David Foley and his wife Jennifer Foley (the “Foleys”), proceeding pro se, appeal from the District Court’s order granting partial summary judgment in favor of defendant Orange County, Florida (the “County”) in a civil action on their federal claims for violations of the Due Process Clause, U.S. Const, amend. XIV, § 1, the Equal Protection Clause, id., the First Amendment, U.S. Const, amend. I, and the Fourth Amendment, U.S. Const, amend. IV.
I.
The relevant facts and procedural history of this case are fairly straightforward. This case arose from a citizen complaint filed with the county against the Foleys for breeding and -selling toucans from their residentiary zoned property. In response to the complaint, county employees investigated and cited the Foleys for having accessory buildings on their property without the necessary permits. These were the buildings the Foleys used to house the toucans.
The Foleys then requested a determination from the county zoning manager as to whether the ordinance under which the Foleys were cited was interpreted proper
The Foleys then filed this action in federal court. Their complaint, which they later amended,
After both parties moved for summary judgment, the District Court granted partial summary judgment in favor of the Foleys on one of their state-law claims and granted partial summary judgment to the County on the Foleys’ remaining claims. The District Court also made various immunity rulings in relation to the suits against the County employees. Most relevant here, the Foleys appeal the grant of summary judgment against their four federal Constitutional claims based on (1) substantive due process; (2) equal protection; (3) compelled and commercial speech; and (4) illegal search and seizure.
II.
“ We review de novo questions concerning jurisdiction.’ We are ‘obligated to inquire into subject matter jurisdiction sua sponte whenever it may be lacking.’” Weatherly v. Ala. State Univ.,
We will review each of the Foleys’ federal claims in turn. We “review questions of constitutional law de novo.” Kentner v. City of Sanibel,
The Foleys first allege violation of their substantive due process rights. The Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment provides that no state shall “deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of the law.” U.S. Const.- amend. XIV, § 1. Substantive due process protects the rights that are fundamental and “implicit in the concept of ordered liberty.” Greenbriar Vill., L.L.C. v. Mountain Brook, City,
Here, the Foleys vaguely allege a substantive due process violation—the County’s upholding of the zoning manager’s final determination of the interpretation of the ordinance. This is unavailing for either of two reasons: First, because it implicated only property rights and was rationally -related to a legitimate government purpose. See Bannum, Inc. v. City of Fort Lauderdale,
The Foleys next bring an equal-protection claim. Equal-protection claims generally concern governmental classification and treatment that impacts an identifiable group of people differently than another group of people. Corey Airport Servs., Inc. v. Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc.,
The District Court properly granted summary judgment in favor oí the County because the Foleys cannot establish a “class of one” equal protection claim, as they have failed to identify a similarly situated comparator that was intentionally treated differently. Id.; Vill. of Willowbrook,
The Foleys allege that their request for the zoning manager’s final determination and their various appeals- amount to compelled and commercial speech. The Fo-leys’ voluntary actions do not constitute compelled or commercial speech because neither do they amount to a government regulation that compelled them to express a message in which they did not agree, see Johanns,
Finally, the Foleys bring an illegal search and seizure claim. The Fourth Amendment provides that individuals have the right “to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, [and] against unreasonable searches and seizures.” U.S. Const, amend. IV. “A seizure occurs when there is some meaningful interference with an individual’s possessory interests in the property seized.” Maryland v. Macon,
The Foleys allege that their voluntary request for a determination from the zoning manager, subsequent fees paid to appeal that decision, and a potential application for a special exception amount to an illegal seizure. These voluntary actions plainly do not constitute a seizure under the Fourth Amendment. See id. Thus, this claim lacks merit.
All of the Foleys’ federal claims
The District Court’s judgment is vacated and the case is remanded to the District Court with instructions that the court dismiss this case without prejudice for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.
VACATED and REMANDED.
Notes
. The Foleys also alleged errors of state law and also appeal the grant of partial summary judgment in favor of the County on those issues. The County also filed a cross-appeal concerning the grant of partial summary judgment on one of the Foleys’ state-law claims. Because we decide that the District Court did not have jurisdiction to consider the state-law claims, we need not decide either the Foleys’ state-law appeal or the County's cross-appeal.
. The District Court subsequently struck the Foleys’ amended complaint in its order dismissing the federal and state law claims against the County Officials and County Employees.
. The District Court did not have diversity jurisdiction because all parties are Florida residents. See 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a)(1).
. As the District Court noted, it would be theoretically possible for the Foleys to bring a regulatory takings claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983; "The application of an invalid land use regulation may form the basis of a regulatory takings claim." Foley v. Orange Cty., No. 6:12-cv-269-Orl-37KRS,
