United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Zahn v. International Paper Co., 414 U.S. 291 (1973)

Zahn v. International Paper Co.

No. 72-888

Argued October 16, 1973

Decided December 17, 1973

414 U.S. 291

Syllabus

Multiple plaintiffs with separate and distinct claims must each satisfy the jurisdictional amount for suits in federal courts, and, in this diversity class action under Fed.Rule Civ.Proc. 23(b)(3) by owners of lakeshore property charging respondent with polluting the lake, where only the named plaintiffs, but not the unnamed plaintiffs, could show damages in the jurisdictional amount, a class action is not maintainable. Each plaintiff in a Rule 23(b)(3) class action must satisfy the jurisdictional amount and any plaintiff who does not must be dismissed from the case. Snyder v. Harris, 394 U. S. 332, followed. Pp. 414 U. S. 292-302.

469 F.2d 1033, affirmed.

WHITE, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which BURGER, C.J., and STEWART, BLACKMUN, POWELL, and REHNQUIST, JJ., joined. BRENNAN, J., filed dissenting opinion, in which DOUGLAS and MARSHALL, JJ., joined, post, p. 414 U. S. 302.