City of Cleveland v. City of Fairview Park

545 N.E.2d 1287, 46 Ohio App. 3d 29, 1988 Ohio App. LEXIS 151
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 1, 1988
Docket52721 and 52722
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 545 N.E.2d 1287 (City of Cleveland v. City of Fairview Park) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of Cleveland v. City of Fairview Park, 545 N.E.2d 1287, 46 Ohio App. 3d 29, 1988 Ohio App. LEXIS 151 (Ohio Ct. App. 1988).

Opinions

Dyke, J.

On November 19, 1984, a petition for the annexation of Riveredge Township was filed with the Board of County Commissioners of Cuyahoga County. This petition was filed by a majority of the landowners in the township, and requested that the township be annexed to the city of Fairview Park.

On February 4, 1985, a hearing was held by the board of county commissioners, and on April 26, 1985, the petition was approved by the board. On May 3, 1985, the appellant, the city of Cleveland, filed a notice of appeal of the board’s decision in common pleas court (our case No. 52721). In addition, on June 5, 1985, the appellant filed an action in the same court for a permanent injunction pursuant to R.C. 709.07 (our case No. 52722). In this action, the appellant prayed that the city of Fairview Park be enjoined from taking any action to accept the annexation of Riveredge Township.

On July 9, 1985, the parties in the injunction action stipulated that that case would be dismissed without prejudice on the date a decision was reached in the appeal from the decision of the board of county commissioners.

On August 16, 1985, both cases were consolidated. On September 30, 1986, the trial court affirmed the board’s annexation order, and dismissed the injunction action pursuant to the parties’ stipulation.

On the same date, the appellant filed notices of appeal in this court as to both cases. Pursuant to a motion of the appellant, on September 30, 1986, this court issued a stay of the trial court’s judgment. On October 6, 1986, the city of Fairview Park passed an ordinance which accepted the annexation. Appellee landowners of River-edge Township have now moved to dismiss both of appellant’s appeals.

Appellee landowners first argue that the appeal from the board of commissioner’s decision should be dismissed as being moot because Fair-view Park has accepted annexation. See State, ex rel. Bd of Trustees, v. Davis (1982), 2 Ohio St. 3d 108, 111, 2 OBR 658, 660, 443 N.E. 2d 166, 168 (absent an injunction or order staying further action, the adoption by the city counsel of an ordinance accepting annexation renders moot a case seeking to enjoin annexation). Appellee Fair-view Park claims that since it was not a party to the appeal from the decision of the board of county commissioners, it was not bound by the stay issued in that case; and, thus, it properly accepted annexation.

Appellees’ arguments are untenable. The breadth of our stay is much greater than the appellees would have *31 it. It is our opinion that a stay issued by this court suspends the force and effect of both the trial court’s judgment and any underlying previous order issued in the same case by an inferior tribunal. Holding otherwise would make the issuance of a stay granted in a case such as this meaningless.

Our holding is buttressed by statements made by the Supreme Court in State, ex rel. Bd. of Trustees, v. Davis, supra. In that case, the party aggrieved by the county' council’s order denying annexation appealed that order to the court of common pleas. After that court reversed the county council’s order denying annexation, the party opposing annexation appealed to the court of appeals. The appellant never requested a Civ. R. 62(B) stay pending appeal; a motion for an App. R. 7 stay was denied. Prior to the time the appeal was heard, the annexing municipality accepted the annexation, thus causing the appeal to be moot. In denying a writ of mandamus to the appellant, the Ohio Supreme Court noted that the appellant had several remedies which would have prevented the annexing city from accepting the annexation. Specifically, the court stated:

«* * * Without question, R.C. 2506.04 provides an avenue of appeal by which * * * [appellant] could have obtained appellate review of the judgment of the court of common pleas, prior to this action having become moot.
“We wish to emphasize that subsequent to the final order of the court of common pleas on April 21,1982, until city council’s enactment of the annexation ordinance on June 28, 1982, * * * [appellant] possessed several options. First, under Civ. R. 62(B), a stay was available upon request from the court of common pleas which would have prevented this cause from becoming moot. Second, a timely stay under the provisions of App. R. 7 could have been sought from the court of appeals. * * *” (Footnote omitted and emphasis added.) Id. at 111, 2 OBR at 660-661, 443 N.E. 2d at 168-169.

Here, the court recognized that a stay granted under App. R. 7 in an appeal from an order granting annexation would prevent the municipality from accepting the annexation.

Pursuant to the above, we conclude that this court’s order of September 30, 1986 stayed the force and effect of both the trial court’s judgment and the board of commissioners’ order. Hence, the order of the board was not in effect when the city of Fair-view Park passed its ordinance accepting annexation on October 6, 1986. Since this order was not in effect, the application for annexation was not properly placed before the Fairview Park City Council under R.C. 709.04. Therefore, that city’s attempt to accept the annexation in violation of our stay is void. Appellee landowner’s motion to dismiss case No. 52721 is overruled.

Appellee landowners also argue that the appeal of the judgment in the injunction action should be dismissed because the appellant voluntarily stipulated to its dismissal below. “* * * [Wjhere both parties have agreed, with the court’s approval, to enter into stipulations for the record, and no objections to taking this action were made, this court will not consider ap-' pellant’s objection on appeal.” Patterson v. Patterson (July 22, 1982), Cuyahoga App. No. 43707, unreported, at 6. Further, it is well-established in Ohio that a party may not appeal a judgment to which he has agreed. Jackson v. Jackson (1865), 16 Ohio St. 163. Finally, it is the general rule that no appeal may be taken of a voluntary dismissal. Vic Tanny Internatl. of Cleveland, Inc. v. Car- *32 rabine (Apr. 23,1981), Cuyahoga App. No. 42220, unreported.

Pursuant to the above, since the appellant stipulated to the dismissal of its injunction action, it may not now appeal that decision. Therefore, the motion to dismiss this case is well-taken and is granted. Case No. 52722 is hereby dismissed.

In regard to the merits of case No. 52721, the appellant assigns five errors to the trial court. The appellant’s first assignment of error is:

“The trial court erred in finding that the Carneys, as tenants-in-common, have three annexation votes by reason of their undivided one-third interests in a single parcel.”

In order for the board of county commissioners to approve a petition for annexation, a majority of landowners within the territory to be annexed must sign the petition for annexation. At the time the petition for annexation was presented to the county commissioners in this case, one of the parcels of property in the township was owned by Jeanette Carney, Virginia Carney, and Estelle Gorsuch as tenants in common.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
545 N.E.2d 1287, 46 Ohio App. 3d 29, 1988 Ohio App. LEXIS 151, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-cleveland-v-city-of-fairview-park-ohioctapp-1988.