Evans v. Tubbe

¶5TATE, Circuit Judge:

¶6The plaintiffs Odie Evans and B. L. Dickerson brought this civil rights action against the defendant Lester Tubbe to obtain damages and equitable relief for Tubbe’s allegedly racially-motivated refusal to allow Evans access to her property. The plaintiffs claim that Tubbe’s conduct violates 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981, 1982, and the Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601et seq. Without stating written reasons,1 the district court granted Tubbe’s motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. Tubbe’s motion claimed that deposition testimony of the plaintiffs showed that the true purpose of the suit was to obtain an easement over the defendant’s property — a claim allegedly cognizable only in the state district court of proper venue.

¶7We find that the plaintiffs have raised valid federal claims and therefore vacate the order of dismissal and remand the case for further proceedings in accordance with this opinion.

¶8The plaintiffs allege the following facts: The plaintiff Evans, who is black, purchased land from the plaintiff Dickerson in 1978. The only access to Evans’ land is via a road that passes through land owned by Tubbe. Tubbe erected a metal gate across the road and placed a lock upon the gate, thereby preventing Evans from reaching and using her property. Tubbe gave a key to the gate to all of the white people who own property along the road, but refused to give a key to Evans. On account of Evans’ race, Tubbe has threatened, intimidated, and harassed her, and she is now afraid to use and enjoy her property. In addition, Tubbe has threatened and harassed other blacks to whom Dickerson has attempted to sell property in the same vicinity.

¶9If these alleged facts are true, Tubbe has clearly violated the plaintiffs’ rights under 42 U.S.C. § 19822 and most arguably also *663under the Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601et seq.,3and the district court has subject matter jurisdiction to adjudicate these federal civil rights claims. See 28 U.S.C. § 1343(4); 42 U.S.C. §§ 3610, 3612. Tubbe does not contend otherwise.

¶10Tubbe, however, makes a “factual” attack rather than a “facial” attack on the sufficiency of the plaintiffs’ complaint, because he bases his attack on matter outside the pleadings. Unlike in a facial attack — where jurisdiction is determined upon the basis of the allegations of the complaint, accepted as true — -when a factual attack is made upon federal jurisdiction, no presumptive truthfulness attaches to the plaintiffs’ jurisdictional allegations, and the court is free to weigh the evidence and satisfy itself as to the existence of its power to hear the case. In a factual attack, the plaintiffs have the burden of proving that federal jurisdiction does in fact exist. Williamson v. Tucker, 645 F.2d 404, 412-13 (5th Cir. 1981); Paterson v. Weinberger, 644 F.2d 521, 523 (5th Cir. 1981); 5 Wright & Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure § 1350 (1969). However, “the test for dismissal is a rigorous one and if there is any foundation of plausibility to the claim federal jurisdiction exists.” 13 Wright & Miller, supra, § 3564, at 428. Jurisdiction is not dependent upon whether the claim for relief is meritorious; the federal courts lack jurisdiction only if the claims are plainly frivolous or “patently without merit.” Duke Power Co. v. Carolina Environmental Study Group, 438 U.S. 59, 70-72, 98 S.Ct. 2620, 2629, 57 L.Ed.2d 595 (1978); Baker v. Carr, 369 U.S. 186, 199-200, 82 S.Ct. 691, 700, 7 L.Ed.2d 663 (1962); Bell v. Hood, 327 U.S. 678, 682, 66 S.Ct. 773, 776, 90 L.Ed. 939 (1946); Williamson v. Tucker, supra,645 F.2d at 415-16.4

¶11*664In the present instance, the specific basis of the defendant Tubbe’s factual attack is that the plaintiffs’ deposition testimony shows that, despite the well-pleaded federal claims, the true purpose of this federal suit is to obtain a right of ingress and egress over Tubbe’s private property. Tubbe contends that this is a cause of action “inherently in rem in nature” (Def. brief at 10), one that may be properly enforced only in Texas state courts.

¶12The plaintiffs’ deposition testimony is entirely consistent with the substantive factual allegations of their complaint. Tubbe contends, however, that because both plaintiffs “admitted” in their depositions that they brought this suit to obtain an “easement” across Tubbe’s land,5 “the essence of the action is a disputed easement right . . . and the alleged [federal] claim clearly appears to be immaterial and made solely for the purposes [s/c] of obtaining [federal] jurisdiction so that plaintiffs need not proceed with their state court action where this subject matter properly belongs.” (Id.) Because, of plaintiffs’ “admissions,” and because “the federal courts [do not] have jurisdiction to convey a fee simple interest in property such as ' an easement,” Tubbe asserts that the district court properly dismissed the plaintiffs’ suit. (Id.) We are unable to agree.

¶13In the first place, courts do not “convey” easements, they merely entertain actions that may concern the validity or not of an easement arising by express grant, by implication (as a way of necessity), by estoppel, or otherwise. 21 Texas Jur.2d Easements §§ 12, 55 (1961). Of course, actions arising out of alleged violations of easement rights are usually heard in state court, because they involve application of state law. However, if there is some basis for federal jurisdiction (such as diversity), federal courts are perfectly free to adjudicate state law easement claims. See, e. g., County of Patrick, Va. v. United States, 596 F.2d 1186 (4th Cir. 1979) (applying Virginia law); Texas Mortgage Co. v. Phillips Petroleum Co., 470 F.2d 497 (5th Cir. 1972), cert. denied, 411 U.S. 948, 93 S.Ct. 1927, 36 L.Ed.2d 410 (1973) (applying Texas law); Spool Stockyards Co. v. Chicago Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Co., 353 F.2d 263 (5th Cir. 1965) (applying Texas law).

¶14In the second place, and more to the point, the plaintiffs do not here seek recognition of any property right of easement. Regardless of the language used by these plaintiffs (who are not attorneys) at their depositions, the plaintiffs in their complaint have neither claimed nor asked for recognition of an easement across Tubbe’s property. Rather, the plaintiffs claim that Tubbe has violated their federally-secured civil rights and they ask for, in addition to mon*665ey damages and declaratory relief, a permanent injunction enjoining Tubbe from denying Evans and other blacks the right to access to and use of the property “in the same manner that such access to and use of property is granted to white citizens by the Defendant.” 6 In other words, all the plaintiffs ask for as far as injunctive relief is concerned is that Tubbe be compelled not to discriminate against Evans and other blacks. An injunction of this nature would not prohibit Tubbe from closing the road to all, black and white alike. (In contrast, if the plaintiffs were to obtain recognition in a Texas state court or other tribunal of an easement from Tubbe by operation of Texas real property law, they would have the right to traverse Tubbe’s property without regard to Tubbe’s actions with respect to others.)

¶15The plaintiffs’ federal claims are thus independent of any state property law claim they might have. Human rights secured by the federal constitution and laws are always a proper subject for adjudication, and federal courts do not have the right to decline exercise of their jurisdiction simply because the rights asserted may be adjudicated in some other forum. Moreno v. Henckel, 431 F.2d 1299, 1309 (5th Cir. 1970).7

¶16The plaintiffs Evans and Dickerson have raised non-frivolous federal civil rights claims. There is not the slightest intimation that they are raising spurious federal claims in order to obtain federal jurisdiction over any state law easement claim. At most, the plaintiffs’ lay “admissions” testimony illustrates only that these non-lawyers misunderstood the legal term of art, “easement.” Such a misunderstanding does not provide a ground for dismissal of their suit with its well-pleaded allegations showing federal jurisdiction, corroborated by their deposition testimony to the same effeet. (Of course, we express no opinion on the factual merits.)

¶17Accordingly, the district court’s order dismissing the suit must be VACATED, and the case must be REMANDED to the district court for further proceedings in accordance with this opinion.

¶18VACATED AND REMANDED.