Striplin v. United States

100 Fed. Cl. 493, 2011 U.S. Claims LEXIS 1758, 2011 WL 3673138
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedAugust 18, 2011
DocketNo. 10-401C
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 100 Fed. Cl. 493 (Striplin 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
Striplin v. United States, 100 Fed. Cl. 493, 2011 U.S. Claims LEXIS 1758, 2011 WL 3673138 (uscfc 2011).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

BRADEN, Judge.

I. RELEVANT FACTS.1

In April 2007, Daniel R. Striplin (“Plaintiff’) accepted a position as a Quality Assurance Specialist with the Research Development and Engineering Command of the Department of the Army (“Army”) in Iraq. Am. Compl. Count I ¶ 3, Am. Compl. Ex. A; Gov’t Appx. at 54. Plaintiff performed “various management functions” in Iraq until May 9, 2008, when his deployment ended. Am. Compl. Count I ¶3-4, Count II ¶ 3-4.

II. PROCEDURAL HISTORY.

On June 29, 2010, Plaintiff filed a Complaint (“Compl.”) in the United States Court [495]*495of Federal Claims alleging that the Army improperly calculated his wages from April 2007 to May 2008, resulting in an underpayment of $86,781.80.2 Compl. ¶ 5. On September 29, 2010, the Government filed a Motion To Dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1) of the Rules of the United States Court of Federal Claims (“RCFC”).

On October 29, 2010, the Government filed an unopposed Motion To Stay for sixty days to investigate the issues raised in the June 29, 2010 Complaint. On November 1, 2010, the court granted the October 29, 2010 Motion To Stay. On December 30, 2010, the Government filed a second unopposed Motion To Stay for an additional thirty days. On January 3, 2011, the court granted the December 30, 2010 Motion. On February 3, 2011, the stay expired. On March 2, 2011, Plaintiff filed an unopposed Motion, requesting an enlargement of sixty days to file a Response to the Government’s September 29, 2010 Motion To Dismiss. On March 3, 2011, the court granted the March 2, 2011 Motion.

On April 30, 2011, Plaintiff filed a Motion requesting leave to file a First Amended Complaint alleging that the United States Court of Federal Claims has jurisdiction under both 28 U.S.C. § 1491 and 28 U.S.C. § 1494. On May 2, 2011, the court granted Plaintiff’s April 30,2011 Motion to file a First Amended Complaint. On May 17, 2011, the Government filed a Motion To Dismiss (“Gov’t Mot.”) the April 30, 2011 Amended Complaint, pursuant to RCFC 12(b)(1) and RCFC 12(b)(6), together with an appendix of exhibits (“Gov’t Appx. at 1-55”). On June 13, 2011, Plaintiff filed a Response (“PI. Resp.”). On June 30, 2011, the Government filed a Reply (“Gov’t Rep.”).

III. DISCUSSION.

A. Jurisdiction.

1. Under 28 U.S.C. § 1491.

The jurisdiction of the United States Court of Federal Claims is established by the Tucker Act, wherein Congress authorized the court “to render judgment upon any claim against the United States founded either upon the Constitution, or any Act of Congress or any regulation of an executive department, or upon any express or implied contract with the United States, or for liquidated or unliquidated damages in cases not sounding in tort.” 28 U.S.C. 1491(a)(1) (2006). The Tucker Act, however, is “only a jurisdictional statute; it does not create any substantive right enforceable against the United States for money damages____[T]he Act merely confers jurisdiction upon [the United States Court of Federal Claims] whenever the substantive right exists.” United States v. Testan, 424 U.S. 392, 398, 96 S.Ct. 948, 47 L.Ed.2d 114 (1976). Therefore, a plaintiff must identify and plead an independent contractual relationship, constitutional provision, federal statute, or executive agency regulation that provides a substantive right to money damages. See Fisher v. United States, 402 F.3d 1167, 1172 (Fed.Cir.2005) (en banc) (“The Tucker Act itself does not create a substantive cause of action; in 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.”). The burden of establishing jurisdiction falls on the plaintiff. See FW/PBS, Inc. v. Dallas, 493 U.S. 215, 231, 110 S.Ct. 596, 107 L.Ed.2d 603 (1990) (holding that the burden is on the plaintiff to allege facts sufficient to establish jurisdiction); see also RCFC 12(b)(1).

2. Under 28 U.S.C. § 1494.

Pursuant to 28 U.S.C § 1494,3 the United States Court of Federal Claims has jurisdic[496]*496tion to determine amounts due “to or from the United States by reason of any unsettled account of any officer or agent of, or contractor with, the United States.” 28 U.S.C. § 1494 (2006). This basis of jurisdiction originally was enacted as section three of the Tucker Act, ch. 359, 24 Stat. 505 (1887). See Standard Dredging Co. v. United States, 71 Ct.Cl. 218, 239 (1930) (explaining that section three of the Tucker Act was enacted “to provide for the speedy disposition of claims by the United States against its officers and agents, and against those having contracts with it, by giving to such persons the right to come into this court and compel the United States to answer and have its claim determined”). Prior to enactment of section three of the Tucker Act, claims of indebtedness to the United States could be adjudicated only in suits bi’ought by the United States in the United States District Courts, resulting in prejudice to individuals forced to wait indefinitely to have their accounts settled. Id. at 239-40.

Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1494, the United States Court of Federal Claims has jurisdiction to determine amounts due on “unsettled accounts of officers, agents, or contractors when (1) the plaintiff applied to the proper department of the Government for settlement of the account; (2) three years have elapsed from the date of such application without settlement^] and (3) no suit upon the same has been brought by the United States.” Watson v. United States, 86 Fed.Cl. 399, 402 (2009) (internal quotations omitted).

B. Standing.

The Supreme Court of the United States has held that “the question of standing is whether the litigant is entitled to have the court decide the merits of the dispute or of particular issues.” Warth v. Seldin, 422 U.S. 490, 498, 95 S.Ct. 2197, 45 L.Ed.2d 343 (1975). Standing must be determined “as of the commencement of suit.” Rothe Dev. Corp. v. Dep’t of Def., 413 F.3d 1327, 1334 (Fed.Cir.2005).

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100 Fed. Cl. 493, 2011 U.S. Claims LEXIS 1758, 2011 WL 3673138, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/striplin-v-united-states-uscfc-2011.