Case Title: Ward v. Delmarva Power & Light Co., et al.

Citation: 

Docket Number: 136, 2013

State: delaware

Court: Delaware Supreme Court

Date: 2013-05-20T00:00:00Z

Document:
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
CARLET D. WARD, 
 
Appellant Below- 
Appellant, 
 
v. 
 
DELMARVA POWER & LIGHT 
COMPANY 
and 
DELAWARE 
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, 
 
Appellees Below- 
Appellees. 
§ 
§  No. 136, 2013 
§ 
§ 
§ 
§  Court Below—Superior Court  
§  of the State of Delaware, 
§  in and for Kent County 
§  C.A. No. K12A-10-001 
§ 
§ 
§ 
§ 
 
 
 
 
 
Submitted: May 15, 2013 
 
 
 
 
  Decided: May 20, 2013 
 
Before STEELE, Chief Justice, HOLLAND, and BERGER, Justices 
 
O R D E R 
 
 
This 20th day of May 2013, upon consideration of the appellant’s 
opening brief, the appellees’ motions to affirm, and the record below, it 
appears to the Court that: 
 
(1) 
The appellant, Carlet Ward, filed this appeal from a decision of 
the Superior Court, dated February 19, 2013, which affirmed a Court of 
Common Pleas’ decision dismissing her complaint.  The appellees, the 
Delaware Public Service Commission (“the Commission”) and Delmarva 
Power & Light Company (“DP&L”), each have filed a motion to affirm the 
 
2
judgment below on the ground that it is manifest on the face of Ward’s 
opening brief that her appeal is without merit.  We agree and affirm. 
 
(2) 
In 2012, Ward filed nearly identical complaints against DP&L 
and the Commission in both the Court of Common Pleas and the Court of 
Chancery.  Ward’s complaints sought monetary damages for alleged 
overpayments that Ward made to DP&L over a six year period.1  The Court 
of Chancery dismissed Ward’s complaint in July 2012, and this Court 
affirmed that decision on appeal.2  On September 10, 2012, the Court of 
Common Pleas also dismissed Ward’s complaint with prejudice for lack of 
subject matter jurisdiction and for failure to state a claim.  Ward appealed 
that ruling to the Superior Court.  
 
(3) 
The Superior Court upheld the Court of Common Pleas’ 
dismissal of Ward’s complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.  The 
Superior Court noted that Ward had filed a complaint with the Commission 
regarding DP&L’s alleged overbilling and that the Commission investigated 
the complaint and found, after a hearing, that Ward had been properly billed.  
Ward could have appealed that ruling to the Superior Court, but she failed to 
                                                 
1 Ward previously had filed a complaint with the Commission regarding DP&L’s alleged 
overbilling.  After an investigation and a hearing, the Commission determined that DP&L 
had properly billed Ward.  Ward did not appeal that ruling to the Superior Court pursuant 
to the Administrative Procedures Act, DEL. CODE ANN. tit. 29, §§ 10102(4), 10142(a) 
(2003). 
2  Ward v. Delmarva Power & Light, 2012 WL 6598658 (Del. Dec. 17, 2012). 
 
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do so.  Instead, she chose to file a complaint in the Court of Common Pleas, 
which lacked jurisdiction over her dispute. 
 
(4) 
After 
careful 
consideration 
of 
the 
parties’ 
respective 
contentions on appeal, we find it manifest that the judgment below should be 
affirmed for the reasons set forth in the Superior Court’s decision dated 
February 19, 2013.  Ward brought her complaint against DP&L for alleged 
overbilling to the Commission, which held a hearing and ruled that DP&L 
had properly billed Ward.  Ward failed to appeal that decision to the 
Superior Court, which had exclusive jurisdiction to review the 
Commission’s findings and conclusions.3  The Court of Common Pleas 
lacked jurisdiction to consider Ward’s complaint against the Commission.  
Accordingly, we find no error in the Superior Court’s decision affirming the 
Court of Common Pleas’ dismissal of her complaint. 
 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that the judgment of the 
Superior Court is AFFIRMED. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BY THE COURT: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Randy J. Holland 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Justice 
                                                 
3 DEL. CODE ANN. tit. 29, §§ 10102(4), 10142(a) (2003).