Curtis v. Aluminum Ass'n

Appellant stored personal property in the basement of appellees’ building.1 As the result of a snowstorm in February 1987, water pipes froze and burst in a floor above and flooded the basement, allegedly causing damage to appellant’s property. At oral argument, appellant, a Virginia resident, stated that he filed his lawsuit in federal court after consultation with others because he was likely to receive a trial date in one year, in comparison with the District of Columbia courts where he was unlikely to receive a trial date for three years.

Appellant filed suit in federal court on November…