Reed v. Retirement Board of Fireman's Annuity & Benefit Fund

876 N.E.2d 94, 376 Ill. App. 3d 259, 315 Ill. Dec. 94, 2007 Ill. App. LEXIS 954
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedAugust 29, 2007
Docket1-06-1710
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 876 N.E.2d 94 (Reed v. Retirement Board of Fireman's Annuity & Benefit Fund) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Reed v. Retirement Board of Fireman's Annuity & Benefit Fund, 876 N.E.2d 94, 376 Ill. App. 3d 259, 315 Ill. Dec. 94, 2007 Ill. App. LEXIS 954 (Ill. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

JUSTICE GREIMAN

delivered the opinion of the court:

Plaintiff William Reed sustained a back, neck and shoulder injury while working for the Chicago Fire Department (the CFD) as a firefighter and subsequently sought duty disability benefits from defendant, the Retirement Board of the Fireman’s Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago (the Board), pursuant to section 6 — 151 of the Illinois Pension Code (the Code) (40 ILCS 5/6 — 151 (West 2004)). Reed was denied benefits when the Board found that he was not disabled, and he subsequently sought and was denied reinstatement by the CFD. Thereafter, Reed filed suit in the trial court seeking administrative review of the Board’s decision and seeking a writ of mandamus ordering the CFD to reinstate him or, in the alternative, ordering the Board to grant him disability benefits. While the complaint was initially dismissed with prejudice, Reed was later granted leave to replead.

Thereafter the Board refused to allow Reed to file an application for ordinary disability benefits pursuant to section 6 — 152 of the Code (40 ILCS 5/6 — 152 (West 2004)). Reed filed an amended complaint in mandamus seeking an order that the Board grant him an ordinary disability hearing. The trial court entered summary judgment in the Board’s favor on the amended complaint, finding that the issue of Reed’s disability had already been decided by the Board and that mandamus was an inappropriate remedy in this case. On appeal, Reed contends that the trial court erred in dismissing his original complaint and in entering summary judgment in favor of the Board on his amended complaint.

We find that Reed has waived his arguments regarding the propriety of the dismissal of his original complaint and that, waiver aside, his arguments are without merit. We further find that in denying Reed the right to file an application seeking ordinary disability benefits, the Board violated Reed’s procedural due process rights. Accordingly, we reverse the trial court’s entry of summary judgment in the Board’s favor on Reed’s amended complaint and remand to the trial court with instructions to enter summary judgment in favor of Reed in accordance with the opinion below.

Reed was injured on June 2, 2000, while on duty as a Chicago firefighter and subsequently received one year of paid medical leave. Reed was then dropped from payroll on June 2, 2001. Reed sought reinstatement with the CFD. Reed was examined by multiple medical specialists including the City of Chicago’s medical officer, Dr. Isaac Horcos, who determined that Reed was disabled. Reed was consequently denied reinstatement.

On April 5, 2001, Reed applied for duty disability benefits from the Board. On May 25, 2001, Dr. Morcos certified Reed’s disability to the Board. On that same day, Dr. Morcos sent a letter to Dr. George Motto, physician consultant to the Board, discussing Reed’s injuries, Reed’s consultation with multiple medical specialists and his conclusion that Reed was unable to perform his firefighter duties in full.

Following additional examinations by physicians, including Dr. Motto, the court held a hearing on Reed’s request for duty disability benefits. During the hearing, the Board heard testimony and received medical records regarding Reed’s condition. Several physicians found that Reed’s subjective complaints of disability were not supported by their objective findings. Reed, himself, testified that most of the symptoms he suffered after his injury had been resolved and that he was able to engage in everyday activity, including maintaining a rental building he owned. Dr. Motto, who had reviewed all medical records received by the Board, examined Reed and heard all testimony presented to the Board, testified that Reed was capable of performing his duties as a firefighter and was not disabled.

On February 20, 2002, the Board entered an order finding that Reed did not suffer from any neurological or physical disability that would impair his ability to perform his duties as a firefighter and was, therefore, not entitled to duty disability benefits arising from his June 2, 2000, injury. The Board’s order provided that Reed’s “current condition is essentially normal and would allow him to return to active duty with the [CFD].”

In a letter addressed to Reed from the Board on February 26, 2002, Reed was informed that he must file for administrative review of the Board’s decision within 35 days.

On March 12, 2002, Reed sought reinstatement as a firefighter with the CFD. After several medical examinations and tests, on April 8, 2003, the CFD informed Reed that he would not be reinstated as a firefighter because it had found that he was “unable to perform the essential functions of a firefighter.”

Reed subsequently filed a complaint in the trial court on May 9, 2003. Count I of the complaint sought administrative review of the Board’s finding that Reed was not disabled. Count II, against the City of Chicago and the Board, asked that the court enter a mandamus order that the CFD reinstate Reed as a firefighter or, in the alternative, that the Board provide Reed with disability benefits.

The Board moved to dismiss the original complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. Meanwhile, Reed filed a motion asking that the trial court remand the cause to the Board with directions that the Board conduct an ordinary disability benefits hearing pursuant to section 6 — 152 of the Code.

On January 16, 2004, the trial court granted the Board’s motion to dismiss with prejudice and denied Reed’s motion to remand. The court reasoned that it lacked subject matter jurisdiction to consider Reed’s original complaint because Reed failed to file for administrative review within 35 days of the Board’s decision. The court also found that Reed’s mandamus request in count II was an improper remedy because it asked the court to direct the Board to perform a discretionary duty. The court denied Reed’s motion to remand because, since it lacked subject matter jurisdiction to decide Reed’s claim for administrative review, it was further precluded from considering the merits of that motion.

In its January 16, 2004, order the court suggested that Reed request an ordinary disability benefits hearing pursuant to section 6 — 152 of the Code directly from the Board.

On January 20, 2004, Reed wrote a letter to the Board asking that the Board grant him an ordinary disability benefits hearing. Specifically, Reed asked that the Board send him application materials for ordinary disability benefits. In his letter, Reed noted that the Board, during its earlier hearing and in its February 20, 2002, decision, had not considered whether Reed was entitled to ordinary disability benefits.

On February 24, 2004, the Board refused Reed’s request to apply for ordinary disability benefits. The Board noted that Reed’s claim for duty disability benefits arising from the same injury was pending in the trial court and stated that, “[u]ntil that claim is finally adjudicated!],] the Retirement Board will defer any hearing” on the request. The Board further noted that its letter was not a decision with respect to Reed’s entitlement to ordinary disability benefits.

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Bluebook (online)
876 N.E.2d 94, 376 Ill. App. 3d 259, 315 Ill. Dec. 94, 2007 Ill. App. LEXIS 954, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/reed-v-retirement-board-of-firemans-annuity-benefit-fund-illappct-2007.