United States v. Park Place Association

I. FACTS AND PROCEEDINGS

The events at issue span twenty years, resulted in congres- sional hearings, and involve litigation in three circuits. We are not sure if the appropriate literary metaphor belongs to Tol- stoy or to Kafka, but we are going to set forth the history of this case in some detail.

The contract and arbitration provision that governs the cur- rent dispute was part of an agreement between two private parties and did not involve the United States. In 1983, Park Place entered into a Joint Venture Agreement (“JVA”) with LCP Associates to develop, own, and operate the Bell Gar- dens Bicycle Club (“Club”), a legal card-playing club in Bell Gardens, California. Section 5.03 of the JVA set out proce- dures for dispute resolution between the contracting parties, requiring that the parties arbitrate controversies arising under the JVA in Los Angeles County, California; that an arbitration 1 Because the district court could not validly confirm the arbitration award, we do not reach the question of interest on the award. 4672 UNITED STATES v. PARK PLACE ASSOCIATES award would be “final and binding”; and that “judgment may be entered [on an arbitration award] in…