Swoyer v. Department of Transportation

626 A.2d 1247, 156 Pa. Commw. 1, 1991 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 725
CourtCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedOctober 22, 1991
Docket1429 C.D. 1990
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 626 A.2d 1247 (Swoyer v. Department of Transportation) 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
Swoyer v. Department of Transportation, 626 A.2d 1247, 156 Pa. Commw. 1, 1991 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 725 (Pa. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

SILVESTRI, Senior Judge.

Ronald Francis Swoyer (Swoyer) petitions for review of a decision of the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) denying him eleven months credit towards suspension of his operating privileges issued by the Department of Transportation, Bureau of Driver Licensing (Department).

On September 8, 1987, the Department notified Swoyer of a one year suspension of his operating privileges.1 He appealed to the Common Pleas Court of Lehigh County and, after a hearing, his appeal was dismissed on January 15, 1988. On February 25, 1988, the Department notified Swoyer of his reimposed suspension to begin at 12:01 a.m. on March 31, 1988. Swoyer did not surrender his license to the Department.

In December of 1988, Swoyer filed a petition for rehearing based on newly discovered evidence. The Department rein[4]*4stated Swoyer’s operating privileges pending the outcome of the rehearing petition. In the meantime, Swoyer renewed his operator’s license. After several continuances of the rehearing petition, the trial court, on October 5, 1989, dismissed Swoyer’s petition and reinstated the suspension.

On October 10,1989, Swoyer requested a hearing before the Department to obtain credit against his one year suspension from March 31, 1988 through February 27, 1989, a period of time in which he did not renew his license, which had expired on March 31, 1988.1 2

A hearing was held before a Department hearing officer who, on April 30,1990, made Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law and entered an order as follows:

Swoyer is not entitled to credit towards his suspension from March 31, 1988 to December 23, 1988.

Swoyer filed exceptions to the hearing officer’s proposed report; on June 20, 1990, after consideration, the Secretary entered an order, as follows:

ORDER
AND NOW, this 20th day of June, 1990, exceptions having been filed to the Proposed Report of the Department Hearing Officer, those exceptions are denied and the Order contained in the Proposed Report is made final.

Swoyer filed an appeal of the June 20, 1990 order. We affirm the Secretary’s decision.

Before addressing Swoyer’s questions for review, it is necessary to first address the Department’s motion to dismiss Swoyer’s appeal by reason of his failure to comply with Pennsylvania Rules of Appellate Procedure 2116, Pa.R.A.P. [5]*52116(a), to properly raise and preserve issues for appeal. Rule 2116(a) states:

Rule 2116. Statement of Questions Involved
(a) General rule. The statement of questions involved must state the question or questions in the briefest and most general terms, without names, dates, amounts or particulars of any kind. It should not ordinarily exceed 15 lines, must never exceed one page, and must always be on a separate page, without any other matter appearing thereon. This rule is to be considered in the highest degree mandatory, admitting of no exception; ordinarily no point will be considered which is not set forth in the statement of questions involved or suggested thereby. Whenever possible each question must be followed immediately by an answer stating simply whether it was affirmed, negatived, qualified or not answered by the court or government unit below. If a qualified answer was given to the question, appellant shall indicate, most briefly, the nature of the qualification, or if the question was not answered and the record shows the reason for such failure, the reason shall be stated briefly in each instance without quoting the court or government unit below.

Although a technical application of the rule would warrant a decision of waiver on all issues, the rule provides for broad discretion by stating, “ordinarily no point will be considered which is not set forth in the statement of questions involved or suggested thereby.” Id.

Preceding the argument portion of his brief, Swoyer does include a statement of question relating to his ensuing argument. Thus, Swoyer has substantially complied with the spirit of Pa.R.A.P. 2116(a), sufficient to excuse non-technical compliance. See Commonwealth v. Wills, 380 Pa.Superior Ct. 555, 552 A.2d 682 (1988); Commonwealth v. Brocco, 263 Pa.Superior Ct. 51, 396 A.2d 1371 (1979). Accordingly, we deny the Department’s motion for dismissal of Swoyer’s petition for review, and now address the merits thereof.

[6]*6Swoyer contends the Department erred as a matter of law in denying, credit towards his suspension because the uncontradicted facts indicate he did not possess a valid license due to its expiration. Swoyer also contends he complied with the spirit of the Code and his failure to surrender his license was based on the advice of counsel.

This Court’s scope of review is limited, and will only reverse the Secretary’s decision if: (1) the Secretary’s findings are not supported by substantial evidence, (2) the Secretary committed an error of law, (3) any of the motorist’s constitutional rights have been violated, or (4) any of the procedural provisions of the Administrative Agency Law have not been complied with. Estate of McGovern v. State Employee’s Retirement Board, 512 Pa. 377, 517 A.2d 523 (1986).

Swoyer neither contends, nor does the record reveal, any constitutional violation or any breach of procedural provisions of the Administrative Agency Law. We also find the Secretary’s finding that Swoyer is not entitled to credit towards his suspension is supported by ample evidence. Swoyer’s suspension was to begin on March 31, 1988 at 12:01 a.m., and coincidentally, his driver’s license was to expire at that same time. However, for one full day,3 Swoyer possessed a valid license. In fact, by notice dated February 25, 1988, the Department notified Swoyer of his suspension to begin on March 31, 1988 at 12:01 a.m. As a result, Swoyer had approximately thirty (30) days to surrender his license in order to commence accumulating credit towards his suspension.

Second, we find the Secretary did not commit an error of law as his findings were based on the correct interpretation of the Code, which is explicit on the period of suspension of a driver’s operating privilege. Section 1541 of the Code states:

§ 1541. Period of revocation or suspension of operating privilege.
[7]*7(a) Commencement of period — The period of revocation or suspension of the operating privilege shall commence as provided for in section 1540 (relating to a surrender of license). No credit toward the revocation or suspension shall be earned until the driver’s license is surrendered to the department, the court or the district attorney, as the case may be. A nonresident licensed driver or a unlicensed driver shall submit an acknowledgement of suspension or revocation to the department in lieu of a driver’s license....
75 Pa.C.S. § 1541(a).

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Bluebook (online)
626 A.2d 1247, 156 Pa. Commw. 1, 1991 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 725, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/swoyer-v-department-of-transportation-pacommwct-1991.