Title: Philip J. Malonson v. Town of Berwick
Citation: 2003 ME 148
Docket Number: Yor-03-329
State: Maine
Issuer: Maine Supreme Court
Date: December 19, 2003

Philip J. Malonson v. Town of Berwick Annotate this Case Download PDF MAINE SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT Decision: 2003 ME 148 Docket: Yor-03-329 Submitted On Briefs: November 25, 2003 Decided: December 19, 2003 Panel: Reporter of Decisions SAUFLEY, C.J., and CLIFFORD, RUDMAN, DANA, CALKINS, and LEVY, JJ. PHILIP J. MALONSON v. TOWN OF BERWICK DANA, J. [¶1] The Town of Berwick appeals from a judgment of the Superior Court (York County, Fritzsche, J.) vacating the Berwick Planning Board s determination that Philip J. Malonson s proposal to convert a nursing care facility into a home for recovering alcoholics would not be a boardinghouse as that term is defined in the Berwick Land Use Ordinance. The court concluded that the proposal would be a boardinghouse and remanded the case to the Board to determine whether the other requirements for a [conditional] use permit were met.1 Because there is no final judgment before us, we dismiss the appeal. 1 The court also observed: [i]f on remand the Planning Board finds that the other requirements for a use permit are met and the facility comes to be, then the neighbors and Town officials would be justified in holding the applicant to his promises of a safe and well run program. 2 [¶2] We have long held that appeals from court orders remanding a matter to [an] . . . administrative agency for further action are interlocutory appeals that we will not address on the merits until the action on the remand has been completed. Doggett v. Town of Gouldsboro, 2002 ME 175, ¶ 8, 812 A.2d 256, 259. On rare occasions we have taken direct appeals of remand orders when the remaining action is essentially ministerial, such as the formal issuance of a permit. E.g., Rockland Plaza Realty Corp., v. City of Rockland, 2001 ME 81, ¶ 6, 772 A.2d 256, 259. We also recognize several narrow exceptions to the final judgment rule, but have limited their application to extraordinary situations. Musson v. Godley, 1999 ME 193, ¶ 5, 742 A.2d 479, 481 (citing State v. Maine State Employees Ass n, 482 A.2d 461, 464 (Me. 1984)). None of these exceptions apply here. The entry is: Appeal dismissed. Remanded to the Superior Court for remand to the Town of Berwick Planning Board for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. 3 Attorneys for plaintiff: Durward W. Parkinson, Esq. Leah B. Rachin, Esq. Bergen & Parkinson, LLC 62 Portland Road Kennebunk, ME 04043 Attorney for defendant: Alan E. Shepard, Esq. Shepard & Read 93 Main Street Kennebunk, ME 04043