Source: http://pa.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20140917_0006281.PA.htm/qx
Timestamp: 2016-10-23 06:32:44
Document Index: 768316695

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 2503', '§ 2503', '§ 8302', '§ 8302', '§ 8303', '§ 8301', '§ 8301', '§ 8302', '§ 8302', '§ 8301', '§ 1921', '§ 1921', '§ 1903', 'art, 611', '§ 255', '§ 255']

| Carlson v. Ciavarelli
Carlson v. Ciavarelli
John Carlson, Marilyn Carlson, Anne Gallen, John Green, Bob Kachnycz, Rob McNeil, Theresa McNeil, Gail Moyer, Tom Moyer, Theresa Orsini, Paul Gallen, and Rose Valley Neighbors Associationv.William Ciavarelli and Joseph Stevens and Upper Dublin Township; Appeal of: William Ciavarelli
Appealed from No. 2012-02833. Common Pleas Court of the County of Montgomery. Braxton, Senior Judge.
Michael P. Coughlin, Blue Bell, for appellant.
Edward M. Wild, Doylestown, for appellees.
William Ciavarelli (Ciavarelli) appeals from the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court's (trial court) November 1, 2013 order denying his Motion for Hearing to Determine Immunity (Immunity Motion) and declaring that he is not immune from claims asserted in a Petition to Assess Counsel Fees (Petition) filed by Rose Valley Neighbors Association (Association).[1] The issues for this Court's review are: (1) whether the trial court erred by holding that Ciavarelli was not entitled to immunity under what is commonly referred to as the Environmental Immunity Act (Act)[2] for the claims in the Association's Petition; and (2) whether the trial court erred by considering evidence and conduct that occurred before September 21, 2011, the date Ciavarelli filed his special exception application, when deciding Ciavarelli's Immunity Motion.[3] Upon review, we affirm
Ciavarelli owns 5.09 acres of real property located at 951 East Butler Pike in Upper Dublin Township (Township) on which he operates a funeral home (Property). Ciavarelli resides on the second floor of the funeral home. In 2007, Ciavarelli filed a plan to subdivide the Property into two lots, one for the existing funeral home/residence, and the other for an additional single-family dwelling, a pool house and a pool. Reproduced Record (R.R.) at 57a. After the Township identified certain violations of the Township's Zoning Ordinance of 1956 (Township Ordinance) and its Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO) in the proposed subdivision plan (primarily those prohibiting more than one principal dwelling on a property), Ciavarelli withdrew the plan. In May 2008, Ciavarelli hired architect Joseph Stevens (Stevens) who prepared plans for a two-story residence for Ciavarelli's son complete with second-floor bedrooms and bathrooms to be located on the Property. Thereafter, Stevens re-drafted the plans removing the second floor bathrooms and bedrooms and designating that space for Page 734
" storage only." See R.R. at 103a, 389a-390a, 414a-415a. The building was labeled a poolside " cabana" and garage not intended for residential occupancy which the Township permitted as an accessory structure.[4]
On November 13, 2009, the Township issued a Notice of Determination (Notice) based, inter alia, upon information that Ciavarelli was constructing three bathrooms on the cabana's second floor, which had been approved for storage only. See R.R. at 64a. The Notice stated that " the Township will deny any plans to install bathrooms on the second floor as a deterrent to any residential use of the building, which is prohibited." R.R. at 64a. The Notice warned Ciavarelli that ongoing construction violated Township Ordinance Section 255-27, and would result in a Stop Work Order. By December 9, 2009 letter, the Township notified Ciavarelli that, based upon its December 4, 2009 inspection, there was plumbing installed on the second floor to accommodate bathrooms, and there were room partitions and three walk-in closets for which permits had not been obtained. On December 11, 2009, the Township issued a Stop Work Order. Ciavarelli appealed to the ZHB. The Association intervened claiming that Ciavarelli intended to construct a second principal dwelling on the Property. In March 2010, Ciavarelli withdrew his appeal, removed some pipes and capped off the second-floor plumbing. Construction of the cabana was completed, and a temporary occupancy permit was issued in August 2010. In May 2011, the Township issued a final certificate of occupancy.
On September 21, 2011, Ciavarelli filed an application with the ZHB seeking a special exception to convert the cabana's second floor into an accessory residential dwelling for his son (Application) pursuant to Township Ordinance 255-27.E.[5] The Association and the Township intervened and opposed Ciavarelli's Application.
The Association requested pursuant to a ZHB-issued subpoena that Ciavarelli and Stevens produce documentation of the size, Page 735
cost and intended use of the cabana to support its purported accessory and customarily incidental nature. A hearing was held before the ZHB on November 28, 2011. The ZHB re-convened on December 19, 2011 and January 23, 2012 to allow Ciavarelli and Stevens to produce the subpoenaed documentation, but they did not. Ciavarelli and Stevens refused to produce the requested documents on the basis that the request was overly broad, and unrelated and irrelevant to the Application. On February 9, 2012, the Association filed a petition with the trial court to enforce its subpoena. The trial court scheduled a hearing for February 14, 2012. However, due to negative publicity and what Ciavarelli deemed an uphill battle, he withdrew his Application on February 13, 2012, the day before the hearing.
On February 21, 2012, the Association filed its Petition seeking counsel fees in excess of $20,000.00 from Ciavarelli and Stevens[6] pursuant to Section 2503 of the Judicial Code, 42 Pa.C.S. § 2503, stating:
Ciavarelli intentionally engaged in conduct, commencing various matters and otherwise, that is dilatory, obdurate, vexatious, fraudulent, frivolous and in bad faith, in violation of 42 Pa.C.S.[] § 2503[,] and [Stephens] refused, inter alia, to abide by a duly issued subpoena without any justification, such that [the Association] is entitled to the recovery of counsel fees and costs expended.
R.R. at 46a. Ciavarelli denied that the Association was entitled to counsel fees, inter alia, because he was immune from civil liability pursuant to the Act and the Noerr-Pennington Doctrine.[7]
On April 23, 2012, Ciavarelli filed his Immunity Motion. The Association opposed the Immunity Motion. The trial court held a hearing on August 13, 2013. On November 1, 2013, the trial court denied and dismissed Ciavarelli's Immunity Motion. On November 5, 2013, Ciavarelli appealed to this Court.[8]
Ciavarelli first argues that the trial court erred as a matter of law and/or abused its discretion by ruling that he was Page 736
not entitled to immunity under the Act for the claims in the Association's Petition. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has declared:
[f]ile[d] an action in the courts of this Commonwealth to enforce an environmental law or regulation . . . or made an oral or written communication to a government agency relating to enforcement or implementation of an environmental law or regulation . . . where the action or communication is aimed at procuring favorable governmental action.
27 Pa.C.S. § 8302(a). If the court determines [that] this threshold is satisfied, the party opposing immunity must then demonstrate one of the statutory exceptions applies, id., § 8302(b), or that some other overriding legal basis defeats the immunity claim. . . . The court shall hold a hearing if the party seeking immunity files a motion requesting a hearing. 27 Pa.C.S. § 8303.
Pennsbury Vill. Assocs. v. McIntyre, 608 Pa. 309, 11 A.3d 906, 912 (Pa. 2011) (emphasis added).
Section 8301 of the Act defines the terms " communication to the government" and " government agency" as follows:
'Communication to the government.'
A written or oral statement or writing made:
'Government agency.'
The Federal Government, the Commonwealth and any of the Commonwealth's departments, commissions, boards, agencies, authorities, political subdivisions or their departments, commissions, boards, agencies or authorities.
27 Pa.C.S. § 8301. Thus, in order to be a communication for which immunity may be afforded under Section 8302(a) of the Act, the communication must be (1) " to a government agency" and (2) " in connection with the implementation and enforcement of environmental law and regulations." 27 Pa.C.S. § 8301; see also 27 Pa.C.S. § 8302(a) (" relat[ed] to enforcement or implementation of an environmental law or regulation" ). Because the Township is a political subdivision and the ZHB is its board, they fall under the definition of " government agency" such that any oral and written statements Ciavarelli made to them " in connection with the implementation and enforcement of environmental law and regulations" would constitute " communication to the government" to gain " favorable governmental action." 27 Pa.C.S. § 8302.
Copies of photographs, plans, applications, letters, certificates and the transcript from the November 28, 2011 ZHB meeting were introduced at the Immunity Motion hearing. Ciavarelli's counsel also testified regarding the entire history of the Ciavarelli's land use and zoning actions related to the cabana construction, and admitted that she advised Ciavarelli and Stevens not to produce documents in response to the Association's subpoena. Based upon the evidence, the trial court properly concluded that Ciavarelli's zoning applications " [p]lainly . . . do not" involve the implementation and enforcement of and environmental law and regulations and, citing Penllyn Greene Associates, L.P. v. Clouser, 890 A.2d 424 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2005), that zoning and land use proceedings are not the type of action protected by the Act's statutory immunity.
'Enforcement of environmental law and regulation.'
Activity relating to the identification and elimination of violations of environmental laws and regulations, including investigations of alleged violations, inspections of activities subject to regulation under environmental law and regulations and responses taken to produce correction of the violations.[9]
'Implementation of environmental law and regulation.'
Activity relating to the development and administration of environmental programs developed under environmental law and regulations.[10]
27 Pa.C.S. § 8301. " Environmental law and regulation" is not defined in the Act.
" The object of all interpretation and construction of statutes is to ascertain and effectuate the intention of the General Assembly." 1 Pa.C.S. § 1921(a).
'[T]he General Assembly's intent is best expressed through the plain language of the statute.' Commonwealth v. Brown, . . . 603 Pa. 31, 981 A.2d 893, 897) . . . . Therefore, when the terms of a statute are clear and unambiguous, they will be given effect consistent with their plain and common meaning. 1 Pa.C.S.[] § 1921(b) . . . . Page 738
This means ascribing to the particular words and phrases the definitions which they have acquired through their common and approved usage. 1 Pa.C.S.[] § 1903.
Commonwealth v. Hart, 611 Pa. 531, 28 A.3d 898, 908 (Pa. 2011) (citations omitted). " [Where] the legislature did not define [a] term, its common and approved usage may be ascertained by examining its dictionary definition." Id. at 909. Black's Law Dictionary (9th ed. 2009) defines " environmental law" as " [t]he field of law dealing with the maintenance and protection of the environment, including preventative measures such as the requirements of environmental-impact statements, as well as measures to assign liability and provide cleanup for incidents that harm the environment. . . ." [11] Id. at 614.
Ciavarelli contends that the Township Ordinances limiting his ability to build on the Property are designed to protect and govern the environment, so his communications with the Township and the ZHB to procure favorable government action ( i.e., zoning approval) did, in fact, relate to the implementation and enforcement of an environmental law and regulations. We disagree.
Township's Ordinance 255-2 states:
R.R. at 511a. Township Ordinance 255-4 requires, in pertinent part:
Minimum requirements; objectives. [Amended 1-10-1995 by Ord. No. 879]
In interpreting, implementing and applying the broad purposes and objectives set forth in § 255-1 above [relating to Titles; when effective], the provisions of this chapter shall be held to be the minimum requirements for the promotion of the health, safety, morals and the general welfare of the Township. This chapter is enacted to implement the purpose set forth in § 255-2 above, in the respects therein stated and more particularly with a view toward the following community development objectives:
A. Guiding and encouraging the future development of the Township in accordance with comprehensive planning of land use and population, density that represents the most beneficial and convenient relationships among the residential, commercial, industrial and recreational areas within the Township, having regard to their suitability for the various uses appropriate to each of them and their potentiality for such uses, as indicated by topography and soil conditions, existing man-made conditions and the trends in population, in the direction and manner of the use of land in building development and in official in the enforcement of said Act or of this chapter adopted pursuant thereto. To interpret upon the words, terms, rules, regulations, provisions and restrictions of this chapter where there is Page 739
doubt as to the meaning thereof, including determination in specific instances whether questionable uses are permitted by virtue of being similar to or customarily incidental to permitted uses as provided by this chapter.
R.R. at 511a-512a.
Township Ordinance 255-174 mandates:
A. In any instance where the [ZHB] is required to consider a . . . special exception . . . brought before it in accordance with this chapter or the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code [(MPC)],[12] the Board shall, among other things:
[Amended 1-10-1995 by Ord. No. 879]
B. Conditions should be increased greatly in detail, especially when reviewing special exceptions. The Board should state the methods of plan preparation, review and approval (Planning Commission and Commissioners) and what zoning ordinances and/or subdivision regulations apply and impose such conditions, in addition to those required, as are necessary to assure that the intent of this chapter is complied with, which conditions may include but are not limited to harmonious design of buildings, planting and its maintenance as a sign or sound screen, the minimizing of noxious, offensive or hazardous elements Page 740
and adequate standards of parking and sanitation.
R.R. at 512a-513a.
While it is clear that the Township must concern itself with minimizing environmental hazards, Ciavarelli's applications and, therefore, his communications with the Township did not pertain to an environmental law and regulations. At the November 28, 2011 ZHB meeting, Stevens stated that he modified the cabana site plan, rotating it from its approved location so that the driveway would not disturb as much grading. R.R. at 382a-385a. Thereafter, at the Immunity Motion hearing, Ciavarelli's counsel Amee Smith Farrell (Farrell) testified in general terms:
R.R. at 608a-610a. At no point during the Immunity Motion hearing did Ciavarelli present evidence that his communications with the Township and the ZHB specifically " related to or implementation and enforcement of an environmental law and regulations." Similarly, no environmental provision of either the Township's SALDO or the Township's Ordinances is implicated by Ciavarelli in this appeal.
In Penllyn Greene, residents expressed their concerns pertaining to the environmental impact of residential home development. For years, they argued to the township that development would disturb and disperse deadly contaminants. Notwithstanding, the township approved the developer's land use and zoning applications, and the residents appealed. Hours before the hearing was to commence (after having it continued once), the residents withdrew their appeal. Due to the residents' actions - which included removing survey stakes, making false representations, and cursing and making obscene gestures to real estate brokers and potential home buyers - the developer filed a complaint against the residents for abuse of process, tortious interference with a contract and trespass. The residents sought immunity under Section 8302 of the Page 741
Act. This Court affirmed the trial court's holding, inter alia, " that zoning appeals and land use appeals are not the type of action or litigation protected under the Act," reasoning:
Although one of the grounds for the land use appeal arguably subsumed an environmentally-related issue, the 'action' i.e., the land use appeal, did not relate to the identification and elimination of [the d]evelopers' violation of any environmental law or regulation. Rather, [the r]esidents' land use appeal requested the [t]ownship to set aside the Board's allegedly arbitrary and capricious approval of [the d]eveloper's conditional use application. Similarly, [the r]esidents' zoning appeal challenged the validity of the zoning change from single family homes to 36 carriage homes. These appeals related to alleged violations of the [MPC], and these appeals were not vehicles designed to enforce the Commonwealth's environmental laws and regulations. Accordingly this Court rejects [the r]esidents' contention that the land use and zoning appeals briefly pending before the Board constituted the type of government petitioning activity that entitled them to immunity under the Act.
Penllyn Greene, 890 A.2d at 435 (citation omitted).[13]
In Pennsbury Village Associates, a developer sought conditional use for high-density residential development on land subject to a deed restriction limiting use of the land to open space/park land/recreational purposes because of a grant program. The township approved the application subject to conditions. A resident appealed from the approval, and the developer appealed from the use conditions. The parties negotiated a stipulation wherein it was agreed that the township would determine the access road configuration. The stipulation also included provisions regarding wastewater treatment. However, the resident opposed the township's access road and wastewater treatment determinations as contrary to the deed restrictions. The developer sued the resident for breach of contract, tortious interference with a contractual relationship and conspiracy. The resident claimed that he was entitled to immunity under Section 8302 of the Act. At the hearing, when asked what environmental law or regulation applied to give the resident immunity, the resident cited storm water run-off concerns and the deed restrictions. The trial court held that the resident's communications " could not be equated with 'the implementation or enforcement of environmental law and regulations.'" Id. at 916. The resident appealed to this Court which reversed the trial court's order, stating that the resident was seeking to enforce deed restrictions which, because they were based on what is commonly known as the Open Space Lands Act,[14] constituted an " environmental law and regulations" under Section 8302 of the Act.[15] The Supreme Court reversed this Court's order. Our Supreme Court, having Page 742
determined that the stipulation rendered the resident unable to take advantage of the Act's immunity provisions, did not decide whether the deed restrictions constituted environmental law and regulations. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court stated:
However, we agree with the trial court's finding that potential worries about future storm water run-off cannot be equated with the implementation or enforcement of environmental law and regulations. . . .
(1) the allegation in the action or communication is knowingly false, deliberately misleading or made with malicious and reckless disregard for the truth or falsity; (2) the allegation in the action or communication is made for the sole purpose of interfering with existing or proposed business relationships; or
The trial court concluded " [that the Association] met [its] burden of proving the applications were knowingly false and misleading" such that the Act's statutory immunity does not apply. Trial Ct. Op. at 6. The trial court reached its conclusion " based on the obvious nature of the building, as shown by the photograph and the excerpts from the testimony before the [ZHB], both of which were admitted without objection, the testimony at the hearing, and the exhibits." Trial Ct. Op. at 6-7.
Q. Now, when you first started working on this job, what were your instructions Page 743
from Mr. Ciavarelli as to what you were to design?
R.R. at 403a-405a. Ultimately, Stevens' design was designated a cabana, and the Township issued a building permit under the condition that the second floor be used solely for storage. Stevens stated:
A. . . . [T]he kitchen was limited not to have a stove, because we didn't want to interfere, we were not trying to create two residential uses on a property.
Q. So you then set about to create a set of plans, and you came up with what I'm looking at as A-5, correct?
Q. Does A-5 frame out the bedrooms on the second floor?
Q. And you have set those forth as " exercise room" and " weight room" ?
A. . . . [W]hen we got approval from the Township to build the building, at that time we didn't show all of those walls upstairs, we only showed the load[-]bearing walls, and that is what was approved. During construction the Page 744
building official that was inspecting it said that this is a residential use. He pretty much told us we could have bedrooms and bathrooms because it was residential, and we put the walls in, and the bathrooms were partly installed when we submitted our as[-]built showing it, and then we were told we could not have it. There was a meeting at the site. We removed the bathrooms. That is what the Township asked us to do, so the walls stayed, and they did not ask us to remove them.
Q. And yet you have labeled these " exercise room" and " weight room," and my question is, is that what Mr. Ciavarelli asked you to do?
R.R. at 407a-410a.
The record supports the trial court's conclusion that Ciavarelli's goal was to create a second residence on the Property for his son and, in doing so, he made misrepresentations to the Township. When his efforts to have the Property subdivided failed, he sought to build what he deemed a " cabana" consisting of 4,200 square feet of space on two floors to be used solely as a pool gathering space. A building permit was approved subject to the condition that the second floor be for storage only. During construction, bedrooms and bathrooms were nevertheless created on the second floor. After the Township stopped Ciavarelli, the plumbing was removed, and the upstairs rooms were labeled as exercise/weight rooms. Thereafter, Ciavarelli applied for a special exception to create an accessory residential dwelling for his son which Stevens confirmed was Ciavarelli's ultimate goal. At the eleventh hour, Ciavarelli withdrew his Application.
Ciavarelli also argues that the trial court erred as a matter of law and/or abused its discretion by considering evidence and conduct that occurred before the September 21, 2011 filing of Ciavarelli's Application when deciding his Immunity Motion. Ciavarelli contends that his conduct preceding his Application is " completely irrelevant" to the Association's Petition and his Immunity Motion. Ciavarelli Br. at 21. We disagree.
It is clear from the trial court's conclusion that it considered records and testimony about all of Ciavarelli's dealings with the Township and the ZHB since 2007 pertaining to the Property in reaching its conclusion that he is not entitled to immunity.[16] We acknowledge that although Section 2503 of the Judicial Code limits the trial court's review of Ciavarelli's conduct during the subpoena enforcement litigation in awarding counsel fees, there is no similar restriction in the Act prohibiting the trial court's consideration of Ciavarelli's conduct before his September 21, 2011 filing Page 745
of his Application when deciding his Immunity Motion.
" [A]n award for counsel fees under Section 2503 [of the Judicial Code] is meant to compensate the innocent litigant for costs caused by the actions of the opposing party." Maurice A. Nernberg & Assocs. v. Coyne, 920 A.2d 967, 972 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2007). " [Section 2503 of the Judicial Code], by its very terms, is a 'taxable costs' provision, thereby relating to the conduct of a party at some point during the litigation process." Bucks Cnty. Servs., Inc. v. Phila. Parking Auth., 71 A.3d 379, 393 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2013) (emphasis added). Thus, activity that occurs before litigation is commenced cannot form the basis for a counsel fee award. Westmoreland Cnty. Indus. Dev. Auth. v. Allegheny Cnty. Bd. of Prop. Assessment, Appeals & Review, 723 A.2d 1084 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1999).
The term " litigation" is defined as " [t]he process of carrying on a lawsuit." Black's Law Dictionary 1017 (9th ed. 2009). The definition of " lawsuit" in its verb form is " [t]o proceed against (an adversary) in a lawsuit; to sue." Id. at 968. " Lawsuit" as a noun refers to " suit." Id. at 967. " Suit" is defined as " [a]ny proceeding by a party or parties against another in a court of law." Id. at 1572. Moreover, in Independence Blue Cross v. Workers' Compensation Appeal Board (Frankford Hospital), 820 A.2d 868, 874 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2003), this Court held that " Section 2503 of the Judicial Code applies only to components of the unified judicial system, unless there is specific language otherwise." (Emphasis added); see also Dep't of Transp., Bureau of Driver Licensing v. Smith, 145 Pa.Cmwlth. 164, 602 A.2d 499, 502 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1992) (" The Judicial Code, specifically [S]ection 2503, does not authorize the agencies of this Commonwealth to make awards of attorneys' fees in agency proceedings[.]" ).
Because the ZHB is not a specified component of the unified judicial system, Page 746
proceedings before it do not constitute " litigation" for which counsel fees may be awarded under Section 2503 of the Judicial Code.[17] Accordingly, Ciavarelli's conduct before the trial court's involvement in this matter on February 9, 2012 cannot be the basis on which counsel fees are assessed.
Unlike Section 2503 of the Judicial Code, there is nothing in the Act restricting the trial court's look back at Ciavarelli's conduct. In light of the Court's limited interlocutory review, we hold that the trial court did not err as a matter of law and/or abuse its discretion by considering evidence and conduct that occurred before the September 21, 2011 filing of Ciavarelli's Application in deciding Ciavarelli's Immunity Motion.[18]