Dr. Gabriel Jimenez Puig v. Avis Rent-A-Car System, 574 F.2d 37, 1st Cir. (1978)

574 F.
2d 37
Dr. Gabriel JIMENEZ PUIG, Plaintiff, Appellee,

v.
AVIS RENT-A-CAR SYSTEM, Defendant, Appellant.
No. 77-1491.
United States Court of Appeals,

First Circuit.
Argued Feb. 15, 1978.
Decided April 24, 1978.
Rafael Perez-Bachs, San Juan, P. R., with whom McConnell, Valdes,

Kelley, Sifre, Griggs & Ruiz-Suria, San Juan, P. R., was on brief, for
defendant, appellant.
Jorge Luis Ortiz Viera, Hato Rey, P. R., with whom Ciro A. Betancourt
and Pernas, Betancourt & De La Torre, Santurce, P. R., were on brief, for
plaintiff, appellee.
Before CAMPBELL, BOWNES and MOORE, ** Circuit Judges.
LEVIN H. CAMPBELL, Circuit Judge.
The plaintiff, Dr. Gabriel Jimenez Puig, a citizen of Puerto Rico, brought the
present action under the diversity jurisdiction of the district court against Avis
Rent-A-Car System (Avis). His complaint alleged that in October 1975 he flew
to Dulles Airport in Virginia. At Dulles he went to the Avis counter to arrange
for the rental of a car he had reserved:
2
"Upon
arrival . . . Plaintiff presented his (credit) card at the Avis counter and much
to his surprise, the clerk attending the counter at Dulles Airport, instead of
delivering a motor vehicle to Plaintiff, took his credit card and in front of the counter
at that time, tore the card and informed him that his credit was cancelled, because he
did not pay his bills. . . .
3
"(D)efendant
kept on harassing and requesting payment from Plaintiff after October
1975, to the extent that on December his account was sent to Dunn & Bradstereet
Inc. (sic), which is a Nationwide Collection Agency. . . ."

4
Plaintiff alleged that his account was in fact fully paid up and that he suffered
mental anguish because of the false accusations at Dulles which were made in
the presence of various persons including acquaintances. He also claimed to
have suffered mental anguish as a result of his account having been turned over
wrongfully to a collection agency. Plaintiff also alleged, without elaboration,
that "his credit has been damaged" as a result of these incidents and asked for
$15,000 in damages.
Avis failed to answer the complaint and was defaulted on the issue of liability.
Some months later, Avis appeared and contested the issues of subject matter
jurisdiction and sufficiency of service of process. After a trial to the court
limited to the issue of damages, the court awarded plaintiff $2,500. Avis' appeal
challenges the award as excessive. It also claims that the district court lacked
subject matter jurisdiction in that plaintiff failed to plead the second prong of
Avis' citizenship, its state of incorporation. Avis also renews its claim that the
district court never obtained personal jurisdiction of it due to defective service
of process. We do not reach these issues1 inasmuch as we conclude that there
was never $10,000 in controversy and that the district court for that reason
lacked diversity jurisdiction. See Williams v. Rogers, 449 F.2d 513, 518 (8th
Cir. 1971), cert. denied, 405 U.S. 926, 92 S.Ct. 976, 30 L.Ed.2d 799 (1972);
Kern v. Standard Oil Co., 228 F.2d 699, 701 (8th Cir. 1956); Walmac Co. v.
Isaacs, 280 F.2d 108, 111 (1st Cir. 1955).
In Saint Paul Mercury Indemnity Co. v. Red Cab Co., 303 U.S. 283, 288-89, 58
S.Ct. 586, 590, 82 L.Ed. 845 (1938), the Court set out what remain the
controlling principles guiding a determination of whether or not an action meets
the jurisdictional amount:
7
"The
rule governing dismissal for want of jurisdiction in cases brought in the federal
court is that, unless the law gives a different rule, the sum claimed by the plaintiff
controls if the claim is apparently made in good faith. It must appear to a legal
certainty that the claim is really for less than the jurisdictional amount to justify
dismissal. The inability of plaintiff to recover an amount adequate to give the court
jurisdiction does not show his bad faith or oust the jurisdiction. . . . But if, from the
face of the pleadings, it is apparent, to a legal certainty, that the plaintiff cannot
recover the amount claimed, or if, from the proofs, the court is satisfied to a like
certainty that the plaintiff never was entitled to recover that amount, and that his
claim was therefore colorable for the purpose of conferring jurisdiction, the suit will
be dismissed." (Emphasis supplied.)
Whether on the face of this complaint the facts pleaded could ever be construed
to support a finding of $10,000 or more in damages is debatable. Plaintiff
pleaded no malice or other extenuating circumstances which might entitle him
to punitive damages.2 Cf. James v. Lusby, 162 U.S.App.D.C. 352, 357, 499
F.2d 488, 493 (1974). His assertions of mental anguish and damage to his credit
rating are conclusory at best. However, we need not decide this question for the
"proofs" adduced at trial conclusively show that plaintiff never had a claim
even arguably within the $10,000 range. See Saint Paul Mercury Indemnity
Co., supra; Williams v. Township of Nottawa, 104 U.S. (14 Otto) 209, 211, 26
L.Ed. 719 (U.S.1881); Randall v. Goldmark, 495 F.2d 356, 360-61 (1st Cir.),
cert. denied, 419 U.S. 879, 95 S.Ct. 144, 42 L.Ed.2d 119 (1974); James v.
Lusby, supra; Panama Transport Co. v. Greenberg, 290 F.2d 125, 126 (1st
Cir.), cert. denied, 368 U.S. 891, 82 S.Ct. 143, 7 L.Ed.2d 88 (1961). Compare
Emland Builders, Inc. v. Shea, 359 F.2d 927, 930 (10th Cir. 1966); Seth v.
British Overseas Airways Corp., 329 F.2d 302, 305-06 (1st Cir.), cert. denied,
379 U.S. 858, 85 S.Ct. 114, 13 L.Ed.2d 61 (1964).
Plaintiff's testimony and the exhibits introduced at trial establish that Dr.
Jimenez was wrongly told by Avis' employee at the counter at Dulles Airport
that his credit was bad and that his card would have to be confiscated. The
employee thereupon ripped the card in two in the presence of Dr. Jimenez,
several of his fellow dentists from Puerto Rico and strangers. The Avis
employee then required Dr. Jimenez to produce other credit cards before she
would rent him a car. She checked the validity of his other credit cards
carefully, a process which plaintiff testified took two hours. During this time he
testified that he felt humiliated, embarrassed and angry. He stated that he felt
angry for three days thereafter.
10
Apart from this evidence there is almost a complete lack of proof showing that
Avis' wrongdoing caused anything more than momentary embarrassment and
humiliation. A single dunning letter from Avis' collection agency, dated
December 1975, was introduced. It politely requested payment of the
apparently overdue account. No evidence established that plaintiff was
harassed by the collection agency or Avis or that his credit rating was in any
way adversely affected by Avis' mistake.
11
A federal court sitting in diversity must apply the choice of law rules of the
forum state. Day & Zimmermann, Inc. v. Challoner, 423 U.S. 3, 96 S.Ct. 167,
46 L.Ed.2d 3 (1975); Klaxon Co. v. Stentor Electric Manufacturing Co., 313
U.S. 487, 61 S.Ct. 1020, 85 L.Ed. 1477 (1941). Puerto Rico applies the law of
the place of the tort, the lex loci delicti. DeVane v. United States, 259 F.Supp.
18, 20 (D.P.R.1966). Virginia law therefore applies in this case.

12
In a case of ordinary slander such as that involved in the present case, Virginia
law provides for the award of both punitive and actual damages. However,
punitive damages are not to be awarded absent a showing of malice by the
defendant or some form of egregious misconduct. See Stubbs v. Cowden, 179
Va. 190, 200, 18 S.E.2d 275, 280 (1942); Weatherford v. Birchett, 158 Va.
741, 747, 164 S.E. 535, 537 (1932). Neither the pleadings nor the proof in this
case establish that Avis was guilty of malice or other serious misconduct.
Hanna v. Drobnick, 514 F.2d 393, 398-99 (6th Cir. 1975); Zahn v. International
Paper Co., 469 F.2d 1033 (2d Cir. 1972), aff'd, 414 U.S. 291, 94 S.Ct. 505, 38
L.Ed.2d 511 (1973). Plaintiff is therefore limited to recovery of actual damages.
13
In assessing actual damages, there is "no rule fixing the quantum of

compensation" but "damages awarded should bear some reasonable proportion
to the real damages sustained." Stubbs v. Cowden, supra.
14
The elements which the factfinder may consider are:
15
"Injury
to feelings, mental suffering, injury to character and reputation, and similar
injuries, incapable of definite money valuation; the nature of the imputation,
including the time, manner and language in which the charge was made, and the
character, condition and influence of the parties."
16
Snyder v. Fatherly, 158 Va. 335, 351, 163 S.E. 358, 364 (1932). See also
Weatherford v. Birchett, supra; Stubbs v. Cowden, supra.
17
The evidence in this case, viewed most favorable to plaintiff, established that he
suffered brief embarrassment at the Avis counter and some residual anger at
the way in which he had been treated. The defamation involved was not serious
and there is no evidence that it spread beyond those at the counter or that it had
any adverse effect on plaintiff's professional or credit standing. Even the $2500
which the court below awarded seems to us excessive. In these circumstances,
the proofs can be said to establish to a legal certainty that, from the outset,
plaintiff had no valid hope of recovering $10,000 or more and that the amount
pleaded has to be viewed as colorable, for the purpose of conferring
jurisdiction. This is not to say that plaintiff acted in deliberate bad faith.
Plaintiff may have felt that the insult fully warranted the $15,000 claimed. The
question, however, is whether to anyone familiar with the applicable law this
claim could objectively have been viewed as worth $10,000. The answer seems
clearly in the negative.
18
Vacated and remanded with instructions to dismiss the complaint.
Of the Western District of Virginia, sitting by designation
**
Of the Second Circuit, sitting by designation
It is not seriously argued that defendant Avis Rent-A-Car System is

incorporated in Puerto Rico. Plaintiff's failure to plead the place of
incorporation would therefore appear to require at most a remand for
amendment of the complaint. See Veeck v. Commodity Enterprises, Inc., 487
F.2d 423, 426 (9th Cir. 1973); Stern v. Beer, 200 F.2d 794, 795 (6th Cir. 1952);
28 U.S.C. 1653. The claim that plaintiff's service of process was defective in
that service was not made upon an authorized agent of Avis Rent-A-Car System
is more substantial. We were told by appellant's attorney at argument that
service was in fact made upon an employee of Avis' separate Puerto Rico
corporation rather than upon an agent of defendant. However, appellant's
affidavit filed below, to which we must look, fails to identify the employer of
the person served and fails to relate a number of facts which it would be
important to know in passing upon the claim. It is thus a closer question than
perhaps it should be whether the affidavit of the manager of "Avis Rent A Car
de Puerto Rico, Inc." was sufficient to overcome the sworn statement of the
process server that he had served an authorized representative of "Avis Rent-ACar System." See Fed.R.Evid. 602
Under Virginia law, which applies here, defendant's malice or other aggravating
circumstances must be present to justify an award of punitive damages. See text
infra

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574 F.

Dr. Gabriel JIMENEZ PUIG, Plaintiff, Appellee,

United States Court of Appeals,

Rafael Perez-Bachs, San Juan, P. R., with whom McConnell, Valdes,

Inc. (sic), which is a Nationwide Collection Agency. . . ."

18, 20 (D.P.R.1966). Virginia law therefore applies in this case.

In assessing actual damages, there is "no rule fixing the quantum of

The elements which the factfinder may consider are:

Vacated and remanded with instructions to dismiss the complaint.

Of the Western District of Virginia, sitting by designation

Of the Second Circuit, sitting by designation

It is not seriously argued that defendant Avis Rent-A-Car System is

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