Crimmins v. Commonwealth, Public School Employees' Retirement Board

685 A.2d 232, 1996 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 475
CourtCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedNovember 14, 1996
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 685 A.2d 232 (Crimmins v. Commonwealth, Public School Employees' Retirement Board) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Crimmins v. Commonwealth, Public School Employees' Retirement Board, 685 A.2d 232, 1996 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 475 (Pa. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

LORD, Senior Judge.

Joseph M. Criimnins appeals a Public School Employes’ Retirement Board (Board) decision adopting a hearing examiner’s recommendation that Crimmins’ application for membership in the Public School Employes Retirement System (PSERS) be denied.

The sole question involved in this appeal is whether, under the circumstances, Crimmins, as the tax collector for the Haverford School District (School District), was an employee eligible for PSERS membership or an independent contractor. Crimmins, a member of the State Employees Retirement System by virtue of six and a quarter years of state service, applied in 1993 for “multiple service” eligibility. Multiple service is defined in the Public School Employes’ Retirement Code (Code)1 as “credited service of a member who has elected to combine his ... service in both the Public School Employes’ Retirement System and the State Employees Retirement System.” 24 Pa.C.S. § 8102. Crimmins was advised that to receive multiple service credit for his years as the School District tax collector, he had to apply to purchase and be credited with school service. Membership in the Public School Employes’ Retirement System is limited by Section 8301 of the Code, 24 Pa.C.S. § 8301, to “school employees”. Section 8102 of the Code, 24 Pa.C.S. § 8102, defines “school employee” as

[a]ny person engaged in work relating to a public school for any governmental entity and for which work he is receiving regular remuneration as an officer, administrator or employee excluding, however, any independent contractor or a person compensated on a fee basis.

In Zimmerman v. Commonwealth Public School Employes’ Retirement Board, 513 Pa. 560, 522 A.2d 43 (1987), the Supreme Court reaffirmed the broad factors to be examined in determining the difference between an employee and an independent contractor. The Court said the following factors were important.

Control of manner work is to be done; responsibility for result only; terms of agreement between the parties; the nature of the work or occupation; skill required for performance; whether one is engaged in a distinct occupation or business; which party supplied the tools; whether payment is by the time or by the job; whether work is part of the regular business of the employer, and also the right to terminate the employment at any time.
[[Image here]]
The cases demonstrate that no one factor is dispositive and that each case must be determined on its own facts.

Id., 513 Pa. 560, 563, 522 A.2d 43, 45 (citations omitted).

The hearing examiner made thirty-seven findings of fact. The Board adopted most of them, but made some changes and added some of its own findings.

In the interest of clarity and completeness, we repeat the relevant findings made by the hearing examiner.

2. Claimant was appointed to the duties of tax collector for the Haverford School District (“School District”) when the former tax collector passed away, and was later reappointed to that position.
3. Claimant served as the Haverford School District tax collector from May 1972 to June 1974 and from June 1975 to June 1978.
4. Claimant received a salary of $8,000, paid biweekly, for each of the first four one-year periods, and was paid $7,999.94 for the last.
5. Claimant’s salary was paid on a W-2 form.
6. Federal income taxes and social security taxes were deducted from Claimant’s biweekly salary.
7. Claimant did not receive fringe benefits from the School District. By agreement of the School District and Haverford Township, the township provided Claimant with paid Blue Cross/Blue Shield medical insurance.
8. The School District did not make contributions to the Public School Em[234]*234ployes’ Retirement System (“PSERS”) on Claimant’s behalf.
9. The School District provided its employes with fringe benefits including health care, insurance, paid vacation and sick leave, and made contributions to PSERS on their behalf.
10. The School District did not have a job description for Claimant. Claimant’s job duties were determined by statute, the Local Tax Collector Law, 72 P.S. § 5511.1 et seq.
11. The School District did not complete performance evaluations for Claimant.
12. The School District had job descriptions and completed performance evaluations for its full time employes.
13. Claimant did not have an office on School District property, but worked in an office provided by the township in the township municipal building.
14. The hours of the Claimant’s tax collector’s office in the township building were 9:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m. and these hours were determined by the Claimant in cooperation with the township and school district. The township offices were open a half-hour longer than Claimant’s.
15. The School District did not reimburse the township for furnishing Claimant’s office.
16. Claimant hired his assistants and paid them from a checking account titled in the name of Joseph M. Crimmins, Tax Collector.
17. Claimant paid his employes’ fringe benefits including health insurance, unemployment compensation, and workers’ compensation.
18. Claimant set the work hours of his employes.
19. Claimant’s employes were not members of PSERS and he did not make contributions to PSERS on their behalf.
20. Claimant ordered the bills to be used in tax collection and had them printed, reflecting his office hours, and subsequently submitted them to the School District for approval and reimbursement.
21. The School District, pursuant to the Local Tax Collection Law, provided Claimant with the printing, envelopes, and postage required to dispatch the tax bills.
22. The School District did not provide Claimant with office furniture, supplies, copy machines, computers or software.
23. The School District, pursuant to the Local Tax Collection Law, purchased a surety bond covering Claimant.
24. As permitted by the Local Tax Collection Law, the School District required Claimant to turn over collected funds on a more frequent basis.
25. By letter dated November 23, 1993, SERS informed PSERS that Claimant had requested multiple service membership and requested information regarding Claimant’s status.
26. By memorandum dated December 3, 1993, PSERS informed SERS that Claimant had never contributed to PSERS.

The Board added these findings:

4. Claimant’s annual salary for collecting school taxes was determined by vote of the School District’s board of directors.
5.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Grogan v. Pennsylvania Public School Employes' Retirement Board
711 A.2d 558 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1998)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
685 A.2d 232, 1996 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 475, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crimmins-v-commonwealth-public-school-employees-retirement-board-pacommwct-1996.