Curie v. United States
Date Filed2022-12-19
Docket22-650
Cited0 times
StatusPublished
Syllabus
REPORTED OPINION Granting MOTION to Dismiss pursuant to Rules 12 (b)(1) and (6) filed by USA. The Clerk is directed to enter judgment. Signed by Senior Judge Marian Blank Horn. (dls) Service on parties made.
Full Opinion (html_with_citations)
In the United States Court of Federal Claims
No. 22-650T
Filed: December 19, 2022
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CHRIS DAVID CURIE, *
Plaintiff, *
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v. *
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UNITED STATES, *
Defendant. *
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Chris David Curie, pro se, St. Petersburg, FL.
Richard J. Markel, Trial Attorney, Tax Division, Court of Federal Claims Section,
United States Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., for defendant. With him were G.
Robson Stewart, Assistant Chief, Court of Federal Claims Section, David I. Pincus,
Chief, Court of Federal Claims Section, and David A. Hubbert, Deputy Assistant Attorney
General, Tax Division, United States Department of Justice.
OPINION
HORN, J.
Pro se plaintiff, Chris David Curie, filed a complaint in the United States Court of
Federal Claims. In response to plaintiffâs complaint, defendant moved to dismiss plaintiffâs
complaint pursuant to Rules 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6) (2021) of the Rules of the United States
Court of Federal Claims (RCFC) for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and failure to state
a claim upon which relief can be granted. Plaintiffâs complaint, which is difficult to
understand, appears to be alleging entitlement to certain monies, only some of which are
allegedly due from the federal government. Plaintiff states this court has jurisdiction to
hear his case because â[t]his matter involves U.S. Federal Person âCHRIS DAVID CURIEâ
and various agencies, departments, substitute trustees of the UNITED STATES. This is
an internal administrative matter of a US Estate/Inter vivos Trust.â1 Plaintiff alleges three
1 Capitalization, grammar, punctuation, abbreviations, spelling, emphasis, and choice of
words when quoted in this Opinion are as they originally appear in the partiesâ
submissions to the court. Some of the documents received by the court, however, are
illegible and are noted with the bracketed word â[illegible].â
counts: (1) violations of 26 U.S.C. § 61(a)(4)2 and26 U.S.C. § 60653
sufficient to reverse Curie v. Commâr, No. 6557-19 (T.C. Jul. 25, 2019);4 (2) âBreach of Trust,â based on a 2 The statute at26 U.S.C. § 61
(a) (2018) defines âgross incomeâ under the Internal Revenue Code, and is not a jurisdictional granting statute. The statute at26 U.S.C. § 61
(a) provides:
(a) General definition.--Except as otherwise provided in this subtitle, gross
income means all income from whatever source derived, including (but not
limited to) the following items:
(1) Compensation for services, including fees, commissions, fringe
benefits, and similar items;
(2) Gross income derived from business;
(3) Gains derived from dealings in property;
(4) Interest;
(5) Rents;
(6) Royalties;
(7) Dividends;
(8) Annuities;
(9) Income from life insurance and endowment contracts;
(10) Pensions;
(11) Income from discharge of indebtedness;
(12) Distributive share of partnership gross income;
(13) Income in respect of a decedent; and
(14) Income from an interest in an estate or trust.
26 U.S.C. § 61(a) (emphasis in original). 3 The statute at26 U.S.C. § 6065
(2018) states â[e]xcept as otherwise provided by the
Secretary, any return, declaration, statement, or other document required to be made
under any provision of the internal revenue laws or regulations shall contain or be verified
by a written declaration that it is made under the penalties of perjury,â (alteration added),
is not a jurisdictional granting statute.
4 Curie v. Commissioner, No. 6557-19, was filed by Mr. Curie at the United States Tax
Court, and was dismissed on July 25, 2019 for lack of jurisdiction. The Tax Court order
states in its entirety:
ORDER OF DISMISSAL FOR LACK OF JURISDICTION
This case is before the Court on respondentâs motion to dismiss for lack of
jurisdiction, filed June 6, 2019. The motion seeks to dismiss this case on
the grounds that: (1) the petition was not timely filed for tax year 2013; (2)
no notice of deficiency was issued to petitioner for tax years 2000 through
2012 and 2014 through 2019; (3) no notice of determination concerning
collection action was issued to petitioner for tax years 2000 through 2019;
2
Dekalb County, Indiana Courtâs accounting and alleged mishandling plaintiffâs motherâs
mortgage foreclosure; and (3) âBreach of Trustâ because plaintiff âprovided appointment
letters to the alleged custodian of unclaimed property requesting an accounting of the
estate/inter vivos trustâ but received no response.5 As relief, plaintiff seeks:
A. Issue an order to cease and desist collection on âlienâ, return funds taken
in error, remove the Notices from the County, assign a private Treasury
Agent to assist in settling accounts.
B. Order an accounting of Case 17D01-1802-MF-000015 in Dekalb
County, Indiana and issue an order for recoupment of non-abandoned
securities to the heir.
C. Certify the Trust indentures for the record and provide an accounting of
securities held in trust.
D. Petitioner now demands maximum allowable damages and reasonable
fees pursuant at Section 813 15 U.S.C. §§ 1692, and for such other
treble or punitive relief as the court deems just and proper.
and (4) respondent has not made any other determination with respect to
tax years 2000 through 2019 that would confer jurisdiction on the Court.
Taking into account representations contained in the petition and
petitionerâs Notice to Dismiss for Lack of Jurisdiction and for the reasons
set forth in respondentâs motion, it is,
ORDERED that respondentâs motion is granted. It is further ORDERED that
with respect to each year placed in issue in the petition, this case is
dismissed for lack of jurisdiction upon the ground stated in respondentâs
motion.
(Signed) Maurice B. Foley
Chief Judge
ENTERED: JUL 25 2019
(capitalization and emphasis in original).
5 In addition to the above captioned case and Curie v. Commissioner, No. 6557-19, Mr.
Curie has filed multiple cases in Federal District Court, Bankruptcy Court, and State
Court, including Curie v. Obama, et al., No. 15-171 (N.D. Ind. 2015); Curie v. Obama, et
al., No. 15-16 (N.D. Ind. 2015); Curie v. Commissioner, No. 3820-19 (T.C. filed Feb. 21,
2019); In re: the Estate of Chris David Curie, No. 13-BK-47868 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. filed Dec.
15, 2013); In re: the Estate of Chris David Curie, et al., No. 12-BK-29434 (Bankr. N.D. Ill.
filed Jul. 25, 2012); Curie v. Heard, No. 17D02-1712-SC-001641 (DeKalb Super. Ct. Feb.
21, 2018); In re: the Estate of Chris David Curie, No. 17D02-1508-EU-000076 (DeKalb.
Super. Ct. Jan. 15, 2016).
3
Along with his complaint, plaintiff attached numerous confusing attachments,
proposed notices, orders, including a notice for a default judgment. The first attachment
is a June 6, 2022 letter from plaintiff to the United States Court of Federal Claims titled:
âNotice-to-agent-is-notice-to-principal-and-notice-to-principal-is-notice-to-agent. This first
attachment appears to include three proposed orders. The first of the three proposed
orders is titled âORDER FOR DEFAULT JUDGEMENT,â while the second and third
proposed orders are both titled âORDER.â The fifth document is titled âAcknowledgement
of Trust Indentures,â also with the heading âNotice-to-agent-is-notice-to-principal-and-
notice-to-principal-is-notice-to-agent.â The sixth attached document is titled âBILL OF
LADING.â The document again contains the language âNotice-to-agent-is-notice-to-
principal-and-notice-to-principal-is-notice-to-agentâ and includes a table of contents titled
âCargo Manifest.â The seventh attached document, dated March 15, 2016, is titled
âNOTICE OF TRUSTâ and was referenced in plaintiffâs âBILL OF LADINGâ as Attachment
A: âNotices to IRS showing good faith effort to obtain certificate of assessment.â This
document contains a list of nineteen ânoticesâ from the plaintiff to various individuals and
entities regarding âIllinois Cook County Notice of Lien SN933257413 Now RE
1032700113US [illegible] Illinois DuPage Notice of Lien SN 933257413 Now
RE103270013US [illegible] and Illinois Lake County Notice of Lien SN 93325781 Now
RE103270013US[illegible].â The eighth attached document is the July 25, 2019 âORDER
OF DISMISSAL FOR LACK OF JURISDICTIONâ by The United States Tax Court in case
6557-19, (quoted above) involving petitioner Chris David Curie and respondent, the
Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. This document also was referred to in
plaintiffâs âBILL OF LADINGâ document as Attachment B: âUS TAX COURT ORDER.â The
ninth attached document, labeled âAttachment C,â is the document referred to in plaintiffâs
âBILL OF LADINGâ as âCommon Law Consent to Judgment.â Dated June 17, 2021, the
document seems to have been authored by the plaintiff and lists âOffice of the Indiana
Attorney General,â âDepartment of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service,â âThe
Commissioner of the Indiana State Department of Natural Resources,â âIllinois
Department of Natural Resources,â âCommissioner,â âIRS Commissioner,â âAFLAC
WORLDWIDE,â âFarmers and Merchant Bancorp, Inc.,â âDavid M. Findlay President and
Chief Executive Officer Lakeland Financial Corporation,â and âTALCOTT RESOLUTION
LIFE.â The tenth attached document is a December 9, 2021 notice from the Social
Security Administration to plaintiff of payment withholding. The notice states, âWe are
writing to you about your Social Security benefits. . . . We changed the amount we
withhold from your monthly payment to pay your debt to the IRS.â (alteration added). The
eleventh attached document is a December 26, 2018 notice from the U.S. Department of
the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service to plaintiff. The document states in relevant
parts: âThe U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service (Fiscal
Service), applied all or part of your payment to delinquent debt that you owe. . . . If you
believe that your payment was applied in error, you would like to resolve your debt, or
you have questions about your debt or outstanding balance, contact the agency.â
(alteration added). The twelfth attached document is labeled âAttachment Fâ and was
referred to by plaintiffâs âBill of Ladingâ as âTrue Bill for damages.â The document contains
the heading âGood faith estimate and True bill to: UNITED STATESâ and the subheading
âatachments refer to items Bill of Lading number 911499944314212247335.â The
thirteenth attached document is a December 3, 2021 order by DeKalb County Superior
4
Court of Indiana Judge Adam C. Squiller in the case of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v. Dorothy
A. Curie, 17D01-1805-MF-015 (DeKalb Super. Ct. Sept. 14, 2018). The document is
labeled âAttachment Gâ and was previously referred to by plaintiffâs âBill of Ladingâ as
âDekalb County denial of accounting.â The fourteenth attached document is a December
22, 2021 letter from plaintiff to one âHolly Albright,â who, apparently, was involved in the
trust plaintiff alleges was mishandled in Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v. Dorothy A. Curie,
17D01-1805-MF-015 (DeKalb Super. Ct. Sept. 14, 2018).6 Plaintiff accuses the letterâs
recipient of âextortion . . . under the color of official rightâ and an âappalling betrayal of the
public trust.â The fifteenth attached document is a mostly illegible and unidentifiable
webpage. The document was previously referred to by plaintiff as âSummary of Court
Judgement.â The words âWells Fargo Bank v. Dorothy A. Curie,â âInactive,â and
âSummary judgement enteredâ are decipherable. The document contains the handwritten
equation â76,000.00â67,694.17=8305.83 DUE.â The sixteenth attached document is a
May 29, 2018 letter from Wells Fargo Bank, NA to Dorothy A Curie with the subject line
âYour insurance refund check Mortgage account number: 0362331191 Client 936
Property address: 605 E Third Street[,] Auburn IN 46706.â The seventeenth attached
document is a partially illegible âSheriffâs Deedâ from DeKalb County, Indiana, dated
November 29, 2016. The eighteenth attached document is titled âGood faith accounting
absent one from the County.â It lists various accounting items and expenses totaling,
including a multiplier for treble damages, more than seven and a half million dollars. The
nineteenth attached document is a letter from plaintiff to the âOffice of the Indiana Attorney
General.â The letter contains the header âNotice-to-agent-is-notlce-to-principal-and-
notice-to-principal-is-notice-to-agentâ and lists various statutes and Ecclesiastical law to
support plaintiffâs claims regarding him as the holder of a trust.
In response to plaintiffâs complaint, on August 15, 2022, defendant filed a motion
to dismiss plaintiffâs complaint pursuant to RCFC 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6) for lack of subject
matter jurisdiction and failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. According
to defendantâs motion to dismiss, â[w]hen jurisdiction is lacking, âthe only function
remaining to the court is that of announcing the fact and dismissing the cause.ââ (quoting
Harris v. United States, 113 Fed. Cl. 290, 292 (2013)). The motion to dismiss has been
fully briefed. During the course of the briefing on defendantâs motion to dismiss and
subsequently, plaintiff has tried to file numerous additional documents with the court,
none of which were in conformance with the Rules of this court. Moreover, plaintiff
continued to submit documents of the United States Court of Federal Claims, even after
the court issued an Order instructing plaintiff not to file such additional documents until
after the motion to dismiss was decided.
DISCUSSION
The court recognizes that plaintiff in the above captioned case is proceeding pro
se. When determining whether a complaint filed by a pro se plaintiff is sufficient to invoke
review by a court, a pro se plaintiff is entitled to a more liberal construction of the pro se
plaintiffâs pleadings. See Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520â21 (requiring that
allegations contained in a pro se complaint be held to âless stringent standards than
6 Plaintiff, however, references âCase 17-D01-1802-MF-000015.â
5
formal pleadings drafted by lawyersâ), rehâg denied, 405 U.S. 948(1972); see also Erickson v. Pardus,551 U.S. 89, 94
(2007); Hughes v. Rowe,449 U.S. 5
, 9â10 (1980); Estelle v. Gamble,429 U.S. 97, 106
(1976), rehâg denied,429 U.S. 1066
(1977); Matthews v. United States,750 F.3d 1320, 1322
(Fed. Cir. 2014); Jackson v. United States,143 Fed. Cl. 242
, 245 (2019), Diamond v. United States,115 Fed. Cl. 516, 524
(2014), affâd,603 F. Appâx 947
(Fed. Cir.), cert. denied,135 S. Ct. 1909
(2015). However, âthere is no âduty [on the part] of the trial court . . . to create a claim which [plaintiff] has not spelled out in his [or her] pleading . . . .ââ Lengen v. United States,100 Fed. Cl. 317, 328
(2011) (first three alterations in original; remaining alterations added) (quoting Scogin v. United States,33 Fed. Cl. 285, 293
(1995) (quoting Clark v. Natâl Travelers Life Ins. Co.,518 F.2d 1167, 1169
(6th Cir. 1975))); see also Bussie v. United States,96 Fed. Cl. 89, 94
, affâd,443 F. Appâx 542
(Fed. Cir. 2011); Minehan v. United States,75 Fed. Cl. 249, 253
(2007). âWhile a pro se plaintiff is held to a less stringent standard than that of a plaintiff represented by an attorney, the pro se plaintiff, nevertheless, bears the burden of establishing the Courtâs jurisdiction by a preponderance of the evidence.â Riles v. United States,93 Fed. Cl. 163, 165
(2010) (citing Hughes v. Rowe,449 U.S. at 9
; and Taylor v. United States,303 F.3d 1357, 1359
(Fed. Cir.), rehâg and rehâg en banc denied (Fed. Cir. 2002)); see also Kelley v. Secretary, U.S. Depât of Labor,812 F.2d 1378, 1380
(Fed. Cir. 1987) (â[A] court may not similarly take a liberal view of . . . jurisdictional requirement[s] and set a different rule for pro se litigants only.â (alterations added)); Hartman v. United States,150 Fed. Cl. 794
, 796 (2020); Schallmo v. United States,147 Fed. Cl. 361
, 363 (2020); Hale v. United States,143 Fed. Cl. 180
, 184 (2019) (â[E]ven pro se plaintiffs must persuade the court that jurisdictional requirements have been met.â (citing Bernard v. United States,59 Fed. Cl. 497, 499
, affâd,98 F. Appâx 860
(Fed. Cir. 2004))); Golden v. United States,129 Fed. Cl. 630, 637
(2016); Shelkofsky v. United States,119 Fed. Cl. 133, 139
(2014) (â[W]hile the court may excuse ambiguities in a pro se plaintiffâs complaint, the court âdoes not excuse [a complaintâs] failures.ââ (alteration in original) (quoting Henke v. United States,60 F.3d 795, 799
(Fed. Cir. 1995))); Harris v. United States,113 Fed. Cl. 290, 292
(2013) (âAlthough plaintiffâs pleadings are held to a less stringent standard, such leniency âwith respect to mere formalities does not relieve the burden to meet jurisdictional requirements.ââ (quoting Minehan v. United States,75 Fed. Cl. at 253
)).
âSubject-matter jurisdiction may be challenged at any time by the parties or by the
court sua sponte.â Folden v. United States, 379 F.3d 1344, 1354(Fed. Cir. 2004) (quoting Fanning, Phillips & Molnar v. West,160 F.3d 717, 720
(Fed. Cir. 1998)), rehâg and rehâg en banc denied (Fed. Cir. 2004), cert. denied,545 U.S. 1127
(2005); see also St. Bernard Parish Govât v. United States,916 F.3d 987
, 992â93 (Fed. Cir. 2019) (â[T]he court must address jurisdictional issues, even sua sponte, whenever those issues come to the courtâs attention, whether raised by a party or not, and even if the parties affirmatively urge the court to exercise jurisdiction over the case.â (citing Foster v. Chatman,136 S. Ct. 1737, 1745
(2016)); Intâl Elec. Tech. Corp. v. Hughes Aircraft Co.,476 F.3d 1329, 1330
(Fed. Cir. 2007); Haddad v. United States,152 Fed. Cl. 1
, 16 (2021); Fanelli v. United States,146 Fed. Cl. 462
, 466 (2020). The Tucker Act,28 U.S.C. § 1491
, grants jurisdiction to this
court as follows:
6
The United States Court of Federal Claims shall have jurisdiction 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). As interpreted by the United States Supreme Court, the Tucker Act waives sovereign immunity to allow jurisdiction over claims against the United States (1) founded on an express or implied contract with the United States, (2) seeking a refund from a prior payment made to the government, or (3) based on federal constitutional, statutory, or regulatory law mandating compensation by the federal government for damages sustained. See United States v. Navajo Nation,556 U.S. 287
, 289â90 (2009); see also Me. Cmty. Health Options v. United States,140 S. Ct. 1308
, 1327â28 (2020); United States v. Mitchell,463 U.S. 206, 216
(1983); Sanford Health Plan v. United States,969 F.3d 1370
, 1378 (Fed. Cir. 2020); Alvarado Hosp., LLC v. Price,868 F.3d 983, 991
(Fed. Cir. 2017); Greenlee Cnty., Ariz. v. United States,487 F.3d 871, 875
(Fed. Cir.), rehâg and rehâg en banc denied (Fed. Cir. 2007), cert. denied,552 U.S. 1142
(2008); Palmer v. United States,168 F.3d 1310, 1314
(Fed. Cir. 1999); Gulley v. United States,150 Fed. Cl. 405
, 411 (2020); Kuntz v. United States,141 Fed. Cl. 713
, 717 (2019). âNot every claim invoking the Constitution, a federal statute, or a regulation is cognizable under the Tucker Act. The claim must be one for money damages against the United States. . . .â United States v. Mitchell,463 U.S. at 216
; see also United States v. White Mountain Apache Tribe,537 U.S. 465, 472
(2003); N.Y. & Presbyterian Hosp. v. United States,881 F.3d 877, 881
(Fed. Cir. 2018); Smith v. United States,709 F.3d 1114, 1116
(Fed. Cir.), cert. denied,571 U.S. 945
(2013); RadioShack Corp. v. United States,566 F.3d 1358, 1360
(Fed. Cir. 2009); Rickâs Mushroom Serv., Inc. v. United States,521 F.3d 1338, 1343
(Fed. Cir. 2008) (â[P]laintiff must . . . identify a substantive source of law that creates the right to recovery of money damages against the United States.â); Olson v. United States,152 Fed. Cl. 33
, 40â41 (2021); Jackson v. United States,143 Fed. Cl. 242
, 245 (2019), appeal dismissed, No. 2019-2213,2020 WL 8254415
(Fed. Cir. Jan. 29, 2020). In Ontario
Power Generation, Inc. v. United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the
Federal Circuit identified three types of monetary claims for which jurisdiction is lodged in
the United States Court of Federal Claims. The Ontario Power Generation, Inc. court
wrote:
The underlying monetary claims are of three types. . . . First, claims alleging
the existence of a contract between the plaintiff and the government fall
within the Tucker Actâs waiver . . . . Second, the Tucker Actâs waiver
encompasses claims where âthe plaintiff has paid money over to the
Government, directly or in effect, and seeks return of all or part of that sum.â
Eastport S.S. [Corp. v. United States, 178 Ct. Cl. 599, 605â06,] 372 F.2d
[1002,] 1007â08 [(1967)] (describing illegal exaction claims as claims âin
which âthe Government has the citizenâs money in its pocketââ (quoting
Clapp v. United States, 127 Ct. Cl. 505,117 F. Supp. 576, 580
(1954)) . . . .
Third, the Court of Federal Claims has jurisdiction over those claims where
âmoney has not been paid but the plaintiff asserts that he is nevertheless
entitled to a payment from the treasury.â Eastport S.S., 372 F.2d at 1007.
7
Claims in this third category, where no payment has been made to the
government, either directly or in effect, require that the âparticular provision
of law relied upon grants the claimant, expressly or by implication, a right to
be paid a certain sum.â Id.; see also [United States v. ]Testan, 424 U.S.
[392,] 401â02 [(1976)] (âWhere the United States is the defendant and the
plaintiff is not suing for money improperly exacted or retained, the basis of
the federal claim-whether it be the Constitution, a statute, or a regulation-
does not create a cause of action for money damages unless, as the Court
of Claims has stated, that basis âin itself . . . can fairly be interpreted as
mandating compensation by the Federal Government for the damage
sustained.ââ (quoting Eastport S.S., 372 F.2d at 1009)). This category is
commonly referred to as claims brought under a âmoney-mandatingâ
statute.
Ont. Power Generation, Inc. v. United States, 369 F.3d 1298, 1301(Fed. Cir. 2004) (omissions in original; alterations added); see also Samish Indian Nation v. United States,419 F.3d 1355, 1364
(Fed. Cir. 2005); Twp. of Saddle Brook v. United States,104 Fed. Cl. 101, 106
(2012).
To prove that a statute or regulation is money-mandating, a plaintiff must
demonstrate that an independent source of substantive law relied upon ââcan fairly be
interpreted as mandating compensation by the Federal Government.ââ United States v.
Navajo Nation, 556 U.S. at 290(quoting United States v. Testan, 424 U.S. at 400); see also United States v. White Mountain Apache Tribe,537 U.S. at 472
; United States v. Mitchell,463 U.S. at 217
; Blueport Co., LLC v. United States,533 F.3d 1374, 1383
(Fed. Cir. 2008), cert. denied,555 U.S. 1153
(2009); Szuggar v. United States,145 Fed. Cl. 331
, 335 (2019). The source of law granting monetary relief must be distinct from the Tucker Act itself. See United States v. Navajo Nation,556 U.S. at 290
(The Tucker Act does not create âsubstantive rights; [it is simply a] jurisdictional provision[] that operate[s] to waive sovereign immunity for claims premised on other sources of law (e.g., statutes or contracts).â); see also Me. Cmty. Health Options v. United States, 140 S. Ct. at 1327â 28. ââIf the statute is not money-mandating, the Court of Federal Claims lacks jurisdiction, and the dismissal should be for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.ââ Janâs Helicopter Serv., Inc. v. Fed. Aviation Admin.,525 F.3d 1299, 1308
(Fed. Cir. 2008) (quoting Greenlee Cnty., Ariz. v. United States,487 F.3d at 876
); see also N.Y. & Presbyterian Hosp. v. United States,881 F.3d at 881
; Fisher v. United States,402 F.3d 1167, 1173
(Fed. Cir. 2005) (noting that the absence of a money-mandating source is âfatal to the courtâs jurisdiction under the Tucker Actâ); Olson v. United States, 152 Fed. Cl. at 41; Downey v. United States,147 Fed. Cl. 171
, 175 (2020) (âAnd so, to pursue a substantive right against the United States under the Tucker Act, a plaintiff must identify and plead a money- mandating constitutional provision, statute, or regulation.â (citing Cabral v. United States,317 F. Appâx 979
, 981 (Fed. Cir. 2008))); Jackson v. United States, 143 Fed. Cl. at 245 (âIf the claim is not based on a âmoney-mandatingâ source of law, then it lies beyond the jurisdiction of this Court.â (citing Metz v. United States,466 F.3d 991, 997
(Fed. Cir.
2006)).
âDetermination of jurisdiction starts with the complaint, which must be well-pleaded
in that it must state the necessary elements of the plaintiffâs claim, independent of any
8
defense that may be interposed.â Holley v. United States, 124 F.3d 1462, 1465(Fed. Cir.) (citing Franchise Tax Bd. v. Constr. Laborers Vacation Trust,463 U.S. 1
, 9â10 (1983)), rehâg denied (Fed. Cir. 1997); see also Klamath Tribe Claims Comm. v. United States,97 Fed. Cl. 203, 208
(2011); Gonzalez-McCaulley Inv. Grp., Inc. v. United States,93 Fed. Cl. 710, 713
(2010). A plaintiff need only state in the complaint âa short and plain statement of the grounds for the courtâs jurisdiction,â and âa short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.â RCFC 8(a)(1), (2) (2021); Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(1), (2) (2022); see also Ashcroft v. Iqbal,556 U.S. 662
, 677â78 (2009) (citing Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly,550 U.S. 544
, 555â57, 570 (2007)). To properly state a claim for relief, â[c]onclusory allegations of law and unwarranted inferences of fact do not suffice to support a claim.â Bradley v. Chiron Corp.,136 F.3d 1317, 1322
(Fed. Cir. 1998); see also McZeal v. Sprint Nextel Corp.,501 F.3d 1354
, 1363 n.9 (Fed. Cir. 2007) (Dyk, J., concurring in part, dissenting in part) (quoting C. Wright and A. Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure § 1286 (3d ed. 2004)). âA plaintiffâs factual allegations must âraise a right to relief above the speculative levelâ and cross âthe line from conceivable to plausible.ââ Three S Consulting v. United States,104 Fed. Cl. 510, 523
(2012) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly,550 U.S. at 555
), affâd,562 F. Appâx 964
(Fed. Cir.), rehâg denied (Fed. Cir. 2014); see also Hale v. United States, 143 Fed. Cl. at 190. As stated in Ashcroft v. Iqbal, â[a] pleading that offers âlabels and conclusionsâ or âa formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do.â550 U.S. at 555
. Nor does a complaint suffice if it tenders ânaked assertion[s]â devoid of âfurther factual enhancement.ââ Ashcroft v. Iqbal,556 U.S. at 678
(quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly,550 U.S. at 555
).
Plaintiffâs complaint does not meet the basic requirements of a proper complaint
because plaintiffâs complaint does not set out the necessary elements of a complaint
establishing this courtâs jurisdiction. In Count One, plaintiff seems to be seeking to litigate
issues he tried to bring previously in the United States Tax Court case, Curie v.
Commissioner, No. 6557-19. Apparently, after his case was dismissed at the United
States Tax Court, plaintiff also sought to reopen the case and then to file a new case at
the United States Tax Court. In Count One, plaintiff also raises other issues including for
the removal of lien notices and for a vague violation of the United States Constitution.
Count One of plaintiffâs complaint is reproduced in its entirety below, for the purposes of
demonstrating how difficult the allegations in plaintiffâs complaint are to follow:
Notice-to-agent-is-notice-to-principal-and-notice-to-principal-is-notice-to-
agent
We are seeking assistance in resolving a few items where we have
exhausted our administrative remedy. I hereby claim, declare and state
under oath the following:
1. This issue involves a series of âNotices of Lienâ sent by various
agents of the IRS/Department of Treasury for the tax years 2009 and 2013.
2. Over the past 12 years we have sent dozens of requests for
verification / certification of this indebtedness which have been ignored.
(See attachment A) The section we rely upon is:
9
a. IRC 6065; U.S.C. Title 26 INTERNAL REVENUE CODE, Chapter 61,
subchapter A, Part IV without this document signed under penalty perjury,
nothing is enforceable: 26 U.S. Code§ 6065. Verification of returns
Except as otherwise provided by the Secretary, any return, declaration,
statement, or other document required to be made under any provision of
the internal revenue laws or regulations shall contain or be verified by a
written declaration that it is made under the penalties of perjury.
3. This caused us to bring an action against the IRS Commissioner in
2019 via cause # 6557-19, fully incorporated by reference, and can be
viewed here: https://dawson.ustaxcourt.gov/case-detail/6557-19 (complete
evidence file docketed on 11/5/2021 and available upon request)
4. The adjudication confirmed that no proper notice of determination
existed, therefore, there is no controversy, and if no controversy, there is
no jurisdiction and the case was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. (see
attachment B)
5. Several 12277 applications for withdrawal of notice of tax lien notices
were sent to the Centralized Lien Office along with the court order. All were
ignored, and our follow up inquiries were ignored. There is no evidence
that these notices are not irreparably damaging the estate and no evidence
that we are not titled to libel damages.
6. In March 2012, we began receiving new notices of lien, which we
consider an Act of Barratry. We noticed the Agent, the IRS Commissioner,
the Secretary of Treasury, the Social Security Administration, Talcott
Annuity, and various other parties who were contacted by the IRS agent to
allow all parties time to provide any new certification and provide any
evidence of our involvement in Alcohol, Tobacco or Firearms. This notice
was ignored.
7. When the granted time lapsed, we gave them another opportunity to
cure any trespass and to respond. They did not respond. This notice was
ignored.
8. This resulted in a common law judgement of June 17, 2021 where
all parties tacitly agreed there was no evidence of a proper certification
of indebtedness, nor ATF involvement. (see attachment C)
9. Yet, enforcement actions have been taken against the Social
Security account and Talcott. These actions appear to violate General
Orders 100 of the Lieber Code[7] and appear to be in violation of the
7 Although unclear and not relevant to plaintiffâs case, it appears âGeneral Orders 100 of
the Lieber Codeâ refers to an 1863 document from the War Department, General Orders
No. 100, Instructions for the Government of Armies of the United States in the Field, which
sets out rules of conduct during hostilities for Union soldiers during the United States Civil
War. See General Orders No. 11: The Lieber Code, Avalon Project, Yale Law School
Lillian Goldman Law Library, https://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/lieber.asp9 (last
visited Dec. 19, 2022); Jeny Gesley, The âLieber Codeâ â the First Modern Codification
10
Constitution; unlawful taking of property without just cause. This is causing
damage to me and my family as we are (attempting) to live on the remaining
$361 per month. Social Security is a return of premium for my labor, which
appears to be tax and levy exempt. (see attachment D & E)
10. In August 2021 we sent the US Tax Court a petition to reopen the
case based upon newfound evidence.
11. In January 2022, the US Tax Court notified us that they had received
documents and denied the request to reopen the case as they maintain that
the 2019 judgement was final and nothing new can be added to the case.
We tend to agree, why waste time adjudicating something which has been
established, we have no problem with the courts position on that and we
accept the judgement.
12. In February 2022, we sent a NEW emergency petition to open a new
US Tax case, which was ignored. It is logged into case 6557-19. We
included reference to proof of the collection activity which was sent to the
court October 2021, showing that a controversy now exists regarding taxes.
Despite their statement that nothing can be added to the prior case, notice
was docketed in the prior case.
13. In March 2022, we sent another NEW emergency petition to open a
new case which was ignored. It is logged into case 6557-19. How did we
give up our right to petition the government?
14. On April 8, 2022 we sent a notice to clarify that we were attempting
to open a NEW case, and not add to the old case[8] (That notice did not
appear in the court docket until May 13, 2022.)
15. April 21st, 2022, we called the US Tax Court (202 521-0789) and
spoke with a Clerk named Karen who stated that she was instructed to
inform me that the decision in case 6557-19 was final and they were not
entertaining any new actions regarding this matter. This tends to confirm
that there is not controversy, and any enforcement is ultra vires.
16. On May 5th, 2022, we asked a member of Congress to assist in
obtaining the tax assessment or to abate this nuisance. Their office was
responsive as they produced the evidence of collections within 24 hours,
(see attachment D & E) and within one week had a letter from the Tax Court
Judge confirming that the court had dismissed the case for lack of
jurisdiction. However, they ran into a brick wall when trying to obtain the
actual assessment and have been told that they will get a response in 60-
90 days. If collection has begun, that certificate should be at their fingertips.
17. On may 17th, 2022, we sent another petition to open a new case
along with qualifying letters showing enforcement actions were obtained
from Congress. This was delivered May 23rd, 2022, 7:12 am.
of the Laws of War, Libr. Cong. (Apr. 24, 2018), https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2018/04/the-
lieber-code-the-first-modern-codification-of-the-laws-of-war (last visited Dec. 19, 2022).
8 Curie v. Commâr, No. 6557-19.
11
18. We contacted the US Tax Court two days later to confirm receipt and
get a status as to when the new case would be docketed. They confirmed
receipt, but could not guarantee a time, indicated that they had about 500
new docket requests and it might be a few weeks.
19. If there is a new certificate conforming to IRC 6065, we have no
evidence of it after over 200 days. We have sent approximately 6 letters to
the agencies since the tax case judgement to try to obtain what should be
readily available since collection activity has begun, and we have been
ignored.
20. Eleven days after my check or renewal of a private mailbox was
received, we were noticed by the Postal Agent on May 11, 2022 that they
were unable to renew the mailing location citing various âlawsâ. This is a
capricious action without prior notice of intent. We wrote to the corporation
asking them to show these laws, which they did not, and 10 days later they
changed the story to âthe local franchisee has the right to deny service and
he was not renewingâ. I wonder if the hundreds of fraudulent tax lien notices
influenced his decision. We are operating under injury and present this true
bill in commerce (see attachment F)
(emphasis in original).
In its motion to dismiss plaintiffâs case for lack of subject matter jurisdiction,
defendant argues that the United States Court of Federal Claims lacks jurisdiction under
the Tucker Act to hear the claims plaintiff included in his complaint, and that plaintiffâs
âremaining allegations do not approach a plausible claim for relief.â Defendant argues that
plaintiffâs complaint âis not merely defective, it is incomprehensible.â (internal citation
omitted). According to defendant, â[p]laintiff is required to plead facts that establish
jurisdiction and show that he has a cause of action. He has done neither. Even the most
generous construction of his opaque tax allegations shows that jurisdiction is lacking. His
remaining allegations do not approach a plausible claim for relief.â (alteration added).
Defendant, citing Blueport Co., LLC v. United States, 533 F.3d at 1383, argues that the Tucker Act does not provide jurisdiction for plaintiffâs claims and argues that plaintiff has not identified âa separate source of substantive law that creates a right to money damages.â Defendant further asserts that the dismissal of plaintiffâs prior United States Tax Court petition âis not a jurisdictional basis for this Court to hear the case,â relying on Gilliard v. United States,145 Fed. Cl. 598
, 605, 609 (2019). Defendant also
argues:
Plaintiffâs claim appears to be based on a notice of federal tax lien, which
he characterizes as a âtrespass,â an âAct of Barratry, a violation of âGeneral
Orders 100 of the Lieber Code,â and an unconstitutional taking. These
actions, he suggests, are âirreparably damaging the estate.â The nature of
the âestateâ (whether a decedentâs estate, a real property interest, or
something else) and its owner remain a mystery.
To the extent that plaintiff seeks relief on a theory of trespass, this Court
lacks jurisdiction because the action is a tort claim. See Outlaw v. United
12
States, 116 Fed. Cl. 656, 662 (2014). If he seeks damages resulting from
an unauthorized collection action or for failure to release a lien, only a
federal district court would have jurisdiction over those claims. I.R.C.
§§ 7432(a), 7433(a); Ledford v. United States, 297 F.3d 1378, 1382 (Fed.
Cir. 2002). Or, if plaintiff challenges the imposition of the tax liens,
jurisdiction is lacking because a wrongful levy action must be brought by a
third party and only in a district court. I.R.C. § 7426(a)(1); Zolman v. United
States, 17-1901T, 2018 WL 1664690, at 1â2 (Fed. Cl. Apr. 6, 2018). Finally,
the fact that the Tax Court previously dismissed one or more of plaintiffâs
petitions is not a basis for bringing the case in this Court. See, e.g., Gilliard
[v. United States], 145 Fed. Cl. [598,] 605, 609 [(2019)].
(internal citations omitted; alterations added).
In response to plaintiffâs second and third counts, both titled âBreach of Trust,â
defendant states that both âfail to meet the pleading standard and should be dismissed
for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.â According to defendant, with
regard to the second count, â[e]ven if everything [plaintiff] alleges is true, plaintiff states
no claim for relief against the United States. Whatever causes of action (if any) he or his
motherâs estate may have under Indiana law should be handled in Indianaâs courts.â
(alteration added). Also according to defendant, âattachment C reveals that the purported
judgment was written by plaintiff himself, ostensibly against Illinoisââ and Indianaâs
respective Departments of Natural Resources, IRS Commissioner Rettig, AFLAC, and
many other unrelated people.â Also with regard to the third count, defendant states that
âCount 3 is incoherent. The only remotely factual allegation is that at some point plaintiff
sent âappointment lettersâ to someone, and Indiana did not respond. The Complaint then
veers off into rhetorical questions and discussion about the Uniform Trust Code.â
To further confuse the allegations in plaintiffâs complaint, in response to
defendantâs motion to dismiss, plaintiff argued the following:
Now comes, Curie, Chris David, sui juris, real party in interest, co-
beneficiary, heir to several Estates (my mother and father, and their
mother and fathers) as recorded on Dekalb County Indiana ,Book G32 page
71 by special visitation as next friend, to speak for the living beneficiaries
who are not enemy combatants, but merely peaceful men and women and
to respond to the motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction. We are not
proceeding pro se.
***
We concur with Mr. Marketâs statement that tort claims would be handled
by the federal district court, however we are not bringing charges against
any of the agents / actors referenced under a tort claim action. They are not
party to this action and our claim is merely against our interests in the trust
certificates sufficiently identified. It appears that these accounts were
13
administered under several presumptions among which are "finding"
abandoned property.
Our interests in these certificates have been authenticated by the
Department of State which certify that the attached entity is âtitled to the full
faith and creditâ of the United States of America/ UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA. These certificates are under the care and custody of various
agencies, property custodians, which are under the jurisdiction of the United
States, United States of America, and or UNITED STATES, UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA and the military. This is evidence that jurisdiction
exists for this court. It is self evident as these certificates were likely used
to open this case. These certificates are bonded, secured by tontine
pledges and certificates of record in the care and custody of agents of the
United States, and or UNITED STATES, UNITED STA TES OF AMERICA
making the United States/ United States of America, and or UNITED
STATES, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA the secured party and ultimate
trustees who must take cognizance of our interests. We now clarify our
intent in this matter as merely a claim for our interests in these certificates
and any minor accounts associated with them nunc pro tunc for each
account.
The court instructed our response to address jurisdiction only, This should
be sufficient to proceed and we affirm our original claim for emergency
distributions for damages if appropriate, or for maximum distributions under
the spendthrift account to be made for the provision care and maintenance
of the living beneficial interest holders as they are operating under extreme
duress.
(stars in original).
Although plaintiff alleges that â[t]his matter involves U.S. Federal Person âCHRIS
DAVID CURIEâ and various agencies, departments, substitute trustees of the UNITED
STATES. This is an internal administrative matter of a US Estate/Inter vivos Trust,â
plaintiff does not allege facts to bring plaintiffâs Count One within the jurisdictional ambit
of the Tucker Act. In his first count, plaintiff focuses largely on his interactions with the
United States Tax Court and notices of lien he received as well as deductions from his
social security benefits, which do not establish jurisdiction for review in this court. As
correctly described by defendant, this court does not have jurisdiction over claims
âsounding in tort,â 28 U.S.C. § 1491(a)(1), and to the extent that plaintiff seeks relief on the theory of trespass as a tort, the claim must be dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. See28 U.S.C. § 1491
(a); see also Keene Corp. v. United States,508 U.S. 200, 214
(1993); Rickâs Mushroom Serv. Inc. v. United States,521 F.3d at 1343
; Alves v. United States,133 F.3d 1454, 1459
(Fed. Cir. 1998); Brown v. United States,105 F.3d 621, 623
(Fed. Cir.), rehâg denied (Fed. Cir. 1997) (âBecause Brown and Darnellâs complaints for fraudulent assessment[s]â are grounded upon fraud, which is a tort, the court lacks jurisdiction over those claims.â), rehâg denied (Fed. Cir. 1997); Golden Pac. Bancorp v. United States,15 F.3d 1066
, 1070 n.8 (Fed. Cir.), rehâg denied, en banc
14
suggestion declined (Fed. Cir.), cert. denied, 513 U.S. 961(1994); Outlaw v. United States,116 Fed. Cl. at 662
(â[F]raud and coercion are tort claimsâover which this court has no Tucker Act jurisdiction. The Federal Circuit affirmed this courtâs dismissal for lack of jurisdiction over similar tort claimsâ); Hampel v. United States,97 Fed. Cl. 235, 238
, affâd,429 F. Appâx 995
(Fed. Cir. 2011), cert. denied,565 U.S. 1153
(2012); Kant v. United States,123 Fed. Cl. 614, 616
(2015) (â[Plaintiff's] claims for âconversionâ and âfraudâ sound in tort. . . . â); Cox v. United States,105 Fed. Cl. 213, 218
(2012) (â[P]laintiffs contend that
the United States has engaged in tortious conduct, including harassment and
persecution, malfeasance, fraud, abuse, and deception . . . . The Court of Federal Claims
does not possess jurisdiction to entertain claims sounding in tort.â).
To the extent plaintiff alleges trespass as a criminal act, this court lacks subject
matter jurisdiction to adjudicate such claims. The jurisdiction of the United States Court
of Federal Claims does not include jurisdiction over criminal causes of action. See Joshua
v. United States, 17 F.3d 378, 379(Fed. Cir. 1994); see also Starnes v. United States,162 Fed. Cl. 468
, 474 (2022) (âThis Court lacks jurisdiction over any criminal law claims.â); Francis v. United States,155 Fed. Cl. 78
, 82 (2021); Whiteford v. United States,148 Fed. Cl. 111
, 122 (2020) (â[T]he Court of Federal Claims . . . lacks jurisdiction over criminal acts.â (alterations added)); Feist v. United States,148 Fed. Cl. 168
, 171 (2019); Zainulabeddin v. United States,138 Fed. Cl. 492
, 505 (2018) (quoting Joshua v. United States,17 F.3d at 379
) (â[I]t is well established that the Court of Federal Claims âhas no
jurisdiction to adjudicate any claims whatsoever under the federal criminal code.ââ).
Further, to the extent that plaintiff is challenging the imposition of a tax lien, the
Internal Revenue Code provides:
If a levy has been made on property or property has been sold pursuant to
a levy, any person (other than the person against whom is assessed the tax
out of which such levy arose) who claims an interest in or lien on such
property and that such property was wrongfully levied upon may bring a civil
action against the United States in a district court of the United States. Such
action may be brought without regard to whether such property has been
surrendered to or sold by the Secretary.
26 U.S.C. § 7426(a)(1) (2018). Accordingly, plaintiffâs allegations regarding the imposition
of a tax lien must be brought in a United States District Court. To the extent that plaintiff
seeks damages for an allegedly unauthorized collection action or for failure to release a
lien, the Internal Revenue Code provides:
If any officer or employee of the Internal Revenue Service knowingly, or by
reason of negligence, fails to release a lien under section 6325 on property
of the taxpayer, such taxpayer may bring a civil action for damages against
the United States in a district court of the United States.
26 U.S.C. § 7432 (2018). Therefore, plaintiffâs allegations regarding improper liens must
be brought in a United States District Court and not in this court. Moreover, this court
lacks subject matter jurisdiction to hear Count One, insofar as it is brought as a way to
15
review the case of Curie v. Commissioner, No. 6557-19, which was dismissed by the
United States Tax Court. See Beatty v. United States, 121 Fed. Cl. 283, 286(2015); Wong v. United States,49 Fed. Cl. 553
, 554â55 (2001).
Defendant also correctly notes in its motion to dismiss plaintiffâs complaint that to
file a tax claim in the United States Court of Federal Claims, âfull payment of tax and filing
an administrative claim for refund are prerequisites to suit under the Tucker Act.â (citing
26 U.S.C. § 7422(a); Roberts v. United States,242 F.3d 1065
, 1067â68 (Fed. Cir. 2001); Shore v. United States,9 F.3d 1524, 1526
(Fed. Cir.1993)). The relevant provision of the
Internal Revenue Code provides:
No suit or proceeding shall be maintained in any court for the recovery of
any internal revenue tax alleged to have been erroneously or illegally
assessed or collected, or of any penalty claimed to have been collected
without authority, or of any sum alleged to have been excessive or in any
manner wrongfully collected, until a claim for refund or credit has been duly
filed with the Secretary, according to the provisions of law in that regard,
and the regulations of the Secretary established in pursuance thereof.
26 U.S.C. § 7422(a) (2018). While plaintiff seems to have delivered a copy of his self- authored âCommon Law Consent to Judgementâ to the Commissioner of the IRS, that document is not a âclaim for refund or credit . . . duly filed . . . according to the provisions of law in that regard, and the regulations of the Secretary.âId.
Although plaintiff filed with
this court a document containing instructions he received from the IRS detailing how he
could file an administrative claim for refund, there is no evidence in the record that he
followed those instructions or requirements before filing a claim for a tax refund in this
court. After careful review, the court finds that, in his Count One, plaintiff has not pled any
claims that fall within the jurisdiction of this court, and Count One must be dismissed for
lack of subject matter jurisdiction.
Plaintiffâs second count, âCount 2 Breach of Trust,â and third count, âCount 3
Breach of Trust,â like plaintiffâs allegations in Count One, are very difficult to follow, with
allegations which appear largely to challenge the actions of state officials in DeKalb
County and in Indiana, including the Attorney General of Indiana, also with a reference to
an Illinois official. They are quoted below to demonstrate how difficult the allegations are
to follow:
We provided appointment letters to the Superior Court I, Auburn Indiana;
appointment of Executor, appointment of Minister Plenipotentiary, and as
the eldest living son of Dorothy shown in book G32 page 71 in Dekalb
county, requesting an accounting of case 17D01-1802-MF-000015 CUSIP
315794370 for my late 92 year old widowed mother, who was foreclosed
upon even though the evidence was provided to the court that any purported
loan was paid. My subsequent attempts to obtain an accounting of the
proceeds which show a surplus overage from the âsaleâ reflecting an
$8,305.82 difference collected over the amount due in the âorderâ have been
denied three times as they maintain that I am not a party of interest. ((see
16
attachment G) This is patently untrue, I provided appointment letters, and
as the eldest living son of Dorothy Curie, I may be the only real party of
interest. I am unable to complete the terms of her last will and testament
without the accounting and remittances. Per the same reasons cited below
regarding Duty to Inform under UTC, we are seeking an accounting to
secure our securities.
1. If no accounting is provided, we have a duty to recreate the accounting
in good faith. See attachment H. We claim our security interests listed
thereon. The County is not titled to the securities issued AND the
property.
In âCount 3 Breach of Trust,â plaintiff alleges a breach of trust, which, in part,
overlaps with plaintiffâs allegations in Count 2 regarding an alleged inter vivos trust against
an unidentified entity he calls âA6.â Plaintiff asserts:
1. We have provided appointment letters to the alleged custodian of unclaimed
property requesting an accounting of the estate/inter vivos trust. We have
no accounting, no trust indentures from the state, no distributions, nor any
substantive response from the Attorney General of Indiana. We now make
claim in the Federal Claims Court. (see attachment I)
2. There is no evidence that the AG does not have the Duty to Inform
Under the Uniform Trust Code:
The UTCâs provisions on the duty to inform provide answers to four crucial
questions. The first question is: To which beneficiaries does the trustee owe
the duty? Under the UTC, the duty to inform is owed to some extent to all
of the trustâs beneficiaries, whether they hold present interests or future
interests, vested or contingent, in the trust, but the extent of the duty varies
with the proximity (or, conversely, remoteness) of the beneficiaryâs interest.
The Trustee must:
(1) furnish âupon request . . . a copy of the trust instrument," meaning âa
complete copy of the trust instrument and not merely . . . those portions the
trustee deems relevant to the beneficiaryâs interest;â
(2) furnish upon request âat least annually and at the termination of the trust
. . . a report of the trust property, liabilities, receipts, and disbursements,
including the source and amount of the trusteeâs compensation, a listing of
the trust assets, and, if feasible, their respective market valuesâ (referred to
as a âUTC Trust Reportâ);
(3) upon request, provide notice âwithin 60 days after accepting a
trusteeship . . . of the acceptance and of the trustee's name, address, and
telephone number;â
(4) upon request, provide notice within 60 days after the date the trustee
acquires knowledge of the creation of an irrevocable trust, or the date the
trustee acquires knowledge that a formerly revocable trust has become
irrevocable . . . , of the trustâs existence, of the identity of the settlor or
settlors, of the right to request a copy of the trust instrument, and of the right
to a . . . [UTC Trust Report]; and
17
(5) upon request, provide notice âin advance of any change in the method
or rate of the trustee's compensation.â
There is no evidence that these trust indentures are not applicable:
RE: U.S. Federal Person âCHRIS DAVID CURIEâ Taxpayer identification/
,Decedentâs Social Security Number: [redacted9]
Note: Prior notice given to the United States, 2848, Form 56 via various
registered and certified mail numbers.
To whomever UNITED STATES Business Entity this may concern (who
commercially-operates on United States Public Markets and excepts and/or
exchanges in United States Currency while providing goods and/or services
to U.S. Customers/Consumers in everyday commerce).
The above-mentioned U.S. Federal Public Person has a Pre-Paid Non-
obligatory Commercial Debt arrangement with the UNITED STATES in
relation to 12 U.S. Code §95a[10]-Regualation of Transactions in foreign
exchange of gold and silver; property transfers; vested interests,
enforcement and penalties (Part 2) and other Public Policy on U.S
Debt.
Your Business Entity is federally-bound to UNITED STATES and U.S.
Public Debt Obligations by way of your Internal Revenue Service Employer
Identification Number (The I.R.S. being under the U.S. Department of the
Treasury) and your Federal Reserve Bank Account.
Your Business is hereby ordered to itemize whatever and however many
Commercial Products and/or Services in which the above U.S. Federal
Public Person wishes to commercially-acquire, adjust the bottom line total
cost amount to zero ($0.00) and release items. Provide a receipt to the
above named U.S. Federal Person, by way of itâs Duly Authorized
Representative (âChris-David Sui Juris/De jure/In Proper Personâ) and
retain the record of the transaction to settle with your Federal Tax
Obligation(s) with Internal Revenue Service as the entire overall transaction
is only a Commercial Accounting Matter of what the Bankrupt UNITED
STATES owes itâs Trust Creditors, which is the American People, in direct
relation to the borrowed gold and National Banking Emergency Act of 1933.
All Commercial and Public Debt-Obligations, while transacting all business
9 Plaintiffâs social security number has been redacted.
10The statute at 12 U.S.C. § 95a (2012) gave the President additional authority, including
the ability to ârequire the production, or if necessary to the national security or defense,
the seizure of any books of account, records, contracts, letters, memoranda, or other
papers, in the custody or control of such person,â and is not a jurisdictional statute for this
court, nor is it relevant to plaintiffâs case. See 12 U.S.C. at § 95a(1). The language of the
statute at 12 U.S.C. § 95a (2012) is now codified at 50 U.S.C. § 4305(b) (2018).
18
withing the UNITED STATES Commercial Markets belong to the UNITED
STATES, as the UNITED STATES is the Trust Obligor each and every U.S.
Commercial Transaction.
Any Willful Dishonoring and/or Non-Settlement of the UNITED STATES
Commercial âPublic-Debtâ Obligation Matters, by any Duty-Bound
Commercial Business Entity within the United States, will result in
Federal Prosecution to the fullest extent possible.
(emphasis in original).
The allegations included by plaintiff in Counts Two and Three appear not to be
against the United States or its employees. Plaintiff has not properly identified a
constituent individual, department or agency of the United States as a party to the
transactions he alleges in Counts Two and Three were mishandled. Both counts are
confused, as plaintiff tries to invoke unrelated citations such as the Uniform Trust Code
to request âan accounting of the estate/inter vivos trustâ and âadjustâ plaintiffâs âbottom line
total cost amount to zero ($0.00) and release items.â It is well established that this court
lacks jurisdiction to hear claims against state, local officials, or private individuals or
entities, who are not federal employees. See United States v. Sherwood, 312 U.S. 584,
588(1941) (noting that âif the relief sought is against others than the United States the suit as to them must be ignored as beyond the jurisdiction of the court [United States Court of Claims]â (alteration added) (citing United States v. Jones,131 U.S. 1
, 9 (1889); Lynn v. United States,110 F.2d 586, 588
(5th Cir. 1940); Leather & Leigh v. United States,61 Ct. Cl. 388
(1925))); see also Brown v. United States,105 F.3d at 624
(âThe Tucker Act grants the Court of Federal Claims jurisdiction over suits against the United States, not against individual federal officials.â); Cooper v. United States,137 Fed. Cl. 432
, 434 (2018) (finding that the United States Court of Federal Claims âlacks subject matter jurisdiction to consider plaintiff's claims to the extent they are made against individualsâ); Robinson v. United States,127 Fed. Cl. 417, 420
(2016) (âThe court is without âjurisdiction over claims against individuals.ââ (quoting Emerson v. United States,123 Fed. Cl. 126, 129
(2015))); Merriman v. United States,128 Fed. Cl. 599, 602
(2016) (âThe United States Court of Federal Claims does not have subject matter jurisdiction over claims against private individuals or state officials.â (citing United States v. Sherwood,312 U.S. at 588
)); Hicks v. United States,118 Fed. Cl. 76, 81
(2014); Bey v. United States, No. 20-906C,153 Fed. Cl. 814
, 818â19 (Fed. Cl. May 19, 2021) (holding that the United States Court of Federal Claims does not have jurisdiction over claims against state and local agencies); Cottrell v. United States,42 Fed. Cl. 144, 148
(1998); Reid v. United States,95 Fed. Cl. 243, 248
(2010) (âWhen a plaintiff's complaint names private parties, or local, county, or state agencies, rather than federal agencies, this court [the United States Court of Federal Claims] has no jurisdiction to hear those allegations.â (alteration added) (quoting Moore v. Pub. Defs. Office,76 Fed. Cl. 617, 620
(2007))). Therefore, the court does not have
jurisdiction over any allegations by plaintiff regarding actions of these state, local, or
private agencies or entities. Plaintiff does not offer a proper jurisdictional basis in the
United States Court of Federal Claims for his claims included in Counts Two and Three.
Without establishing a proper jurisdictional basis for his claims, Counts Two and Three of
19
plaintiffâs complaint, both titled âBreach of Trust,â must be dismissed for lack of subject
matter jurisdiction pursuant to RCFC 12(b)(1).
Moreover, plaintiffâs claims in Counts Two and Three, as well as Count One, must
be dismissed pursuant to RCFC 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim because plaintiffâs
complaint does not coherently present his claims. When examining what must be pled in
order to state a claim, a plaintiff need only state in the complaint âa short and plain
statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.â RCFC 8(a)(2); see
also Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555. The United States Supreme Court has
stated:
While a complaint attacked by Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss does not
need detailed factual allegations, ibid.[Conley v. Gibson,355 U.S. 41, 47
(1957)]; Sanjuan v. American Bd. Of Psychiatry and Neurology, Inc., 40
F.3d 247, 251 (C.A.7 1994), a plaintiffâs obligation to provide the âgroundsâ
of his âentitlement to reliefâ requires more than labels and conclusions, and
a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do, see
Papasan v. Allain, 478 U.S. 265, 286 (1986) (on a motion to dismiss, courts
âare not bound to accept as true a legal conclusion couched as a factual
allegationâ). Factual allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief
above the speculative level, see 5 C. Wright & A. Miller, Federal Practice
and Procedure §1216 pp. 235-236 (3d ed. 2004) (hereinafter Wright &
Miller) (â[T]he pleading must contain something more . . . than . . . a
statement of facts that merely creates a suspicion [of] a legally cognizable
right of actionâ), on the assumption that all the allegations in the complaint
are true (even if doubtful in fact), see, e.g., Swierkiewicz v. Sorema N.A.,
534 U.S. 506, 508 n.1 (2002); Neitzke v. Williams,490 U.S. 319, 327
(1989)
(âRule 12(b)(6) does not countenance . . . dismissals based on a judgeâs
disbelief of a complaintâs factual allegationsâ); Scheuer v. Rhodes, 416 U.S.
232, 236 (1974) (a well-pleaded complaint may proceed even if it appears
âthat a recovery is very remote and unlikelyâ) . . . . [W]e do not require
heightened fact pleading of specifics, but only enough facts to state a claim
that relief that is plausible on its face.
Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555â56, 570 (footnote and other citations omitted;
omissions in original); see also Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678(citing Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555â57, 570); First Mortg. Corp. v. United States,961 F.3d 1331
, 1339 (Fed. Cir. 2020); Am. Bankers Assân v. United States,932 F.3d 1375, 1380
(Fed. Cir. 2019); Frankel v. United States,842 F.3d 1246, 1249
(Fed. Cir. 2016); A&D Auto Sales, Inc. v. United States,748 F.3d 1142, 1157
(Fed. Cir. 2014); Bell/Heery v. United States,739 F.3d 1324, 1330
(Fed. Cir.), rehâg and rehâg en banc denied, (Fed. Cir. 2014); Kam-Almaz v. United States,682 F.3d 1364, 1367
(Fed. Cir. 2012) (âThe facts as alleged âmust be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative level, on the assumption that all the allegations in the complaint are true (even if doubtful in fact).ââ (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly,550 U.S. at 557
)); Totes-lsotoner Corp. v. United States,594 F.3d 1346
, 1354â55 (Fed. Cir.), cert. denied,562 U.S. 830
(2010); Bank of Guam v. United States,578 F.3d 1318, 1326
(Fed. Cir.) (âIn order to avoid dismissal for failure to state a
20
claim, the complaint must allege facts âplausibly suggesting (not merely consistent with)â
a showing of entitlement to relief.â (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. at 557)), rehâg and rehâg en banc denied (Fed. Cir. 2009), cert. denied,561 U.S. 1006
(2010); Cambridge v. United States,558 F.3d 1331, 1335
(Fed. Cir. 2009) (â[A] plaintiff must plead factual allegations that support a facially âplausibleâ claim to relief in order to avoid dismissal for failure to state a claim.â (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly,550 U.S. at 570
)); Cary v. United States,552 F.3d 1373, 1376
(Fed. Cir.) (âThe factual allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative level. This does not require the plaintiff to set out in detail the facts upon which the claim is based, but enough facts upon which the claim is based, but enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.â (citing Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly,550 U.S. at 555, 570
)), rehâg denied (Fed. Cir.), cert. denied,557 U.S. 937
(2009); Avant Assessment, LLC v. United States,159 Fed. Cl. 632
, 636 (2022) (âAs the Supreme Court explained, âa complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to âstate a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.âââ (quoting Ashcroft v. Iqbal,556 U.S. at 678
(quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly,550 U.S. at 570
))); Christen v. United States,133 Fed. Cl. 226, 229
(2017); Christian v. United States,131 Fed. Cl. 134, 144
(2017); Vargas v. United States,114 Fed. Cl. 226, 232
(2014); Fredericksburg Non-Profit Hous. Corp. v. United States,113 Fed. Cl. 244, 253
(2013), affâd,579 F. Appâx 1004
(Fed. Cir. 2014); Peninsula Grp. Capital Corp. v. United States,93 Fed. Cl. 720
, 726â27 (2010); Legal Aid Socây of N.Y. v. United States,92 Fed. Cl. 285, 292
, 298 n.14 (2010).
Despite the less stringent pleading standard accorded to pro se plaintiffs, Mr.
Curieâs complaint does not meet the basic requirements, nor does it cite to a legal basis
to establish jurisdiction in this court. See Riles v. United States, 93 Fed. Cl. at 165 (âWhile
a pro se plaintiff is held to a less stringent standard than that of a plaintiff represented by
an attorney, the pro se plaintiff, nevertheless, bears the burden of establishing the Courtâs
jurisdiction by a preponderance of the evidence.â (citing Hughes v. Rowe, 449 U.S. at 9; and Taylor v. United States,303 F.3d at 1359
)); see also Schallmo v. United States, 147 Fed. Cl. at 363; Hale v. United States, 143 Fed. Cl. at 184 (â[E]ven pro se plaintiffs must persuade the court that jurisdictional requirements have been met.â (citing Bernard v. United States,59 Fed. Cl. at 499
)); Golden v. United States,129 Fed. Cl. at 637
; Shelkofsky v. United States,119 Fed. Cl. at 139
(â[W]hile the court may excuse ambiguities in a pro se plaintiffâs complaint, the court âdoes not excuse [a complaintâs] failures.ââ (quoting Henke v. United States,60 F.3d at 799
)); Harris v. United States, 113 Fed. Cl. at 292 (âAlthough plaintiffâs pleadings are held to a less stringent standard, such leniency âwith respect to mere formalities does not relieve the burden to meet jurisdictional requirements.ââ (quoting Minehan v. United States,75 Fed. Cl. at 253
)). Plaintiffâs
confused and confusing allegations fail to meet the most basic standards to sufficiently
plead a viable complaint in this court and, therefore, fail to state a claim.
CONCLUSION
For the reasons discussed above, this court does not have jurisdiction to review
the allegations included in plaintiffâs complaint. Plaintiffâs stream of consciousness
allegations fail to state an understandable or cognizable claim or meet the jurisdictional
requirements to file a complaint in this court. Therefore, defendantâs motion to dismiss is
21
GRANTED and plaintiffâs complaint is DISMISSED. The Clerk of the Court shall enter
JUDGMENT consistent with this Opinion.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
s/Marian Blank Horn
MARIAN BLANK HORN
Judge
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