Buesgens v. Brown

• Decision Date: 11 June 2008
• Docket Number: Civil Action No. 06-1964 (RBW).
• Parties: Michael BUESGENS, Plaintiff, v. Charles BROWN, et al., Defendants.
• Court: U.S. District Court — District of Columbia

567 F.Supp.2d 26

Michael BUESGENS, Plaintiff, v. Charles BROWN, et al., Defendants.

Civil Action No. 06-1964 (RBW).

United States District Court, District of Columbia.

June 11, 2008.

COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED

COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED

Michael L. Buesgens, Austin, TX, pro se.

Charles E. Brown, Austin, TX, pro se.

MEMORANDUM OPINION

REGGIE B. WALTON, District Judge.

On November 15, 2006, the plaintiff¹, proceeding pro se, filed his Complaint in this action, inartfully alleging that the defendant, Charles E. Brown, violated, inter alia, the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA"), the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Fair Housing Act, and 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (2000).² Complaint ("Compl") at 15-27. Although the plaintiff alleges violations of these several statutes, the plaintiff does not set forth the specific sections of the statutes upon which he bases his claims.³ The plaintiff also alleges other claims against the defendant that are incoherent.⁴ Id.

Currently before this Court is the defendant's motion to dismiss, filed on March 19, 2007, pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 12(b)(2) (lack of personal jurisdiction).⁵ Defendant's Motion To Dismiss, or in the Alternative Motion to Transfer ("Def.'s Mot.").⁶ For the reasons set forth below, the defendant's motion must be granted.

I. Standards of Review

Personal jurisdiction "`is an essential element of the jurisdiction of a district ... court,' without which the court is `powerless to proceed to an adjudication.'" Ruhrgas AG v. Marathon Oil Co., 526 U.S. 574, 584, 119 S.Ct. 1563, 143 L.Ed.2d 760 (1999). A plaintiff bears the burden of establishing personal jurisdiction, and must allege specific facts on which personal jurisdiction is based; he cannot rely on merely conclusory allegations. See Mwani v. bin Laden, 417 F.3d 1, 7 (D.C.Cir.2005); Crane v. N.Y. Zoological Soc'y, 894 F.2d 454, 456 (D.C.Cir.1990). Accordingly, the "plaintiff must allege specific acts connecting the defendant with the forum." See Second Amendment Found, v. U.S. Conference of Mayors, 274 F.3d 521, 524 (D.C.Cir.2001). When considering whether personal jurisdiction exists, the Court need not treat all of the plaintiffs allegations as true. Atlantigas Corp. v. Nisource, Inc., 290 F.Supp.2d 34, 42 (D.D.C.2003). Instead, the Court "may receive and weigh affidavits and other relevant matter to assist it in determining the jurisdictional facts." United States v. Philip Morris Inc., 116 F.Supp.2d 116, 120 n. 4 (D.D.C.2000); see also Capital Bank Int'l, Ltd. v. Citigroup, Inc., 276 F.Supp.2d 72, 74 (D.D.C.2003). However, the Court must resolve "factual discrepancies appearing in the record ... in favor of the plaintiff." Crane, 894 F.2d at 456. But, the "plaintiff cannot aggregate factual allegations concerning multiple defendants in order to demonstrate personal jurisdiction over any individual defendant." Atlantigas Corp., 290 F.Supp.2d at 42.

II. Background⁷

This action arises out of the plaintiff's eviction from the Falcon Ridge Apartments located in Austin, Texas. Pl.'s Opp'n, Exhibit ("Ex") 4⁸ (Letter from Charles E. Brown to Michael Buesgens dated December 15, 2005) ("Warning Letter"). The plaintiff had been a resident of Falcon Ridge Apartments and defendant Brown is an attorney who at one time represented the apartment complex in the legal proceedings surrounding the plaintiffs eviction from the complex. Id. On December 15, 2005, defendant Brown sent the plaintiff a letter advising him to stop harassing the management personnel of the apartment complex and its residents because the plaintiff was allegedly being disturbed by another resident's dog. Id. at 1. Defendant Brown further advised the plaintiff that (1) "the Austin Police Department [had] investigated [the plaintiffs] claims and [had] not found that [his] neighbor's dog [was] causing excessive noise as [the plaintiff had] alleged," id., (2) "[t]he [possession of the] dog [was] within the regulations and policies adopted by [the Falcon Ridge Apartments]," id., (3) "[the apartment management's decision to] allow[ ] [the plaintiff's] neighbor to have a pet d[id] not constitute discrimination," id. at 2, and (4) that if he did not cease harassing the "management and other residents and other disruptive behavior immediately [he] w[ould] be evicted," id. Further, defendant Brown informed the plaintiff that he was "a valued resident at Falcon Ridge Apartments", id., and made several "proposals to [the plaintiff] in an effort to settle [the] matter to [the plaintiffs] satisfaction," id. at 2. Defendant Brown offered the plaintiff three options: (1) the plaintiff could terminate his lease early without penalty and pay rent until he vacated the property; (2) the plaintiff could move to another unit within the complex, possibly a third floor unit, so that he would not have anyone living above him; or (3) the plaintiff could stay in his assigned apartment and the neighbor living above the plaintiff would be moved the following month, January 2006. Id. at 2.

Thereafter, on December 21, 2005, defendant Brown sent the plaintiff a notice to vacate, advising the plaintiff that his "rights of occupancy and possession of the [p]remises [were being] terminated" because he was in violation of paragraph 20 (prohibited conduct) of his lease and in default pursuant to paragraph 32 of the lease. Pl.'s Opp'n, Ex. 6 (Notice to Vacate from Charles Brown to Michael Buesgens dated December 21, 2005) ("Notice to Vacate") at 1. The plaintiff was advised to "vacate the [p]remises on or before 11:59:59 p.m. on the 24th day of December, 2005." Id. Defendant Brown further informed the plaintiff that his "liability under the [l]ease for rent and other charges [he] [possibly] ow[ed] ha[d] not been terminated." Id. at 1. In response, the plaintiff sent defendant Brown a letter requesting reasonable accommodations. Pl.'s Opp'n, Ex. 7 (Request for reasonable accommodation dated December 22, 2005). The plaintiff advised defendant Brown that his "letter [was] a formal Request for Reasonable Accommodation under the Fair Housing Act." Id. ¶ 1. The plaintiff also informed defendant Brown that "[s]ince October of 2005, [he][had] made written and verbal complaints to management about the loud dog that live[d] in the apartment above [him]." Id. ¶ 2. The plaintiff indicated that he is "disabled and [is] unable to peacefully enjoy [his] apartment due to the dog's loudness aggravating [his] disability." Id. Further, the plaintiff requested that defendant Brown rescind the Notice to Vacate that [he] received on Wednesday, December 21, 2005, and allow [him] to continue living in [his] apartment." Id. ¶ 3. The plaintiff proclaimed that if his request was not granted, "he [was] prepared to seek enforcement of [his] rights under the Fair Housing Act ..., which may include filing a complaint with the United States Department of Housing & Urban Development and/or filing a civil lawsuit." Id. ¶ 5. The plaintiff subsequently filed a housing discrimination complaint pursuant to the Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. ¶¶ 3600-3620 (2000), with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD") on December 28, 2005. The plaintiff alleged that "the respondent coerced, intimidated, threatened or interfered with a person in the exercise or enjoyment of fair housing rights or assisting another in enjoying such rights." Pl.'s Opp'n, Ex. 9 (Housing Administrative Discrimination Complaint dated December 28, 2005.) The plaintiff further alleged that Mandy Rogers, who was being represented by defendant Brown, failed to provide reasonable accommodations for the plaintiff. Id. ¶¶ 3, 6.

Falcon Ridge Apartments then filed suit against the plaintiff in Travis Country, Texas and the plaintiff received an eviction citation on December 30, 2005. Pl.'s Opp'n, Ex. 13 (Eviction Citation issued by Travis County, Texas).⁹ The City of Austin's Equal Employment/Fair Housing Office declined the plaintiff's request to conduct an investigation of his eviction because legal action had been initiated and the trial had already commenced. Id., Ex. 39 (Letter from John Benavides, Lead Investigator for City of Austin, Equal Employment/Fair Housing Office to the defendant dated February 17, 2006); id., Ex. 40 (Letter from Benavides to the plaintiff dated February 21, 2006). Subsequently, the Fort Worth Regional Office of HUD advised the plaintiff on April 21, 2006, that it "concur[ed] with [the City of Austin's Equal Employment/Fair Housing Office's] determination to administratively close the investigation based upon [the] fact that trial [had] begun." Id., Ex. 41 (Letter from Garry Sweeney, Director of the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fort Worth Regional Office, to the plaintiff dated April 21, 2006). Thereafter, Kim Kendrick, Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity of HUD in Washington, D.C., informed the plaintiff that "[she] was in receipt of [his] letters of May 31, 2006, and June 6, 2006, wherein [the plaintiff] allege[d] misconduct by Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity officials." Id., Ex. 42 (Letter from Kim Kendrick, Assistant Secretary of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity of HUD in Washington, D.C., to the plaintiff dated July 28, 2006). Specifically, she informed the plaintiff that in response to his complaint that "FHA Statutes and HUD Regulations [were] being ignored and omitted by [Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity officials]" id. ¶ 1, including, but not limited to, Garry Sweeney, Milton Turner, Turner Russell, and Joe F. Castillo, "the Department [had] reviewed and assessed the performance of the named [HUD] personnel in the conduct of their duties to ensure that their actions [were] in compliance with HUD's guidelines, procedures, and practices for misconducting inquiries and investigations under Title VIII of the Fair Housing Act, as amended," id. ¶ 2. The plaintiff was further advised...