Wahle v. Department of Industrial Relations

470 N.E.2d 200, 14 Ohio App. 3d 101, 14 Ohio B. 115, 1983 Ohio App. LEXIS 11442
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 29, 1983
Docket83AP-446
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 470 N.E.2d 200 (Wahle v. Department of Industrial Relations) 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
Wahle v. Department of Industrial Relations, 470 N.E.2d 200, 14 Ohio App. 3d 101, 14 Ohio B. 115, 1983 Ohio App. LEXIS 11442 (Ohio Ct. App. 1983).

Opinion

McCormac, J.

Albert C. Wahle’s application for approval as a chief building official for the city of Kettering was denied by the Board of Building Standards of the Ohio Department of Industrial Relations (“board”) on the basis that he lacked the five years’ experience in the construction and design of buildings required by Ohio Adm. Code 4101:2-1-45(0) for approval to serve in that position.

The Franklin County Court of Common Pleas affirmed the order of the board, finding that the order was not unlawful, unreasonable, or against the manifest weight of the evidence, and that it was supported by reliable, probative and substantial evidence. The court further found that the board had not abused its discretion and that Ohio Adm. Code 4101:2-1-45(0) was a lawful exercise of quasi-legislative powers.

Wahle has appealed, asserting the following assignments of error:

“I. The Court below erred by affirming the order of the Board of Building Standards without a hearing.

“II. The Court below erred by applying an inappropriate standard of proof.

“III. The Court below erred in finding that OAC Section 4101:2-1-45(0) was a lawful exercise of legislative powers.”

In his first and second assignments of error, appellant contends that ,the court of common pleas procedure and standard of review of the administrative appeal from the Board of Building Standards was contrary to law.

The order of the board denied approval of appellant’s qualifications to serve as a chief building official of a local building department because the board determined that his qualifications did not fulfill the requirements set forth under Ohio Adm. Code 4101:2-1-45(C).

R.C. 119.12 provides for an appeal from the order, as pertinent, as follows:

“Any party adversely affected by any order of an agency issued pursuant to any other adjudication may appeal to the court of common pleas of Franklin County, * * *.

H* * *

“Unless otherwise provided by law, in the hearing of the appeal the court is confined to the record as certified to it by the agency. Unless otherwise provided by law, the court may grant a request for the admission of additional evidence when satisfied that such additional evidence is newly discovered and could not with reasonable diligence have been ascertained prior to the hearing before the agency.

“The court shall conduct a hearing on such appeal and shall give preference to all proceedings under sections 119.01 to 119.13 of the Revised Code, over all other civil cases, irrespective of the position of the proceedings on the calendar of the court. The hearing in the court of common pleas shall proceed as in the trial of a civil action, and the court shall determine the rights of the parties in accordance with the laws applicable to such action. At such hearing counsel may be heard on oral argument, briefs may be submitted, and evidence introduced if the court has granted a request for the presentation of additional evidence.

“The court may affirm the order of the agency complained of in the appeal if it finds, upon consideration of the entire record and such additional evidence as the court has admitted, that the order is supported by reliable, probative, and substantial evidence and is in accordance with law. In the absence of such a finding, it may reverse, vacate, or modify the order or make such other ruling as is supported by reliable, pro *103 bative, and substantial evidence and is in accordance with law.* * *”

Appellant complains that the trial court erred in deciding the case on the record certified by the board, claiming that the board’s record was incomplete because the board had not filed conclusions of fact as required by R.C. 2506.03(E). That contention is not well-taken since only the provisions of R.C. Chapters 119 and 3781 have application to an appeal from the Board of Building Standards. R.C. 2506.03(E) has no application.

Appellant further contends that the trial court erred in not allowing him to introduce or to proffer additional evidence. However, appellant did not request the court of common pleas to admit additional evidence, which was newly discovered, and could not have been ascertained with reasonable diligence prior to the hearing before the agency; there is no indication that such evidence exists.

Appellant also contends that the trial court erred in failing to allow him to be heard on oral argument. However, appellant failed to request an opportunity to present oral argument pursuant to Rule 47.02 of the Court of Common Pleas of Franklin County, General Division; therefore, appellant waived oral argument.

Appellant also contends that the trial court erred in affirming the order of the board on the basis that it is supported by reliable, probative, and substantial evidence and is in accordance with law, as stated to be the test in R.C. 119.12. Appellant argues that R.C. 3781.101 establishes the test that the court shall not affirm an order or rule of the board unless the preponderance of the evidence before it supports the reasonableness and lawfulness of such order or rule. However, R.C. 3781.101 refers to proceedings of the board in adopting, amending, or rescinding rules and regulations, including rules and regulations pertaining to building materials, industrialized units, plumbing, heating, or ventilating systems, or any other device, etc. R.C. 3781.101 also refers to R.C. 119.11, which was repealed effective September 30, 1976, because it purported to allow appeals from legislative actions rather than quasi-judicial actions. See Rankin-Thoman, Inc. v. Caldwell (1975), 42 Ohio St. 2d 436 [71 O.O.2d 411]. It is clear that R.C. 3781.101 is not applicable to the adjudication order under appeal in the instant case, but that it was only intended to pertain to appeals of rules and regulations.

The trial court applied the appropriate standard of proof and conducted the procedural hearing in accordance with the provisions of R.C. 119.12, which applied to the appeal herein.

Appellant’s first and second assignments of error are overruled.

Appellant contends in his third assignment of error that the trial court erred in finding that Ohio Adm. Code 4101:2-1-45(C) was a lawful exercise of quasi-legislative powers.

Ohio Adm. Code 4101:2-1-45, entitled '‘Certification Requirements,” provides, as pertinent, as follows:

“To qualify for certification, a municipal, township, or county building department shall conform to, and provide, as follows:

* *

“(B) The department shall have personnel qualified to execute the duties required to enforce OBBC [the Ohio Basic Building Code]. * * *;

“(C) Except as provided in paragraphs (B) and (D) of this rule, the building department shall have one person designated as the building official who shall be an architect or professional engineer registered in the state of Ohio, having at least five years of experience in building construction and design or a person having at least ten years of *104 experience in building construction, design, or inspection;

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470 N.E.2d 200, 14 Ohio App. 3d 101, 14 Ohio B. 115, 1983 Ohio App. LEXIS 11442, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wahle-v-department-of-industrial-relations-ohioctapp-1983.