Rhodes v. Malden Public Service District

301 S.E.2d 601, 171 W. Va. 645
CourtWest Virginia Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 25, 1983
DocketNo. 15693
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 301 S.E.2d 601 (Rhodes v. Malden Public Service District) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering West Virginia Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rhodes v. Malden Public Service District, 301 S.E.2d 601, 171 W. Va. 645 (W. Va. 1983).

Opinion

McHUGH, Justice:

This original action in mandamus was filed by the petitioner, Sara D. Rhodes, in this Court on September 9, 1982. By order entered on October 14, 1982, this Court directed the respondents, Malden Public Service District and Margaret D. Miller, County Clerk of Kanawha County, West Virginia, to show cause why relief should not be awarded against them. In this action, the petitioner challenges the validity of a sewer lien filed by the Malden Public Service District against her property. This Court has before it the petition for a writ of mandamus and all other matters of record.

The petition asserts that in 1973 the petitioner purchased a home located at 123 Hill [646]*646Drive and a garage apartment located at 123V2 Hill Drive. The home and garage apartment are in Kanawha County, West Virginia, and at the time of purchase were on separate septic tank systems. The petitioner’s granddaughter, Sherry Clendenin, and Ms. Clendenin's young child lived in the garage apartment.

The Malden Public Service District is a public corporation which provided sewage utility service in the vicinity of petitioner’s property at 123 and 123V2 Hill Drive. By written agreement executed on April 21, 1978, the petitioner obtained from the Mal-den Public Service District sewage collection service with respect to her home at 123 Hill Drive. That agreement did not specifically mention the garage apartment located at 123V2 Hill Drive.

During the period in question, the petitioner’s home was connected by pipe to the sewage line of the Malden Public Service District. However, the garage apartment was never connected to the District's sewage line and remained upon a septic tank system.

The petition asserts that the Malden Public Service District assessed sewage service charges with respect to the garage apartment located at 12372 Hill Drive even though the garage apartment was never connected to the District’s sewage line. The petition further asserts that, although the petitioner paid all of her bills relating to her home at 123 Hill Drive, a lien was recorded against her property by the District for delinquent sewage service charges relating to the garage apartment. That lien, recorded in Kanawha County, West Virginia, on September 23, 1981, was in the amount of $452.31. The lien referred to property located at 12372 Hill Drive, Account No. 67816600. By letter dated May 28, 1982, from the Malden Public Service District, the petitioner was informed that Account No. 6781660 was delinquent in the amount of $928.52. That letter indicated that the above-described lien had been filed against the petitioner’s property.

The petitioner asserts, inter alia, that as a result of her failure to receive various notices her right to due process of law was violated. Specifically, the petitioner asserts: (1) that the Malden Public Service District never notified the petitioner that she was required to connect the garage apartment to the district sewer facilities, (2) that the Malden Public Service District never informed the petitioner that she would have to pay for sewer services regardless of whether the sewer facilities were connected to the garage apartment and (3) that the petitioner received no notice that a lien was going to be recorded against her property by the Malden Public Service District. Those assertions are denied by the respondent Public Service District in its answer to the petition. The petitioner asks this Court to declare void the lien against her property and the underlying indebtedness for the delinquent sewer service charges.

This Court, after careful examination, has been unable to find a substantial number of case decisions nationwide with circumstances similar to those in the action before this Court, particularly with respect to the assertion of the petitioner that her right to due process of law was violated.1 We do not, however, reach the due process issue in this action. As indicated below, [647]*647this Court is of the opinion that certain statutory provisions are dispositive of the petitioner’s request for mandamus relief.

At issue in this action are the provisions of W.Va.Code, 16-13A-9 [1965]. In effect during the period in question, W. Va. Code, 16-13A-9 [1965], provides, inter alia, public service districts with the power to require connection between public service district sewer facilities and certain houses, dwellings or buildings of property owners, tenants or occupants, and such owners, tenants or occupants have a duty under that statute to pay rates and charges for the district sewer facilities from and after the date of receipt of notice that such facilities were available.2 Furthermore, W. Va. Code, 16-13A-9 [1965], provides for the imposition of a lien in the event charges for district sewer services become delinquent. As W.Va.Code, 16-13A-9 [1965], provides, in part:

Any district furnishing sewer facilities within the district shall also have power to require all owners, tenants or occupants of any houses, dwellings and buildings located near any such sewer facilities, where sewage will flow by gravity from such houses, dwellings or buildings into such sewer facilities, to connect with and use such sewer facilities, and to cease the use of all other means for the collection, treatment and disposal of sewage and waste matters from such houses, dwellings and buildings where there is such gravity flow and such houses, dwellings and buildings can be adequately served by the sewer facilities of the district, and it is hereby found, determined and declared that the mandatory use of such sewer facilities provided for in this paragraph is necessary and essential for the health and welfare of the inhabitants and residents of such districts and of the State.
Whenever any district has made available sewer facilities to any owner, tenants or occupant of any house, dwelling or building located near such sewer facility, and the engineer for the district has certified that such sewer facilities are available to and are adequate to serve such owner, tenant, or occupant, and sewage will flow by gravity from such house, dwelling or building into such sewer facilities, the district shall have the immediate right and duty to charge, and such owner, tenant or occupant shall have the duty to pay from and after the date of receiving notice that such facilities are available, the rates and charges for services established under this article.
All delinquent fees, rates and charges of the district for either water facilities or sewer facilities shall be liens on the premises served of equal dignity, rank and priority with the lien on such premises of state, county, school and municipal taxes.

The petitioner in this action does not directly challenge the right of the Malden Public Service District to impose charges upon her property for sewer services. Nor does she directly challenge the right of the Malden Public Service District to place a lien upon her property with respect to those charges. Rather, the petitioner indicates that some form of notice is required as a prerequisite to her liability for such charges. We agree, and our conclusion is based upon the express language of W. Va. Code, 16-13A-9 [1965], which states that, with respect to charges relating to district sewer facilities, certain owners, tenants or occupants “shall have the duty to pay from [648]

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301 S.E.2d 601, 171 W. Va. 645, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rhodes-v-malden-public-service-district-wva-1983.