Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_07-cv-00886/USCOURTS-casd-3_07-cv-00886-5/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 210
Nature of Suit: Land Condemnation
Cause of Action: 40:258(a) Public Buildings &amp; Property: Land Condemnation

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1 07cv886

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff,

v.

14.30 ACRES OF LAND, more or less,

situated in Sand Diego County, State of

California; TIMOTHY LICHTY and

SHERYL LEE LICHTY, CO-TRUSTEES OF

THE TIM AND SHERRY LICHTY

FAMILY TRUST DATED OCTOBER 24,

1991; and OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES,

Defendants. 

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Case No.: 07CV886 AJB (NLS)

ORDER DENYING MOTION 

IN LIMINE NO. 1 TO EXCLUDE

GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP 

OF 60 FOOT STRIP OF LAND 

[Doc. No. 153]

Defendants have filed a motion pursuant to Rules 26(e) and 37(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil

Procedure seeking to exclude any evidence that the Government has a fee ownership interest in the 60

foot strip of land immediately to the west of the subject property and north of the Mexican border. The

Defendants contend that the requested exclusion is warranted because the Government’s withholding

and late disclosure of this information was neither substantially justified nor harmless. The Plaintiff

filed an opposition. Based upon the parties moving papers and for the reasons set forth herein, the

Defendants’ motion is hereby DENIED.

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Case 3:07-cv-00886-AJB-NLS Document 162 Filed 05/10/11 Page 1 of 4
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1

 The 60 foot strip at issue in this case is 60 feet wide (north to south) and approximately 1,800

feet long (east to west). Its eastern boundary abuts the subject property’s western boundary, and it

stretches westward along the international border to the Pacific Ocean. 

2 07cv886

Background

This is a land condemnation matter brought by the United States as a part of the border fence

construction project. The Government acquired the property which is the subject of this action (“the

subject property,”“ property,” or “Lichty Mesa”) on May 16, 2007 (the “date of taking” or the “date of

value”). The only issue before the Court is that of just compensation for the taking of the Defendants’

property, measured by the market value (or “fair market value”) of the property on the date of value,

May 16, 2007. The property owners are entitled to have the market value determined according to the

highest and best use of the property, not necessarily the use to which the property was being put on the

date of the taking.

The property which is the subject of this action is a 14.30 acre parcel of land located in the

extreme southwesterly part of the City of San Diego. The zoning of the property is AR-1-1, which

allows the development of a single family residence on the site and allows horses to be kept on the site.

Before the subject property was taken by the Government in this action, it was the last privately-owned

parcel of land in the most southwesterly corner of the United States. The subject property lies

immediately north of the U.S.-Mexico border and the city of Tijuana. Its northern and eastern edges, as

well as a portion of its western edge, are surrounded by what is now public parkland. Plaintiff once

owned this surrounding land but transferred all of it, except the 60 foot strip,1

 to the State of California

in the early 1970s. The 60 foot strip is identified by assessor parcel number 662-030-03.

Defendants argue the property has significant value ($6.2 million), claiming it is suitable for

development of a custom residential estate. Plaintiff asserts the land’s value is limited ($1.14 million), in

part because it lacks the legal access necessary to support residential use. There are three potential

access routes to the property that have been identified by the Defendants. [Doc. No. 43.] The first, and

most direct route, enters the property at the northeast corner. See Norris Dec., Ex. 4. The second route

crosses the property’s western line, but makes a sharp hairpin turn and a steep ascent before entering

property. Id. The third, and by far the longest route, also enters at the property’s western edge, but only

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2

 The quitclaim deed states: “AND FURTHER EXCEPTING therefrom a strip of land 60 feet in

width running parallel to and contiguous with the International Boundary from the southeastern corner

of the property to the ocean, containing approximately 1.86 acres, for use by the Department of Justice.

3

 This is not the first time the veracity of Defendants’ counsel’s arguments has been questioned

by this Court. See Judge Stormes Order dated November 17, 2008, Doc. No. 67 at p. 3:18-23.

3 07cv886

after it traverses the 60 foot strip. Id. After analyzing each route in their September 16, 2008 motion in

limine, Defendants disclosed that the third route is their “preferred access route.” [Doc. No. 43.] 

Discussion

Defendants’ motion in limine, [Doc. No. 111], seeks to exclude any evidence that the Government has a fee ownership interest in the 60 foot strip of land arguing that pursuant to Rules 26(e) and

37(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure the failure to disclose this information was neither

substantially justified nor harmless. The Defendants’ argue that the Plaintiff did not disclose its

ownership of the 60 foot strip before the discovery cutoff. The Court, however, is not moved by the

Defendants’ arguments, as this information has always been publically available and was disclosed

several times prior to the discovery cut-off. The Plaintiff provided Defendant with two maps, one on

June 25, 2008 and the other on July 1, 2008, both of which identify the strip with the words “U.S. Dept.

Of Justice” and “U.S.A.” at the ends of arrows pointing to the strip indicating Plaintiff’s ownership. In

addition, on July 1, 2008, Plaintiff provided Defendants with the quitclaim deed that transferred

ownership of lands surrounding the subject property from Plaintiff to the State of California. The deed

clearly reserves ownership of the strip by Plaintiff.2

 

The Defendants’ also contend that the language in the quitclaim deed from the United States to

the State of California conveying approximately the western half of Border Field State Park but

reserving a 60 foot strip “for the use of the Department of Justice” was a reservation of a nonexclusive

easement and did not inform the Defendants that the Government would claim to own a fee interest. The

Defendants’ imaginative interpretation of the relevant language from the quitclaim deed is another

example of the overzealous advocacy of defense counsel which crosses “into the realm of mendacious

and frivolous argument” as previously identified by Judge Stormes [Doc. No. 76, p. 3:18-23], because

the term easement simply is not present.3

 The Court finds the language of the quitclaim deed to be clear

and unequivocal. 

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4

 See Noris Dec., Ex. 5.

5 See Noris Dec., Ex. 6.

K:\COMMON\BATTAGLI\DJ CASES\Even Numbers - Erin's Cases\14.3 Acres\07cv886.Order.Deny.MIL1.wpd 4 07cv886

Finally, on December 3, 2008, after the close of discovery, the Defendants’ themselves produced

two previously undisclosed maps of the 60 foot strip. The first map identified the strip and its assessor

parcel number4

 and the second map indicates the Plaintiff’s ownership with an arrow pointing to the

strip with the letters “U.S.A.”5

 Based upon the foregoing, the Court finds there was no failure to disclose

by the Plaintiff. The Defendants’ motion in limine is hereby DENIED.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: May 10, 2011

Hon. Anthony J. Battaglia

U.S. District Judge

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