Tulio v. Beard

858 A.2d 156, 2004 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 690
Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania·Decided September 9, 2004·Published·Cited by 9 cases

Opinion

OPINION BY

Senior Judge FLAHERTY.

Presently before this court in our original jurisdiction is a motion for judgment on the pleadings filed by Jeffrey A. Beard, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (Department). The motion is denied.

Eric Tulio (Tulio) a former inmate at the State Correctional Institution at Hunting-don (Huntingdon) filed a petition for review to this court averring that on November 22, 1994, he was issued a misconduct notice relating to an overdose of a controlled substance. Tulio was found guilty of the misconduct and received thirty days in the restrictive housing unit. On September 12, 1995 Tulio was served with an assessment of inmate account form by the accounting office at Huntingdon indicating that the total amount assessed against him for medical expenses relating to the misconduct was $4,101.60. Tulio filed a formal objection and appeal of the assessment which was denied and deductions from his inmate account started in September, 1995.

In January 1997, Tulio filed his first inmate grievance relating to the assessment. On May 7, 1997, Tulio received notice that a hearing would be conducted on July 7, 1997 to receive testimony and other information relevant to the assessment of costs.1 He was also informed that deductions would be discontinued pending the outcome of the hearing. After a postponement, a Holloway hearing was conducted on August 14, 1997. Thereafter, on March 1, 1999 the hearing examiner issued a proposed report determining that Tulio was responsible for reimbursing the Commonwealth $4,101.60 for costs incurred as a result of Tulio’s violation of prison rules in that he engaged in the unauthorized use of a controlled substance. On March 10, 1999 Tulio filed exceptions to the hearing examiner’s report. On June 8, 1999 the Secretary entered an order accepting the hearing officer’s proposed report and directed Tulio to reimburse the Department $4,101.60 through his inmate account.

Beginning in July 1999, monthly deductions of $34.47 were taken from Tulio’s inmate account. Tulio objected to the deductions and complained to a staff member. A representative of inmate accounts responded to Tulio’s inquiry and explained how the deductions were calculated.

On February 6, 2002 Tulio filed his second inmate grievance concerning the assessment of medical costs against him. On [158] February 8, 2002 his grievance was denied and on appeal the denial was affirmed in a decision dated April 15, 2002.

On May 1, 2002 Tulio filed a petition for review of the April 15, 2002 decision with this court.2 Tulio seeks the cessation of deductions from his account and reimbursement, of money already paid. Tulio acknowledges that he had a Holloway hearing on August 14, 1997 and that on March 10, 1999 he filed exceptions to the hearing officer’s report of March 1, 1999. Tulio maintains, however, that the Secretary did not issue a decision and/or such decision was never sent to him. Because he never received the Secretary’s June 8, 1999 decision he claims he was unable to make a timely appeal.

In response, the Department filed preliminary objections in the nature of a demurrer. This court overruled the Department’s preliminary objections and directed the Department to file an answer to Tulio’s petition for review. Tulio v. Jeffrey A. Beard, Commissioner, Department of Corrections, (No. 278 M.D.2002, filed June 26, 2003).

On July 21, 2003, Department filed an answer to the petition for review with new matter. On August 11, 2003 Tulio filed his response to the Department’s answer with new matter. Thereafter, on December 12, 2003, Department filed its motion for judgment on the pleadings.

We initially note that, when ruling on a motion for judgment on the pleadings in our original jurisdiction, this court must view all of the opposing party’s allegations as true, and only those facts that the opposing party has specifically admitted may be considered against the opposing party. Parish v. Horn, 768 A.2d 1214 (Pa.Cmwlth.2001), aff'd per curiam, 569 Pa. 45, 800 A.2d 294 (2002). This Court may only consider the pleadings themselves and any documents properly attached thereto. Id. We may grant a motion for judgment on the pleadings only when there is no genuine issue of fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Id.

Department argues that judgment on the pleadings is proper because in his answer, Tulio admits that with respect to the first inmate grievance, the Secretary issued a decision dated June 8, 1999. Because Tulio did not file an appeal within 30 days of the order but waited until almost three years after the decision, Department claims that the appeal is untimely.

While Tulio admits that the Secretary issued a decision on June 8, 1999, he also maintains in his petition and response that he did not receive a copy of the decision. Tulio claims the first time he had notice of the Secretary’s decision is when Department filed its preliminary objections. Here, although the Department argues that it mailed the Secretary’s adjudication, we observe that the letter forwarding the Secretary’s decision is addressed to Charles Martin Business manager, with Tulio’s name appearing directly underneath followed by SCI-Huntingdon as its address. While the adjudication was sent to Huntingdon, Tulio, in his petition and in his response to Department’s answer to petition for review with new matter, maintains that although initially placed at Hun-tingdon, he was subsequently moved to Frackvile where the Holloway hearing was ultimately held. . Thereafter, in September 2000, Tulio was transferred from Frack-ville to Greene. Because the Secretary’s June 8, 1999 determination was sent to Huntingdon at a time when Tulio main[159] tains he was at Greene, we cannot agree with Department that Tulio received notice of the Secretary’s June 8, 1999 decision.

Department further maintains that even assuming that Tulio did not have actual notice of the Secretary’s June 8, 1999 decision, he had constructive notice inasmuch as the month after the Secretary issued the decision, deductions were once again taken from his account. Department maintains that Tulio should have filed his appeal much earlier.

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Tulio v. Beard, 858 A.2d 156, 2004 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 690 (Pa. Ct. App. 2004).

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