Smith-Bey v. Riviera Operating CA2/2

Filed 12/22/22 Smith-Bey v. Riviera Operating CA2/2 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS

California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION TWO

WILLIE-JAY SMITH-BEY III, B319802

Plaintiff and Appellant, (Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. v. 21STCV04912)

RIVIERA OPERATING LLC et al.,

Defendants and Respondents.

APPEAL from the judgment of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Teresa A. Beaudet, Judge. Affirmed.

Willie-Jay Smith-Bey III, in pro. per., for Plaintiff and Appellant.

1

Buchalter, Mark T. Cramer and Efrat M. Cogan for Defendants and Respondents. ****** A person with a California mailing address sued a Texas- based corporate entity and three Texas residents for allegedly refusing to recognize his claims related to a parcel of land in rural Texas. The trial court dismissed the case on the ground that California lacked personal jurisdiction over the Texas-based defendants for this Texas-centered dispute. This is undeniably correct, so we affirm. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND I. Facts A. The defendants For many years, Riviera Resources, Inc. was an oil and gas producer; it was incorporated in Delaware, headquartered in Texas, and did business in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. Riviera Resources, Inc. did not have any offices in California, did not use California banks, and did not conduct business in California. Riviera Resources, Inc. is now defunct. Riviera Operating, LLC (the LLC) was a subsidiary of Riviera Resources, Inc. and was dissolved at the same time as its parent company; all rights to the property in question were sold in 2020 to an outside LLC. The LLC was incorporated in Delaware, and headquartered in Texas. The LLC was formed in 2018. Prior to that time, it operated as Linn Operating, LLC. Linn Operating, LLC did some business in California until 2017, but ceased business with California in 2017 and allowed its business registration in California to lapse in 2018. Darren Schluter and David Rottino were officers of the LLC. Holly Anderson was an officer of Riviera Resources, Inc. and the LLC.