Opinion ID: 2759280
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Limitations Properties

Text: Claims over which the Court of Federal Claims has jurisdiction must be filed “within six years after such claim first accrues.” 28 U.S.C. § 2501. An amendment to a pleading relates back when “the amendment asserts a claim or defense that arose out of the conduct, transaction, or occurrence set out—or attempted to be set out—in the original pleading . . . .” R. CT. FED. CL. 15(c)(1)(B). The Court of Federal Claims allowed Thetford IV to amend its complaint to add the Limitation Properties to the case during discovery, but more than 6 years after repeal of the Preservation Statutes. The court found that the injury arising from properties listed in the original complaint and the amended complaint were the same— enactment of LIHPRHA with its prohibition on prepayment. Thus, it found that the claims for the properties listed in the original complaint and the Limitation Properties arose out of the same conduct, transaction, or occurrence. The government contends that the takings claims regarding the Limitation Properties are time-barred because each Limitation Property is distinct from those in the original complaint. Specifically, it argues that because the Limitation Properties were developed at different times, built in different areas, and funded by different mortgages, they are not part of the same conduct, transaction, or occurrence as the properties listed in the original complaint. We hold that the Court of Federal Claims did not err in allowing Thetford IV to amend its complaint. The alleged injury, taking of the contractual right to prepay, BIAFORA v. US 15 arose from enactment of LIHPRHA, which prohibited prepayment and limited HUD’s discretion to permit prepayment. As such, the claim, taking of the contractual right to prepay the mortgages of the Limitation Properties, arose out of the same conduct, transaction or occurrence as the properties listed in the original complaint. Additionally, the government was on notice that Thetford IV was raising takings claims for their properties based on enactment of LIHPRHA. Thetford IV simply added specificity to its complaint by adding the Limitations Properties, not wholly new claims. We thus affirm the Court of Federal Claims’ decision to permit Thetford IV to amend its complaint to add claims related to the Limitation Properties.