Andrews, D. v. Barnes, T. and B.

CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedAugust 8, 2023
Docket1046 MDA 2022
StatusUnpublished

This text of Andrews, D. v. Barnes, T. and B. (Andrews, D. v. Barnes, T. and B.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Andrews, D. v. Barnes, T. and B., (Pa. Ct. App. 2023).

Opinion

J-S19004-23

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT O.P. 65.37

DELAINE ANDREWS : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF : PENNSYLVANIA Appellant : : : v. : : : BERNICE AND TIMOTHY BARNES : No. 1046 MDA 2022

Appeal from the Order Entered June 27, 2022 In the Court of Common Pleas of Dauphin County Civil Division at No(s): 2019 CV 8624-DJ

BEFORE: BENDER, P.J.E., McLAUGHLIN, J., and SULLIVAN, J.

MEMORANDUM BY BENDER, P.J.E.: FILED AUGUST 08, 2023

Appellant, Delaine Andrews, appeals pro se from the trial court’s June

27, 2022 order that, inter alia, found that she did not qualify for in forma

pauperis (“IFP”) status, and dismissed her appeal from an arbitration award.

We affirm.

The trial court provided the following summary of this matter: The instant case arises from a landlord[/]tenant dispute initially filed before the Honorable Magisterial District Judge Paul T. Zozos, MDJ 12-2-05. At Docket No. MJ-12205-CV-0000061-2019[,] Ms. Andrews named [Appellees, Bernice and Timothy Barnes,] as defendants.[1] At Docket No. MJ-12205-CV-0000083-2019, [Appellees] named Ms. Andrews as a defendant. After hearing the cases together, Judge Zozos entered judgment in favor of [Appellees] and against Ms. Andrews in the amount of $4,150.00[.]

Ms. Andrews appealed the magisterial district judgment to the trial court. Ms. Andrews filed a Complaint[,] which alleged Breach of Contract, Sewer and Trash Rents, Tenant Damages and ____________________________________________

1 By way of background, Ms. Andrews was Appellees’ landlord. J-S19004-23

Recoverable Litigation Costs Pursuant to the Terms of the Lease. (Delaine Andrews v. Timothy Barnes and Bernice Barnes, Docket No. 2019 CV 8624). She did not seek [IFP] status in connection with [her] appeal from the magisterial district judgment.

[Appellees] filed a Complaint against Ms. Andrews asserting Breach of Implied Warranty of Habitability, Breach of Lease, Violation of the Landlord Tenant Act, and Violation of the Consumer Protection Law…. (Bernice Barnes and Timothy Barnes v. Delaine Andrews, Docket No. 2019 CV 8628 DJ).

The parties engaged in a complex series of cross-preliminary objections.1 1 We refrain from reciting the history of the preliminary objections because they are not controlling to the issue sub judice.

On January 19, 2021, [Appellees] filed Motions to Consolidate Dockets at Docket No. 2019 CV 8624 and 2019 CV 8628. Ms. Andrews filed no opposition at either docket. Accordingly, on May 3, 2021, we ordered that the captions be consolidated at Docket No. 2019 CV 8624 and that no further filings be docketed to Docket No. 2019 CV 8628 DJ.

The cases proceeded to arbitration. By Report and Award of Arbitrators dated September 8, 2021, filed September 10, 2021, the arbitration panel found in favor of Ms. Andrew[s] in the amount of $1,117.92[,] and in favor of [Appellees] in the amount of $2,525.00, which constituted a new award to [Appellees] of $1,407.08.

On September 30, 2021, Ms. Andrews filed a Petition to Proceed [IFP], which she verified, pursuant to 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904 (Crime of Unsworn Falsification to Authorities). In the attached affidavit in support of her petition, Ms. Andrews stated that she was, because of her financial condition, unable to pay the fees and costs associated with this case and was unable to obtain funds from anyone, including family and friends. The Affidavit further represented that she was, at the time, unemployed and owned real estate valued at $40,000. Based upon … Ms. Andrews[’s] verified statements, the court granted Ms. Andrews [IFP] status by Order filed September 30, 2021. On the same date, Ms. Andrews filed a Notice of Appeal from [the] Award of Board of Arbitrators which stated that application had been made to

-2- J-S19004-23

proceed IFP. (Notice of Appeal from Board of Arbitrators, Docket No. 2019 CV 8624-DJ, September 30, 2021).[2]

On November 22, 2021, [Appellees] filed a Motion to Strike Appeal in which they asserted that[,] although Ms. Andrews stated in her Petition to Proceed [IFP] that she owned real estate valued at $40,000, public records reflect that she owns seven properties with a total value in excess of $40,000.[3, 4] [Appellees] asserted that Ms. Andrews falsely reported the value of the real estate and that without IFP status, she would have been required to pay $400 to appeal the Report and Award of Arbitrators as arbitrators’ compensation. [Appellees] asserted that Ms. Andrews’[s] appeal was therefore invalid and should be stricken.

On December 9, 2021, Ms. Andrews filed a Motion to Strike/Dismiss with Prejudice [Appellees’] Motion to Strike Appeal. On the same date, Ms. Andrews filed an Answer/Reply in Opposition to Strike Appeal. [She also filed a Reply/Reply Brief in Opposition to Motion to Strike Appeal.]

We conducted argument on February 22, 2022, on [Appellees’] Motion to Strike Appeal. In support of their argument, counsel for [Appellees] presented exhibits regarding seven properties which [Appellees] asserted Ms. Andrews owned at the time she filed the [petition for] IFP.[5] We granted [Appellees’] leave to file documents following the argument which would reflect the status of payment of property taxes on those properties. We denied Ms. Andrews’[s] Motion to Strike/Dismiss with Prejudice [Appellees’] Motion to Strike Appeal.

On February 25, 2022, [Appellees] filed of record Property Taxes of Plaintiff Delaine Andrews for Dauphin County.

____________________________________________

2 Ms. Andrews only filed this appeal at Docket No. 2019 CV 8624-DJ.

3 Of the seven properties, Appellees asserted that Ms. Andrews owned four of

them outright. N.T., 2/22/22, at 3.

4 The docket reflects that no activity occurred between the court’s September

30, 2021 order granting Ms. Andrews leave to proceed IFP, and Appellees’ November 22, 2021 motion to strike.

5 The trial court also permitted Ms. Andrews to submit exhibits.

-3- J-S19004-23

On March 10, 2022, we ordered as follows:

The [c]ourt having reviewed the documents of [Appellees] and of [Ms.] Andrews submitted at oral argument held [on] February 22, 2022, on the respective parties’ motions, and the supplemental exhibits regarding [Ms.] Andrews’[s] property taxes submitted by [Appellees], the court finds that inquiry into the issue of whether [Ms.] Andrews was entitled to proceed [IFP] requires an evidentiary hearing. See, e.g., Kovalev v. Step[ansky, 240 A.3d 955 (Pa. Super. 2020) (unpublished memorandum)].

[Ms.] Andrews filed a Petition to Proceed [IFP] on September 29, 2019[,] pursuant to 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904 (Crime of Unsworn Falsification to Authorities). Accordingly, inasmuch as [Ms.] Andrews will have the opportunity to present testimony under oath regarding said Petition, [Ms.] Andrews is hereby apprised of the right to seek representation related to presentation of testimony during such hearing, which will be held on April 29, 2022[,] at 9:15 … a.m., in Courtroom No. 1, Fifth Floor, Dauphin County Courthouse.

[Ms.] Andrews shall bear the burden of proof as to whether the September 29, 2019[] Petition to Proceed [IFP] was true and correct[,] and whether she is a party without financial resources to pay the costs of litigation pursuant to Pa.R.C[iv].P. 240(b).

We convened for the April 29, 2022[] hearing. Counsel for [Appellees] appeared. Ms. Andrews did not appear. [Appellees], by their counsel, asserted that the February 25, 2022[] filing, Property Taxes of Plaintiff Delaine Andrews, demonstrates that Ms. Andrews owns seven properties having a total value of $384,000. The documents further reflected that Ms. Andrews paid property taxes in 2021[,] which totaled $3,112.07.

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Bluebook (online)
Andrews, D. v. Barnes, T. and B., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/andrews-d-v-barnes-t-and-b-pasuperct-2023.