Opinion ID: 159803
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: US West's Takings Claim

Text: 37 In its first amended complaint, US West claimed that the contractual provisions imposed upon it by the UPSC constitute a taking of its property for public use without just compensation in violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. US West sought relief under 42 U.S.C. 1983. Defendants moved to dismiss US West's takings claim under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b), and the district court determined that it had jurisdiction over the claim. On appeal, defendants argue that US West cannot raise its takings claim in federal court until it attempts to obtain compensation through state procedures or pleads that it would be futile to do so. They claim that because US West has not yet gone through state channels, the takings claim is not ripe and the district court therefore does not have jurisdiction over it. 38 We find no indication in the record that defendants made this argument to the district court. Moreover, the district court did not discuss ripeness in its memorandum order denying defendants' motion to dismiss. The lower court merely found that US West brought its claim under the Fourteenth Amendment and 42 U.S.C. 1983. The district court concluded that [t]hese are appropriate channels for such claims and this Court has the proper jurisdiction to hear them. Mem. Order at 7. Whether the claim is ripe for judicial review is another question, one that the district court apparently did not address. 39 We see no reason to depart from the general rule that 'a federal appellate court does not consider an issue not passed upon below.' Walker v. Mather (In re Walker), 959 F.2d 894, 896 (10th Cir. 1992) (quoting Singleton v. Wulff, 428 U.S. 106, 120 (1976)). We therefore decline to consider the merits of defendants' ripeness argument. The ripeness issue will be before the district court on remand. 40 AFFIRMED AND REMANDED.