Webster v. United States

90 Fed. Cl. 107, 2009 U.S. Claims LEXIS 394, 2009 WL 4457266
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedNovember 30, 2009
DocketNo. 09-81 L
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 90 Fed. Cl. 107 (Webster 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
Webster v. United States, 90 Fed. Cl. 107, 2009 U.S. Claims LEXIS 394, 2009 WL 4457266 (uscfc 2009).

Opinion

OPINION

HEWITT, Chief Judge.

Before the court are plaintiffs’ Complaint (Compl.), together with various attachments to plaintiffs’ Complaint (plaintiffs’ Appendix [110]*110or Pis.’ App.);1 Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs’ Complaint for Lack of Jurisdiction over the Subject Matter and Memorandum in Support Thereof (defendant’s Motion or Def.’s Mot.); and Plaintiffs’ Response to Defendant’s Opposition to ADR / Motion to Dismiss (plaintiffs’ Response or Pis.’ Resp.).

I. Background

Plaintiffs, William C. Webster and John C. Webster, allege that the United States government owes them just compensation for the taking of their property for public use. Compl. 1. Plaintiffs own 126.76 acres of semi-forested mountainside located within the boundaries of North Cascades National Park in Washington state.2 Id. The property, known as Thunder Creek Mines (TCM), consists of six partially developed mining claims plus a five-acre mill site. Id. Thunder Creek Silver-Lead Mines was incorporated as a public mining operation in the late 1800s and was issued a patent in March 1921. Id. The TCM site was developed with twelve hundred linear feet of tunnel with rails, wiring and ventilation, four buildings, and a tramway. Id.

On October 2, 1968, North Cascades National Park was created.3 Id. The property at issue was then owned by Thunder Creek Silver-Lead Mines, “a voluntarily dissolved corporation with 750 shareholders in 44 states.” Id. Plaintiffs inherited their family’s interest, along with all of the corporate records, in January 1980. Id. Plaintiffs state that a proceeding to quiet title was held in July of 1983 in which the Websters purchased the remaining interests in TCM for $67,000 and became fee owners of the property. Compl. 1, 2 ¶ 7; see also Pis.’ App. 8.2 (letter from National Park Service (NPS) Deputy Field Director William C. Walters stating that NPS files indicate that the Websters perfected their title to the TCM property at a public auction held on June 17,1983 with a final successful bid of $67,000).

Plaintiffs have been involved in negotiations with the NPS regarding the sale of the TCM property for some thirty years. It appears that the Websters desire to sell the TCM property and the NPS wishes to purchase it, but that the parties have not been able to agree on its value. See Pis.’ App. 15.3 (letter from NPS Regional Director Jonathan B. Jarvis describing the frustrated negotiation process and both parties’ desire to achieve the sale of the TCM property and the protection of North Cascades National Park resources). Plaintiffs’ complaint against the government arises, in large part, with respect to the valuation of the mining and recreational potential of the property. The NPS has conducted three separate appraisals-in 1978, 1989 and 2002-each resulting in a land-only valuation and offer to purchase. See Compl. 2 ¶ 4, 3 ¶¶ 13-14, 4 ¶20. The Websters, in turn, have commissioned mining and recreational income valuations which, they claim, support a higher sale price. See Compl. 3 ¶¶ 10-12, 4 ¶¶ 20-21.

Plaintiffs’ Complaint and plaintiffs’ Appendix contain a timeline of appraisals, valuations, offers, and counteroffers. Plaintiffs rely on testimony before a committee of Congress, given by one of their own predecessors in interest as an owner of the TCM property in the spring of 1968 prior to the creation of North Cascades National Park. Compl. 2 ¶ 1; [111]*111Pis.’ App. 1. Plaintiffs claim that the testimony established an approximate value of $500,000 for the TCM property. Compl. 2 ¶ 1. The testimony was given by a Mr. William Webster, “a former secretary of a mining company [that had] done a lot of work [in the proposed park area].” Pis.’ App. 1; see Decl. of [Plaintiff] William C. Webster ¶ 2 (July 22, 2009) (attached to Pis.’ Resp.) (stating that “[p]rior to plaintiffs’ inheritance, Uncle William H. Webster as Liquidating Trustee of Thunder Creek Silver-Lead Mines dealt with Congress and NPS”).

The elder Mr. Webster testified in 1968 that the estimated value of the ore located on the TCM property would be $1,467,000, with two-thirds of that amount being spent in getting the ore to market. Pis.’ App. 1. The first NPS appraisal, dated January 19, 1978 and completed by Mr. Leslie W. Eastman, resulted in a land-only valuation of $38,800. Compl. 2 ¶ 4; Pis.’ App. 8.1. Plaintiffs assert that this appraisal was not compliant with regulations because, in determining the mineral value to be “nil,” the appraisal ignored the fact that the property was “patented [mining] property with development described in the public record.” Compl. 2 ¶ 4; see also Pis.’ App. 8.1 (letter from NPS Deputy Field Director Walters stating that NPS mining engineer and mineral appraiser Charles T. Weiler’s mineral valuation of the TCM property was “nil”). The NPS mailed plaintiffs a copy of the 1978 Eastman appraisal after plaintiffs inherited their family interest in January 1980. Compl. 2 ¶¶ 3-4.

In June of 1983, a TCM geologist, Professor George Weaton of the University of Minnesota, and NPS geologist Luther Clem-mer inspected the property over the course of two days. Compl. 2 ¶¶ 5-6. Weaton reported a “first-look” mining potential value of $2,471,000, and Clemmer reported that $6,500 worth of further inspection was required. Compl. 2 ¶ 6. In May of 1984, after a drop in ore prices, Weaton proposed a second mining valuation: a net value of $1,450,958. Id. In 1983 or 1984, the Websters offered to sell the property for $500,000 in a conference call with the NPS, basing their offer on the earlier congressional testimony. Compl. 2 ¶ 7. On November 6, 1985, the Websters wrote to the NPS offering to sell for $635,000, adding “relocation costs” to their 1983/1984 offer. Compl. 3 ¶ 9; Pis.’ App. 4.

In 1985, the Websters hired Professor Bob Grant of Washington, also a geologist, to conduct a second mining-potential appraisal along with NPS geologist Clemmer. Compl. 3 ¶ 10. Clemmer reported that there was no change from his 1983 report and created a supplemental report which plaintiffs state was not disclosed to them until 2003. Compl. 2 ¶ 6, 3 ¶ 10. Grant suggested the Websters look into the possibility of using the land for recreational income. Compl. 3 ¶ 11.

The Websters contacted various heli-hiking and heli-skiing organizations that might be interested in using the land for a recreational business, but the NPS objected to noise pollution and said that flights would not be allowed on weekends or holidays. Id. The Websters prepared a recreational income valuation for appraisal purposes, which was less costly than furnishing proof of mineral value. Compl. 3 ¶¶ 11-12. The Websters obtained “a pro forma annual operating statement for a low-density mountaineering/gemstone collecting, heli-hiking business with a net annual income of $155,000” from American Alpine Institute. Compl. 3 ¶ 12. “A cap rate value of ten times net income was stated as $1,500,000 for a purchase price consideration.” Id.

On December 15, 1989, the NPS obtained from Macauley & Associates a second appraisal report on the TCM property and sent an offer to purchase for $56,500 to the Websters. Compl. 3 ¶¶ 13-14. Plaintiffs assert that this appraisal was not compliant with regulations because it was not given to them or to Congressman Bruce Vento, whom plaintiffs had written regarding funding for the purchase of the TCM property.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
90 Fed. Cl. 107, 2009 U.S. Claims LEXIS 394, 2009 WL 4457266, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/webster-v-united-states-uscfc-2009.