Source: https://www.in.gov/judiciary/opinions/previous/archive/111803.par.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 18:38:43+00:00

Document:
Appellant-Intervening Plaintiff, the City of New Haven, Indiana ("City"), brings this consolidated appeal of four trial court decisions pursuant to two lower court cause numbers (02C01-9506-CP-642 & 02C01-9506-CP-764) concerning the operation and existence of a landfill, owned and operated by Chemical Waste Management of Indiana, L.L.C. ("CWMI"). The four trial court decisions at issue in this case are: 1) the denial of City's motion for summary judgment on six counts alleging CWMI's violation of several stop work orders and notices of violation (CP-642); 2) the court decision partially granting and partially denying CWMI's motion for summary judgment (CP-642); 3) the court decision partially granting and partially denying CWMI's motion to vacate the Allen County Superior Court's November 27, 1995 order (CP-764); 4) the court decision partially reversing the Allen County Board of Zoning Appeals ("BZA") decision (CP-764). As cross-appellants, Chemical Waste Management of Indiana, L.L.C., Chemical Waste Management, Inc., Waste Management, Inc., and WMX Technologies, Inc. (collectively "CWMI") raise several procedural errors committed by the BZA and not corrected by the trial court as well as several procedural and substantive errors made by the trial court.
CWMI to disprove the Zoning Administrator's allegations contained in the stop work orders and notices of violation.
2. Whether the trial court erred in finding that a stop work order issued against CWMI was invalid and unenforceable based on vagueness grounds.
2. Whether the BZA applied the correct standard to review CWMI's appeal of the Zoning Administrator's orders.
3. Whether the trial court erred in denying CWMI summary judgment on the issues of institutional bias of the BZA and personal bias of a BZA member.
4. Whether the trial court abused its discretion in permitting the City to intervene permissively in CP-642 and in holding that CWMI was "conditionally" in violation of the stop work orders.
5. Whether the trial court erred in failing to give res judicata or collateral estoppel effect to the judgment in CP-308 denying the City's application for a temporary restraining order against CWMI.
6. Whether the trial court erred in failing to enter summary judgment for CWMI finding that there was not sufficient factual information to determine whether the landfill constituted a "structure" as a matter of law pursuant to the Allen County Zoning Ordinance ("ACZO"), and in failing to enter summary judgment for CWMI that the 1974 covenants were ultra vires, void ab initio, or otherwise unenforceable as a matter of law.
then owner of the original site, Amon Brooks (Brooks), applied for a landfill permit. The Allen County Zoning Administrator refused to issue the permit and Brooks appealed at a BZA hearing. On September 17, 1974, the BZA reversed the Zoning Administrator's decision and ordered the Zoning Administrator to issue the permits to Brooks. Together with the BZA decision, Brooks agreed to a set of restrictions on his use of the property, recorded as restrictive covenants. CWMI acquired ownership of the original site on July 2, 1981.
Accordingly, CWMI initiated an appeal to the BZA challenging, among other things, the Zoning Administrator's stop work orders. During the pendency of the BZA appeal, the Zoning Administrator issued additional stop work orders, as well as two notices of violation. On April 12 and 24, 1995, the BZA heard CWMI's appeal of the Zoning Administrator's stop work orders and notices of violation. The City appeared at the BZA hearings and urged the BZA to affirm all of the Zoning Administrator's orders. The BZA issued its decisions on May 10, 1995, affirming some of the Zoning Administrator's orders and reversing others.
On June 1, 1995, CWMI filed a petition for writ of certiorari in the trial court challenging those BZA determinations which were adverse to CWMI ('CP-764') [Allen Circuit Court Cause No. 02C01-9506-CP-764]. The City filed its appearance in the certiorari case as a remonstrator. On February 6, 1996, the trial court issued numerous orders which affirmed in part and reversed in part the findings of the BZA. The trial court certified its decision as a final appealable order pursuant to Trial Rule 54(B). Thereafter, the BZA, the Zoning Administrator, and the City initiated [this] appeal of CP-764.
During the pendency of the CP-764 certiorari case before the trial court, the BZA filed a verified complaint for injunctive relief, damages, and attorney fees, seeking to enforce those orders of the Zoning Administrator which the BZA had affirmed and which were adverse to CWMI ('CP-642') [Allen Circuit Court Cause No. 02C01-9506-CP-642]. The BZA also sought penalties against CWMI under the Allen County Zoning Ordinance. The City filed a petition to intervene as a plaintiff in the BZA's enforcement action. The trial court granted the City's petition and joined the City as a permissive intervening party in CP-642.
The parties moved for summary judgment in CP-642. On February 6, 1996, at the same time the trial court issued its ruling in CP-764, the trial court [Paul R. Cherry, Special Judge] also issued its ruling in CP-642, granting in part and denying in part CWMI's motion for summary judgment. The BZA, the Zoning Administrator, and the City filed a joint praecipe for appeal of CP- 642, [which is this appeal].
764 and CP-642 requesting the trial court to enter an agreed judgment in each case. The trial court entered an agreed judgment in each case dismissing all claims with prejudice. The City was not a party to the agreed judgment.
As a result of the agreement reached between those parties, the BZA and the Zoning Administrator dismissed their appeal of CP-642 and CP-764. The City, now the sole appellant, brings this consolidated appeal of the trial court's rulings in CP-642 and CP-764 while CWMI also brings several issues on appeal as cross-appellant.
We will address the City's issues first.
The City argues that the trial court erred in ruling that the BZA violated constitutional due process when it imposed upon CWMI the burden of proof and the burden of going forward on CWMI's appeal to the BZA of stop work orders issued by the Zoning Administrator. Specifically, the City contends that given the informal nature of BZA hearings, the strict rules as to burden of proof which are imposed in judicial proceedings have no application. We disagree.
ordinance. Hannon v. Metropolitan Development Comm'n of Marion County, 685 N.E.2d 1075, 1078 (Ind. Ct. App. 1997). The BZA failed to carry this initial burden of proof. We must agree with the trial court's finding that at the April 24, 1995 BZA hearing session, CWMI was improperly required to go forward first and bear the burden of proving that it was not in violation of the zoning ordinance. Instead, the burden of proof and the burden of going forward should have been on the Zoning Administrator to establish that he did not act arbitrarily, capriciously, or illegally. See Saurer v. Board of Zoning Appeals, 629 N.E.2d 893 (Ind. Ct. App. 1994). We find no error.
The City argues that the trial court erred in holding that the September 2, 1994 stop work order issued by the Zoning Administrator was invalid on due process and vagueness grounds. Specifically, the City asserts that neither CWMI nor the trial court cited authority holding that a stop work order must meet a constitutionally imposed standard of specificity. In response, CWMI contends that the burden was on the Zoning Administrator to apprise CWMI as to the precise facts that violate the zoning ordinance.
On February 6, 1996, in the "Court decision partially granting and partially denying CWMI's motion for summary judgment," the trial court refused to afford the City injunctive enforcement of the stop work order affirmed by the BZA because the order was "too vague and general to be enforceable because it fails to specify what conduct or condition on the land is in violation." (R. 3846). We agree.
I do hereby order stayed all operations on your original 151 acres which do not conform to the provisions of improvement location permit No. 12964 (dated 25 September 1975) and the restrictive covenants. (R. 785).
Although our research of Indiana law has revealed no cases holding that a stop work order must meet some constitutionally imposed standard of specificity, we find Yater v. Hancock County Planning Commission instructive. 614 N.E.2d 568 (Ind. Ct. App. 1993). In that case, we held that the Plan Commissioner had a duty to furnish specific and concrete reasons so that developers could comply with applicable ordinances. Although that case stands for the rule that zoning ordinances must be specific and certain so as to apprise the property owner, we apply that rule to violations of zoning ordinances. Thus, basic constitutional due process considerations about fair notice require that a stop work order issued by a Zoning Administrator be reasonably specific and concrete so as to fairly apprise the wrongdoer of the specific violation.
The City's status as a party to the lawsuit and the judgment rendered therein does not end merely because the original parties decided to settle their claims and to forego the pursuit of an appeal. Dismissal of the suit as between the original parties does not render moot the City's claims.
685 N.E.2d 97, 102 (Ind. Ct. App. 1997). Specifically, the City contends that this ruling is the law of the case as to the issue of mootness, and effectively precludes this court from ruling that the present appeal is moot. Under the law of the case doctrine, an appellate court's determination of a legal issue is binding in subsequent appeals given the same case and substantially the same facts. State v. Lewis, 543 N.E.2d 1116, 1118 (Ind. 1989). All issues decided directly or implicitly in a prior decision are binding in all subsequent portions of the same case. Indiana Farm Gas Production Co. v. Southern Indiana Gas & Electric Co., 662 N.E.2d 977, 981 (Ind. Ct. App. 1996), trans. denied. The doctrine is based upon the policy that once an issue is litigated and decided, "that should be the end of the matter." Lewis, 543 N.E.2d at 1118. However, unlike the rule of res judicata, the law of the case doctrine is not a uniform rule of law, but rather a discretionary rule expressing the practice of the courts to refuse to reopen what has previously been decided. Id. Although a court has the power to revisit prior decisions of its own or of a coordinate court, as a rule, courts should be loathe to do so in the absence of extraordinary circumstances. Id.
is free to raise the issue of mootness in its present appeal because that issue was not previously resolved or addressed by this court. Furthermore, CWMI contends that the law of the case doctrine does not apply in this case because the doctrine only precludes subsequent litigation on the precise legal issue previously determined. We disagree with CWMI's reasoning.
Although we did not specifically address the issue of the mootness of the City's claim in City of New Haven, we nevertheless ruled that the City had the right to appeal a prior judgment "to the extent that it is adverse to those interests which made intervention possible in the first place." Id. Thus, the law of the case doctrine does apply because we implicitly ruled on the mootness issue in a prior decision in this same case with substantially the same facts and we will not reopen what we have previously decided.
CWMI next contends that the City has no remedy available on remand because CWMI received its last shipment of waste at the facility in May 1998, the facility is effectively closed, and therefore CWMI can no longer violate or continue to violate the ACZO provisions. Specifically, CWMI argues that the City has no available remedy for an alleged violation under the ACZO, and therefore this appeal should be dismissed. We disagree.
any property owner who may be especially damaged by any such violation of this Ordinance may initiate an action for injunction . . . to restrain any person or governmental unit from violating or continuing to violate any provision of this Ordinance and to cause such violation to be prevented or abated. (R. 3080).
Finally, CWMI contends that the City is not entitled to a negative injunction under ACZO § 3-13-4-3 because the words "restrain," "prevent," and "abate" all refer to actions of present or future violations that cannot occur because the facility is closed. However, the City seeks to enforce the underlying covenants prohibiting visibility of the landfill from any existing residence as well as the ACZO provisions limiting the existing landfill height and requirement of permits and Special Exceptions for landfill construction. Therefore, the City can initiate an injunction action against CWMI for alleged continued violations of the covenants and ACZO provisions. The City's appeal is not moot.
hearing CWMI's appeal of the Zoning Administrator's orders. In response, the City asserts that due process does not require that the BZA provide CWMI a de novo hearing. Specifically, the City argues that due process of law was not contravened where the BZA applied the standard of the ACZO Rule of Procedure 4.01, which provides that an appeal to the BZA of the Zoning Administrator's decision be "on the basis of such decision being arbitrary, capricious, illegal or contrary to state law or the provisions of the Ordinance or the Rules." (R. 1274). We agree.
Ind. Code § 36-7-4-918.1 authorizes BZA review of any order or decision made by a zoning administrator. Furthermore, Ind. Code § 36-7-4-919(d) provides: "Upon appeal, the board may reverse, affirm, or modify the order, requirement, decision, or determination appealed from. For this purpose, the board has all the powers of the official, officer, board, or body from which the appeal is taken." Thus, we affirm the trial court's finding that the BZA's decision to limit the exercise of its power by applying an arbitrary, capricious, or illegal standard rather than broadening its power by affording CWMI a de novo hearing with the BZA standing in the shoes of the Zoning Administrator was well within the BZA's discretion. We find no error in the trial court's failure to vacate the BZA decisions of CWMI's appeal for not applying a de novo review standard.
decisions on the ground that a single member of the BZA, George W. Pond (Pond), was biased against CWMI as well as the bias of the entire BZA. The trial court denied CWMI's motion for summary judgment and found that by necessarily knowing of the bias but failing to timely raise the issue at three different hearings, CWMI waived its assertion that the BZA was biased against it. Furthermore, the trial court was unable to determine whether as a matter of law Pond's participation with the Allen County Dump Stoppers, Inc., an organization actively and publicly opposed to CWMI's operations at the landfill, created a reasonable basis for doubting his impartiality.
pursue zoning appeals and requests before the BZA (April 12 and 24 and May 10, 1995) and then later (on October 11, 1995) first raise an allegation of bias by the BZA yet having at all times necessarily known of these circumstances of which it first complains in late 1995." (R. 3833).
CWMI's second claim of bias is that the trial court erred in failing to invalidate all of the BZA proceedings because a biased BZA member participated in any of them. In 1995, Pond was a board member of the Allen County BZA and also a member of the Allen County Dump Stoppers, Inc. Prior to the initial BZA hearing on April 12, 1995, CWMI registered three written objections to Pond's participation in the BZA hearing. However, Pond still participated as a member of the BZA in the April 12 hearing and then recused himself prior to the next BZA hearing on April 24, 1995. CWMI now argues that the trial court should have concluded that Pond was biased against it, thereby tainting all BZA proceedings, and therefore the court should have invalidated all of the BZA proceedings relating to CWMI. The trial court was "unable to determine whether as a matter of law Pond had a conflict of interest and whether as a matter of law a reasonably objective person would have a reasonable basis for doubting [Pond's] impartiality and therefore CWMI's motion for summary judgment is denied as to this issue." (R. 3835).
preconceived biases and prejudices. Ripley County Board of Zoning Appeals v. Rumpke of Indiana, Inc., 663 N.E.2d 198, 209 (Ind. Ct. App. 1996), reh'g. denied, trans. denied. When a biased board member participates in a decision, the decision will be vacated. Id. Nevertheless, because a zoning board is a body usually composed of persons without legal training, courts are reluctant to impose strict technical requirements upon their procedure. McBride, 579 N.E.2d at 1315. Furthermore, in the absence of a demonstration of actual bias, we will not interfere with the administrative process. Ripley Cty., 663 N.E.2d at 209.
In the case at hand, we are reviewing decisions by the trial court that CWMI waived its assertion of institutional bias by failing to timely raise the issue and the existence of genuine issues of material fact as to Pond's impartiality. The issue on appeal is whether denial of summary judgment against CWMI on the issue of bias was in error.
persuading this court that the trial court's decision was erroneous. Id. A summary judgment determination shall be made from any theory or basis found in the evidentiary matter designated to the trial court. Ind.Trial Rule 56(C). Thus, our standard of review is limited to determining whether the trial court's decision to deny summary judgment to CWMI is erroneous, and we must affirm on any theory supported by the judgment.
In the case at hand, because of the existence of genuine issues of material fact before the court, the trial court was unable to find as a matter of law that either the entire BZA or Pond, as a member of the BZA, was biased against CWMI. Specifically, the court found that the record was silent as to what extent Pond was a member of the Dump Stoppers organization and whether his association with the Dump Stoppers affected the BZA proceedings. Additionally, the court found that CWMI waived its assertion of institutional bias because it necessarily knew of the circumstances of bias but continued litigation without raising the issue. Thus, on the basis of the lack of designated evidence and our deferential standard, we cannot say the trial court's denial of summary judgment against CWMI on the issue of bias was erroneous.
law in common with the main action because the City merely duplicated the BZA's and the Zoning Administrator's complaint.
Pursuant to Ind.Trial Rule 24(B)(2), an applicant may be permitted to intervene in an action when the applicant's claim or defense have a question of law or fact in common with the proceeding and intervention will not prejudice or unduly delay the adjudication of the rights of the original parties. On appeal, the trial court's determination on a motion to intervene is only reviewable for an abuse of discretion. Heritage House of Salem, Inc. v. Bailey, 652 N.E.2d 69, 73 (Ind. Ct. App. 1995). In reviewing the trial court's exercise of discretion, the facts alleged in the motion must be taken as true. Id. To constitute an abuse of discretion, the trial court's decision must be clearly against the logic and effect of the facts and circumstances before the court or reasonable and probable inferences to be drawn therefrom. Developmental Disabilities Residential Facilities Council v. Metropolitan Dev. Comm'n of Marion County, Ind., 455 N.E.2d 960, 965 (Ind. Ct. App. 1983). Further, it is well settled that where the effect of granting a motion to intervene would open up new areas of inquiry or raise unrelated issues, the motion should be denied. Heritage House, 652 N.E.2d at 74.
its interests. On October 16, 1995, the trial court granted the City's motion to intervene, finding that the City's claims have questions of law and fact in common with the BZA and intervention will not unduly delay or prejudice the rights of the original parties. We must agree with the trial court in permitting the City to intervene permissively in this case. We find no abuse of discretion.
about the validity of the September 2 and 9, 1994 stop work orders that were already determined to be invalid and unenforceable.
Pursuant to ACZO 3-13-3-3, a decision by the Zoning Administrator to issue a stop work order may be appealed to the BZA. "However, the decision of the Zoning Administrator to issue a stay order shall remain in effect during the pendency of the appeal, and thereafter unless modified or revoked by the Board. . . . A violation of such an order issued by the Zoning Administrator . . . shall be considered a violation of this ordinance." Thus, CWMI was required to obey the stop work order until there was a judicial determination of its legality on appeal. The trial court properly found that CWMI was in violation of the stop work order based upon the condition of the ultimate validity of the stop work order on appeal. We find no error.
that the issues of whether non-compliance with an Allen County Zoning Administrator stop work order constitutes a violation of the Allen County Zoning ordinance . . . have not been fully litigated on the merits in [CP-308] and therefore [the BZA, Zoning Administrator and the City] can raise and argue these issues in this case because the doctrines of res judicata and collateral estoppel do not bar them from doing so.
Court judge denied the TRO and ordered "all pending requests for injunctive relief consolidated with the trial on the merits in this cause of action." (R. 3859).
A. The Landfill: A Structure as a Matter of Law?
Next, CWMI argues that the trial court erred in denying it summary judgment on the "height" stop work order, since as a matter of law, the landfill is not a "building" or a "structure" under the ACZO. Specifically, CWMI contends that no reference to facts was necessary and the court needed only to examine the language of the ACZO to determine that CWMI's landfill was not a structure. However, the trial court found that it was without sufficient factual information to make a determination whether CWMI's landfill units in fact exceeded 75 feet in height and constituted structures. Further, nowhere does the record of proceedings establish that the landfill operations exceeded 75 feet in height other than the Zoning Administrator's stop work order. Thus, because genuine issues of material fact existed, the trial court denied CWMI's motion for summary judgment on the height limit stop work order.
No building or structure shall be erected, altered, enlarged, or reconstructed to exceed the height limit established for the District where such building or structure is located, as follows . . . I-1, I-2, I-3, I-4 . . . 75 feet.
a structure having a roof supported by columns or walls designed, built or used for the enclosure, shelter or protection of persons, animals, chattels or property.
Anything constructed or erected with a fixed location on the ground, or attached to something having a fixed location on the ground. Among other things, structures include buildings, mobile homes, walls, fences, billboards and poster panels, and pools.
(R. 3850). CWMI argues that as a matter of law, ACZO § 3-8-1-1 does not apply to its landfill operations because it is not a building or a structure. Specifically, CWMI asserts that ACZO § 3-2-2-2 defines a sanitary landfill as "a method of disposing of refuse on land . . . .," and thus the landfill is not constructed with a fixed location on the ground, rather it is the ground.
clothed with a presumption of validity and the losing party bears the burden of proving that the trial court erred in its determination of summary judgment. Id. When reviewing a motion for summary judgment, we stand in the shoes of the trial court, applying the same standard utilized by the trial court, and we resolve any doubt as to a fact, or an inference to be drawn therefrom, in favor of the party opposing summary judgment. Id. Summary judgment is inappropriate if we must weigh conflicting evidence to reach a decision, or if there are conflicting inferences which may be drawn from undisputed facts. National City Bank, Indiana v. Shortridge, 689 N.E.2d 1248, 1250 (Ind. Ct. App. 1997).
issues of material fact and conflicting evidence. We agree with the trial court that summary judgment was inappropriate.
CWMI next contends that the trial court erred in failing to enter summary judgment in its favor that the 1974 covenants were ultra vires, void ab initio or otherwise unenforceable. Specifically, CWMI argues that the trial court erroneously decided that CWMI's predecessor in interest himself proposed the 1974 covenants, therefore equitably estopping CWMI from challenging them. Further, CWMI argues that the trial court erred in concluding that CWMI was judicially estopped from challenging the 1974 covenants because CWMI had previously acknowledged the validity of the 1974 covenants.
the Zoning Administrator the power to enforce the 1974 covenants. On February 6, 1995, the Zoning Administrator issued against CWMI a stop work order alleging several violations of the 1974 covenants. On May 10, 1995 the BZA affirmed and upheld certain of the alleged violations of the 1974 covenants.
On February 6, 1996, the trial court denied CWMI's motion for summary judgment on the February 6, 1995 stop work order and the BZA's affirmance of notices of violation regarding the 1974 restrictive covenants, finding that there existed no genuine issue of material fact regarding the validity of the 1974 covenants running with the land. In particular, the court found that CWMI's operations on the original 151 acre site remained subject to the site-specific 1974 covenants as well as the ACZO in effect on July 19, 1974 when Brooks submitted his permit application to the BZA. Further, the court found that CWMI was precluded from challenging the validity of the 1974 covenants because it failed to timely pursue a certiorari action within thirty days of September 18, 1974, and that CWMI had previously acknowledged in court proceedings the validity of the 1974 covenants and the right of the Zoning Administrator to enforce them.
applying the same standard utilized by the trial court, and we will resolve any conflicting inferences from undisputed facts in favor of the non-moving party. In this case, the undisputed facts reveal a conflicting inference of whether Brooks voluntarily agreed to the restrictive covenants. However, there is substantial evidence in the record to support the conclusion that Brooks agreed to the covenants and that they ran with the land to remain in effect upon CWMI.
In conclusion, we find that the trial court did not err or abuse its discretion in its rulings of CP-642 and CP-764, the City's appeal is not moot, and the BZA did apply the correct standard to review CWMI's appeal of the Zoning Administrator's stop work orders.
Footnote: 1 See City of New Haven v. Allen County Board of Zoning Appeals, 694 N.E.2d 306 (Ind. Ct. App. 1998).
Footnote: 2 The 75 foot height issue concerns landfill operations called "residual management units" or "cells" which are multiple layers of waste interspersed among multiple liners and using a leachate collector and drainage piping system.

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