UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
MAURICE A. PISCIOTTANO, et al.,
Plaintiffs,
v. Civil Action No. 17-1138 (DLF)
UNITED STATES,
Defendant.
MEMORANDUM OPINION
Plaintiffs Maurice and Laurel Pisciottano, proceeding pro se, filed this action
seeking a refund of federal taxes for the 2007 tax year. Before the Court is
Defendant United States’ Motion to Dismiss, pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1) and Rule
12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Dkt. 7.
In its motion to dismiss, the United States argues that the Pisciottanos’ refund
claim is meritless and that the Pisciottanos failed to submit the claim to the IRS within
the statutory limitations period. Id. The United States contends that because the IRS
claim was untimely, the government has not waived sovereign immunity with respect to
the claim, and the Court is jurisdictionally barred from considering the suit. Id. at 5–9.
When the motion to dismiss was filed, the Court issued a Fox-Neal order
requiring the Pisciottanos to respond to the motion by January 5, 2018. Dkt. 8 at 1; see
Fox v. Strickland, 837 F.2d 507 (D.C. Cir. 1988); Neal v. Kelly, 963 F.2d 453 (D.C. Cir.
1992). The Court advised the Pisciottanos that it would treat the motion as conceded if
they failed to respond by the deadline. Dkt. 8 at 1; see Local Civil Rule 7(b) (providing
that “the Court may treat [a] motion as conceded” if the nonmoving party fails to timely
respond). Despite that warning, the Pisciottanos failed to respond to the motion. Local
Rule 7(b) thus allows the Court to consider the motion conceded.
Although the D.C. Circuit recently criticized Local Rule 7(b) in two cases,
neither case applies here. In Winston & Strawn, LLP v. McLean, the Circuit held that a
district court cannot deem an unopposed summary-judgment motion conceded. 843
F.3d 503, 508 (D.C. Cir. 2016). The Circuit expressly limited that holding, however, to
summary-judgment motions. Id. In Cohen v. Board of Trustees of the University of the
District of Columbia, the Circuit acknowledged that it had “upheld district courts’
application of Local Rule 7(b) to grant unopposed motions to dismiss complaints with
prejudice under Federal Rule 12(b)(6)” but expressed a desire to revisit that precedent
en banc. 819 F.3d 476, 480, 483 (D.C. Cir. 2016). The Circuit was troubled that Local
Rule 7(b) “effectively places the burden of persuasion on the non-moving party,” while
Rule 12(b)(6) requires the moving party to bear that burden. Id. at 481. Reluctantly
affirming the district court’s dismissal of the complaint, the Circuit urged district courts
to avoid merits dismissals under Local Rule 7(b). Id. at 480, 483.
This dicta carries no import here, however, because the United States has based
its motion to dismiss partly on jurisdictional grounds. The burden of establishing
jurisdiction rests with the plaintiff, U.S. ex rel. Doe v. Staples, Inc., 773 F.3d 83, 88
(D.C. Cir. 2014), and a Rule 12(b)(1) dismissal is not a merits decision.
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Because the Pisciottanos have constructively conceded that the Court lacks
subject-matter jurisdiction, the Court grants the United States’ motion to dismiss the
complaint under Rule 12(b)(1). A separate order consistent with this decision
accompanies this memorandum opinion.
________________________
DABNEY L. FRIEDRICH
United States District Judge
Date: January 29, 2018
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