Hall v. Office of Personnel Management

A NOTE: This order is nonprecedential United States Court of Appea|s for the Federa| Circult 2010-3020 HAROLD HALL, Petitioner, V. OFFlCE OF PERSONNEi_ lVlANAGElVlENT, Respondent. Petition for review of the |V|erit Systems Protection Board in ATO831090280-1-1 _ ON lVlOT|ON Before lVl|CHEL, Chief Judge, SCHALL and L|NN, Circult Judges. PER CURlAl\/l. 0 R D E R The Office of Personnel l\./lanagement (OP|Vl) moves to waive the requirements of Fed. Cir. R. 27(f) and to dismiss l-iarold Hall’s petition from the lVlerit Systems Protection Board decision in AT083‘lO90280-l-‘l for lack of jurisdiction Hall moves for leave to proceed in forma pauperis and to stay proceedings. Hall filed an appeal challenging OPl\/l`s reconsideration decision that found Hall ineligible for survivor annuity benefits based on the federal service of his spouse Hall married his spouse after she retired The Board determined that because Ha||’s spouse had not filed a written election for a survivor annuity within two years of their marriage, Hall was not entitled to benefits on that ground However, the Board remanded the case to OPlV| to determine whether Hall might be entitled to benefits if he and his spouse were married pursuant to common law at the time of his spouse’s retirement. _OPM argues that the court lacks jurisdiction over Hall’s appeal because the Board remanded Hal|’s case to OPM for further adjudication and thus any appeal is premature. § 28 U.S.C. § 1295(a)(9) (this court has jurisdiction over a petition for review of a "fina| order or final decision of the Merit Systems Protection Board"). Because Hall seeks review of the Board's remand order, which is not a final order or decision, the petition for review is premature. See Weed v. Socia|___Sec. Admin., 571 F.3d 1359, 1362 (Fed. Cir. 2009) ("a remand . . . [is] not a final order or final decision for purposes of § 1295(a)(9)"). Thus, we grant the motion to dismiss. if the Board issues an adverse final decision in this case at a later date, Hall may thereafter seek review of that decision, if appropriate. Accordingly, lT |S ORDERED THAT: (1) OPM’s motions are granted The appeal is dismissed (2) Each side shall bear its own costs (3) Hall's motions are denied as moot. FOR THE COURT DEC 1 6 ilgs[__Jan Horbaly wm jj Date Jan Horbaly Clerk cc: Haro|d Hall MichaelGoodman,Esq. ` F'ILE U-S. couRr or AP ma FEnERAL cifEf:fiirF0R s20 |SSUED AS A MANDATE: 1 6 mic 16 2009 n"WW JAN HORBALY CLERK 2010-3020 2