Spencer v. Board of Zoning Appeals

171 N.E.2d 914, 85 Ohio Law. Abs. 366, 13 Ohio Op. 2d 469, 1960 Ohio App. LEXIS 820
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 16, 1960
DocketNo. 2891
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 171 N.E.2d 914 (Spencer v. Board of Zoning Appeals) 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
Spencer v. Board of Zoning Appeals, 171 N.E.2d 914, 85 Ohio Law. Abs. 366, 13 Ohio Op. 2d 469, 1960 Ohio App. LEXIS 820 (Ohio Ct. App. 1960).

Opinion

Putuam, P. J.

Spencer was denied a building permit by ae Zoning Administrative Officer of Perry Township. She erfected an appeal to the Township Board of Zoning Appeals nder Section 519.15, Revised Code. The Board confirmed the .ecision of the officer. Thereupon an appeal was taken by Spencer to the Common Pleas Court as provided by Section 506.01, Revised Code. In the Common Pleas Court the deci-ion of the Board of Zoning Appeals was reversed and judg-aent entered for Spencer. The Board of Zoning Appeals iled an appeal to this court. Spencer has filed a motion to lismiss the appeal on two grounds and the cause is now before his court on the motion to dismiss.

The grounds of the motion are:

1. A township board of zoning appeals has no right of ippeal from the order of a court reversing the decision of uch board of zoning appeals.

2. The Court of Appeals has no jurisdiction of the at-empted appeal of defendant-appellant since the notice of appeal was filed more than 20 days after the judgment entry of he Common Pleas Court.

The first ground is predicated upon the holding of the Supreme Court in the case of DiCillo & Sons v. Board, 158 Ohio St., 302. The opposition claims that this decision is obsolete >ecause of the enactment thereafter of Sections 2506.01-04, Revised Code, wherein it is provided “the judgment of the iourt may be appealed by any party on questions of law pursuant to Sections 2505.01 to 2505.45, inclusive, Revised Code.”

The second ground is predicated upon the fact that after ¿he judgment of the Common Pleas Court was rendered a mo-ion for a new trial was filed and while the notice of appeal to ;his court was filed within twenty days of the ruling on the notion for a new trial, it was not within twenty days from the late of the decision. The question here presented is as to [368]*368whether or not a motion for a new trial is authorized and tha depends on whether or not the appeal of the Common Plea¡ Court provides for a trial de nova.

We will discuss these contentions together. In such ap peals as in this case, even prior to the enactment of Section! 2506.01-04, Revised Code, the Supreme Court held in the DiCilh case supra that the appellate procedure act (Section 12226 e seq, General Code), controlled rather than the Administrate Procedure Act (Section 154-61 et seq, General Code; Sectioi 119.01 et seq, Revised Code). Since this section, Section 2506.01 Revised Code, specifically provides that Section 2505.01, Re vised Code, controls the appeal there can now be no doubt oi this proposition. Section 2505.04, Revised Code, provides ii part:

“An appeal is perfected when written notice of appeal if filed with the lower court, tribunal, officer, or commission.”

Section 2505.05, Revised Code, provides:

“The notice of appeal required by Section 2505.04, Revised Code, shall designate the order, judgment, or decree appealed from and whether the appeal is on questions of law or questions of law and fact. In said notice the party appealing shal be designated the appellant, and the adverse party, the appellee and the style of the case shall be the same as in the court oi origin. The failure to designate the type of hearing upon appeal is not jurisdictional and the notice of appeal may be amended by the appellate court for good cause shown.” (Emphasis by writer.)

Section 519.14, Revised Code, in the last paragraph thereoi states:

“In exercising the above-mentioned powers, such board may, in conformity with such sections, reverse or affirm, wholly or partly, or may modify the order, requirement, decision, oi determination appealed from, and may make such order, requirement, decision, or determination as ought to be made, and to that end shall have all powers of the officer from whom the appeal is talcen.” (Emphasis by writer.)

In the DiCillo case supra the first paragraph of that opinion it is stated:

“The ultimate question to be determined on this motion [369]*369s whether a township board of zoning appeals or any of its nembers as such have any right to appeal from the judgment )f a court, rendered on appeal from a decision of such board and reversing and vacating that decision. If they do not, the -notion must be sustained.”

The gist of the reasoning in that case as set forth on pages 304 and 305 of that opinion is:

“In an appeal to the board of zoning appeals, the board does not become a party to that appeal. Its powers, as speci-Sed in Section 3180-38, General Code, are ‘to hear and decide appeals’ and ‘to authorize, upon appeal, in specific cases * * * variance from the terms of the zoning resolution * * *.’ The legislative provisions for such a board are entirely inconsistent with any idea that the board or its members as such should be considered as persons ‘aggrieved’ or ‘affected by any decision of the administrative officer’ from which an appeal is taken, as parties interested in what decision should be rendered by them on the appeal, or as parties who might be ‘adversely affected’ by any decision they might render. See Ohio Contract Carriers Assn. Inc., v. Public Utilities Commission, 140 Ohio St., 160, 42 N. E. (2d), 758. That legislation apparently contemplates that the board should be as disinterested in deciding matters brought before it as a court should be.”

If we should consider the administrative procedural ,act (Sections 119.11 and 119.12, Revised Code), as applicable, they only provide for an appeal by a party adversely affected.

It follows from the above statutes and authority that in zoning cases in an appeal to the zoning board of appeals, the only party adversely affected is the one whose permit is denied. Here, in this court, the adverse party is the administrative officer. The zoning board of appeals is not and cannot be a party. In an appeal from the zoning board of appeals the aggrieved party may be either the one whose permit was denied or the administrative officer, depending on what the decision of the zoning board of appeals would be in the particular case. In this appeal, the zoning board of appeals is not and cannot be a party. Under the appellate procedure act the only requisite for an appeal is to file seasonably a proper notice of appeal with “the lower court, tribunal, officer or commission.” In [370]*370the instant case this was done by filing the same with the board of zoning appeals. In the board of zoning appeals this case had nothing but a number. No evidence was taken and only argument of counsel of Spencer was had. The notice of appeal filed with the zoning board of appeals is as follows:

‘ ‘ STATE OF OHIO THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS SS: OF PERRY TOWNSHIP
STARK COUNTY
Case. No. 10-59-A
LORETTA B. SPENCER, 223 Whipple Road N- W. Canton, Ohio
Plaintiff-Appellant -vs-
THE BOARD OF ZONING NOTICE OF APPEAL APPEALS OF PERRY TOWNSHIP Room 213 — McClymonds Bldg.,
50 Erie Street North Massillon, Ohio
Defendant-Appellee

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Rauch v. Jefferson Twp. Bd. of Zoning Appeals
2016 Ohio 967 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2016)
Republic Steel Corp. v. Hailey
506 N.E.2d 1215 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1986)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
171 N.E.2d 914, 85 Ohio Law. Abs. 366, 13 Ohio Op. 2d 469, 1960 Ohio App. LEXIS 820, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/spencer-v-board-of-zoning-appeals-ohioctapp-1960.