White v. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

738 A.2d 27, 1999 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 696
CourtCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedAugust 30, 1999
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 738 A.2d 27 (White v. Pennsylvania 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
White v. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, 738 A.2d 27, 1999 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 696 (Pa. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinions

[29]*29COLINS, President Judge.

Before the Court are preliminary objections filed by the Department of Transportation (PennDOT), a motion for summary relief filed by Lamar and Lois White, and PennDOT’s motion to strike certain exhibits attached to the Whites’ brief in support of their motion for summary relief.

This action arises out of PennDOT’s plan to construct a new interchange on Interstate Rte. 81 near Chambersburg, Franklin County. The Wdiites own farmland that will be affected by the proposed construction. In June 1994, the Whites received a notice that in planning for highway improvements, PennDOT might need to enter onto their property to conduct surveys and tests; the notice stated that PennDOT would notify them personally, if possible, before any entry. The Whites allege that they received no subsequent notice of entry. Sometime after receiving the notification of possible entry, the Whites refused entry to PennDOT employees, and PennDOT has made no further attempt to access the Whites’ property.

In May 1999, the Whites filed their complaint in this Court’s original jurisdiction alleging that the construction of the interchange will result in economic harm and will result in the direct taking of farmland in active agricultural production. The “Whites also allege that they will be harmed by PennDOT’s entry onto their property prior to the initiation of formal condemnation proceedings. Specifically, they allege that by permitting entry, they will relinquish their right to sue PennDOT for trespass; that their active farmland will be hindered by PennDOT’s surveying activities and that their machinery had already been damaged by survey stakes placed by PennDOT; and that they will be forced to relinquish their property rights against unpermitted invasions.

The Whites’ complaint alleges that PennDOT violated the Agricultural Security Areas Law (ASA Law)1 in that Penn-DOT failed to submit its condemnation proposal for approval of the Agricultural Lands Condemnation Approval Board (ALCAB). The Whites assert that without ALCAB’s approval, PennDOT lacks the power to condemn their farmland. The Whites allege that PennDOT has expressed its position that the Whites’ farmland is not protected by the ASA Law and that it will not seek ALCAB’s approval. The Whites seek the following relief: 1) a declaration that PennDOT’s activities will adversely affect the Whites; 2) a declaration that without ALCAB approval, Penn-DOT does not have the power to condemn their property; 3) an injunction prohibiting any further commitment of resources to the project or its continued design and construction until PennDOT obtains AL-CAB approval; 4) attorney’s fees; and 5) additional appropriate relief.

Preliminary Objections

In response to the Wdiites’ complaint, PennDOT filed the following preliminary objections: 1) the Whites have an adequate remedy at law under Section 409 of the Eminent Domain Code2 for any damages caused by PennDOT’s entry onto their land for the purpose of surveying and testing; 2) the Whites fail to state a claim for which relief can be granted in that ALCAB has no jurisdiction over Penn-DOT’s power to condemn or its authority to enter prior to condemnation under the Eminent Domain Code; 3) the Whites have an adequate remedy at law under the Eminent Domain Code, which provides the exclusive method for challenging a con-demnor’s power or right to condemn; 4) the Whites lack standing to sue under the ASA Law, which does not provide for a private cause of action to redress violations, and the Whites have failed to exhaust administrative remedies by requesting ALCAB to determine them claims or to [30]*30refer the matter to the Attorney General under the ASA Law.

First we address PennDOT’s objections (numbered I and III) that the Whites have an adequate remedy at law under the Eminent Domain Code. PennDOT asserts first that all challenges to the power or right to condemn must be brought as preliminary objections to the declaration of taking, and second, that the Whites have a remedy under the Eminent Domain Code for any damages caused by PennDOT’s entry prior to condemnation.

Although PennDOT correctly states that a challenge to its power or right to condemn must be brought under the Eminent Domain Code, we addressed a matter factually similar to the Whites’ in In re Legislative Route 58018, 31 Pa.Cmwlth. 275, 375 A.2d 1364 (1977), wherein we stated that when the challenge is to a collateral procedure to be followed as part of highway planning — and not a challenge to the adequacy of security, to the declaration of taking itself, or to a matter directly related to the declaration — the matter is justiciable only by invocation of Commonwealth Court’s original jurisdiction in equity. In the Route 58018 case, the condemnees challenged PennDOT’s failure to comply with statutory procedures requiring a determination of the project’s social, esthetic, and environmental effects as a limitation upon its power to condemn. In the present case, the Whites challenge PennDOT’s failure to comply with statutory procedures requiring an ALCAB review and determination. As in Route 58018, the Whites’ challenge is to a collateral procedure to be followed as part of highway planning, arid not a challenge to a declaration of taking or to a matter directly related to the declaration. In re Condemnation of .036 Acres, More or Less, of Land Owned by Wexford Plaza Associates, 674 A.2d 1204 (Pa.Cmwlth. 1996), cited by PennDOT in its objections, has no bearing in this case because the issue of the condemnor’s failure to seek ALCAB approval in Wexford Plaza was determined to have been waived. Because the Whites have no adequate remedy at law to challenge PennDOT’s failure to seek ALCAB approval, PennDOT’s Objection III is overruled.

Section 409 of the Eminent Domain Code provides that prior to the filing of the declaration of taking, a condemnor “shall have the right to enter upon any land or improvement which it has the power to condemn, in order to make studies, surveys, tests, soundings and appraisals, provided that the owner ... has been notified ten days prior to entry on the property.” 26 P.S. § 1-409. Section 409 also provides that “[a]ny actual damages sustained by the owner of a property ... entered upon ... shall be paid by the condemnor and shall be assessed by the court or viewers....” Id. For this reason, we conclude that the Whites have a remedy at law for any damages that may be caused by PennDOT’s entry onto their property, and PennDOT’s Objection I is sustained.

Next we address PennDOT’s Objection IV challenging the Whites’ standing and failure to exhaust administrative remedies. PennDOT asserts that ALCAB has the statutory authority to seek enforcement of the ASA Law through the Attorney General’s office and that the ASA Law does not provide a private right of action for violations of the law. The Whites admit that the law does not provide a private right of action and that ALCAB may seek its enforcement. In reply, the Whites assert that the remedy of ALCAB’s seeking enforcement is not available until Penn-DOT files a declaration of taking; even so, they are not attempting to enforce the ASA Law, rather they seek to enjoin PennDOT from trespassing on their property.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Hutchings v. National Conference of Evangelical Congregational Church
47 Pa. D. & C.5th 463 (Monroe County Court of Common Pleas, 2015)
Department of Transportation v. Agricultural Lands Condemnation Approval Board
5 A.3d 821 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2010)
Millan v. Laporta
80 Pa. D. & C.4th 105 (Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas, 2005)
Hykes v. Hughes
835 A.2d 382 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2003)
Nazar v. Clark Distribution Systems Inc.
46 Pa. D. & C.4th 28 (Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas, 2000)
Doe v. Curran
45 Pa. D. & C.4th 544 (Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas, 2000)
White v. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
738 A.2d 27 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1999)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
738 A.2d 27, 1999 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 696, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/white-v-pennsylvania-department-of-transportation-pacommwct-1999.