United States v. Certain Land Situated in the City of Detroit

873 F. Supp. 1050, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19051
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedDecember 30, 1994
Docket79-73934
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 873 F. Supp. 1050 (United States v. Certain Land Situated in the City of Detroit) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Certain Land Situated in the City of Detroit, 873 F. Supp. 1050, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19051 (E.D. Mich. 1994).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER REGARDING INTERVENORS’ MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION

ROSEN, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

On October 12, 1993, the Sixth Circuit reversed this Court’s decision denying Commodities Export Company and Walter H. Lubienski’s motion to intervene in this condemnation action, holding that Commodities and Lubienski were entitled to intervention as a matter of right. In so doing, the appellate court made no determination and no findings with respect to Commodities and Lubienski’s proposed motion for preliminary injunction, 1 and instead ordered that the case be remanded to this Court for a determination of the intervenors’ entitlement to the requested preliminary injunctive relief.

With respect to the motion for preliminary injunction the Court of Appeals stated only the following:

The district court denied Commodities and Lubienski’s motion for preliminary injunction. We review the district court’s decision [regarding a motion for preliminary injunction] for an abuse of discretion. See International Resources, Inc. v. New York Life Ins. Co., 950 F.2d 294, 302 (6th Cir.1991), cert. denied, [— U.S.-] 112 S.Ct. 2941 [119 L.Ed.2d 565] (1992).
In determining whether the district court abused its discretion in denying Commodities and Lubienski’s motion for preliminary injunction, we must consider four factors:
1) Whether the plaintiffs have shown a strong or substantial likelihood or probability of success on the merits;
2) Whether the plaintiffs have shown irreparable injury;
3) Whether the issuance of a preliminary injunction would cause substantial harm to others;
4) Whether the public interest would be served by issuing a preliminary injunction.

Mason County Medical Ass’n v. Knebel, 563 F.2d 256, 261 (6th Cir.1977).

Because we hold that Commodities and Lubienski are entitled to intervention as a matter of right, the question of whether they are also entitled to a preliminary injunction must be reconsidered. Therefore, we reverse the district court’s decision denying the motion for a preliminary injunction and remand for the court to reconsider this motion in light of our decision granting intervention.

United States v. Detroit International Bridge Co., et al., 7 F.3d 497, 503 (6th Cir.1993).

Accordingly, pursuant to the Sixth Circuit’s directive, this matter is now once again before the Court on the Intervenors’ Motion for a Preliminary Injunction. 2

In this Motion, Commodities and Lubienski seek to enjoin the implementation of the March 28, 1991 GSA-DIBC Memorandum of Agreement (“MOA”). Specifically, the Intervenors “seek an injunction enjoining the [anticipated] condemnation of lands belonging to the them ... and any interference or tampering with ingress or egress to or from said lands,” as contemplated in the MOA. [See p. 1 of Intervenors’ initial Brief in Support of their Motion for Preliminary Injunction.]

The Court conducted a hearing on the Motion on June 22, 1994. Following the *1052 hearing, the Court took the matter under advisement and directed the parties to file supplemental briefs on issues raised during oral argument but not fully briefed. All parties subsequently filed several “supplemental” briefs and responses and replies thereto.

Having reviewed and considered all of the briefs and supporting documents submitted in this matter, and having further considered the oral arguments of counsel, the Court is now prepared to rule on the Intervenors’ Motion. This Opinion and Order sets forth that ruling.

II. PERTINENT FACTS

A. THE PARTIES

The Detroit International Bridge Company (“DIBC”) owns and operates the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Detroit, Michigan with Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Commodities Export Company (“Commodities”) operates a “duty-free” shop which is located on a parcel of land on the Detroit side of Ambassador Bridge. Walter Lubienski is the owner of Commodities.

In 1991, DIBC and the United States Government, acting through the General Services Administration (the “GSA”), entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (“MOA”) pertaining to the Government’s condemnation of property for the expansion of the Ambassador Bridge U.S. Customs inspection facility. Part of the expansion of the customs facility contemplated under the MOA includes an expansion of a track ramp from the Bridge.

A small portion of the land contemplated to be condemned pursuant to the MOA is owned by Commodities and Lubienski. However, no actual condemnation proceedings have yet been commenced with respect to the Commodities property.

In their Motion for Preliminary Injunction, Commodities and Lubienski seek to preclude the anticipated condemnation of their property. It is Commodities’ and Lubienski’s belief that the only reason condemnation of their property is being sought is to put Commodities out-of-business. 3 Apparently, Intervenors believe that the contemplated condemnation of Commodities property will be a condemnation of the whole parcel of land on which the duty-free store is located.

The Government, however, has advised the Court that GSA’s intentions are not to condemn all of Commodities’ property. [Plaintiffs July 18,1994 Supplemental Brief, p. 2.] 4 Rather, GSA intends to condemn only a small corner of the duty-free shop’s parking lot, in fee, for the expanded track ramp, and take an additional easement for ingress and egress over the parking lot to a Government parking lot adjoining the Commodities land. Id. The easement would be open at all times to Commodities for its own use. [See diagram attached to this Opinion and Order as Exhibit A.]

III. DISCUSSION

As indicated above, the Sixth Circuit has remanded this matter to this Court for reconsideration of Commodities’ and Lubienski’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction, and has directed that in deciding that matter, the Court is to consider four factors:

*1053 1) Whether the plaintiffs have shown a strong or substantial likelihood or probability of success on the merits;
2) Whether the plaintiffs have shown irreparable injury;

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Bluebook (online)
873 F. Supp. 1050, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19051, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-certain-land-situated-in-the-city-of-detroit-mied-1994.