Plaintiffs, as heirs of a German art collector who was persecuted by the Nazi government, brought federal legal action against defendants seeking to recover a painting by Vincent van Gogh. Plaintiffs alleged that defendants wrongfully converted the painting and exploited it for financial gain. The district court dismissed the various counts of the complaint and plaintiffs appealed. The Seventh Circuit affirmed, finding that two counts of the complaint did not present a federal cause of action and, even if they did, the district court lacked in personam jurisdiction over the defendants. The appellate court likewise determined that the court lacked in personam jurisdiction over the defendants on the remaining claims. (LEE and PRYOR, concurring)
Federal 7th Circuit Court
Civil Court
Federal Jurisdiction