Spodek v. United States

44 Fed. Cl. 32, 1999 U.S. Claims LEXIS 117, 1999 WL 346103
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedMay 25, 1999
DocketNo. 98-594C
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 44 Fed. Cl. 32 (Spodek 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
Spodek v. United States, 44 Fed. Cl. 32, 1999 U.S. Claims LEXIS 117, 1999 WL 346103 (uscfc 1999).

Opinion

OPINION

HORN, Judge.

FACTS

The plaintiff, Leonard Spodek, leases buildings to the United States Postal Service (USPS) for use as post offices.1 The property which is the subject of the above captioned complaint is known as the Highland Hills Station, located in San Antonio, Texas. The initial period of the lease of this property was from July 1,1986 through June 30,1991, with two 5-year renewal options. The plaintiff alleges that the USPS breached the lease of the Highland Hills Station through failure to pay the rent due under the lease since February 1997, instead applying the rental payments to charges imposed by the USPS arising under other unrelated leases. Because of the USPS’ offset action, Mr. Spodek alleges that he terminated the lease on September 2, 1997, and provided notice to the USPS to vacate the lease premises.

According to a letter sent by prior counsel for the plaintiff to the Postmaster General on September 2,1997:

There is no provision in any of the affected leases allowing the Postal Service to off-set rent due on one lease from rental payments due under other leases. Therefore, the Postal Service has breached each of the leases from which rental payments have been “off-set” instead of paid. Consequently, the Spodeks have terminated the following 40 leases, including all existing or future extension options and all purchase options, and so inform you:
7. San Antonio, Texas, Highland Hills, dated July 1,1986;
My client respectfully expects the Postal Service to vacate all of the above premises within 30 days of this letter. Please be advised that after the expiration of 30 days [34]*34following this letter, should the Postal Service fail to vacate the premises listed above, rent at the hold-over rate of $2.50 per square foot, per month, or the highest rate permitted by applicable law if less, will be charged for occupancy of any of the premises not vacated.

The plaintiff alleges that in spite of this notice, the USPS continues to remain on the Highland Hills premises. The plaintiff seeks money damages and other relief.

A complaint regarding the Highland Hills Station complaint was initially filed in a State court, in San Antonio, Texas, on or about February 5,1998 (Leonard Spodek v. United States Postal Service, No. 40-E-98-00096-01 (Bexar County, Tex.)). The suit was removed to the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division (J. Leonard Spodek v. United States Postal Service, Civ. No. SA-98-CA-138-EP (W.D.Tex.)). On May 12, 1998, Judge Prado of the Western District of Texas, San Antonio ordered part of the case transferred to the United States Court of Federal Claims. See Rule 84(a) of the Rules of the United States Court of Federal Claims (RCFC). The transfer order of the United States District Court, Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division, provided that “Plaintiffs claims for past rent must be transferred to the United States Court of Federal Claims. However, Plaintiffs claims for eviction of Defendant and repossession of the premises are tort claims and therefore this Court [the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division] is not divested of subject matter jurisdiction over them.”2 The case file was forwarded to the Court of Federal Claims and filed in this court on July 21, 1998. The plaintiff subsequently filed a first amended complaint in this court on October 21, 1998.

Mr. Spodek also filed another suit in a Texas State court on April 22, 1998, this time in the Judicial District Court of Hidalgo County (J. Leonard Spodek and Rosalind Spodek v. United States Postal Service and Marcus Nielsen, Cause No. C-2132-98-D (Hidalgo County, Tex.)). That case was removed to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, McAllen Division, on June 11, 1998, and remains pending in that court (J. Leonard Spodek and Rosalind Spodek v. United States Postal Service and Marcus Nielsen, Civ. Action No. M-98-119 (S.D.Tex.)).3

The Southern District of Texas, McAllen Division complaint alleges that the USPS recouped charges levied against the McAllen facility by withholding rental payments due for a number of other facilities, including the Highland Hills Station, which is the subject of the complaint removed to the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division, and transferred in part to this court. The Highland Hills Post Office facility was one of 18 Spodek properties listed in the Southern District of Texas, McAllen Division complaint leased to the USPS which were allegedly used by the USPS to recoup these McAllen facility charges. In the Southern District of Texas complaint the Spodeks allege that the USPS charged them $361,769.85 in costs associated with the McAllen, Texas post office facility, including overpayment of rents already due to the USPS using only a portion of the McAllen facility, the USPS’ dissatisfaction with the McAllen facility, and charges for renovating and moving to another post office facility.

Similarly, the plaintiff alleges in the same Southern District of Texas, McAllen Division complaint that the USPS replaced the roof of the Pennsauken, Pennsylvania Post Office leased facility, and offset $171,386.53 in costs on 13 other leases, including, once again, the Highland Hills Station.

Defendant moves for a dismissal of the Court of Federal Claims complaint, Case No. 98-594C, under 28 U.S.C. § 1500 '(1994). The defendant contends that because the Southern District of Texas, McAllen Division suit is a “pending” suit for purposes of the [35]*35statute, the “[pjlaintiffs district court complaint sets forth identical operative facts as the facts alleged in the Court of Federal Claims complaint, and both complaints seek the same relief,” this court is divested of jurisdiction.

DISCUSSION

The defendant has filed a motion to dismiss pursuant to RCFC 12(b)(1) for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. When considering a motion to dismiss, the court may consider all relevant evidence in order to resolve any disputes as to the truth of the jurisdictional facts alleged in the complaint. Reynolds v. Army & Air Force Exch. Serv., 846 F.2d 746, 747 (Fed.Cir.1988). The court is required to decide any disputed facts which are relevant to the issue of jurisdiction. Id.

The standard for weighing the evidence presented by the parties when evaluating a motion to dismiss has been articulated by the United States Supreme Court, as follows: “in passing on a motion to dismiss, whether on the ground of lack of jurisdiction over the subject matter or for failure to state a cause of action, the allegations of the complaint should be construed favorably to the pleader.” Scheuer v. Rhodes, 416 U.S. 232, 236, 94 S.Ct. 1683, 40 L.Ed.2d 90 (1974); accord Hamlet v. United States, 873 F.2d 1414, 1416 (Fed.Cir.1989); see also Alaska v. United States, 32 Fed.Cl. 689, 695 (1995), appeal dismissed,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
44 Fed. Cl. 32, 1999 U.S. Claims LEXIS 117, 1999 WL 346103, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/spodek-v-united-states-uscfc-1999.