Bernstein v. Shapiro

50 Pa. D. & C.3d 649, 1988 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 168
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lehigh County
DecidedFebruary 25, 1988
Docketno. 85-C-1948
StatusPublished

This text of 50 Pa. D. & C.3d 649 (Bernstein v. Shapiro) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lehigh County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bernstein v. Shapiro, 50 Pa. D. & C.3d 649, 1988 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 168 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1988).

Opinion

BACKENSTOE, P.J.,

Defendant Lehigh County Clerk of Courts.’ motion for summary judgment is presently before the court for consideration.

Under Pa.R.C.P. 1035(b), summary judgment may be granted only where “the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Rossi v. Pennsylvania State University, 340 Pa. Super. 39, 44-5, 489 A.2d 828, 831 (1985); Greene v. Juneja, 337 Pa. Super. 460, 463, 487 A.2d 36, 38 (1985). When consideringa motion for summary judgment, the court’s sole function is to determine whether any genuine issue of fact ex[650]*650ists to be tried. Johnson v. Baker, 346 Pa. Super. 183, 185, 499 A.2d 372, 373 (1985). Thus, the court is not to decide any issue of facts, but rather merely ascertain the existence of any triable issues. The burden of establishing that no material issue of fact exists is placed upon the moving party. Billman by Billman v. Pennsylvania Assigned Claims Plan, 349 Pa. Super. 448, 453, 503 A.2d 932, 935 (1986). The court is to examine the record in the light most favorable to the non-moving party and accept as true all well pleaded facts in the non-moving party’s pleadings. Ferguson v. King, 362 Pa. Super. 543, 545, 524 A.2d 1372, 1373 (1987). All doubts as to the existence of a genuine issue of material fact are to be resolved in favor of the non-moving party. Wheeler v. Johns-Manville Corp., 342 Pa. Super. 473, 479, 493 A.2d 120, 123 (1985). The court should grant summary judgment only in a matter that is clear and free from doubt. Consumer Party of Pennsylvania v. Commonwealth, 510 Pa. 158, 174-5, 507 A.2d 323, 331 (1986). With these guidelines in mind, wé turn to the facts in this case.

On December 5, 1978, Sanford Bernstein, plaintiff in the instant matter, was arrested and charged with solicitation to murder his estranged wife. Mr. Bernstein deposited cash bail in the amount of $100,000 with Magistrate Edward F. Pressman to secure his release. Following a preliminary hearing, the matter was bound over for trial in the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas. Accordingly, Magistrate Pressman paid the $100,000, deposited as bail, over to the Lehigh County clerk of courts to secure Mr. Bernstein’s release through trial. This transfer occurred on January 3, 1979.

A jury trial culminated in Mr. Bernstein’s conviction-on September 24, 1979. Immediately upon conviction, the court revoked bad pursuant to [651]*651Pa.R.Crim.P. 4010. On September 25, 1979, the clerk of courts issued a check in the amount of $99,990, representing the bail posted less $10 poundage to Mr. I. Robert Shapiro, Esq., acting on the behalf of Mr. Bernstein.

On May 30, 1986, Mr. Bernstein filed a complaint seeking relief from both Shapiro and the clerk of courts. The causes of action stated in the complaint resulted from defendants’ conduct in connection with the handling of Mr. Bernstein’s bail. The complaint seeks relief from the clerk of courts in the amount of $7,313.93 which accrued when the bail was deposited in an interest-bearing account. The complaint alleges that the clerk of courts is liable on either a breach of contract or constructive trust theory. It asserts that the clerk of courts failed both to inform plaintiff of the deposit in an interest-bearing account and to pay any of the accrued interest to him.

On March 11, 1987, the clerk of courts filed a motion for summary judgment which places two issues before the court. First, the court must determine whether the clerk of courts is protected by the defense of governmental immunity. Second, if not protected, it must determine whether the clerk of courts is under any obligation to pay the accrued interest over to Mr. Bernstein.

The clerk of courts claims immunity from liability pursuant to the Political Subdivision Tort Claims Act, 42 Pa. C.S. §§8541-8564. The act provides that a local agency shall not be liable “for any damages on account of any injury to a person or property caused by an act of the local agency or an employee thereof or any other person,” except as otherwise provided. 42 Pa. C.S. §8541. The intent of the act is to provide immunity from tort liability except in those situations expressly excluded by the legisla[652]*652ture in 42 Pa. C.S. §8542, which establishes exceptions to the general rule of governmental immunity. In the instant matter, plaintiff attempts to recover not on a theory of tort liability but rather on the basis of either a breach of contract or constructve trust. Therefore, the protection afforded by the Political Subdivision Tort Claims Act is inapplicable to the instant matter, and the clerk of courts is not entitled to summary judgment on the basis of governmental immunity.

Having made this determination, we must now focus our attention on the issue of whether the clerk of courts is subject to. an obligation or duty to pay the accrued interest over to Mr. Bernstein. The parties do not dispute the facts underlying the instant matter, but rather adopt opposing views as to whether the law imposes an obligation or duty.

The clerk of courts contends that its actions were in accordance with the applicable law, 16 P.S. §1706, and that no other provision of the law required it to return the accrued interest to Mr. Bernstein. During the appropriate time period, 16 P.S. §1706 provided that:

“The county commissioners or any individual who serves in an elective county office may invest such county moneys not otherwise required or authorized by law to be invested that their office is required to collect, administer or disburse by depositing such moneys in interest-bearing accounts in institutions insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund or the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporations, or by investing in U.S. governmental obligations or U.S. guaranteed obligations. The term of any investment shall not extend beyond the term of office of the county official who made the investment. In no event shall any [653]*653monetary disbursement required by law or contract be delayed or withheld for the purpose of gaining any return on investment. All accrued interest on investments shall be paid to the county treasurer for deposit into the general fund of the county except where otherwise provide[d] by law.” 16 P.S. §1706, August 9, 1955, P.L. 323, §1706, added April 18, 1978, P.L. 57, immediately effective. (Subsequently amended: Dec. 13, 1982, P.L. 1131, §2, effective in 60 days). The clerk of courts argues that its compliance with this provision, and the absence of any contrary provisions, entitles it to judgment as a matter of law. Accordingly, the clerk of courts requests the grant of summary judgment in her favor.

Mr.

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Related

Ferguson v. King
524 A.2d 1372 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1987)
Billman v. Pennsylvania Assigned Claims Plan
503 A.2d 932 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1986)
Rossi v. Pennsylvania State University
489 A.2d 828 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1985)
Wheeler v. Johns-Manville Corp.
493 A.2d 120 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1985)
Fresno Fire Fighters v. Jernagan
177 Cal. App. 3d 403 (California Court of Appeal, 1986)
Johnson v. Baker
499 A.2d 372 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1985)
Green v. Juneja
487 A.2d 36 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1985)
Consumer Party of Pennsylvania v. Com.
507 A.2d 323 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1986)

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Bluebook (online)
50 Pa. D. & C.3d 649, 1988 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 168, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bernstein-v-shapiro-pactcompllehigh-1988.