Case Name: Keith R. WATTERSON v. COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, BUREAU OF DRIVER LICENSING, Appellant
Court: Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania
Decision Date: 2003-02-07
Citations: 816 A.2d 1225
Docket Number: 
Parties: Keith R. WATTERSON v. COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, BUREAU OF DRIVER LICENSING, Appellant.
Judges: BEFORE: COLINS, President Judge, SMITH-RIBNER, Judge and COHN, Judge.
Reporter: West's Atlantic Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 816
Pages: 1225–1233

Head Matter:
Keith R. WATTERSON v. COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, BUREAU OF DRIVER LICENSING, Appellant.
Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania.
Submitted on Briefs Sept. 13, 2002.
Decided Feb. 7, 2003.
Timothy P. Wile, Asst. Counsel In Charge, Harrisburg, for appellant.
P.J. Redmond, West Chester, for appel-lee.
BEFORE: COLINS, President Judge, SMITH-RIBNER, Judge and COHN, Judge.

Opinion:
OPINION BY
President Judge COLINS.
The Department of Transportation, Bureau of Driver Licensing appeals from an order of the Court of Common Pleas of Chester County that denied the Bureau's motion to quash the statutory appeal of Keith R. Watterson and sustained Watter-son's appeal from the Bureau's requirement that he place an ignition interlock on all vehicles he owns before it will restore his license. We affirm the trial court.
Watterson's operating privilege was suspended for three months on July 23, 1991, as a condition of his acceptance of accelerated rehabilitative disposition after he was charged with driving under the influence on March 12, 1991. Watterson's license was subsequently suspended for one year after he was convicted of driving under the influence on January 23, 2001. The trial court did not order Watterson to install an ignition interlock device as required by Section 7002(b) of the Judicial Code, 42 Pa.C.S. § 7002(b). The Department, however, in a notice dated April 13, 2001, notified Watterson that, in addition to the one-year suspension of his operating privileges, he was required to install ignition interlock devices on all vehicles he owned before the Department would restore his operating privileges.
On February 28, 2002, Watterson filed an appeal from the Department's refusal to restore his license until he had complied with the Department's ignition interlock requirement. At the hearing before the trial court, the Department moved to quash the appeal on the grounds that it was untimely because, according to the Department, Watterson should have appealed as soon as he received the notice of suspension sent on April 13, 2001. Wat-terson claimed that he did not receive that notice because he had moved before he was sentenced for the January 23, 2001 conviction. The Department countered that it had processed a change of address for Watterson on January 11, 2001. The trial court did not decide the issue of timeliness, but instead denied the motion to quash on the grounds that only the trial court has the authority to impose the ignition interlock requirement and that the Department cannot impose it absent a court order. Schneider v. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Driver Licensing, 790 A.2d 363 (Pa.Cmwlth.2002). The ' Department brought this appeal.
The questions the Department presents for our review are whether the trial court erred when it denied the Department's motion to quash the appeal as untimely and whether the Department has an independent mandate to impose the ignition interlock requirement where it is not ordered by a court of common pleas.
We find no error in the trial court's nunc pro tunc consideration of the merits of Watterson's appeal, even though it may have been untimely, because, as we explain below, the requirement imposed on Watterson was imposed without the authority of the law and was void ab initio; equitable relief, if necessary, is appropriate in such an extraordinary circumstance. Criss v. Wise, 566 Pa. 437, 781 A.2d 1156 (2001).
We find that the trial court acted correctly in relying on Schneider to strike the ignition interlock requirement imposed on Watterson by the Department. In Schneider, we considered the case of a motorist who had been convicted of a second DUI offense where the court did not impose an ignition interlock requirement, but the where the Department had attempted to impose it independently. The facts are the same in the case before us. In deciding Schneider we said
Although Schneider had two DUI offenses and pursuant to Section 7002(b), the trial court was required to order installation of an ignition interlock device, that failure does not mean that PennDOT has been given authority to override the trial court's order and require installation. Section 7002 provides that only "the court shall order the installation of an approved ignition interlock device...." 42 Pa.C.S. § 7002(b). Because this provision gives a court the sole authority, PennDOT has no unilateral authority to impose ignition interlock device requirements if the trial court fails to do so.
790 A.2d at 366 (footnote and emphasis omitted).
The Department argues that 42 Pa.C.S. § 7003 gives it the independent authority to impose the ignition interlock requirement. We disagree. The ignition interlock requirement may only be imposed by an order of the court of common pleas, Schneider. The Department lacks the power to act pursuant to Section 7003 absent a court order issued pursuant to Section 7002. The Department lacked the power to impose the interlock requirement in this matter because the court of common pleas never entered an order that would allow it to act. The Department's requirement is void ab initio.
Accordingly, the order of the Court of Common Pleas of Chester County in this matter is affirmed.
ORDER
AND NOW, this 7th day of February 2003, the order of the Court of Common Pleas of Chester County in this matter is affirmed.
Dissenting opinion by Judge COHN.
. This case was assigned to this author on October 4, 2002.
. Section 7002(b) provides:
Second or subsequent offense. — In addition to any other requirements imposed by the court, where a person has been convicted of a second or subsequent violation of 75 Pa.C.S. § 3731, the court shall order the installation of an approved ignition interlock device on each motor vehicle owned by the person to be effective upon the restoration of operating privileges by the department. A record shall be submitted to the department when the court has ordered the installation of an approved interlock ignition device. Before the department may restore such person's operating privilege, the department must receive a certification from the court that the ignition interlock system has been installed.
. Our standard of review is limited to determining whether the necessary findings are supported by the evidence or whether the trial court committed an error of law or abused its discretion. Todd v. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Driver Licensing, 555 Pa. 193, 723 A.2d 655 (1999).
. § 7003. Additional driver's license restoration requirements
In addition to any other requirements established for the restoration of a person's operating privileges under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1548 (relating to requirements for driving under influence offenders):
(1) Where a person's operating privileges are suspended for a second or subsequent violation of 75 Pa.C.S. § 3731 (relating to driving under influence of alcohol or controlled substance), or a similar out-of-State offense, and the person seeks a restoration of operating privileges, the court shall certify to the department that each motor vehicle owned by the person has been equipped with an approved ignition interlock system.
(2) A person seeking restoration of operating privileges shall apply to the department for an ignition interlock restricted license under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1951(d) (relating to driver's license and learner's permit) which will be clearly marked to restrict the person to operating only motor vehicles equipped with an approved interlock ignition system.
(3) During the year immediately following restoration of the person's operating privilege and thereafter until the person obtains an unrestricted license, the person shall not operate any motor vehicle on a highway within this Commonwealth unless the motor vehicle is equipped with an approved ignition interlock system.
(4) One year from the date of issuance of an ignition interlock restricted license under this section, if otherwise eligible, a person may apply for an additional replacement license under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1951(d) that does not contain the ignition interlock system restriction.
(5) A person whose operating privilege is suspended for a second or subsequent violation of 75 Pa.C.S. § 3731 or a similar out-of-State offense who does not apply for an ignition interlock restricted license shall not be eligible to apply for the restoration of operating privileges for an additional year after otherwise being eligible for restoration under paragraph (1).