Police & Firemen's Disability & Pension Fund v. City of Akron

778 N.E.2d 68, 149 Ohio App. 3d 497
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 18, 2002
DocketC.A. No. 20996.
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 778 N.E.2d 68 (Police & Firemen's Disability & Pension Fund v. City of Akron) 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
Police & Firemen's Disability & Pension Fund v. City of Akron, 778 N.E.2d 68, 149 Ohio App. 3d 497 (Ohio Ct. App. 2002).

Opinion

Baird, Presiding Judge.

{¶ 1} Appellant, the Police and Firemen’s Disability and Pension Fund, now known as the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund, appeals from the judgment of *499 the Summit County Court of Common Pleas, which granted the motion for summary judgment of appellee, the city of Akron. We affirm.

I

{¶ 2} The Police and Firemen’s Disability and Pension Fund (“Fund”) is a multiple-employer public employee retirement system established by R.C. Chapter 742. The city of Akron (“City”) is a participating employer in the Fund. The Fund administers pension, disability, and health care benefits to qualified police and firefighters. The Fund calculates benefits for retired police and firefighters based upon information obtained from the participant’s employer.

{¶ 3} Prior to retirement, a member of the Fund may choose either the Cost-of-Living Allowance (“COLA”) or the Non-Cost-of-Living Allowance (“Non-COLA”) method by which pension benefits are calculated. A different formula is used to calculate benefits depending upon which method of calculation the participant selects. The employer provides the participant’s final salary to the Fund in order for the Fund to calculate the benefits. For members selecting the non-COLA method of calculation of benefits, the member’s final salary includes compensatory time. This appeal concerns the calculation of pension benefits paid to 68 retired firefighters from the city of Akron Fire Department, each of whom selected the non-COLA method of calculation.

{¶ 4} In September 1998, the Fund contacted the Auditor of State’s Office (“AOS”) and requested that the AOS perform a special audit to determine the accuracy of the City’s calculation of the members’ compensatory time. The AOS released its report of the special audit, which covered the period of January 1, 1985 through August 31, 1999. The report stated that the City submitted incorrect amounts of compensatory time for the retired firefighters, which resulted in both over- and underpayments of monthly retirement benefits.

{¶ 5} As a result of the report, the Fund filed a complaint against the City, alleging a cause of action to recover illegally expended public money pursuant to R.C. 117.28, seeking $731,300. The Fund later amended its complaint to include causes of action for negligence, misrepresentation, and breach of duties under R.C. Chapter 742. The actions for negligence and misrepresentation were voluntarily dismissed by the Fund. The City filed a motion for summary judgment on the remaining causes of action.

{¶ 6} On February 19, 2002, the trial court granted the City’s motion for summary judgment. The court found that before a suit is brought under R.C. 117.28, an audit report must make a finding for recovery of illegal expenditure. The trial court found that because the report in this case did not make such a finding, the Fund could not satisfy the statute. The court also found that breach *500 of a duty under R.C. Chapter 742 did not constitute a separate cause of action. This appeal followed.

II

Assignment of Error No. 1

{¶ 7} “The trial court erred as a matter of law in concluding that the audit report issued by the State Auditor did not meet the statutory requirements of R.C. 117.28 for the Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund to bring an action against the City of Akron.”

{¶ 8} In its first assignment of error, the Fund challenges the summary judgment entered in-favor of the City on the Fund’s R.C. 117.28 claim. The Fund argues that the trial court erred when it found that the audit report did not set forth a finding for recovery of illegal expenditure, and, consequently, the Fund could not bring suit against the City pursuant to R.C. 117.28.

• {¶ 9} We begin by noting that an appellate court reviews an award of summary judgment de novo. Grafton v. Ohio Edison Co. (1996), 77 Ohio St.3d 102, 105, 671 N.E.2d 241. We apply the same standard as the trial court, viewing the facts in the case in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party and resolving any doubt in favor of the nonmoving party. Viock v. Stowe-Woodward Co. (1983), 13 Ohio App.3d 7, 12, 13 OBR 8, 467 N.E.2d 1378.

{¶ 10} Pursuant to Civ.R. 56(C), summary judgment is proper if:

{¶ 11} “(1) No genuine issue as to any material fact remains to be litigated; (2) the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law; and (3) it appears from the evidence that reasonable minds can come to but one conclusion, and viewing such evidence most strongly in favor of the party against whom the motion for summary judgment is made, that conclusion is adverse to that party.” Temple v. Wean United, Inc. (1977), 50 Ohio St.2d 317, 327, 4 O.O.3d 466, 364 N.E.2d 267.

{¶ 12} To prevail on a motion for summary judgment, the party moving for summary judgment must be able to point to evidentiary materials that 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. Dresher v. Burt (1996), 75 Ohio St.3d 280, 293, 662 N.E.2d 264.

{¶ 13} While the City disputes the Fund’s interpretation and definition of compensatory time, the only issue before this Court relevant to this assignment of error is the construction of R.C. 117.28.

{¶ 14} When a statute’s language is plain and unambiguous, this court applies the statute as written and makes no further inquiry either into the *501 legislative intent or the consequences of the trial court’s construction. State v. Hurd (2000), 89 Ohio St.3d 616, 618, 734 N.E.2d 365. The words and phrases in a statute are to be given their plain, ordinary meaning and are to be construed “according to the rules of grammar and common usage.” R.C. 1.42; Petro v. N. Coast Villas Ltd. (2000), 136 Ohio App.3d 93, 97, 735 N.E.2d 985. A statute cannot be extended by construction to persons or things not falling within its terms, although they may appear to be within the reason and spirit of the statute. Pepper Pike v. Landskroner (1977), 53 Ohio App.2d 63, 76, 7 O.O.3d 44, 371 N.E.2d 579.

{¶ 15} R.C. 117.28 provides:

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Bluebook (online)
778 N.E.2d 68, 149 Ohio App. 3d 497, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/police-firemens-disability-pension-fund-v-city-of-akron-ohioctapp-2002.