UNITE D STATE S DEPARTMEN T O FTRANSPORTATIO N FEDERA LAVIATIO N ADMINISTRi i

WASHINGTON , D C Venic e Je t

Center , LL C Complainant , V . City o f Venice , Florid a Respondent . FA A Docke t No . 16-09-0 5

/ TRISTAT E AVIATIO N GROU P O FFLORIDA' S OPPOSITIO N T O CIT Y O FVENICE . FLOMDA' S MOTIO N T O DISMIS S • 1 C D :Kj a Instat e Aviatio n Grou p o f Florid aLL C ("Tristate") , b y an dthroug hit s undersigfted S —t D '— ^ counsel , a s th e assigne e o f th e leas e b y an dbetwee n Venic e Je t Center , LL C ("VJC")

- an dtl ^ City o f Venic e ("th e City " o r

"Respondent") , pursuan t t o 1 4 C.F.R . 16.19(c) , submit s thi s oppositio n t o th e City o f Venice , Florida' s Motio n t o Dismis s ("Motio n t o Dismiss" ) an dstate s tha t th e Motion t o Dismis s shoul db e denie da s (1 ) th e underlyin g leas e was neve r terminated , (2 ) th e dispute i s ripe, (3 ) th e City consente dt o th e assignmen t o f th e lease , (4 ) aFedera l Cour t confirme dan dordere dth e assignmen t o f th e leas e an drights therein , an d(5 ) th e Motion t o Dismis s i s untimely . 1 . Th e City filedth e Motio n t o Dismis s i n respons e t o Tristat e Aviatio n Grou p o f Florid aLLC' s Motio n t o Interven e an dfor Joinde r a s Co-Complainan t

("Motio n t o Intervene") . 2 . Th e argument s raise di n th e Motio n ignor e th e fac t tha t th e City ha s consente dt o th e assignmen t

an dtha t aFedera l Court

ordere dth e assignument . Clearly , th e leas e betwee n th e City o f Venic e an dVJ C was neve r terminated . Rather , Tristat e ha s no w becom e th e lesse e unde r th e lease . Th e request s t o buil dhangar s ar e stil l pendin g an dhav e not bee n approved . Th eauthoritie s cite db y th e Cit y i n th e Motio n t o Dismis s are base do n aleas e termination , an dthu s are not applicable . 3 . Tristat e i s no w th e lesse e whic hi s bein g prevente dfi-ombuildin g hangar s o n it s leasehold . Pleas e se e th e Sworn Declaratio n o f Donal dMarti n Kretchman attache da s Exhibi t "A" . Pleas e als o se e th e City' s consent s t o th e assignmen t whic hare attache dt o th e Motion t o Interven e a s Exhibi t

"B " an dth e Federa l Court orde r approvin g th e assignment s attache dt o th e Motio n t o Interven e a s Exhibi t "C" . 4 . Th e City canno t

ignor e th e simpl e fac t

tha t i t ha s consente dt o th e assignmen t an d that aFedera l Judg e ordere dth e assignment . Nothin g ha s changed , excep t th e nam e o f

th e lessee . Th e dispute stil l exist s an dth e City continue s t o violat e it s gran t assurance s withth e Federa l Aviatio n Administratio n ("FAA") . 5 . Th e City ha s als o faile dt o mentio n tha t i t ha s ha dinformal meeting s withTristat e t o discus s th e hangar

dispute . Pleas e se e th e Sworn Declaratio n o f Donal dMarti n Kretchma n attache da s Exhibi t

"A" . Therefore , Tristat e ha s complie dwit hC.F.R . 1 4 16.21 , i n tha t ha s ha d it s ow n informa l meeting s withth e City (u p an dabove th e meeting s hel db y th e lesse e whe n VJ C was th e lesse e unde r

th e lease) . 6 . Furthe r

th e City' s paltr y excerpt s quotin g Mr . Kretchma n ar e take n out o f context . Tristat e ha s neve r

state dthat

i t di dnot inten dt o buil dth e hangar s a s proposed . Pleas e se e th e Sworn Declaratio n o f

Donal dMarti n Kretchma n attache da s Exhibi t "A" . Se e also , publicatio n corroboratin g Tristate' s positio n withrespec t t o th e hangar s attache dheret o a s Exhibi t "B" . 7 . Th e City' s clai mtha t i t objecte dt o th e assignmen t o f th e par t 1 6 actio n i s irrelevan t a s th e Federa l Court

clearl y denie dth e objection . Th e Court order , whic hth e Federa l Cour t entere do n January 20 , 2010 , confirme dassignmen t o f all rights, includin g thi s part 1 6action . Clearl y th e Federa l Court agree dtha t

th e part 1 6 actio n claim s are assignabl e an dare assigne dt o Tristate . Thi s assignmen t make s sens e a s th e sam e dispute stil l remains , i.e . tha t th e Cit y i s preventin g th e lesse e firombuildin g hangar s i n violatio n o f FA A gran t

assurances . Certainl y th e City coul dhav e appeale dth e Federa l Court order , an da s i t

stands , th e Federa l Cour t orde r i s i n plac e an dha s rule dtha t all rights hav e bee n assigne dt o Tristate . 8 . Th e City' s decisio n t o file th e Motio n t o Dismis s o n February 18 , 201 0 (nearl y a monthafter

th e Federa l Court

approve dth e sal e an damer e 7 day s prio r t o th e dat e tha t

th e FA A i s require dt o rul e o n th e underlyin g par t 1 6 complaint ) i s questionable . Thi s City ha s clearl y put th e FA A an dTristat e i n apositio n wher e th e FA A i s force dt o rul e an dTristat e i s force dt o respon dprio r

t o th e 1 0 day s provide di n 1 4 CF R16.21(c) . Thus , th e Motio n t o Dismis s shoul d b e denie da s untimely . 9 . Ultimately , i t

i s withi n th e purvie w o f FA A t o determin e whethe r Tristat e ha s standing . Th e fact s remai n that (1 ) th e City ha s consente dt o th e assigmnent , (2 ) th e Federa l Cour t ordere dth e assignment , an d(3 ) th e lesse e unde r th e leas e remain s bein g prevente dfi-om buildin g hangar s o n it s leasehol di n violatio n o f FA A gran t

assurances . Thus , th e disput e i s ripe, Tristat e ha s standing , an dTristat e shoul db e allowe dt o participat e i n thi s part 1 6 action . Further , th e Cit y ha s n o lega l ground s t o argue , a s i t does , tha t

th e relie f

requeste di n th e Motio n t o Interven e shoul db e denie da s i t i s no t provide dfor

i n th e par t

1 6 rules . Se e 1 4 CF Rsectio n 16.19(a ) an dJetawa y Aviatio n v . Montros e County , FA A Docke t N o 16-08-01 , 200 9 WL 213662 2 at

*16(Director' s Determination , Jul y 2 , 2009)(Motion s ar e th e appropriat e mean s b y whic hpartie s shoul dappl y for an orde r o r rulin g no t

specificall y provide dfor i n th e Part

1 6 procedures) . 10 . Accordingly , Tristat e request s tha t th e Motio n t o Dismis s b e denied .CERTIFICAT E O FSERVIC E

I hereb y certif

y tha t I hav e serve datru e an dcorrec t cop y o f th e foregoin g o n th e followin g person s b y overnigh t delivery o n February 22,2010 : Offic e o f th e Chie f Counse l Jonatha n Cros s Attn : FA A Part

1 6 Airpor t

Proceeding s Manager Docket , AGC-61 0 Airport s an dEnviroimienta l La w divisio n Roo m92 5 Federa l Aviatio n Administratio n Federa l Aviatio n Administratio n 80 0 Independenc e Ave. , S.W . 80 0 hidependenc e Ave. , S.W . Washington , D C 2059 1 Washington , D C 2059 1 Facsimile (202 ) 267-576 9 Origina l an d3 copie s 1 Cop y I hereb y furthe r

certif y tha t I hav e serve datru e an dcorrec t cop y o f th e foregoin g o n th e followin g person s b y electroni c mai l o n February 22 , 2010 :

Raymon dVeatc h Airport an dEnvironmenta l La w Divisio n Offic e o f th e Chie f Counse l Federa l Aviatio n Administratio n 80 0 Independenc e Avenue , S W Roo m900- E Washington , D.C . 2059 1 (202 ) 267-319 9 (office ) (202 ) 267-967 6 (direct ) (202 ) 267-576 9 (fax ) Ravmond . Veatch@faa . go v I hereb y fiarther

certif y tha t I hav e serve datru e an dcorrec t cop y o f th e foregoin g o n th e followin g person s b y overnigh t mai l an delectroni c mai l o n February 22 , 2010 : Thoma s R . Devin e Kapla n Kirsc h& Rockwel l LL P 100 1 Connecticu t

Ave . NW , Ste . 80 0 Washington , D C 2003 6 Telephone : (202 ) 955-560 0 Email : tdevine@kaplankirsch.co m an dDominiqu e H . Pearlma n Wian dGuerr aKin g 300 0 Bayport

Drive , Suit e 60 0 Tampa , Fl 3360 7 Telehone : (813 ) 347-510 9 Email : dpearlman@wiandlaw.co m I hereb y further

certif y tha t I hav e serve datru e an dcorrec t cop y o f th e foregoin g o n th e followin g person s b y Unite dState s mai l o n February 22 , 2010 :

Robert C . Anderso n Hal l & Anderson , P. A 131 4 Eas t Venic e Avenue , Suit e E Venice , Florid a3428 5

s /RICHAR D L . RICHARD S Florid aBa

r No . 941 5 Email : rrichards@richpa.ne t RICHARD S & ASSOCL\TE S 232,Andalusi aAvenue , Suit e 20 2 Cora l Gables , Florid a3313 4 Telephone : (305 ) 448-222 8 Facsimile : (305 ) 448-222 9 Attorney s for

Tristat e Aviatio n Grou p o f Florid aLL CExhibi t "A " (Swor n Declaratio n o f

Donal dMarti n Kretchma n o f Tristate )