Zager v. United States

256 F. Supp. 396, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8204
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Wisconsin
DecidedJuly 25, 1966
DocketNo. 65-C-171
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 256 F. Supp. 396 (Zager v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Zager v. United States, 256 F. Supp. 396, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8204 (E.D. Wis. 1966).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

REYNOLDS, District Judge.

This action was originally brought by the plaintiffs against the United States of America, Stewart Udall, Secretary of the Interior, and the State of Wisconsin in the Circuit Court of Forest County, Wisconsin. It was removed to this court upon petition for removal by the United States under Title 28 U.S.C.A. § 1442(a) on behalf of the defendants United States of America and Stewart Udall, Secretary of the Interior.

The complaint alleges that plaintiffs are the joint owners in fee simple of the following described premises, situated in the County of Forest, State of Wisconsin, to wit:

“Government Lot Four (4), in Section Seven (7), Township Thirty-eight (38) North, of Range Twelve (12) East of the Fourt (sic) Principal Meridian, and also that portion of Lot 4 which is presently designated as portions of Lot Six (6) and Nine (9), which lies West of the eastern boundary line of Lot 4 as extended North from the meander line, as shown on the original survey approved December 20, 1859, to the actual shoreline of Lake Julia, excluding Lots Seven (7) and Eight (8), lying within the described area.”

Plaintiffs contend that the above-described land was part of a grant to the State of Wisconsin in 1859 from the United States of America pursuant to the Swamplands Act of February 28, 1850. Said land, known as Government Lot Four, was described as bordering oh Lake Julia and was transferred by patent in 1898 from the State of Wisconsin to plaintiffs’ predecessors in title. From 1898 to 1941, plaintiffs’ predecessors in title exercised dominion and control over Government Lot Four, including a certain strip of land comprising approximately 32 acres, lying between the meander line as said land was originally surveyed and the actual shoreline of Lake Julia.

In 1938, the Bureau of Land Management, a division of the Department of the Interior of the United States, acting under and pursuant to the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, conducted a resurvey of the above-described land, and upon completion of the resurvey in 1941, the Bureau of Land Management declared that any land lying between the meander line of Lake Julia and Government Lot Four, as shown on the original survey approved December 20, 1859, and the actual shoreline of Lake Julia was omitted public lands and proceeded to take possession and control of said lands which comprised approximately 32 acres.

Plaintiffs contend that such possession and control was contrary to the paramount rights of their predecessors in title and as continued presently is contrary to their paramount rights. Plaintiffs allege that the Secretary of the Interior acted beyond the scope of his delegated powers and authority under the laws of the United States in conducting a resurvey of the land in question and in occupying and controlling that part of such land located between the original meander line of Lake Julia and Government Lot Four and the actual shoreline of Lake Julia. Plaintiffs have demanded of defendants, United States of America and Stewart Udall, Secretary of the Interior, that plaintiffs be placed in possession of said land, which demand has been rejected.

Plaintiffs pray that this court quiet plaintiffs’ title to the above-described property and adjudge that none of the defendants have any right, title, or interest in or to said property, and pray that defendants, United States of America and Stewart Udall, Secretary of the Interior, and their agents and officials, [398]*398be ejected from said property and be restrained from interfering with plaintiffs’ quiet and peaceful enjoyment of said premises. If this court deems that plaintiffs’ title to the above-described premises cannot be quieted in them without further ministerial actions of the Secretary of the Interior and the State of Wisconsin, then plaintiffs further pray that this court command the performance of such ministerial actions.

This case is presently before the court upon the motion of the defendants, the United States of America and Stewart Udall, Secretary of the Interior, to dismiss the complaint of the plaintiffs due to the alleged sovereign immunity of the United States and the Secretary of the Interior and the alleged lack of statutory authorization for the suit in question.

I.

IMMUNITY OP THE UNITED STATES

It is an ancient doctrine that a sovereign cannot be sued without its consent. The United States is a sovereign. Under traditional law, therefore, it cannot be sued without its consent.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
256 F. Supp. 396, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8204, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/zager-v-united-states-wied-1966.