Anders v. Zoning Hearing Board

19 Pa. D. & C.4th 77, 1992 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 21
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Crawford County
DecidedAugust 28, 1992
Docketno. 1991-751
StatusPublished

This text of 19 Pa. D. & C.4th 77 (Anders v. Zoning Hearing Board) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Crawford County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Anders v. Zoning Hearing Board, 19 Pa. D. & C.4th 77, 1992 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 21 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1992).

Opinion

MILLER, P.J.,

ISSUE

The basic issue is whether or not the amended complaint filed by the plaintiff (after we granted defendants ’ demurrer to the first complaint) properly states a cause of action against the Zoning Hearing Board and/or West Mead Township for negligence or the individual members of those boards for negligence, actual fraud, actual malice or willful misconduct. We think not, and once again, [78]*78grant the defendants’ demurrer and dismiss the plaintiffs amended complaint, bringing this action to a close.

BACKGROUND

“In determining whether to sustain preliminary objections in the nature of a demurrer, all well pleaded facts and all inferences that may be deduced therefrom, but not conclusions of law, must be accepted as true.... A demurrer will not be sustained unless the face of the complaint shows that the law will not permit recovery, and any doubts should be resolved against sustaining the demurrer.... However, any argumentative allegations or expressions of opinion are not accepted as true.” Malia v. Monchak, 116 Pa. Commw. 484, 543 A.2d 184 (1988) (citations omitted); Firing v. Kephart, 466 Pa. 560, 353 A.2d 833 (1976).

In our memorandum and order filed March 13, 1992, and in the defendants’ brief that was filed in support of their latest preliminary objections, the procedural history and much of the background involving these parties has been set forth. We will not repeat that here.

We will give the plaintiff a great deal of latitude and accept as true all well pleaded portions of the plaintiff’s original complaint, amendment of complaint to include fraud as well as incompetence and the amended complaint to overcome dismissal, filed on August 5, 1991, March 19, 1992 and March 27, 1992, respectively. Wheri we read these three documents together it appears that the plaintiff is alleging that in October 1990 he applied to the Zoning Board for special exceptions to finish construction to an upper-story addition to his residence that he began in April 1988. He explained that building on the top of the existing building did not expand the building area and he cited a Pennsylvania zoning treatise in support of that position.

[79]*79He alleges that the board took the matter under advisement. He submitted three cases in support of his arguments and the township solicitor submitted no cases. Nonetheless the Zoning Hearing Board denied his request for a special exception.

He then applied to the West Mead Township Board of Supervisors to add a definition for “building area” so the building area would simply be the outside dimensions of the building without regard to the height of the structure. The Board of Supervisors denied that request for a curative amendment.

The plaintiff claims that these determinations were “incompetent,” “unconscionable” and lack sense and reason (original complaint). In his “amendment to complaint to include fraud as well as incompetence” he alleges that a letter from the Crawford County Planning Commission recommending the zoning ordinance be changed to include a definition of building area was not included in the record that came to this court from the Zoning Hearing Board or the township.

Finally, in his “amended complaint to overcome dismissal” filed on March 27,1992, he claims that the Zoning Hearing Board went against all of the case law that he had cited and went against common sense. Thus he concludes that its unanimous decision constituted “willful misconduct” and “malice.”

In short, the plaintiff alleges in these three “pleadings” that the Zoning Hearing Board and the township supervisors disagreed with him as to whether his upward addition violated the zoning ordinance and whether the ordinance should be amended to include a better definition of the building area. Because he felt his case was so compelling he concludes that they acted with malice and engaged in willful misconduct.

[80]*80DISCUSSION

The defendants actually filed preliminary objections on many grounds. They claim that the court lacks personal jurisdiction over the defendants because they have not been properly served. We agree with that (Pa.R.C.P. 400(a)) and if that were the only defect we would simply direct that proper service be made.

The defendants claim that the complaint and the amended complaints should be stricken for failing to set forth claims in separate counts. We agree with that (PaJR.C.P. 1020(a)).

The defendants claim that the complaint and amended complaint fail to set forth the material facts in a concise manner. We agree with that (Pa.R.C.P. 1017(a) and 1019(a)). For these latter reasons we would normally strike the complaint and give the plaintiff time to plead once again.

Defendants claim that they are immune from suit under 42 Pa.C.S. §8541 et seq. We agree with the defendants and are granting their demurrer, making a decision on proper service and the filing of a proper complaint unnecessary.

The defense of immunity may be raised and decided on preliminary objections. Guinn v. Alburtis Fire Co., 134 Pa. Commw. 270, 577 A.2d 971 (1990), especially if that method is not objected to. Malia v. Monchak, supra.

Since the Zoning Hearing Board and township are local agencies enjoying governmental immunity (42 Pa.C.S. §8541) and since the members of those boards enjoy official immunity (42 Pa.C.S. §§8501, 8545) a suit may only be brought against them under certain circumstances. Suit may be brought against the local agency if it engaged [81]*81in negligence1 of the type outlined by the Political Subdivision Tort Claims Act (42 Pa.C.S. §8542(b)) or against the individual members if they either engaged in similar acts of negligence (42 Pa.C.S. §8545) or acted with actual malice, fraud, or engaged in willful misconduct (42 Pa.C.S. §8550).2

Furthermore, immunity applies to any suit involving injury whether physical or economic. E-Z Parks v. Philadelphia Parking Authority, 110 Pa. Commw. 629, 532 A.2d 1272 (1987), app. den. 519 Pa. 656, 546 A.2d 60.

The plaintiff has stated no cause of action against the township or Zoning Hearing Board as local agencies. He has not alleged any negligent acts that may impose liability (42 Pa.C.S. §8542(b)) and he has no right to proceed against the local agencies for fraud, malice or willful misconduct. Title 42 Pa.C.S. §8550 applies only to employees and not to local agencies. Steiner by Steiner v. City of Pittsburgh, 97 Pa. Commw. 440, 509 A.2d 1368 (1986); King v. Breach, 115 Pa. Commw. 355, 540 A.2d 976 (1988).

As clearly, he has not stated a cause of action against the individual board members on account of negligence of the type for which liability may be imposed (42 Pa.C.S. §8542(b)).

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Bluebook (online)
19 Pa. D. & C.4th 77, 1992 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 21, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/anders-v-zoning-hearing-board-pactcomplcrawfo-1992.