No. 18- IN THE Supreme Court of the United States SCOTT KASEBURG, For Himself and As a Representative of a Class of Similarly Situated Persons, Petitioners, v. PORT OF SEATTLE, a municipal corporation, PUGET SOUND ENERGY INC; COUNTY OF KING, a home rule charter county; CENTRAL PUGET SOUND REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY, Respondents. (For Continuation of Caption See Inside Cover) ON PETITION FOR A WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES CouRT OF AppEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRcuIT PETITION FOR A WRIT OF CERTIORARI STEVEN M. WALD THOMAS S. STEWART Counsel of Record ELIZABETH G. MCCULLEY STEWART WALD STEWART WALD & MCCULLEY LLC & MCCULLEY LLC 12747 Olive Boulevard, Suite 280 2100 Central, Suite 22 St. Louis, MO 63141 Kansas City, MO 64108 (314) 720-0220 (816) 303-1500 [email protected] Counsel for Petitioners December 10, 2018 283559 THOMAS E. HORNISH and SUZANNE J. HORNISH JOINT LIVING TRUST, For Itself and As Representatives of a Class of Similarly Situated Persons, Petitioners, v. COUNTY OF KING, a home rule charter county, Respondent. i QUESTIONS PRESENTED 1. Whether Grable-type subject matter jurisdiction exists where (A) it is undisputed that the Plaintiffs’ state law cause of action for quiet title does not arise under federal law, and (B) the Plaintiffs do not challenge any aspect of the operation of the federal Trails Act or attempt to affect its ongoing viability in any manner whatsoever, but rather only raise the Trails Act in anticipation of a state law defense, thus there can be no “substantial” federal interest involved. 2. If the Court believes it has subject matter jurisdiction, then: Whether the Trails Act operates per se to preserve a pre-existing state law railroad purpose easement or whether the continuing existence of such easement depends upon the state law determination of whether trail use is beyond the scope of the easement and/ or whether the easement was abandoned under state law? ii PARTIES TO THE PROCEEDING A list of the parties to this proceeding are as follows: Kaseburg et al. v. King County et al. Scott Kaseburg and Kathryn Kaseburg Martin Fedigan Barbara Bergstrom Kim Kaiser and Pamela Kaiser David Komendat and Kelli Komendat William Blokker and Susan Blokker David McCray and Sally McCray John Lorge III and Nancy Lorge John Howell and Molly Howell Darius Richards and Vicki Richards George Johnston and Nancy Johnston Gregory Piantandia and Sherre Piantandia Paul Fergen and Christine Fergen Kevin Iden Tom Easton and Karen Easton Paul Pasquier and Karyn Pasquier John Houtz Terence Block and Kari Block Larry Kolesar and Susan Kolesar John Laughlin and Rebecca Laughlin Jeffrey Riley and Tami Riley Nancy Manz Donald Dana and Patricia Dana Christie Mueller Denise Harris Walter Moore Tom Dahlby and Kathy Dahlby Harry Dursch Kirsten Lemke iii Richard Vaughn Richard S. Howell and Lois Howell Donald Lockner and Patricia Lockner Margorie Grundhaus William Keppler and Debra Keppler Curtis Dickerson and Julie Dickerson Gregory Lasek and Patricia Lasek Yongtao Chen Qin Li Robert Taylor and Alison Taylor Edmund Jones Donald Miller Susan Miner Ronald Jones and Carol Jones Steve Smolinske and Sherri Smolinski Joseph Ioppolo Richard Kaner and Lynn Kaner Bradley R. Elfers and Gregory P. Elfers Paul Remington John Burroughs Bruce Erikson and Mary Erikson Timothy Riley and Virginia Riley James Sather and Kelly Sather Julin Family Limited Partnership Steven Brace and Kristen Brace Charles Billow and Courtni Billow Harold A. Bruce Pierre Thiry and Cristi Thiry Michael Franceshina Michael Oldham and Gina Oldham Stephen Porter and Nancy Porter Robert Laris and Janis Laris Michael Russell and Elana Russell Uma Shenoy iv Larry Peterson and Susan Peterson Joseph Peterson and Kristin Peterson John Patrick Heily Sunday Kyrkos Paul Gibbons and Tracy Gibbons Dayton Dennison and Marilynn Dennison Gregory Nick Diversity Assets LLC James Johnson David Williamson Kristi Sunderland Claudia Mansfield Kevin Lindahl and Rebecca Lindahl Kevin Tran Jeanne DeMund Kathy Haggart Dawn Lawson Marlene Winter Jie Ao Xin Zhou Pacific Holdings LLC James Tasco Michael Chan and Amanda Chan Gary Weil Dale Mitchell and Marla Mitchell Frederick Miller and Susan Miller Pamela Hunt Gretchen Chambers Alwyn Eugene Geiser Daniel Haggart Pamela Schafer Hornish et al. v. King County Thomas E. Hornish and Suzanne J. Hornish Joint v Living Trust Tracy Neighbors and Barbara Neighbors Arul Menezes Lucretia VanderWende Herbert Moore and Elynne Moore Eugene Morel and Elizabeth Morel Lake Sammamish 4257 LLC vi RULE 29.6 STATEMENT In Kaseburg, Petitioners Diversity Assets LLC, Julin Family Limited Partnership, and Pacific Holdings LLC separately assert that each has no parent corporation and there is no publicly held corporation that own ten percent or more of their stock. Diversity Assets LLC is a Washington limited liability company, which is wholly owned by Member, Alwyn Eugene Geisler, IV. Julin Family Limited Partnership is a Washington limited liability company, which is wholly owned by Member, Dean Johnson. Pacific Holdings LLC is a Washington limited liability company, which is wholly owned by Members, David & April Humphrey. In Hornish, Petitioner Lake Sammamish 4257 LLC asserts that it has no parent corporation and there is no publicly held corporation that owns ten percent or more of its stock. Lake Sammamish 4257 LLC is a Washington limited liability company, which is wholly owned by Members Arul Menezes and Lucretia VanderWende. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page QUESTIONS PRESENTED ......................i PARTIES TO THE PROCEEDING ............... ii RULE 29.6 STATEMENT .......................vi TABLE OF CONTENTS........................ vii TABLE OF APPENDICES ......................ix TABLE OF AUTHORITIES ......................x OPINIONS BELOW..............................1 JURISDICTION .................................1 STATUTORY PROVISIONS INVOLVED ...........1 STATEMENT OF THE CASE ....................3 A. Factual Background ........................4 B. Legal Proceedings .........................9 REASONS FOR GRANTING THE PETITION.....13 I. THE DECISIONS BELOW CONFLICT WITH DECISIONS OF THIS COURT REGARDING THE EXTENT OF GRABLE- T Y P E S U B J E C T MATTER JURISDICTION..................13 viii Table of Contents Page II. THE DECISIONS BELOW, THAT THE RAILROAD PURPOSE EASEMENT IS “PRESERVED” FOR CURRENT INTERIM RAILROAD USES DURING THE “RAILBANKING” PROCESS, CONFLICTS WITH THE PLAIN WORDING OF THE STATUTE ITSELF, EXTENSIVE AUTHORITY FROM THIS COURT AND THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT, AND BASIC PROPERTY LAW ..............21 III. CONCLUSION..............................28 ix TABLE OF APPENDICES Page APPENDIX A — OPINION OF THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT, FILED AUGUST 3, 2018 .....1a APPENDIX B — MEMORANDUM OF THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT, FILED AUGUST 3, 2018 .............................43a APPENDIX C — ORDER OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON AT SEATTLE, FILED APRIL 20, 2016 ........50a APPENDIX D — ORDER OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON AT SEATTLE, DATED AUGUST 23, 2016, WITH EXHIBITS A-C .......................71a APPENDIX E — DENIAL OF REHEARING OF THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT, FILED SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 ...............155a APPENDIX F — DENIAL OF REHEARING IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT, DATED SEPTEMBER 11, 2018...............157a x TABLE OF CITED AUTHORITIES Page CASES Altria Grp., Inc. v. Good, 555 U.S. 70 (2008).............................22 Barclay v. United States, 443 F.3d 1368 (Fed. Cir. 2006) ........... 22, 25, 26 Brandt v. United States, 572 U.S. 93 (2014) .............................24 Caldwell v. United States, 630 F.3d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 2004) ........... 22, 25, 26 California Shock Trauma Air Rescue v. State of Compensation Ins. Fund, 636 F.3d 538 (9th Cir.) ..........................3 Caterpillar Inc. v. Williams, 482 U.S. 386 (1987).........................14, 18 City of New York v. F.C.C., 486 U.S. 57 (1988).............................22 Ellamae Phillips Co. v. United States, 564 F.3d 1367 (Fed. Cir. 2009) ..................26 Franchise Tax Bd. v. Constr. Laborers Vacation Trust, 463 U.S. 1 (1983)........................14, 17, 18 xi Cited Authorities Page Grable & Sons Metal Prod., Inc. v. Darue Eng’g & Mfg., 545 U.S. 308 (2005) ...................... passim Gunn v. Minton, 568 U.S. 251 (2013) ...........................20 Holmes Grp., Inc. v. Vornado Air Circulation Sys., Inc., 535 U.S. 826 (2002)............................14 Hornish, et. al. v. King County, 899 F.3d 680 ..................................1 Hornish, et. al. v. King County, 182 Fed. Supp.3d 1124 (W.D.Wa.).................1 Janakes v. United States Postal Service, 768 F.2d 1091 (9th Cir. 1985)....................19 Johnson v. MFA Petroleum Co., 10 F. Supp. 3d 982 (W.D. Mo. 2014) ..............22 Ladd v. United States, 630 F.3d 1015 (Fed. Cir. 2010)............ 22, 25, 26 Lawson v. State of Washington, 730 P.2d 1308 (Wash. 1986) ............16, 25, 26, 27 xii Cited Authorities Page Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals Inc. v. Thompson, 478 U.S. 804 (1986)............................14 Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. v. Manning, 136 S. Ct. 1562 (2016)..........................17 Metro. Life Ins. Co. v. Taylor, 481 U.S. 58 (1987)..............................3 Peabody Coal Co. v. Navajo Nation, 373 F.3d 945 (9th Cir. 2004) ....................14 Phillips Petroleum Co. v. Texaco, Inc., 415 U.S. 125 (1974)