Sanville v. Commonwealth Bureau of Professional & Occupational Affairs

752 A.2d 942, 2000 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 303
CourtCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedJune 5, 2000
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 752 A.2d 942 (Sanville v. Commonwealth Bureau of Professional & Occupational Affairs) 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
Sanville v. Commonwealth Bureau of Professional & Occupational Affairs, 752 A.2d 942, 2000 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 303 (Pa. Ct. App. 2000).

Opinion

NARICK, Senior Judge.

B. Dale Sanville (Sanville) petitions for review of the May 24, 1999, decision of the State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists (Board) which assessed a civil penalty in the amount of $2000.00 and ordered San-ville to cease and desist from offering to provide or providing design services in regard to sprinkler systems, or engineering services or engineered working drawings for fire protection systems. For the reasons set forth herein, we reverse.

[943]*943Sanville is a 62 year old man who has been designing sprinkler systems for 43 years. He is a member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the American Fire Sprinkler Association. Sanville has designed sprinklers since 1955. Notes of Testimony, December 16, 1998 (N.T.), at 29-30; Reproduced Record (R.R.) at 153a-154a. In 1978 he started his own sprinkler company, Sprinklers, Inc. He provides the public with sprinkler design services and material estimates. N.T. at 33; R.R. at 157a. Sanville contracts his services and the design contract states whether an engineer seal, stamp, or approval is required. Absent a contractual specification that an engineer be involved, Sanville performs the work himself. N.T. at 37 — 41; R.R. at 161a-165a. Sanville had an engineer on staff from 1985 through 1988, and now hires independent contractors as needed. N.T. at 69, 82; R.R. at 161a, 206a. Sanville designs sprinkler systems pursuant to NFPA standards and does not perform hydraulic calculations, as they are determined from computer programs. N.T. at 69-70, 78; R.R. at 193a-194a, 202a. Once Sanville creates the design and purchases the materials, the sprinkler contractor installs the sprinkler system. Sanville has worked with and has had his work approved by fire marshalls, property owners, engineers, contractors, architects, and insurance companies. N.T. at 60; R.R. at 184a.

On August 8, 1994, Sanville sent out 200 to 300 solicitation letters. The Letter stated in pertinent part:

Our company has been in business since 1978 providing dependable professional fire protection services, backed by my personal experience of 39 years in the design business. We are members of the National Fire Protection Association and the American Fire Sprinkler Association.
Over the years I have been involved with: preliminary bid drawings, specification preparation, preliminary material, engineering & installation estimates, initial consultation on system types, final engineered working drawings, shop fabrication, supervision of installations, stocklist of materials required, and ordering of materials.
We are now concentrating our efforts on preparing sprinkler specifications, bid drawings, and cost estimates for companies like yours. Our costs are determined on an individual project basis, after review of project information supplied by you. Our specialized experience in this field can help you in completing the bid package needed in a professional and timely manner.

Sanville Solicitation Letter, August 8, 1994, at 1; R.R. at 245a. (emphasis added). Sanville’s business card states in pertinent part, “Sprinklers, Inc. Design and Consulting.”

On July 27, 1998, the prosecuting attorney for Respondent Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs issued Sanville a two-count order to show cause, charging that Sanville’s distribution of the solicitation letter to EBL Fire Engineering and his circulation of the business card constituted “an offer to practice engineering” in violation of Section 3 of the Engineer, Land Surveyor and Geologist Registration Law (Engineer Law).1 Section 3 of the Engineer Law provides in pertinent part:

Practice of engineering, land surveying or geology without a licensure or registration
(a) In order to safeguard life, health or property and to promote the general welfare, it is unlawful for any person to practice or offer to practice engineering in this Commonwealth, unless he is licensed and registered under the laws of this Commonwealth as a professional engineer. ...
(b) A person shall be construed to practice or offer to practice engineering. . .who practices any branch of the profession of engineering...; or who, [944]*944buy verbal claim, sign, advertisement, letterhead, card, or in any other way represents himself to be an engineer. .. or through the use of some other title implies that he is an engineer.. .; or who holds himself out as being able to perform, or who does perform any engineering. . .service or work or any other service designated by the practitioner or recognized as engineering....

63 P.S. § 150. Sanville filed an answer with new matter in which he admitted the factual allegations of the order to show cause but denied he had violated the Engineer Law.

On December 16, 1998, a hearing was held before the Board, at which Sanville’s answer, the letter and business card were admitted into evidence. The Commonwealth offered no testimony. Sanville testified on his own behalf and also offered the deposition and written report of James F. Valentin, Jr. a non-engineer who designs fire sprinkler systems. Sanville also offered letters and curricula vitae from 13 individuals who are familiar with Sanville’s work, two of whom are licensed engineers. The Board made the following relevant findings of fact:

7. Respondent also used certain licensed engineers to review, modify and approve plans on occasion. (N.T. 12/16/98, page 38, fine 9).
10. In the August 8, 1994, letter, Respondent stated that he provided professional fire protection services and prepared specifications, prepared engineering and installation estimates, consulted on types of systems, prepared final engineered work drawings and fabricated and supervised fire protection installation. (Exhibit C-l).
17. Respondent’s design of sprinkler systems includes hydraulic calculations of the amount of water needed in the system and the size of the pipes required as a result of those calculations. (N.T. 12/16/98, pages 69-70).

Board Decision, May 24, 1999, (Board Decision) at 3-4. The Board concluded that:

3. The services offered by Respondent in the letter and business card constitute the practice of engineering as defined in Section 149(a)(1) of the Act, 63 P.S. § 149(a)(1).
4. The services offered by the Respondent do not fall into any exception to the statutory definition of the practice of engineering, such as maintenance, which would not require a license. 63 P.S. § 149(a)(1), (2).

Board Decision at 6. The Board found Sanville violated Section 3 of the Engineering Law. Sanville petitioned our Court for review. On July 15,1999, Judge Rodgers granted supersedeas pending the outcome of this appeal.

Sanville contends that the Board erred in concluding that he violated the Engineer Law, and that this finding was not supported by substantial evidence; that the Board erred in not qualifying Sanville’s witness as an expert; and that the Board exceeded its scope of review, thus violating Sanville’s due process rights by directing Sanville to cease and desist from performing sprinkler design services.

Section 2(a)(1) of the Engineer Law defines the practice of engineering as:

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752 A.2d 942, 2000 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 303, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sanville-v-commonwealth-bureau-of-professional-occupational-affairs-pacommwct-2000.