Opinion ID: 310938
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: scope of remedy

Text: 12 But the abstract right to relief, upon a proper showing, does not end the matter. Plaintiffs are not entitled to the injunctive relief they seek, for two reasons: (1) at the time this action was brought the individual plaintiffs were not proper representatives of a class; and (2) changes in the relevant regulations since the action was filed have deprived the plaintiffs' contentions of their original force. 13 The claims and defenses of these so-called representative parties are not typical of the claims and defenses of the alleged class within the meaning of Fed.R.Civ.P. 23(a)(3). Given the many disputed factual issues peculiar to individual plaintiffs, a class action is not warranted under Fed.R.Civ.P. 23(b)(3). The H.E.W. regulation relied on by the plaintiffs contemplates that the 30-day time limit will be exceeded in unusual situations    in a small percentage of cases    H.E.W. Handbook, Part IV, Sec. 2300(b)(6). The situations of the original plaintiffs, Cooley, Lidie, and Jordan, appear to be unusual. Cooley was not eligible for food stamps at all, because he ate a majority of his meals in restaurants. Lidie and Jordan had been on the food stamp rolls, but were dropped for failure to use the stamps. The delay they complain of was in their attempt at recertification. There were also many disputed factual issues concerning each of their applications. 14 Nor could the plaintiffs' Motion to Amend have cured their problem. The motion was actually a motion to intervene by several additional plaintiffs. Motions to intervene are liberally granted in mootness situations to avoid the problem of the granting of selective relief by defendants and the avoidance of the dismissal or compromise provisions of Fed.R.Civ.P. 23(e). But where the original plaintiffs were never qualified to represent the class, a motion to intervene represents a back-door attempt to begin the action anew, and need not be granted. Washington v. Wyman, 54 F.R.D. 266 (S.D.N.Y.1971). 15 The heart of the class action is the preponderance of questions of law and fact common to the plaintiffs seeking to assert the rights of the alleged class. The new parties sought to be interjected into the action could not enhance the common cause, and would add to the idiosyncratic problems presented by the original plaintiffs. The class action was correctly denied. 16 Even if there had been a proper basis for proceeding as a class action, there is a further reason for denying injunctive relief in this case. 17 During the pendency of this action, the Secretary of Agriculture, pursuant to his authority to issue regulations and to formulate and administer a food stamp program, 7 U.S.C. Sec. 2013, published regulations which accepted in part and rejected in part suggested reforms similar to the claims of the plaintiffs in this case. 7 C.F.R. Secs. 270, 271 (1972). Also during this litigation, the Food Stamp Act was amended to eliminate the requirement that the Secretary of Agriculture's processing procedures be the same as those of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Act of October 30, 1972, Pub.L. No. 92-603, Sec. 411(d), 86 Stat. 1491. The new regulations of the Secretary of Agriculture recognize the 30-day time limit, but require a more formal application than did the old H.E.W. regulations and require only notification, not assistance, to be given after 30 days. Because of the necessarily forward looking nature of any injunctive relief, DeBremaecker v. Short, 433 F.2d 733, 735 (5th Cir. 1970), plaintiffs would now have to show that these new rules are invalid in order to obtain an injunction requiring stamps to be given 30 days after application. Cf. Thorpe v. Housing Authority of Durham, 393 U.S. 268, 89 S.Ct. 518, 21 L. Ed.2d 474 (1969). Upon remand, the prayer for injunctive relief should be deleted, unless plaintiffs make such a showing.