Kjh & Rda Investor Grp., LLC v. turnberry/mgm Grand Towers, LLC

 LLC; DOUGLAS HUIBREGTSE; JAMES
HOKANSON; ANTE LONCAR,
LJUBICA LONCAR AND ELIZABETH
G. VIDUCICH; RAUL RIOS AND
FERMINA RIOS; VLADIMIR RIVKIN,
DANNY MAES AND STEPHANIE
CLEVELAND; MARK N. KECHEJIAN
AND CHRISTINE KECHEJIAN;
MICHAEL HAHALYAK AND LISA
KRISAY-HAHALYAK; BENJAMIN
RUDNITSKY AND TAMAR A.
RUDNITSKY; CLAY FRAZIER AND
PAULA FRAZIER; MIRIAM KIM AND
MARIE KIM; PASQUALE FEBBRARO
AND CATHLEEN M. FEBBRARO; 1110
SHIN AND JUNG SHIN; EUN YOUNG
LEE; JOHN 0. TOROSIAN AND
SARKIS TOROSIAN; LUNIQUE LE;
RAFFI PIRICHIAN AND ANI
PIRICHIAN; JIM C. BURGUM; NANCY
MARTINA; HERMAN CELIKIAN;
RICHARD FELDMAN; LES KRIEGER
AND REBEKAH KRIEGER;
CHRISTINA KIM; JUAN MEDINA AND
CLARISSA MEDINA; THOMAS
CIFELLI AND JOHN CIFELLI;
MANSOUR SHAMS AND ZAHRIA
SHAMS; LEE FAMILY TRUST, CHRIS
LEE AND SUZIE LEE, AS CO-
TRUSTEES; BRADLEY COSTELLO
1997 TRUST, BRADLEY COSTELLO AS
TRUSTEE; BERNARD KLOUDA;
RUZAN CHARKCHYAN AND
ARUTYUN CHARKCHYAN; MARCO
GONZALEZ; MARK BUCHSTABER
AND DEBORAH BUCHSTABER; LINH
TANG AND HUNG TANG; JERRY
BROWN; WILLIAM PEDERSON AND
TATYANA PEDERSON; CHARLES
GERACI AND DELVIN DIAZ; MYUNG
JA CHO; SHERENNE TANG AND
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JULIETA BALAHADIA; CHENG LIM;
DAVID SHIM; HOJOON LEE;
MICHAEL LINARES AND LAURIE
LINARES; GREG YI AND GRACE YI;
SOUP, LLC; UJJAL GHOSHTAGORE;
WERDMULLER FAMILY TRUST,
WALTER E. WERDMULLER VON
ELGG AND JILL C. WERDMULLER
VON ELGG, TRUSTEES; SASAN
SEIDFATHI AND MEHRNAZ
SAGHAFI; LAWRENCE M.
DUMOULIN; SEHAK TUNA AND
VARTUHI TUNA; LAWRENCE
HOBSON AND LINDA M. HOBSON;
LEE PRITZL; BELINDA W. LOUIE;
AMIN A. RAHIM AND ZAITUN A.
RAHIM; PRISCILLA SALEM; IKE
SHERMAN AND GILLIANA
SHERMAN; REMI OHTA; DUNCAN &
GARDELLA ENTERPRISES, LLC;
ALEXANDER GONSECKI AND
VALENTINA GONSECKI; SHI SI
ZHENG; RAFIK BAKIJAN; LV 700,
LLC; AND LOUIS CARNESALE AND
JOHN CARNESALE,
Appellants,
vs.
TURNBERRY/MGM GRAND TOWERS,
LLC, A NEVADA LLC; MGM GRAND
CONDOMINIUMS LLC, A NEVADA
LLC; THE SIGNATURE
CONDOMINIUMS, LLC, A NEVADA
LLC; MGM MIRAGE, A DELAWARE
CORPORATION; MGM RESORTS
INTERNATIONAL, A DELAWARE
CORPORATION;
TURNBERRY/HARMON AVE., LLC, A
NEVADA LLC; MGM GRAND HOTEL,
LLC, A NEVADA LLC; SIGNATURE
TOWER 1, LLC, A NEVADA LLC;
SIGNATURE TOWER 2, LLC, A/K/A
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TURNBERRY/MGM GRAND TOWER B
LLC, A NEVADA LLC; SIGNATURE
TOWER 3, LLC, A NEVADA LLC; AND
TURNBERRY WEST REALTY, INC., A
NEVADA CORPORATION,
Respondents.
KJH & RDA INVESTOR GROUP, LLC; No. 66181
37TH FLOOR INVESTOR GROUP, LLC;
MICHAEL ANDERSON AND MATHEW
ANDERSON; PIERRE BAIN; IBRAHIM
BARLAJ AND LAURA BARLAJ; DAN
BIRDSALL; TERENCIA CONEJERO;
DIANE B. FAULCONER; FCF, LLC;
STEPHEN J. GUYON; OGANES JOHN
HAKOPYAN; IVIARKAR KARATAS AND
NURHAN CELIK; FRANK KEANE AND
CAROL KEANE; DENNIS LEUNG AND
JIYEN SHIN; LETICIA L. MAGRI;
ANAHIT MANDOYAN AND
ALEXANDER MANDOYAN; SUSAN
MIGNOT AND MARK MIGNOT; MARY
MOMDZHYAN; BB VENTURES, LLC;
ED NARVAEZ; DANE R. PHILLIPS;
CRAIG A. PRIMAS; JAMES RICK AND
LAURINDA RICK; DOUGLAS
SCHOEN; PGR ENTERPRISES, LLC;
DIMITRITSA H. TOROMANOVA; 38TH
FLOOR INVESTOR GROUP, LLC;
DAVID L. VADIS; ROSS BERKELEY;
WOLF TRADING COMPANY, LLC;
MICHAEL WILSON; STANLEY
WILSON AND CAMILLA WILSON;
DASHRATH PANCHAL; DINA D.
PANCHAL AND NARMIN HIRJI;
QUEZADAS-HORTA FAMILY TRUST,
ROBERTO QUEZADAS-HORTA,
TRUSTEE; JOSEPH H. SMITH AND
CAROL J. SMITH; MARIA ORELLANA;
MAGHAMI FERIAL TRUST; FERIAL
MAGHAMI, TRUSTEE; LEONARDO
BARRERA AND GLORIA BARRERA;
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MOJISOLA ADEKUNBI AND ABIOLA
SANNI; SIGNATURE MGM GRAND,
LLC; DOUGLAS HUIBREGTSE; JAMES
HOKANSON; ANTE LONCAR;
LJUBICA LONCAR AND ELIZABETH
G. VIDUCICH; RAUL RIOS AND
FERMINA RIOS; VLADIMIR RIVKIN;
DANNY MAES AND STEPHANIE
CLEVELAND; MARK N. KECHEJIAN
AND CHRISTINE KECHEJIAN;
MICHAEL HAHALYAK AND LISA
KRISAY-HAHALYAK; BENJAMIN
RUDNITSKY AND TANIAR A.
RUDNITSKY; CLAY FRAZIER AND
PAULA FRAZIER; MIRIAM KIM AND
MARIE KIM; PASQUALE FEBBRARO
AND CATHLEEN M. FEBBRARO; 1110
SHIN AND JUNG SHIN; EUN YOUNG
LEE; JOHN 0. TOROSIAN AND
SARKIS TOROSIAN; LUNIQUE LE;
RAFFI PIRICHIAN AND ANI
PIRICHIAN; JIM C. BURGUM; NANCY
MARTINA; HERMAN CELIKIAN;
RICHARD FELDMAN; LES KRIEGER
AND REBEKAH KRIEGER;
CHRISTINA KIM; JUAN MEDINA AND
CLARISSA MEDINA; THOMAS
CIFELLI AND JOHN CIFELLI;
MANSOUR SHAMS AND ZAHRIA
SHAMS; LEE FAMILY TRUST; CHRIS
LEE AND SUZIE LEE AS CO-
TRUSTEES; BRADLEY COSTELLO
1997 TRUST; BRADLEY COSTELLO AS
TRUSTEE; BERNARD KLOUDA;
RUZAN CHARKCHYAN AND
ARUTYUN CHARKCHYAN; MARCO
GONZALEZ; MARK BUCHSTABER
AND DEBORAH BUCHSTABER; LINH
TANG AND HUNG TANG; JERRY
BROWN; WILLIAM PEDERSON AND
TATYANA PEDERSON; CHARLES
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GERACI AND DELVIN DIAZ; MYUNG
JA CHO; SHERENNE TANG AND
JULIETA BALAHADIA; CHENG LIM;
DAVID SHIM; HOJOON LEE;
MICHAEL LINARES; LAURIE
LINARES; GREG YI AND GRACE YT;
SOLIP, LLC; UJJAL GHOSHTAGORE;
WERDMULLER FAMILY TRUST;
WALTER E. WERDMULLER VON
ELGG AND JILL C. WERDMULLER
VON ELGG, TRUSTEES; SASAN
SEIDFATHI AND MEHRNAZ
SAGHAFI; LAWRENCE M.
DUMOULIN; SEHAK TUNA AND
VARTUHI TUNA; LAWRENCE
HOBSON AND LINDA M. HOBSON;
LEE PRITZL; BELINDA W. LOUIE;
AMIN A. RAHIM AND ZAITUN A.
RAHIM; PRISCILLA SALEM; IKE
SHERMAN AND GILLIANA
SHERMAN; REMI OHTA; DUNCAN &
GARDELLA ENTERPRISES, LLC;
ALEXANDER GONSECKI AND
VALENTINA GONSECKI; SHI SI
ZHENG; RAFIK BAKIJAN; LV 700,
LLC; AND LOUIS CARNESALE AND
JOHN CARNESALE,
Appellants,
vs.
TURNBERRY/MGM GRAND TOWERS,
LLC, A NEVADA LLC; MGM GRAND
CONDOMINIUMS LLC, A NEVADA
LLC; THE SIGNATURE
CONDOMINIUMS, LLC, A NEVADA
LLC; MGM MIRAGE, A DELAWARE
CORPORATION; MGM RESORTS
INTERNATIONAL, A DELAWARE
CORPORATION;
TURNBERRY/HARMON AVE., LLC, A
NEVADA LLC; MGM GRAND HOTEL,
LLC, A NEVADA LLC; SIGNATURE
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TOWER 1, LLC, A NEVADA LLC;
SIGNATURE TOWER 2 LLC, A/IVA
TURNBERRY/MGM GRAND TOWER B
LLC, A NEVADA LLC; SIGNATURE
TOWER 3, LLC, A NEVADA LLC; AND
TURNBERRY WEST REALTY, INC., A
NEVADA CORPORATION,
Respondents.
ORDER DISMISSING APPEAL (DOCKET NO. 65933)
These are appeals from a June 22, 2014, district court decision
indicating the court's intended disposition of two motions to determine the
nonarbitrability of claims (Docket No. 65933) and from a July 23, 2014,
district court order granting the motions to determine the nonarbitrability
of claims (Docket No. 66181).
Certain respondents have moved, in Docket No. 65933, to
dismiss the appeal, asserting that the district court's June 22 decision and
July 23 order are interlocutory and not independently appealable as
orders denying motions to compel arbitration under NRS 38.247(1)(a).'
Respondents, who did not sign any arbitration agreements with
appellants, acknowledge that the district court determined that appellants
cannot pursue claims against them in arbitration, but they assert that
because no party filed a motion to compel arbitration, the orders cannot be
appealed. Appellants oppose the motion to dismiss, arguing that there is
no practical difference between a motion to determine nonarbitrability and
a motion to compel arbitration, and that the order therefore effectively
refuses to compel arbitration. Appellants assert that allowing the appeals
'Other respondents have filed a joinder to the motion to dismiss, to
which appellants have filed an objection and response.
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to proceed would further the public policy behind NRS 38.247(1)(a)
favoring arbitration. Respondents reply that, even if the decision and
order could be deemed as denying motions to compel, appellants did not
request arbitration based on an underlying agreement to arbitrate, and
thus, NRS 38.247(1)(a) does not apply. See NRS 38.221(1) (stating that a
‘``person showing an agreement to arbitrate" may move to compel
arbitration); Vulcan Power Co. v. Munson, 252 P.3d 511, 513 (Colo. App.
2011) ("[A]n•interlocutory appeal under section 13-22-228(1)(a) may only
be taken from the denial of a motion that seeks to compel arbitration
based on 'an agreement to arbitrate.").
Respondents' motion to determine nonarbitrability was filed
after appellants attempted to add the claims against respondents to the
arbitration proceedings that were already pending against another
defendant, a signatory to the arbitration agreements. In opposing
respondents' motion, appellants argued that, based on their relationships
with the signatory defendant, respondents should also have to defend both
the nonarbitrability issue and the claims in arbitration. Although
appellants did not style their opposition as a countermotion to compel
arbitration, given the procedural posture of the case, opposing the motion
accomplished the same goal. Moreover, appellants did not argue that
arbitration was required based solely on matters outside of the arbitration
agreements; they argued that the nonsignatory defendants were required
to arbitrate under the agreements. Accordingly, we conclude that the
district court's order resolving this dispute is appealable as an order
denying a motion to compel arbitration under NRS 38.247(1)(a), and we
deny the motion to dismiss.
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Nevertheless, the decision appealed from in Docket No. 65933
merely indicated the court's intended disposition; it expressly stated that
further order of the court was anticipated to make the decision effective.
Accordingly, the decision did not finally resolve the arbitrability issue and
thus is not appealable. Karcher Firestopping v. Meadow Valley Contr.,
Inc., 125 Nev. 111, 117, 204 P.3d 1262, 1266 (2009) ("[NRS 38.247(1) is]
designed to permit appeals only from orders that bring an element of
finality to the arbitration process."). Appellants timely appealed from the
court's formal written order on the matter in Docket No. 66181.
Therefore, we dismiss the appeal in Docket No. 65933.
It is so ORDERED.
J.
, J.
Cherry
cc: Hon. Mark R. Denton, District Judge
Wiand Guerra King P.L.
Law Office of Daniel Marks
Blumenthal, Nordrehaug & Bhowmik
Gerard & Associates
Morris Law Group
Snell & Wilmer, LLP/Las Vegas
Lewis Roca Rothgerber LLP/Las Vegas
Sidley Austin LLP
Eighth District Court Clerk
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