Sloan v. United States

36 Fed. Cl. 163, 1996 U.S. Claims LEXIS 133, 1996 WL 421771
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedJuly 26, 1996
DocketNo. 95-88C
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 36 Fed. Cl. 163 (Sloan 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
Sloan v. United States, 36 Fed. Cl. 163, 1996 U.S. Claims LEXIS 133, 1996 WL 421771 (uscfc 1996).

Opinion

OPINION

SMITH, Chief Judge.

This case is before the court on defendant’s motion to dismiss. Plaintiff contends his termination from the Corps of Engineers was an involuntary separation qualifying him for severance pay under 5 U.S.C. § 5595. Defendant has filed a motion to dismiss under RCFC 12(b)(4) for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. After careful consideration of the briefs, oral argument, and the relevant law, the court hereby GRANTS defendant’s Motion to Dismiss.

FACTS

Plaintiff Wayne Sloan lived and worked in Japan as an Electronics Technician with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Japan Engineering District, Camp Zama, Japan, from July 27, 1988 until July 26, 1993. Plaintiff initially received an Overseas Limited Appointment (OLA) as an Electronics Technician at grade GS-0856-05. Following a one-year trial period, plaintiff was retained in his appointment at the GS-5 level.

Between his initial appointment and April of 1991, plaintiff was promoted to GS-6. In April 1991, plaintiff received a second promotion to grade GS-7 and was notified that he would no longer be exempt from the Five Years Overseas Rotation Program after completing 24 months under his appointment. As a result, plaintiffs time served in his [165]*165appointment to that point — 2 years, 8 months, and 10 days — counted toward the five year limit, making his termination date July 26,1993.

In Januaiy 1993, following a review of plaintiffs file, the Corps determined that plaintiffs original appointment and promotion were approved under improper legal authority. The Corps sought and received authority from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to retroactively promote plaintiff and correct his file by changing his original appointing authority to 5 C.F.R. § 301.201 from 301.203(c).1 Subsequent to OPM’s corrections, plaintiffs initial appointment was as an OLA for indefinite status (following his one-year trial) at grade GS-5. Further, his promotion to GS-7 was reclassified as a conversion to overseas limited appointment not to exceed (NTE) July 26,1993, under an exception to the Military Pay Procedures.

Plaintiffs original complaint contained a claim under the Back Pay Act. In his brief, and at oral argument on defendant’s motion to dismiss, plaintiff conceded that pursuant to the findings of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) in a suit filed under separate cover by plaintiff,2 the back pay claim was moot and the only issue remaining was whether plaintiff was entitled to severance pay.

DISCUSSION

I. JURISDICTION

This court has subject matter jurisdiction under the Tucker Act for any claim against the United States for money damages. The Tucker Act, however, is jurisdictional only, and “does not create any substantive right enforceable against the United States for money damages.” United States v. Testan, 424 U.S. 392, 398, 96 S.Ct. 948, 953,47 L.Ed.2d 114 (1976). Under the Tucker Act, plaintiff must allege a claim for damages due to government action under an express or implied contract, or a money mandating statutory or constitutional provision to establish jurisdiction in this court. Allred v. United States, 33 Fed.Cl. 349, 353 (1995) appeal dismissed 78 F.3d 602 (Fed.Cir.1996); Ewing v. United States, 36 Fed.Cl. 159 (1996). Plaintiff asserts his claim for monetary damages under the Severance Pay Act, 5 U.S.C. § 5595 which has been held to be a money mandating statute. Bell v. United States, 23 Cl.Ct. 73, 76 (1991).

In United States v. Fausto the Supreme Court held “that under the CSRA [Civil Service Reform Act], the Claims Court ... is not an ‘appropriate authority1 to review an agency’s personnel determination.” 484 U.S. 439, 454, 108 S.Ct. 668, 677, 98 L.Ed.2d 830 (1988) reh’g denied 485 U.S. 972, 108 S.Ct. 1250, 99 L.Ed.2d 448 (1988). This court does, however, have jurisdiction to entertain claims under the Severance Pay Act so long as the court is “not called upon to correct an adverse personnel action____ The Claims Court is an appropriate forum to interpret and apply regulations in connection with severance pay claims.” Bell, 23 Cl.Ct. at 77. Thus, this court has jurisdiction to hear plaintiffs claim for severance pay.

II. FAILURE TO STATE A CLAIM, RCFC 12(b)(4)

Defendant asserts that plaintiff is not entitled to severance pay under 5 U.S.C. § 5595, and thus fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted under RCFC 12(b)(4). Plaintiff responds that he is eligible for severance pay due to his corrected appointment authority which changed his elevation to GS-7 from a “promotion” to a “conversion” thereby bringing him within the statute.

Prior to the dismissal of a claim under 12(b)(4), the complaint must fail to assert any set of facts which would entitle the plaintiff to recovery. See, e.g., Heim v. [166]*166United States, 22 Cl.Ct. 341, 344, aff'd, 949 F.2d 403 (Fed.Cir.1991). Further, all facts must be assumed as true and viewed in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. Scheuer v. Rhodes, 416 U.S. 232, 236, 94 S.Ct. 1683, 1686, 40 L.Ed.2d 90 (1974); White Mountain Apache Tribe v. United States, 8 Cl.Ct. 677, 681 (1985). If no facts exist upon which plaintiff could prevail, then the court should dismiss the claim on its merits. Alonge v. United States, 30 Fed.Cl. 519, 520 (1994) aff'd, 45 F.3d 444 (Fed.Cir.1995) (citing Mostowy v. United States, 966 F.2d 668, 672 (Fed.Cir.1992)).

At the time of plaintiffs employment, Department of Defense Regulations (DODR) required that all OLA employees, regardless of their grade were subject to a five year term limitation on their employment. DODR 1400.25-M, K 4-2.a(l), d.(l). Employees at the grade of GS-6 or below were exempt from the five year limit, provided the employee remained employed at that level. Id. at 114.2.2.(e).4. If an employee was promoted to grade GS-7 or above, the employee became subject to the five year term limitation, with their five year starting date retroactive to their initial appointment. Id. at K 4-2.a.(2).

Plaintiff asserts that he is entitled to severance pay under section § 5595(a)(2)(B)(ii) of the Severance Pay Act as “an employee serving under an appointment with a definite time limitation, except one so appointed for full-time employment without a break in service of more than 3 days following service under an appointment without time limitation.” 5 U.S.C. § 5595(a)(2)(B)(ii).

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Bluebook (online)
36 Fed. Cl. 163, 1996 U.S. Claims LEXIS 133, 1996 WL 421771, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sloan-v-united-states-uscfc-1996.