Lamb v. Charlotte County

429 F. Supp. 2d 1302, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22056, 2006 WL 1118910
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedApril 21, 2006
Docket2:05-cv-00093
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 429 F. Supp. 2d 1302 (Lamb v. Charlotte County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lamb v. Charlotte County, 429 F. Supp. 2d 1302, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22056, 2006 WL 1118910 (M.D. Fla. 2006).

Opinion

ORDER

COVINGTON, District Judge.

This matter comes before the Court pursuant to Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. # 42), filed on February 27, 2006, and Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment and to Dismiss for Lack of Subject Matter Jurisdiction (Doc. #49), filed on March 1, 2006. Responses to both Plaintiffs’ and Defendant’s dispositive motions have been filed (Docs. # 58 and 59).

I. Standard of Review

A. Summary Judgement

Summary judgment is appropriate “if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). A factual dispute alone is not enough to defeat a properly pled motion for summary judgment; only the existence of a genuine issue of material fact will preclude a grant of summary judgment. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 247-48, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).

An issue is genuine if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party. Mize v. Jefferson City Bd. of Educ., 93 F.3d 739, 742 (11th Cir.1996)(citing Hairston v. Gainesville Sun Publ’g Co., 9 F.3d 913, 918 (11th Cir.1993)). A fact is material if it may affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law. Allen v. Tyson Foods, Inc., 121 F.3d 642, 646 (11th Cir.1997). The moving party bears the initial burden of showing the court, by reference to mate *1305 rials on file, that there are no genuine issues of material fact that should be decided at trial. Hickson Corp. v. N. Crossarm Co., Inc., 357 F.3d 1256, 1260 (11th Cir.2004)(citing Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986)). “When a moving party has discharged its burden, the non-moving party must then ‘go beyond the pleadings,’ and by its own affidavits, or by ‘depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file,’ designate specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Jeffery v. Sarasota White Sox, Inc., 64 F.3d 590, 593-94 (11th Cir.1995)(citing Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548).

If there is a conflict between the parties’ allegations or evidence, the non-moving party’s evidence is presumed to be true and all reasonable inferences must be drawn in the non-moving party’s favor. Shots v. City of Plantation, Fla., 344 F.3d 1161, 1164 (11th Cir.2003). If a reasonable fact finder evaluating the evidence could draw more than one inference from the facts, and if that inference introduces a genuine issue of material fact, the court should not grant summary judgment. Samples ex rel. Samples v. City of Atlanta, 846 F.2d 1328, 1330 (11th Cir.1988)(citing Augusta Iron & Steel Works, Inc. v. Employers Ins. of Wausau,, 835 F.2d 855, 856 (11th Cir.1988)). However, if non-movant’s response consists of nothing “more than a repetition of his conclusional allegations,” summary judgment is not only proper, but required. Morris v. Ross, 663 F.2d 1032, 1034 (11th Cir.1981).

B. Motion to Dismiss under Rule 12(b)(1), Fed.R.Civ.P.

Motions filed under Rule 12(b)(1), Fed.R.Civ.P., question this Court’s jurisdiction over the subject matter of the case. Motions to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1), Fed.R.Civ.P., may attack jurisdiction facially or factually. Morrison v. Amway Corp., 323 F.3d 920, 924, n. 5 (11th Cir.2003). Where the jurisdictional attack is based on the face of the pleadings, the court merely looks to determine whether the plaintiff has sufficiently alleged a basis of subject matter jurisdiction, and the allegations in the plaintiffs complaint are taken as true for purposes of the motion. Lauirence v. Dunbar, 919 F.2d 1525, 1529 (11th Cir.1990).

In factual attacks, on the other hand, the court delves into the arguments asserted by the parties and the credibility of the evidence presented. Garcia v. Copenhaver, Bell, and Assocs., 104 F.3d 1256, 1260-1261 (11th Cir.1997). As stated in Morrison, “Factual attacks challenge subject matter jurisdiction in fact, irrespective of the pleadings. In resolving a factual attack, the district court may consider extrinsic evidence such as testimony and affidavits.” 323 F.3d at 925. In deciding a motion to dismiss filed under Rule 12(b)(1), Fed.R.Civ.P., this Court is not required to assume that the allegations in the complaint are true. Rosenkrantz v. Markopoulos, 254 F.Supp.2d 1250, 1251 (M.D.Fla.2003); see also Goodman v. Sipos, 259 F.3d 1327, 1331 n. 6 (11th Cir.2001)(factually-based attacks on subject matter jurisdiction go beyond the pleadings and permit testimony and affidavits to be considered).

Plaintiffs bear of burden of demonstrating that the Court has jurisdiction in this case. Menchaca v. Chrysler Credit Corp., 613 F.2d 507, 511 (5th Cir.1980). 1 Once subject matter jurisdiction has been questioned, a plaintiff is required to “clear *1306 ly allege facts demonstrating that he is a proper party to invoke judicial resolution of the dispute and the exercise of the court’s remedial powers.” Warth v. Seldin, 422 U.S. 490, 518, 95 S.Ct. 2197, 45 L.Ed.2d 343 (1975).

In addition, courts may dismiss cases pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure

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429 F. Supp. 2d 1302, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22056, 2006 WL 1118910, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lamb-v-charlotte-county-flmd-2006.