Wilkins v. United States

Wilkins v. United States
Supreme Court of the United States
Argued November 30, 2022 Decided March 28, 2023
Full case name	Wilkins v. United States
Docket no.	21-1164
Citations	598 U.S. 152 (more)
Argument	Oral argument
Case history
Prior	United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Questions presented
Is the Quiet Title Act's Statute of Limitations a jurisdictional requirement or a claim-processing rule?
Holding
The Supreme Court of the United States reversed and remanded the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit's ruling, holding that the 12-year statute of limitations in section 2409a(g) of the Quiet Title Act is a non-jurisdictional claims-processing rule.
Court membership
Chief Justice John Roberts Associate Justices Clarence Thomas · Samuel Alito Sonia Sotomayor · Elena Kagan Neil Gorsuch · Brett Kavanaugh Amy Coney Barrett · Ketanji Brown Jackson
Case opinions
Majority	Sotomayor
Concurrence	Kagan
Concurrence	Gorsuch
Concurrence	Kavanaugh
Concurrence	Barett
Concurrence	Jackson
Dissent	Thomas, joined by Roberts and Alito
Laws applied
28 U.S.C. § 2409a Quiet Title Act

Wilkins v. United States, 598 U.S. 152,^[1] is a United States Supreme Court case that revolves around the dispute over the public use of Robbins Gulch Road, which serves as an access point to the Bitterroot National Forest in western Montana. The issue stems from the government's decision to allow public access to the road, resulting in disturbances and adverse effects on the adjacent private properties owned by Wilkins and other residents in the area.

Initially, the government had been granted an easement to facilitate access for government agents and contractors involved in timber harvesting. However, in 2006, the government extended an invitation to the general public to use the easement, leading to disruptions and incidents of vandalism, trespassing, and property theft, which significantly impacted the tranquility of the property owners in the area.

The petitioners argued that the scope of the easement exceeded the terms agreed upon previously and sought legal recourse through litigation. The district court dismissed the complaint, citing a lack of subject matter jurisdiction due to the failure to file the claim before the expiration of the twelve-year statute of limitations under the Quiet Title Act. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld this decision, which was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court reversed and remanded the ruling, holding that the 12-year statute of limitations in section 2409a(g) of the Quiet Title Act is a” non-jurisdictional claims-processing rule”.