In The United States Court of Federal Claims

No. 12-297C

This Opinion Will Not Be Published in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims Reporter 

Because It Does Not Add Significantly to the Body of Law

(Filed: April 30, 2013)

__________

ONEAL P. BELMONTE, JR., d/b/a 

COUSINS PAINT & DRYWALL 

SUPPLY, L.L.C.

 Plaintiff,

v.

THE UNITED STATES,

Defendant.

__________

OPINION and ORDER

__________

On May 8, 2012, Oneal P. Belmonte, Jr. filed a pro se complaint alleging that the United 

States “has acted in an unlawful and unconstitutional manner by subversively developing and

enforcing a ‘Gulf Coast De-population Plan.’” Plaintiff averred that the execution of this plan by 

Federal agencies “placed an insurmountable economic hardship on businesses returning to St. 

Bernard Parish, Louisiana, after the occurrence of Hurricane Katrina, by systematically 

discouraging previous and potential future residents from returning to the area.” In his 

complaint, plaintiff cites various features of the “De-population Plan,” including: (i) the “Lot 

Next Door” program that restricted population growth by not allowing the purchaser of a former 

neighbor’s property to build inhabitable structures on that property; (ii) the “Road Home 

Project,” which paid people large sums of money to leave the Parish permanently; and (iii) the 

St. Bernard Parish’s practice of tearing down thousands of useful, reparable homes. Plaintiff 

avers that the implementation of this plan, coupled with the enforcement of various government 

loans against him, has and will result in his suffering an economic loss of $1,480,000.

On June 15, 2012, defendant filed a motion to dismiss (summarily) plaintiff’s complaint 

under RCFC 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6). Briefing on this matter has been completed. Argument is 

deemed unnecessary.

Deciding a motion to dismiss “starts with the complaint, which must be well-pleaded in 

that it must state the necessary elements of the plaintiff’s claim, independent of any defense that 
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may be interposed.” Holley v. United States, 124 F.3d 1462, 1465 (Fed. Cir. 1997) (citations 

omitted); see also Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007). The plaintiff must 

establish that the court has subject matter jurisdiction over its claims. Reynolds v. Army & Air 

Force Exch. Serv., 846 F.2d 746, 748 (Fed. Cir. 1988); Hansen v. United States, 65 Fed. Cl. 76, 

94 (2005). This court recognizes that plaintiff is acting pro se, and thus will hold the form of 

plaintiff’s submissions to a less stringent standard than those drafted by an attorney. See Reed v. 

United States, 23 Cl. Ct. 517, 521 (1991) (citing Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97 (1976)). Having 

reviewed plaintiff’s complaint, defendant’s motion, and the briefing on that motion, this court, 

however, is certain that it lacks jurisdiction to consider the claims that plaintiff raises. 

With very limited exceptions, the jurisdictional statutes governing the United States 

Court of Federal Claims grant authority to the court only to issue judgments for money against 

the United States and then, only when they are grounded in a contract, a money-mandating 

statute, or the “takings clause” of the Fifth Amendment. See United States v. Testan, 424 U.S. 

392, 397-98 (1976); 28 U.S.C. § 1491. This court lacks jurisdiction to entertain claims that are 

not based upon an appropriate money-mandating provision. See, e.g., Sanders v. United States, 

34 Fed. Cl. 75, 78 (1995), aff’d, 104 F.3d 376 (Fed. Cir. 1996), cert. denied, 522 U.S. 831 

(1997); Martinez v. United States, 26 Cl. Ct. 1471, 1476 (1992), aff’d, 11 F.3d 1069 (Fed. Cir. 

1993). Plaintiff readily admits that he has never had a contract with the United States covering 

the subject matter of his complaint. He has also failed to cite any statute or regulation suggesting 

that his claim regarding the “Gulf Coast De-population Plan” is supported by the requisite 

money-mandating provision. 

As stated in his response to defendant’s motion, in the end, plaintiff predicates his claim 

on his “understanding that the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the United States of America 

guarantees every American the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” guarantees that, 

in plaintiff’s view, prohibited the United States from “carrying out a plan to discourage residents 

from returning to their homes and/or communities.” The inalienable rights and protections cited 

by plaintiff, which are rooted in both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, are 

undeniably important. See Beer v. United States, 696 F.3d 1174, 1183 (Fed. Cir. 2012), cert. 

denied, 2013 WL 55994 (U.S. Apr. 22, 2013). But, the unfortunate fact for plaintiff is that none 

of these provisions may serve as the basis for a claim before this court. See Johnson-El v. United 

States, 650 F.2d 288 (Ct. Cl. 1980) (table); Wismiller v. United States, 135 F. Supp. 438, 440 (Ct. 

Cl. 1956), cert. denied, 350 U.S. 936 (1956); Rose v. United States, 2010 WL 4340950, at *2 

(Fed. Cl. Oct. 29, 2010); Beale v. United States, 69 Fed. Cl. 234, 235, 237 (2005); John-Perry 

Ben Birdsall-Perry v. United States, 2005 WL 6115725, at *2 (Fed. Cl. Sept. 30, 2005). Nor has

plaintiff pursued any form of a “takings action,” as might be predicated upon the Fifth 

Amendment to the Constitution.

Based on the foregoing, the court GRANTS defendant’s motion to dismiss this case 

under RCFC 12(b)(1). The Clerk shall enter a judgment dismissing plaintiff’s complaint. No 

costs. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

s/Francis M. Allegra 

Francis M. Allegra

Judge