Opinion ID: 3008274
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: The State’s Plea to the Jurisdiction

Text: The jurisdictional question at the heart of this case is whether, considering Hearts Bluff’s pleadings and the evidence submitted in the plea to the jurisdiction proceeding, there are sufficient facts to support an inverse condemnation. Construing the pleadings liberally in favor of the plaintiffs and considering the evidence submitted with the plea, we conclude that Hearts Bluff has not established the existence of jurisdiction in this case because Hearts Bluff cannot establish a viable takings claim. See Miranda, 133 S.W.3d at 226 (citation omitted). Although the value of Hearts Bluff’s property interests was likely diminished by the Corps’ decision, Hearts Bluff does not challenge the proposition that the State lacked the authority to deny the federal permit required for a mitigation bank. Hearts Bluff also asks this Court to remand the proceeding to allow additional discovery, a position the dissent endorses. Because courts should determine whether they have jurisdiction as early as practicable, courts should allow “reasonable opportunity for targeted discovery” if necessary to illuminate jurisdictional facts in a plea to the jurisdiction. See id. at 233. At the trial court, Hearts Bluff sought “thorough” discovery of its case, which the trial court properly denied but allowed limited discovery. Hearts Bluff participated in discovery. It was granted six depositions by order of the trial court, propounded requests for production to the State, and obtained documents from the Corps and internet websites maintained by defendants and from private engineering and environmental consulting firms. However, the record does not show that Hearts Bluff took any of the depositions to which it was entitled, of the State or of the Corps (or anyone else), during the - 34 - thirteen months from its filing of the lawsuit to the date the trial court ruled on the plea to the jurisdiction. Hearts Bluff did, however, fail to answer the State’s discovery for months until ordered to do so by the trial court. In addition, Hearts Bluff amended its original petition twice after filing suit, including the Second Amended Original Petition that it filed with its response to the State’s motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction. See Steele, 603 S.W.2d at 788 (“We do not, however, in reversing the judgments below, place our decision upon the absence of an opportunity to amend because no point is presented which asks us to do so.”). The dissent contends that “at the State’s insistence, there has been little discovery and no trial.” __ S.W.3d __ (Hecht, J., dissenting). The record confirms that Hearts Bluff took discovery of the Corps, the State and others, that it did not avail itself of additional discovery to which it was entitled or which the trial court ordered it could take, and it did not file a motion to continue the hearing on the motion to dismiss to take additional discovery. We perceive no injustice to Hearts Bluff arising from its choice not to take advantage of greater opportunities to discover and present its case before the trial court granted the plea.