Chesapeake Appalachia Removes W. Va. Leasing Dispute to Federal Court

WHEELING, W.Va. - Defendants Range Resources-Appalachia and Chesapeake Appalachia have removed a leasing dispute with a West Virginia resident from state to federal court, asserting diversity jurisdiction and an amount in controversy exceeding the federal court's $75,000 threshold. Fluharty v. Range Resources-Appalachia, LLC, et al., No. 5:11-cv-00179 FPS (N.D. W.V.).

Range and Chesapeake filed the joint notice of removal in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia on Dec. 13, nearly a year after plaintiff Elizabeth E. Fluharty filed her original complaint in the Brooke County (W.Va.) Circuit Court.

The defendants noted in their removal notice …