Opinion ID: 6971731
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Plaintiffs Whose Appeals Have Never Been Decided

Text: The district court held that “for those plaintiffs whose appeals have never been decided, the Court finds that their loss is too speculative to satisfy the injury requirement of Article III.” We agree. A plaintiff’s asserted injury must be “actual or imminent.” Lujan, 504 U.S. at 564, 112 S.Ct. 2130. In suits against the government, therefore, when plaintiffs have not already suffered a tangible loss at the government’s hands, they must establish a substantial likelihood that they “personally” will be injured in the future by the government’s policy. See City of Los Angeles v. Lyons, 461 U.S. 95, 101-03, 103 S.Ct. 1660, 75 L.Ed.2d 675 (1983). Insofar as the injury of plaintiffs whose appeals have never been decided is that they did not receive disaster relief funds from FEMA, these plaintiffs cannot establish a substantial likelihood that, absent FEMA’s allegedly improper withdrawal of funds, they would have received such funds. Any right to such funds depends entirely on whether the FSM, which is not a party to this suit, 3 would reverse its initial determination and grant their appeals. Hence, it is “purely speculative” whether an injunction from this court would ever result in these plaintiffs receiving individual and family grants. See Simon v. Eastern Ky. Welfare Rights Org., 426 U.S. 26, 42-43, 96 S.Ct. 1917, 48 L.Ed.2d 450 (1976) (holding that respondents lacked standing because it was “purely speculative” whether a court order “would result in these respondents’ receiving the ... services they desire”); Warth, 422 U.S. at 505-07, 95 S.Ct. 2197 (holding that plaintiffs lacked standing because they failed to allege a substantial probability that, absent defendants’ challenged conduct, they would have been able to avoid asserted injury). These plaintiffs might also define their injury in procedural terms: The court could construe their claim as arguing that they were injured by not having their appeals decided. See Complaint at ¶ 100 (alleging that the defendants’ “actions in failing to ... insure completion, of plaintiffs’ IFG administrative appeals” was unlawful). That injury, however, is not “fairly traceable” to FEMA’s conduct. See Allen v. Wright, 468 U.S. 737, 751, 104 S.Ct. 3315, 82 L.Ed.2d 556 (1984). The FSM’s own plan guidelines required it to decide all appeals within 60 days, and the Stafford Act’s regulations required the FSM to “complete all award activity ... within the 180 days [and subsequent 90-day extension].” 44 C.F.R. § 206.131(j)(l)(iii) 4 Thus, any such “procedural” claim would have to be directed at the FSM.