Feld v. United States

185 Ct. Cl. 754, 1968 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 165, 1968 WL 9158
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedNovember 15, 1968
DocketNo. 217-66
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 185 Ct. Cl. 754 (Feld v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Feld v. United States, 185 Ct. Cl. 754, 1968 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 165, 1968 WL 9158 (cc 1968).

Opinion

Per Curiam :

This case was referred to Trial Commissioner Eoald A. Plogenson with directions to make findings of fact and recommendation for conclusions of law under the order of reference and Rule 57(a). The commissioner has done so in an opinion and report filed on February 16, 1968. Exceptions to the commissioner’s findings and recommended conclusion of law were filed by plaintiff and the case has been submitted to the court on oral argument of counsel and the briefs of the parties. Since the court agrees with the commissioner’s opinion, findings and recommended conclusion of law, as hereinafter set forth, it hereby adopts the same as the basis for its judgment in this case. Therefore, plaintiff is not entitled to recover and the petition is dismissed.

OPINION OE COMMISSIONER

Hogenson, Commissioner:

Plaintiff requests judgment against defendant for loss of salary on account of his allegedly illegal discharge on February 12,1965, from civilian employment as an Engineering Technician, Applied Science Laboratory, U.S. Naval Station, Brooklyn, N.Y. After an agency hearing, the Commanding Officer of the Laboratory on February 4,1965, issued to plaintiff his final decision and notice of separation for physical disability, sustaining the alleged basis for the proposed separation. Plaintiff was ad[756]*756vised that he was eligible for disability retirement and that he would have to apply for such within 1 year of the effective date of 'his separation, the effective date being the end of the day on February 12,1965. Plaintiff was notified that he could either appeal through channels to the Secretary of the Navy, or directly to the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Civil Service Commission. In addition, plaintiff was advised that for further information concerning his appeal rights, he should get in touch with his administrative department head, or the Industrial Relations Office of the New York Naval Shipyard, or the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Civil Service Commission.

At first plaintiff appealed his separation for disability to the Department of the Navy, but withdrew the same, and on April 12,1965, appealed to the New York Region, U.S. Civil Service Commission.

In the meantime, plaintiff had on February 16, 1965, submitted his application for disability retirement on the standard form to the Bureau of Retirement and Insurance, Civil Service Commission, and on April 22, 1965, his application was approved by the Bureau, and plaintiff was awarded a monthly annuity. Accordingly, the Laboratory amended plaintiff’s personnel record of separation for disability, and issued to plaintiff its notification of personnel action that he was retired for disability effective February 12, 1965. Apparently plaintiff has been receiving disability retirement payments because his petition seeks recovery for loss of salary minus disability retirement benefits so far received.

On May 10, 1965, the New York Region, Civil Service Commission, advised plaintiff in writing of the above-stated events concerning plaintiff’s retirement for disability, and stated further as follows:

In the premises, it does not appear that you were adversely affected as this term is used in Part 752-B of the Regulations so as to create any right of appeal to this office. The regulations apply to discharge, suspension for more than 30 days, furlough without pay, and reduction in rank or compensation. Section 752.103(b), however, excludes from coverage (1) a decision of the Commission and (2) an action taken by an agency pursuant to instructions from the Commission.
[757]*757Accordingly, the action of the Laboratory, based on the Commission’s decision in respect to your voluntary application for disability retirement, is not an adverse personnel action and there is no right of appeal to this office. Therefore, we no longer have appellate jurisdiction over yoúr case and can take no further action on your appeal of April 12,1965.

In accordance with the court’s order of remand, entered May 26, 1967, hereinafter quoted in finding 10, the sole issue now presented is whether or not plaintiff has exhausted his administrative remedies. As directed by the court, a trial has been held on that issue.

After a full review of the record and upon consideration of the respective requested findings of fact and briefs of the parties, it is my opinion based upon the following detailed and ultimate findings of fact, that plaintiff failed to exhaust his administrative remedies, and that plaintiff’s petition should be dismissed. Pine v. United States, 178 Ct. Cl. 146, 371 F. 2d 466 (1967), and cases therein cited.

FINDINGS oe Fact

1. On March 6, 1967, defendant’s motion (filed September 20, 1966) and plaintiff’s cross-motion (filed October 13, 1966) for summary judgment were submitted to the court by the parties without oral argument, and on March 24,1967, the court entered the following order:

This case comes before the court on defendant’s motion and plaintiff’s cross-motion for summary judgment. Upon consideration thereof, together with the opposition thereto and the briefs of the parties, it is concluded that plaintiff is not entitled to recover on the ground that plaintiff failed to exhaust his administrative remedy when he did not appeal to the Board of Appeals and Review of the Civil Service Commission from the decision of the New York Region, Civil Service Commission, dated May 10,1965, and on the basis of the decision of this court in Pine v. United States, Ct. Cl. No. 203-65, decided January 20, 1967.
IT IS, THEREFORE, ORDERED that defendant’s motion for summary judgment be and the same is granted, plaintiff’s cross-motion be and the same is denied and the petition is dismissed.

[758]*7582. Plaintiff’s petition, filed June 23,1966, contains no allegation that plaintiff appealed to the Board of Appeals and Review of the Civil Service Commission, or to the Commission itself, from the decision of the New York Region, Civil Service Commission, dated May 10,1965.

3. In its brief in support of its above-mentioned motion for summary judgment, defendant asserted that plaintiff did not appeal the May 10,1965, decision of the New York Region to the Board of Appeals and Review.

4. In his brief in support of his cross-motion for summary judgment, plaintiff stated that he agreed with defendant’s statement of facts except to the extent that that statement conflicted with allegations in plaintiff’s petition and in the documents and exhibits filed in the case. The only documents or exhibits then filed in this case were those attached to defendant’s motion and plaintiff’s cross-motion for summary judgment, none of which made any mention of any attempt on the part of the plaintiff to appeal to the Board of Appeals and Review.

5. On March 28,1967, plaintiff filed his petition for reconsideration and rehearing of the decision set forth in the above-quoted order of the court, entered March 24, 1967. Plaintiff stated in pertinent part as follows:

As plaintiff understands the Tucker Act, 28 USC 1491, plaintiff is entitled to a trial de novo -in this Court in the exercise of its judicial responsibilities under Article III of the Federal Constitution.
There is nothing in the Tucker Act which would deprive plaintiff of his right to a trial

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
185 Ct. Cl. 754, 1968 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 165, 1968 WL 9158, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/feld-v-united-states-cc-1968.