IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
        FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA



LEON R. DONGELEWICZ, et al., 	: 	3:CV-95-0457 

		Plaintiffs	: 	(Judge McCLURE) 

	vs.			: 
					
FIRST EASTERN BANK, et al., 	: 	

		Defendants	: 

		     M E M O R A N D U M

		      September 23, 1997 

BACKGROUND:

	Plaintiffs in this class action suit are the lot owners 

in a 3856-acre recreational housing development called the Valley 

of Lakes (the community or VOL) which is located in Schuykill and 

Luzerne Counties near Hazleton, Pennsylvania.  Plaintiffs allege 

numerous improprieties on the part of individuals and entities 

associated with or having an ownership interest in the community 

over the years.

	Claims are asserted under RICO; section 1983;2 the 

Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act;3 the New Jersey Real 

Estate Sales Full Disclosure Act;4 and under state law for fraud 

and deceit.  Plaintiffs allege numerous acts of fraud and 

deception on the part of those allegedly responsible for

marketing, developing and maintaining Valley of Lakes over the 

years.

	Defendant C.B.G., Inc. (C.B.G.), the most recent 

developer of the property, is currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy 

proceedings before the Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District 

of Pennsylvania, In re: C.B.G. Limited, Bankruptcy No. 5-92-

000525.  Defendant PNC Bank, N.A. (PNC Bank) is the primary 

secured creditor on VOL property still titled with defendant 

C.B.G. Defendants Valley Utilities, Co., Inc. (Valley 

Utilities) and the Oneida Water Co. (Oneida) are also currently 

in Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

	The Bankruptcy Trustee proposed to sell all assets of 

C.B.G., including its remaining ownership interest in Valley of 

Lakes to Double Diamond, Inc., (Double Diamond) a Texas 

Corporation, and the Valley of Lakes Civic Association (VOLCA).  

VOLCA is an unincorporated association of property owners.

	On June 26, 1996, the class plaintiffs filed a motion 

before this court for injunctive relief in connection with the 

proposed sale of C.B.G. assets.  Plaintiffs came before this 

court seeking a temporary restraining order and\or a preliminary 

injunction barring, among other things, PNC Bank from going 

forward with efforts to consummate the proposed sale of C.B.G. 

assets to Double Diamond and VOLCA and from going forward with 

efforts to obtain bankruptcy court approval of the proposed

				2

sale.5  Plaintiffs also sought an order barring defendants from 

soliciting any exclusions or settlements from class members.

	In an order dated June 27, 1996,6 this court denied 

plaintiffs' motion for a temporary restraining order and 

scheduled an evidentiary hearing on their request for a 

preliminary injunction.  A hearing on plaintiffs' motion for a 

preliminary injunction was held on July 11, 1996.  The court 

subsequently denied the motion.

	Before the court are motions for reconsideration of the 

court's order certifying the class filed by defendants First 

Eastern Bank and First Eastern Corp. (record document no. 60) and 

by defendant MLA Management (record document no. 83).  Also 

before the court is a motion by plaintiffs for a protective order 

(record document no. 74).7

DISCUSSION

	Motion for reconsideration or to 
	vacate the order certifying the
	class

	Defendants move for reconsideration of the court's 

order certifying the class and ask that the order be vacated so 

that they have sufficient opportunity to file briefs opposing the 

motion.  Defendants had an opportunity to file briefs opposing

				3

the motion for certification, but chose instead to request a stay 

which the court denied.  We should perhaps have notified 

defendants of that decision in an intermediate step before 

deciding the motion.  Their reasons for opposing certification 

are, however, now before us in the briefs supporting their motion 

for reconsideration and we have considered them fully.8

	Therefore, rather than vacate class certification at 

this point, we will allow the prior order to stand through the 

remainder of the discovery period, subject, however, to one 

modification.  We will amend the prior order granting 

certification to provide, however, that defendants have the right 

to seek decertification upon the completion of discovery.

	We remain convinced for the reasons discussed in the 

memorandum which accompanied the certification order that 

certification is appropriate at least through the discovery 

stage.  With some exceptions,9 only after that stage that most of

				4

the serious concerns defendants raise about the alleged 

inappropriateness of certification come into play.10 See: 

Memorandum filed by First Eastern in support of its motion for 

reconsideration, record document no. 86 at pp. 14-27).

	Intertwined with defendants' request for

reconsideration was a request for leave to conduct discovery on 

class certification issues and contentions that defendants were 

under the impression such discovery had been stayed and after 

defendants learned otherwise and attempted to initiate discovery, 

plaintiffs have proved less than cooperative.

	Plaintiffs' attitude toward discovery is reflected in 

their pending motion for a protective order.  Plaintiffs seek a 

protective order striking notices of deposition on the ground 

that the court had previously denied a motion to compel such 

depositions, referencing the court's order no. 1 dated June 19,

				5

1996.  Defendants seek to depose certain plaintiffs on issues 

relating to certification of the class.

	Plaintiffs argue that the defendants' request to 

explore facts relating to the issue of certification should be 

ruled moot because the class has already been certified.  We 

disagree.  Plaintiffs are in the proverbial position of "wanting 

it both ways." They opposed discovery on certification issues 

prior to the court's ruling on the grounds that such discovery 

was inappropriate under the rules.  Now having attained their 

objective on certification, they again oppose inquiry by 

defendants into the appropriateness of this case proceeding as a 

class action.  They cannot have it both ways.

	Defendants will be permitted to conduct discovery into 

all matters relevant to the case, including, without limitation, 

matters relating to all aspects of the appropriateness of 

certification and to matters going to the merits of plaintiffs' 

multiple claims.

	Further, they will be permitted to rely upon the 

information so obtained to move for decertification of the class 

if the facts they unearth so merit.

				* * *

	An order will be entered consistent with this

memorandum.


					/s/
					James F. McClure, Jr.
					United States District Judge



				6

	  IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
        FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA



LEON R. DONGELEWICZ, et al., 	: 	3:CV-95-0457 

		Plaintiffs	: 	(Judge McCLURE) 

	vs.			: 
					
FIRST EASTERN BANK, et al., 	: 	

		Defendants	: 

			   O R D E R  #1

			September 23, 1997

	For the reasons stated in the memorandum which will 

follow, IT IS ORDERED THAT:

	1.   The motions for reconsideration filed by 

defendants First Eastern Bank and First Eastern Corp. (record 

document no. 60) and by defendant MLA Management (record document 

no. 83) are granted in part and denied in part.

	2.   The court has reconsideration certification of the 

class and modify the order granting certification to provide that 

certification will stand only through the conclusion of 

discovery.  At that time, defendants may move for

decertification, if the facts so warrant.

	3.   Plaintiffs' motion for a protective order (record 

document no. 74) is denied.

	4.   A separate scheduling order will issue.


					/s/
					James F. McClure, Jr.
					United States District Judge



				8

Footnotes

  	18 U.S.C. § 1962.
Back

  	42 U.S.C. § 1983.
Back

  	15 U.S.C. § 1701.
Back

  	N.J.S.A. § 45:15-16.47.
Back

	Record document no. 53.
Back

	Record document no. 59.
Back

	Plaintiffs' pending motion for default judgment (record
document no. 97) will be disposed of by separate memorandum and
order.
Back

	Because of the posture of the motions before us, i.e. a
possible, not unjustifiable misunderstanding on defendants, part
about the need to file opposing briefs, we do not impose on them
the normal, stringent requirements for establishing a right to
reconsideration, but rather will consider their motion in the
posture of, were this information before the court when the
original ruling was made, would it have made a difference?
Back

	With respect to the ethical issues defendants raise
bearing on the conduct of plaintiffs' counsel and their fitness
to serve as such in light of possible ethical violations, these
are issues the court could not resolve without conducting an
evidentiary hearing into the alleged instances of impropriety.
We will not do so at this time, but will assume that a warning
that any conduct by counsel inconsistent with the ethical rules
will not be tolerated by the court.  If any further instances of
alleged misconduct surface, the court will at that time reassess
the situation, and if warranted, conduct an evidentiary hearing
into the matter.  Counsel will be removed as class counsel if
allegations of conduct inconsistent with the ethical rules are
proven.
Back

 A number of the issues defendants raise related to the alleged
lack of commonality of issues stemming from the fact that
plaintiffs purchased their property at different times, from
different sellers,
and based on different information conveyed to them.  While it
may prove somewhat troublesome to explore these issues in
discovery with respect to multiple plaintiffs whose responses
will not be uniform, the difficulties which concern defendants
only come to a head at the time of trial.  Defendants would, in
fact, ostensibly have to conduct an inquiry into such facts to
support their contention that certification is inappropriate, so
we see no harm or prejudice in allowing the class to remain
certified through the conclusion of discovery.
Back

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