Bisig v. Mo. Dir. Revenue

562 S.W.3d 386
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 4, 2018
DocketWD 80919
StatusPublished

This text of 562 S.W.3d 386 (Bisig v. Mo. Dir. Revenue) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bisig v. Mo. Dir. Revenue, 562 S.W.3d 386 (Mo. Ct. App. 2018).

Opinion

Gary D. Witt, Judge

The Director of Revenue ("Director") appeals from the trial court's judgment granting Donald Bisig's ("Bisig") petition requesting reinstatement of his driver's license. The Director argues that the trial court erred in granting Bisig's petition because the Director had good cause to request Bisig to submit to a driving skills test. We reverse and remand.

Statement of Facts

The hearing below was submitted entirely on written records and no live testimony was presented. On June 9, 2016, Bisig's primary care physician, Dr. Bryan Green ("Dr. Green"), sent the Department of Revenue ("Department") Form 43191 - the Department's "Driver Condition Report" - pertaining to Bisig. On the Form 4319, Dr. Green reported that Bisig had suffered a stroke and that he had left arm weakness. Form 4319 instructs a person to complete the form if he or she has personal knowledge about a driver he or she believes is no longer able to safely operate a motor vehicle. On the second page, Form 4319 requests that "[p]hysicians, please complete Form 1528 and attach to this report." Form 1528 has significantly more detail regarding medical conditions that may affect a person's ability to safely drive and requires the driver to complete significant portions of the Form 1528. Dr. Green did not submit Form 1528 at the time he submitted Form 4319.

On June 14, 2016, after receiving the Form 4319 from Dr. Green, the Department sent Bisig a "Request for Testing" letter, requiring Bisig to complete and pass a vision examination and a driving skills examination by July 15, 2016, or his driving privilege would be revoked for one year. The letter stated that the Department had received information that Bisig's driving abilities needed to be re-evaluated to ensure he had the skills required to safely operate a motor vehicle. The letter had two types of tests that he needed to complete: a "Vision Examination," and a "Driving Skills Examination" to be completed by a Missouri State Highway Patrol Examiner based on the type of driver's license classification that Bisig held.

On June 17, 2016, Bisig's optometrist filled out and signed Form 999, Vision Examination Record. The optometrist indicated on the Form that Bisig had "20/40 or better in either eye or both eyes when wearing corrective lenses."

On June 29, 2016, Bisig took and failed a driving skills examination. The report of the June 29th exam stated in part that:

Mr. Bisig was in an improper position to make a left turn, while turning out of the parking lot. He failed to look over his left shoulder, to check traffic when *389changing lanes on a one-way street. When approaching a stop sign, I stopped Mr. Bisig from rear-ending a car. His test was discontinued due to a hazardous moving violation.

On July 7, 2016, Bisig failed a second driving skills examination. The report of the July 7th exam stated in part that:

Mr. Bisig failed to look over his right shoulder during the backing exercise. While performing the parallel parking exercise, Mr. Bisig had three or more pull-ups, failed to use his turn signal, and did not look over his left shoulder to check traffic when pulling out. Mr. Bisig failed to stop behind the white line at a traffic light. Mr. Bisig came to a complete stop at a nonstop intersection. While making a left turn, one of the vehicle's wheels were out of his lane, resulting in a short turn. His test was discontinued due to excessive points.

On July 14, 2016, Bisig failed a third driving skills examination. The report of the July 14th exam stated in part that:

Mr. Bisig made a left turn from the right lane, on a one-way street, with traffic involved. His test was discontinued due to a hazardous moving violation.

On August 1, 2016, the Department sent Bisig a letter revoking his driving privilege, stating that on August 31, 2016, his "privilege to drive a motor vehicle in Missouri will be revoked for one year for failure to pass the vision and road test."

On August 10, 2016, Bisig submitted Form 1528 - Physician's Statement - to the Department. On the Form 1528, Dr. Green checked boxes that indicated that Bisig had temporary left arm and leg weakness. Dr. Green also checked the box for "[l]ikely capable of operating a motor vehicle safely and responsibly." He also indicated, "There are no medical contraindications at this time. No further evaluation appears to be needed."

On August 17, 2016, Bisig submitted Form 4595 - Application for Limited Driving Privilege - to the Department. Bisig included his Form 999, Vision Examination Record and proof of insurance. On August 23, 2016, the Department sent Bisig a letter denying his application for limited driving privilege because he had "been cited to complete a vision or physical examination or to demonstrate [his] ability to safely operate a motor vehicle pursuant to Section 302.173, RSMo."

On August 26, 2016, Bisig filed a Petition to Review Revocation of Driver's License and/or, in the alternative, Review the Denial of Limited Driving Privileges in the Buchanan County Circuit Court ("Petition"). A stay order was granted by the court, staying the revocation of Bisig's driving privileges on August 31, 2016. The Director filed an answer. A hearing on the Petition was held on May 1, 2017. The case was submitted on the written records and the evidence set forth above was adduced from those records. Neither party challenges the content of those records but only the conclusions the trial court reached based on those records.

At the hearing, Bisig did not argue that the Department failed to establish grounds to revoke his license based on his failure to pass the driving skills test but limited his argument that the Director did not have good cause to require him to take a vision and driving skills examination. Bisig submitted a trial brief and a supplemental brief. On June 7, 2017, the trial court issued its judgment reinstating Bisig's driving privilege. The trial court found the following:

10. The Director of Revenue had the burden when issuing the "Request for Testing" to cite accurate information from the "Form 4319" submitted by the *390original physician in this case. The evidence is clear and uncontroverted that the "Form 4319" did not allege any problems with the Petitioner's visual impairment, yet the Director subsequently suspended the Petitioner's license based on his "failure to obtain a vision examination." The "Request for Testing" never requested any type of medical examination other than a vision examination.
11. This Court finds that the Director of Revenue had the burden of providing accurate information in the "Request for Testing" submitted by Petitioner. There was absolutely no information contained in the "Form 4319" that supported the Director of Revenue's "Request for Testing" which requested a vision examination. The Director of Revenue had the burden of proving the conditions existed to authorize the suspension of the Petitioner's Driving privileges. This Court finds that the Director of Revenue has failed to meet that burden.

Based on the trial court's prior stay order and its final judgment, Bisig's license was not suspended or revoked.

This timely appeal followed.

Standard of Review

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Related

Nagel v. DIRECTOR OF REVENUE, STATE OF MO.
180 S.W.3d 90 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2005)
Murphy v. Carron
536 S.W.2d 30 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1976)
Clay Chastain and Vincent Lee v. Sylvester James
463 S.W.3d 811 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2015)
Leaton v. Director of Revenue
187 S.W.3d 894 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2006)
Archey v. Carnahan
373 S.W.3d 528 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2012)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
562 S.W.3d 386, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bisig-v-mo-dir-revenue-moctapp-2018.