Miller v. United States

67 Fed. Cl. 195, 2005 U.S. Claims LEXIS 245, 2005 WL 1983698
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedAugust 9, 2005
DocketNo. 05-737 C
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 67 Fed. Cl. 195 (Miller v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Miller v. United States, 67 Fed. Cl. 195, 2005 U.S. Claims LEXIS 245, 2005 WL 1983698 (uscfc 2005).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

HEWITT, Judge.

Before the court is plaintiffs “Complaint Under 28 U[.]S[.]C[.] § 1491 and 42 U[.]S[.]C[J § 1985 International Covenant/Conspiracy” (complaint or Compl.) filed pro se on July 8, 2005.1 For the following reasons, plaintiffs complaint is DISMISSED-IN-PART for lack of jurisdiction.

I. Jurisdiction of the United States Court of Federal Claims

A. Subject Matter Jurisdiction

Like all courts in our democracy, the United States Court of Federal Claims is a court of “limited jurisdiction.” United States v. King, 395 U.S. 1, 3, 89 S.Ct. 1501, 23 L.Ed.2d 52 (1969). The Tucker Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1491 (2000), confers upon this court jurisdiction over certain claims against the United [197]*197States; however, the Tucker Act does not create a substantive right enforceable against the sovereign. United States v. Testan, 424 U.S. 392, 398, 96 S.Ct. 948, 47 L.Ed.2d 114 (1976); Fisher v. United States, 402 F.3d 1167, 1172 (2005); Khan v. United States, 201 F.3d 1375, 1377 (Fed.Cir.2000). Rather, the jurisdictional statutes governing the United States Court of Federal Claims grant authority to the court only to issue judgments for money against the United States and then, only when a claim is grounded in a contract, a money-mandating statute, or certain provisions of the United States Constitution, including the “takings clause” of the Fifth Amendment. See 28 U.S.C. § 1491 (2001); Testan, 424 U.S. at 398, 96 S.Ct. 948; Fisher, 402 F.3d at 1172 (2005) (“[I]n order to come within the jurisdictional reach and the waiver of the Tucker Act, a plaintiff must identify a separate source of substantive law that creates the right to money damages.”); Ralston Steel Corp. v. United States, 169 Ct.Cl. 119, 340 F.2d 663, 667 (1965) (“In general, a claimant who says that he is entitled to money from the United States because a statute or a regulation grants him that right, in terms or by implication, can properly come to the Court of Claims, at least if his claim is nor frivolous but arguable.”). This court generally lacks jurisdiction to consider claims alleging violations of statutes that mandate a form relief other than the payment of money:

[I]t is not every claim involving or invoking the Constitution, a federal statute, or a regulation which is cognizable here. The claim must, of course, be for money. Within that sphere, the non-contraetual claims we consider ... can be divided into two somewhat overlapping classes — those in which the plaintiff has paid money over to the Government, directly or in effect, and seeks return of all or part of that sum; and those demands in which money has not been paid but the plaintiff asserts that he is nevertheless entitled to a payment from the treasury.

Eastport S.S. Corp. v. United States, 178 Ct.Cl. 599, 372 F.2d 1002, 1007 (1967) (footnote omitted), overruled on other grounds by Malone v. United States, 849 F.2d 1441, 1444-45 (Fed.Cir.1998), overruling recognized by Claude E. Atkins Enters. v. United States, 15 Cl.Ct. 644, 647 (1988).

The United States Court of Federal Claims “may not entertain claims outside [its] specific jurisdictional authority.” Adams v. United States, 20 Cl.Ct. 132, 135 (1990). “If there is no jurisdiction, this court must dismiss the action.” Taylor v. United States, 49 Fed.Cl. 598, 601 (2001); accord Rule of the Court of Federal Claims (RCFC) 12(b)(1); Fisher, 402 F.3d at 1173 (“[T]he absence of a money-mandating source [is] fatal to the court’s jurisdiction under the Tucker Act.”).

B. Personal Jurisdiction

Even if a claim falls within the subject matter jurisdiction of this court, that claim nonetheless must be dismissed if it is lodged against any defendant other than the United States because “the only proper defendant for any matter before this court is the United States, not its officers, nor any other individual.” Stephenson v. United States, 58 Fed.Cl. 186, 190 (2003); accord RCFC 12(b)(2). As the Supreme Court of the United States explains:

[I]t has been uniformly held, upon a review of the statutes creating the [United States] [C]ourt [of Federal Claims] and defining its authority, that its jurisdiction is confined to the rendition of money judgments in suits brought for that relief against the United States, and if the relief sought is against others than the United States the suit as to them must be ignored as beyond the jurisdiction of the court, or if its maintenance against private parties is prerequisite to prosecution of the suit against the United States the suit must be dismissed.
[T]he Court of Claims ... is without jurisdiction of any suit brought against private parties .... [T]he jurisdiction of the Court of Claims ... is narrowly restricted to the adjudication of suits brought against the Government alone.

United States v. Sherwood, 312 U.S. 584, 588-89, 61 S.Ct. 767, 85 L.Ed. 1058 (1941) (citing Green v. Menominee Tribe, 233 U.S. 558, 34 S.Ct. 706, 58 L.Ed. 1093 (1914); [198]*198United States v. Jones, 131 U.S. 1, 9, 9 S.Ct. 669, 33 L.Ed. 90 (1889); United States v. Alire, 73 U.S. (6 Wall.) 573, 18 L.Ed. 947, 3 Ct.Cl. 447 (1867); Lynn v. United States, 110 F.2d 586 (5th Cir.1940); Leather v. United States, 61 Ct.Cl. 388 (1925); Pac. Mut. Life Ins. Co. v. United States, 71 Ct.Cl. 164, 44 F.2d 887, 888 (1930); Waite v. United States, 57 Ct.Cl. 546 (1922); Turner v. Creek Nation of Indians, 248 U.S. 354, 39 S.Ct. 109, 63 L.Ed. 291 (1919); and Jackson v. United States, 27 Ct.Cl. 74, 84 (1891)); accord Bogart v. United States, 209 Ct.Cl. 208, 531 F.2d 988, 991 (1976) (“[I]f the relief sought is against others than the United States, it is not within the jurisdiction of this court”).

II. Discussion

This court has an obligation to examine its own jurisdiction at all stages of a proceeding. See Fisher, 402 F.3d at 1173 (“[T]he trial court at the outset shall determine, either in response to a motion by the Government or sua sponte (the court is always responsible for its own jurisdiction), whether the Constitutional provision, statute, or regulation is one that is money-mandating.”); Wood-Ivey Sys. Corp. v. United States,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
67 Fed. Cl. 195, 2005 U.S. Claims LEXIS 245, 2005 WL 1983698, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/miller-v-united-states-uscfc-2005.