Vlad v. City of Cleveland

164 N.E.2d 797, 111 Ohio App. 70, 82 Ohio Law. Abs. 602, 13 Ohio Op. 2d 427, 1960 Ohio App. LEXIS 714
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 24, 1960
Docket24993
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 164 N.E.2d 797 (Vlad v. City of Cleveland) 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
Vlad v. City of Cleveland, 164 N.E.2d 797, 111 Ohio App. 70, 82 Ohio Law. Abs. 602, 13 Ohio Op. 2d 427, 1960 Ohio App. LEXIS 714 (Ohio Ct. App. 1960).

Opinion

*603 OPINION

By SKEEL, J.

This appeal comes to this court from a judgment entered on appeal to the Court of Common Pleas of Cuyahoga County from a final order of the Zoning Board of Appeals of the City of Cleveland. The appellees in this court are the owners of two vacant lots located on the east side of Rocky River Drive in Cleveland, which prior to 1943 were zoned Class C-l Business. In 1943, the comprehensive zoning ordinance of the City of Cleveland was amended changing the zoning classification of these lots and some other property in the vicinity from Class C Business (which would permit the construction of a gasoline service station) to Class B Dwelling House (two-family houses).

The amendment as first proposed in 1943 was to change the zoning of the property fronting in the immediate district on Rocky River Drive, including plaintiff’s property, from a Class C-l Business to a Class C-l Apartment House District. After notice was published, as provided by law, and hearing had,, the proposal was submitted to the Planning Commission. After study, they suggested the amendment be changed to rezone the property for “Class B Dwellings.” The amendment as changed was then presented for action to the City Council and subsequently passed so that the plaintiff’s property is and has been since 1943 zoned for Class B Dwelling use.

The property owners made application for a permit to erect a gasoline service station on their property on May 16, 1958. Before the amendment to the zoning ordinance, the use requested in appellee’s application would have been a permissible use. The Commissioner of Building and Housing refused the application because of the zoning restriction, which decision was affirmed upon appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals.

This decision was appealed to the Court of Common Pleas. The property owner claimed in his appeal to the Court of Common Pleas that: '

“1. The amendment was not legally passed and, therefore, the old zoning applied.

“2. The zoning ordinance, as amended, is unconstitutional as to the appellant’s property as situated and is arbitrary and unreasonable.”

The notice of appeal stated that the appeal was on law and fact but no appeal bond was filed. Also an affidavit was filed under §2506.03 R. C., seeking to introduce evidence in addition to that contained in the transcript certified by the Commission as the record and evidence upon which the application was considered by the Board. The affidavit states as the reasons for requesting additional evidence that the appellant desired:

“1. To cross-examine witnesses purporting to refute appellant’s position, arguments and contentions.

“2. To offer evidence and testimony offered in opposition to appellant’s position, arguments and contentions.

“3. That persons were allowed to give their evidence without the resemblance of evidence and testimony and without their names being given with their alleged views and so they could be cross-examined; *604 —in an unjudicial manner, and so that it would appear whether or not their views were given under oath;

“That there further appears on the face of said transcript the grounds set forth in §2506.03 R. C., which entitle appellants to have the Court hear additional evidence, which the appellants desire to introduce, and to cross-examine any person who previously gave testimony in opposition.”

The court permitted the taking of additional evidence and overruled the City’s motion to dismiss the appeal for failure to file an appeal bond. We find that the record before the Board was such that the taking of additional evidence was correctly permitted.

Upon hearing on the merits, the co.urt reversed the order of the Board, making the following entry:

“It is therefore the judgment of the Court in accordance with the findings herein above made, that the order of the Board of Zoning Appeals is reversed and vacated and this cause remanded to the Board of Zoning Appeals with instructions to enter and order consistent with the findings and opinion of the Court, that it order the Commissioner of Building and Housing to grant to the said appellants their application for a permit as therein applied for; and further, that the said Commissioner of Building and Housing is ordered to issue the permit applied for and in accordance with the terms thereof.”

The City’s assignments of error are;

“(1) The Court of Common Pleas erred in finding that an appeal filed under §§2506.01 to 2506.04 inclusive, R. C., was neither an appeal on questions of law nor one on questions of law and fact but a new type of appeal.

“(2) The Court of Common Pleas erred in finding that the supersedeas bond required by §2505.06 R. C., for the perfecting of an appeal on questions of law and fact was not required under the provisions of §§2506.01 et seq, R. C.

“(3) The Court of Common Pleas erred in permitting the appellee to introduce evidence which was available but not proffered at the hearing before the Administrative Agency.

“(4) The Court of Common Pleas erred in finding that zoning ordinance No. 533-43 of the City of Cleveland is unenforceable and violative of the constitutional rights of the appellees.

“(5) The Court of Common Pleas erred in finding that the order of the Board of Zoning Appeals was contrary to the manifest weight of the evidence presented to said Board.”

It should be noted at the very outset that the question presented in appellee’s brief as to the validity of the amendatory ordinance is not before this court. The plaintiff-appellee did not file a separate appeal bringing that question up to this court for consideration, nor was a cross appeal filed as provided by §2505.22 R. C., which, under the claims presented, would have been proper in this case.

We come, therefore, to the questions of law presented by the claims of the appellant. The right to appeal to the courts from the final order of an administrative agency is now clearly provided by law. While §119.12 R. C., is limited to state agencies, §2505.03 R. C., and Chapter *605 2506 R. C., when taken together, provide for appeals to the courts from administrative agencies of all political subdivisions of the government, state or local. Sec. 2505.03 R. C., provides:

“Every final order, judgment, or decree of a court and, when provided by law, the final order of any administrative officer, tribunal, or commission may be reviewed as provided in §§2505.04 to 2505.45 inclusive, R. C., unless otherwise provided by law, except that appeals from judgments of justices of the peace upon questions of law and fact shall be taken as provided in §§1921.01 to 1921.16 inclusive, R, C.”

That the right thus provided includes all administrative agencies is supported by the eases of A. DiCillo & Sons, Inc. v. Chester Zoning Board of Appeals et al, 158 Oh St 302, 109 N. E. 2d 8, and Mentor Lagoons, Inc. v. Zoning Board of Appeals, 168 Oh St 113, 151 N. E. 2d 533.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
164 N.E.2d 797, 111 Ohio App. 70, 82 Ohio Law. Abs. 602, 13 Ohio Op. 2d 427, 1960 Ohio App. LEXIS 714, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vlad-v-city-of-cleveland-ohioctapp-1960.