Township of Bristol v. 1 Enterprises, LLC

177 A.3d 1045
CourtCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedJanuary 5, 2018
Docket658 C.D. 2017; 727 C.D. 2017
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 177 A.3d 1045 (Township of Bristol v. 1 Enterprises, LLC) 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
Township of Bristol v. 1 Enterprises, LLC, 177 A.3d 1045 (Pa. Ct. App. 2018).

Opinion

OPINION BY

SENIOR JUDGE COLINS

These are consolidated cross-appeals from a judgment entered by the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas (trial court) in an eminent domain case in the amount of $61,500 in favor of African Century Industries, LLC (Condemnee) and against the Township of Bristol (Township), following a nonjury trial. For the reasons set forth below, we affirm.

On October 27, 2006, the Township filed a Declaration of Taking condemning a property situated at 1248/1250 Murphy Drive (also known Marie Lowe Drive), Bristol Township and identified on the Bucks County Tax Map as Tax Map Parcel 5-61-499 (the Property) for the purpose of constructing a recreation and community center. (Declaration of Taking, Reproduced Record (R.R.) at 17a-33a.) Condemnee, a Delaware limited liability company, had purchased the Property on January 10, 2006 for $40,000 and was the owner of the Property at the time of the taking. (Declaration of Taking ¶ 2, R.R. at 17a; Deed, R.R. at 25a~26a.) At the time that Condemnee purchased the Property, there were recorded Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (Department of Labor & Industry), and Bristol Borough Water & Sewer Authority (Water & Sewer Authority) liens against the Property. (Petition to Distribute Just Compensation Ex. A, Title Report, R.R. at 42a-44a; Memorandum of Law in Opposition to Petition to Distribute Just Compensation, R.R. at 67a-68a.) These liens were filed against the Property between 1997 and 2003 and the amount of those liens, as of the dates that they were filed, totaled $94,700.60. (Petition tó Distribute Just Compensation Ex. A, Title Report, R.R. at 42a-44a; Memorandum of Law in Opposition to Petition to Distribute Just Compensation, R.R. at 67a-68a.) Con-demnee did not pay down any of these liens during its ownership of the Property. (Trial Transcript at 86-87.)

In the Declaration of Taking, the Township estimated the just compensation for the Property at $115,000. (Declaration of Taking ¶ 10, R.R. at 18a.) Condemnee filed a petition for appointment of a board of viewers on March 9, 2007, and the trial court appointed a board of viewers to determine just compensation. On April 2, 2007, the Township filed a petition to distribute just compensation- seeking to pay the estimated $115,000-just compensation into court because Condemnee would not consent to payment of the liens on the' Property. In response, Condemnee admitted that the $94/700.60 in IRS,-Department of Labor & Industry, and Water & Sewer Authority liens shown on the Township’s title report for the Property were valid liens on the Property when the Declaration of Taking was filed. (Answer to Petition to Distribute Just Compensation ¶¶ 6, 10 — 11, R.R. at 54a-55a; Memorandum of Law in Opposition to Petition to Distribute Just Compensation, R.R. at 67a-68a.), Con-demnee also admitted that the Township could pay the $94,700.60 face amount of these liens to those three lienholders from the just compensation, but contended that the Township could not pay any interest or penalties on those liens. (Answer to Petition to Distribute Just Compensation. ¶¶ 6, 10-11, R.R. at 54a-55a; Memorandum of Law in Opposition to Petition to Distribute Just Compensation, R.R. at 67a-68a.) On October 26, 2007, the trial court issued an order denying the Township’s request to-pay the estimated just compensation into, court and ruling -that the Township “shall distribute damages to the Condemnee directly in the sum of $115,000 less any liens (with any interest, penalties and fees allowable by law) existing as of the date of the Declaration of. Taking, October 27, 2006.” (R.R. at 77a.)

On September 27, 2007, while the Town-' ship’s petition was pending, the board of viewers filed its report awarding $140,000 in just compensation and $2,500 for Con-demnee’s appraiser’s fees. (Report of the Board of View, R.R. at 182a-185a.) Con-demnee appealed the board of viewers’ decision to the trial court the same day and demanded a jury trial. On November 10, 2008, the Township paid the $140,000 awarded by the board of viewers to the three holders of liens and municipal claims on the Property, paying $116,474.15 to the IRS, $7,082.47 to the Department of Labor & Industry, and $16,443.38 to the Water <& Sewer Authority. (Certified Record Item 37, Condemnee’s petition for Declaratory Relief ¶¶ 11-13 & Exs. 7-9; Certified Record Item 40, Township Petition to Strike Petition for. Declaratory Relief ¶¶3-4 & Ex. B.) .

Between April 2009 and October 2014, Condemnee filed several unsuccessful motions in the trial court, variously titled as motions for declaratory -judgment and for contempt, challenging the Township’s payment of the $140,000 to the lienholders, and filed three appeals from denial of those motions, which this-Court quashed a’s interlocutory. (Docket Entries, R.R. at 6a-12a.) On September 9, 2012, the trial court ordered that discovery and expert reports be completed by December 1, 2012. (Id., R.R. at 8a.) Between October 2012 and the end of 2015, the case was placed on the trial list multiple times, but no trial' was held. (Id., R.R. at 8a-12a.) Following a May 2014 trial court order placing the case on the trial list and a contempt motion filed by Condemnee that was scheduled for a hearing oh August 8, 2014, the Township, on August 1, 2014, served a notice to attend and produce documents on Condemnee. (Notice to Attend and Produce, R.R. at 129ar-130a.) Con-demnee fíled a motion to quash the notice; the trial court did not rule on the motion to quash and denied the contempt motion. (Docket Entries, R.R. at Ilia.)

On February A, 2015, Condemnee exe-. cuted a document assigning all of its rights to the Property and all of its rights in the condemnation proceeding to 1 Enterprises, LLC (Assignee), a Delaware limited liability company formed on January. 22, 2015. (Assignment of Property Rights, R.R. at 262a-264a; Township Motion to Dismiss Ex. B, R.R. at 250a.) On March 9, 2015, counsel for Condemnee filed a praecipe to substitute Assignee as a party in the condemnation as the successor in interest to Condemnee and entered his appearance as counsel for; Assignee. (Praecipe to Substitute, R.R. at 260a~261a; Docket Entries, R.R. at 12a.) The Township did not file any motion to strike this substitution or challenge the validity of the assignment in response to this praecipe. (Docket Entries, R.R. at 12a.)

On March 4, 2016, the trial court ordered the case placed on the April 4 to April 15, 2016 trial list. (Docket Entries, R.R. at 13a.) On April 1, 2016, the Township filed a motion to dismiss the appeal from the board of viewers for lack of standing on the ground that Condemnee’s certificate of formation had been canceled by the state of Delaware. (Township Motion to Dismiss, R.R. at 239a-254a.) The Township based its motion to dismiss on a September 17, 2014 printout from the Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporation website showing that Con-demnee’s certificate had been canceled on June 1, 2009 for nonpayment of taxes. (Id. Ex. A, R.R. at 248a.) The Township also filed a pretrial motion in limine on March 29, 2016 to exclude the testimony of Con-demnee’s appraiser. (Township Motion in Limine, R.R. at 211a-238a.)

On April 4, 2016, the case came to trial. The trial court denied the Township’s motion in limine to exclude Condemnee’s appraiser on the grounds that the Township’s arguments were issues of credibility.

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Bluebook (online)
177 A.3d 1045, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/township-of-bristol-v-1-enterprises-llc-pacommwct-2018.