Cindi Arellano Pano v. Ford Motor Company

I. Background

Plaintiff Cindi Arellano Pano filed her complaint in state court on July 23, 2024. Notice of Removal (“NOR”), Ex. A (“Complaint”) [Dkt. No. 1-2]. On August 1, 2024, Plaintiff served Defendant Ford with a copy of the complaint and summons. Motion, Declaration of Matthew Treybig in Support of the Motion (“Treybig Decl.”) ¶ 6, Ex. 2 [Dkt. Nos. 11-1, 11-2]. Ford filed its Answer on September 3, 2024. NOR, Ex. B. [Dkt. No. 1-3].

Ford then filed the NOR on November 5, 2024. [Dkt. No. 1]. Plaintiff filed the instant Motion on December 2, 2024. [Dkt. No. 11]. On February 6, 2025, the Court heard oral argument and took the matter under submission. [Dkt. No. 20].

II. Legal Standard

Generally, a civil action filed in state court may properly be removed if there is federal subject-matter jurisdiction at the time of removal. See 28 U.S.C. § 1441. A notice of removal must be filed within 30 days of the initial pleading or summons if, using a “reasonable amount of intelligence,” the grounds for removability can be ascertained by such pleading or summons. Kuxhausen v. BMW Financial Services NA LLC, 707 F.3d 1136, 1140 (9th Cir. 2013); 28 U.S.C. § 1446(b). The…