 (citations omitted).
Plaintiff's pro se complaint alleges that defendant Harrison instituted an eviction action against plaintiff for non-payment of rent. Plaintiff alleges she in fact paid her rent, she has proof she paid her rent, and defendant Harrison's statements to the contrary are false. Plaintiff alleges that defendant threatened to ruin her credit rating and that defendant's "slander false statements" have caused her emotional distress and resulted in plaintiff's homelessness. The complaint alleges that "defendant is a black woman who is anti-white woman" and that plaintiff is a white woman who has been treated with "hostile disrespect" by the defendant. The complaint further alleges:
The real reason Defendant is making false statements against me is because on February 13, 2015 she again goes inside my apt. while I am not there and she steals my gun. EXHIBIT C 4 pages of police report about my stolen gun that Defendant Lynessa Ellis Harrison took from my apt. while I was gone. Because I called the police and have police report about my stolen gun then Defendant makes up false statements against me that I not pay my rent and she makes threats against me that she will destroy my credit record to keep me homeless for the rest of my life. EXHIBIT D 5 pages of papers she had served on me the Plaintiff. She told me that the Court allows her to do this wrong to me.(Doc. 1, Ex. 2 at 2, PAGEID #: 9). Attached to plaintiff's complaint is a copy of a state court complaint filed by plaintiff's landlord in the Hamilton County, Ohio Municipal Court seeking damages and to evict plaintiff from her apartment. As relief, plaintiff states she wants "to prove that I have paid my rent." Id. She also seeks damages in the amount of $200,000 for "past and future mental and emotional distress and suffering, embarrassment, humiliation, and harm. . . ." Id.
Plaintiff's allegations are insufficient to state a claim with an arguable basis in law over which this federal Court has subject matter jurisdiction.
First, to the extent plaintiff may be alleging state law claims against defendant Harrison and invoking the diversity jurisdiction of the Court under 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a), the complaint reveals such jurisdiction is lacking. In order for diversity jurisdiction pursuant to § 1332(a) to lie, the citizenship of the plaintiff must be "diverse from the citizenship of each defendant" thereby ensuring "complete diversity." Caterpillar Inc. v. Lewis, 519 U.S. 61, 68 (1996) (citing State Farm Fire & Cas. Co. v. Tashire, 386 U.S. 523, 531 (1967)); see also Napletana v. Hillsdale College, 385 F.2d 871, 872 (6th Cir. 1967); Winningham v. North American Res. Corp., 809 F. Supp. 546, 551 (S.D. Ohio 1992). In this case, both plaintiff and the named defendant are domiciled in Ohio. Therefore, this Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction on the basis of diversity of citizenship over plaintiff's state law claims.
Second, the Court is without federal question jurisdiction over the complaint. District courts also have original federal question jurisdiction over cases "arising under the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States." 28 U.S.C. § 1331. In order to invoke the Court's federal question jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331, plaintiff must allege facts showing the cause of action involves an issue of federal law. See Metro. Life Ins. Co. v. Taylor, 481 U.S. 58, 63 (1987). The undersigned is unable to discern from the facts alleged in the complaint any federal statutory or constitutional provision that applies to give rise to an actionable claim for relief. Although plaintiff alleges that defendant is "anti-white woman" and that plaintiff is white, the Court is unable to discern any violation of federal law prohibiting housing discrimination in the absence of any "further factual enhancement." Twombly, 550 U.S. at 557. Plaintiff has not alleged any facts suggesting that she was evicted on the basis of reverse race discrimination. Rather, plaintiff appears to allege that defendant Harrison instituted an eviction action against her because plaintiff accused Harrison of entering her apartment and stealing her gun. Therefore, the complaint fails to give the defendant or the Court fair notice of any federal claim of race discrimination. Erickson, 551 U.S. at 93.
It appears that plaintiff's eviction action is still pending in the municipal court and is set for a report before the judge on May 28, 2015. See St. Theresa Village v. Bowman, No. 15CV06143 (Ham. Cty. Mun. Ct.), http://www.courtclerk.org/case_summary.asp?sec=history&casenumber=15CV06143 (last accessed on May 7, 2015). The Court notes that plaintiff has filed an answer to the complaint and that any defenses plaintiff may have to the eviction should be raised in that case.
Accordingly, plaintiff's complaint should be dismissed for lack of federal jurisdiction and for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted.
IT IS THEREFORE RECOMMENDED THAT:
1. Plaintiff's complaint be DISMISSED with prejudice.
2. The Court certify pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a) that for the foregoing reasons an appeal of any Order adopting this Report and Recommendation would not be taken in good faith and therefore deny plaintiff leave to appeal in forma pauperis. Plaintiff remains free to apply to proceed in forma pauperis in the Court of Appeals. See Callihan v. Schneider, 178 F.3d 800, 803 (6th Cir. 1999), overruling in part Floyd v. United States Postal Serv., 105 F.3d 274, 277 (6th Cir. 1997). Date: 5/7/15
/s/_________
Karen L. Litkovitz, Magistrate Judge
United States District Court
NOTICE
Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(b), WITHIN 14 DAYS after being served with a copy of the recommended disposition, a party may serve and file specific written objections to the proposed findings and recommendations. This period may be extended further by the Court on timely motion for an extension. Such objections shall specify the portions of the Report objected to and shall be accompanied by a memorandum of law in support of the objections. If the Report and Recommendation is based in whole or in part upon matters occurring on the record at an oral hearing, the objecting party shall promptly arrange for the transcription of the record, or such portions of it as all parties may agree upon, or the Magistrate Judge deems sufficient, unless the assigned District Judge otherwise directs. A party may respond to another party's objections WITHIN 14 DAYS after being served with a copy thereof. Failure to make objections in accordance with this procedure may forfeit rights on appeal. See Thomas v. Arn, 474 U.S. 140 (1985); United States v. Walters, 638 F.2d 947 (6th Cir. 1981).