Opinion ID: 795095
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Erroneous Facts and Errors of Law-Two Examples

Text: 84 The December 2004 order contains a number of findings and conclusions that reveal misinterpretation of law, factual errors, and misapplication of law to the facts. We shall discuss two examples. First is the statement that there had been a previous finding and holding that SNPC's working interest share was used for commercial purposes. Second is the holding that the Congo waived its FSIA defenses and authorized seizure of its property. 85 The district court deemed the working interest to be simply a species of the previous determination made in this proceeding that the property was used for commercial purposes. The previous determination was in the modified October 2004 order that authorized execution against the royalty obligations. The immunity determination about SNPC's working interest share is not a species of the determination about the royalty obligations. Moreover, the district court cannot rely on the October 2004 determination because it had no subject matter jurisdiction at that time. 86 Prior to issuing a garnishment order, a district court must make factual findings that support application of the § 1610(a) exception to executional immunity during the situs snapshot for each form of property. For example, a foreign sovereign's car does not become exempt from executional immunity solely because it was previously determined that the sovereign's airplane was not protected by FSIA immunity. Likewise, a previous determination that royalty obligations were used for commercial activity in the United States tends to neither prove nor disprove whether a working interest share was used for commercial purposes in the United States. 3 As a matter of law, the working interest share could only be executed against if both § 1610(a) requirements were met and the Congo's waiver of immunity applied to SNPC's property. The obligation to pay SNPC's working interest would not be exempt from executional immunity just because the § 1610(a) exception applied to the obligations to pay royalties. 87 Next, the district court's finding that the Congo waived its FSIA defenses regarding SNPC's property is clearly erroneous. The Congo stipulated that any SNPC property was also the Congo's property, but reserved its right to challenge whether such property is: (1) property in which SNPC has a right or interest; (2) sited in the United States; and (3) property used for a commercial activity in the United States within the meaning of 28 U.S.C. § 1610(a). Contrary to the district court's findings, the Congo did not waive its FSIA defenses. Moreover, the § 1610(a) defenses are jurisdictional and can only be waived by failure to raise the sovereign immunity claim.