Richard C. v. Houstoun

196 F.R.D. 288, 48 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 266, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22172, 1999 WL 33134054
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedSeptember 29, 1999
DocketNo. CIV.A. 89-2038
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 196 F.R.D. 288 (Richard C. v. Houstoun) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Richard C. v. Houstoun, 196 F.R.D. 288, 48 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 266, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22172, 1999 WL 33134054 (W.D. Pa. 1999).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

STANDISH, District Judge.

I

In this civil action, plaintiffs, as class representatives for a class of Western Center residents, sought relief under 42 U.S.C. §§ 1396 et seq., 1983 and 29 U.S.C. § 794 from defendants.1 In September, 1992, after almost one year of settlement discussions, plaintiffs reached an agreement with the Secretary of the Department of Public Welfare of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Deputy Secretary for Mental Retardation of the Department of Public Welfare and the Facility Director of Western Center (collectively DPW). After further negotiations based on the agreement, Allegheny County signed the agreement in February, 1993.

By Order dated June 22, 1993, the court confirmed its preliminary certification of the class and approved the agreement signed by the parties.2 Through the agreement, the civil action was settled.

Presently, before the court are two motions: (1) the motion of Daniel Torisky, Audrey Smith, Irene Keller and Laura Mooney (the family applicants) to intervene as of right, pursuant Fed.R.Civ.P. 24(a), in the above-captioned civil action and (2) the motion of Edward Torisky, Ralph Keller, Larry Smith and Susan Riley (the resident applicants), through their guardians and next friends, to intervene as of right, pursuant Fed.R.Civ.P. 24(a), in the above-captioned civil action.3 For reasons that follow, the motions will be denied.

II

An applicant petitioning to intervene in a civil action must comply with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 24(a). Rule 24(a) provides as follows:

(a) Intervention of Right. Upon timely application anyone shall be permitted to intervene in an action: ... (2) when the applicant claims an interest relating to the property or transaction which is the subject of the action and the applicant is so situated that the disposition of the action may as a practical matter impair or impede the applicant’s ability to protect that interest, unless the applicant’s interest is adequately represented by existing parties.

Fed.R.Civ.P. 24(a).

The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has interpreted Rule 24(a)(2) to require an applicant seeking to intervene as of right to prove four elements:

[290]*290[F]irst, a timely application for leave to intervene; second, a sufficient interest in the litigation; third, a threat that the interest will be impaired or affected, as a practical matter, by the disposition of the action; and fourth, inadequate representation of the prospective intervenor’s interest by existing parties to the litigation.

Kleissler v. United States Forest Serv., 157 F.3d 964, 969 (3d Cir.1998) (citations omitted). “Although these requirements are intertwined, each must be met to support intervention as of right.” Harris v. Reeves, 946 F.2d 214, 219 (3d Cir.1991).

Ill

A

Initially, the court will consider the families’ motion. The family applicants seek to intervene in the above-captioned action in order to stay the outplacement of class members from Western Center into community-based treatment programs pending cessation of alleged violations of the agreement and federal law. The alleged violations include the following: (1) DPW’s failure to evaluate, by December 1, 1992, class members “to determine whether a program of community supports and services is recommended” in violation of paragraph 3 of the agreement; (2) DPW’s failure to provide residents or their family members with Health Care Financing Administration 2176 Waiver Beneficiary Choice Forms prior to outplacement planning;4 (3) DPW’s failure to permit involved family members or guardians to direct the person-centered planning process for each class member in violation of paragraph 3 of the agreement and section 6000(c)(3) of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. § 6000(c)(3); (4) DPW’s failure to take reasonable action to assure that Western Center retains its certification as an interim care facility for the mentally retarded (ICF/MR certification) in violation of paragraph 17 of the agreement; (5) DPW’s violation of various subsections of sections 484.10, 484.16, 484.36, 484.52, 441.301, 441.302, 441.303 and 483.400 through 483.480 of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations; (6) DPW’s failure to comply with Part 1397 of Chapter XIII of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations in its monitoring of the operations of entities providing community-based treatment programs to outplace class members; (7) class counsel’s improper invocation of the dispute resolution process provided for in paragraph 15 of the agreement; (8) DPW’s outplacement of residents despite their objections in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12111 et seq., as interpreted by the United States Supreme Court in Olmstead v. L.C., 527 U.S. 581, 119 S.Ct. 2176, 144 L.Ed.2d 540 (1999); and (9) DPW’s failure to recognize the primary decision-making role of class members’ family and guardians in violation of the dictates of Heller v. Doe, 509 U.S. 312, 113 S.Ct. 2637, 125 L.Ed.2d 257 (1993). Plaintiffs also assert that these alleged violations of the agreement and federal law have led to various pending legislative and governmental actions.5

[291]*291The family applicants seek to intervene in the above-captioned action and to stay further outplacement of class members pending the outcome of the aforementioned legislative and governmental action. The family members also request that admissions to Western Center be reopened; that all outplaced class members be afforded the opportunity to return to Western Center; that the terms of the agreement be enforced; and that class counsel be removed.

B

Plaintiffs and defendants argue that the Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision does not provide the family applicants with a basis for intervention. The court agrees.

In Olmstead, the respondents, L.C. and E.W., two mentally retarded women, were confined for treatment in institutional settings. Id. at 119 S.Ct. at 2183.

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Bluebook (online)
196 F.R.D. 288, 48 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 266, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22172, 1999 WL 33134054, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/richard-c-v-houstoun-pawd-1999.