Title: Wilson v. Ledbetter
Citation: 260 Ga. 180, 390 S.E.2d 846
Docket Number: S90G0495
State: Georgia
Issuer: Georgia Supreme Court
Date: May 4, 1990

260 Ga. 180 (1990) 390 S.E.2d 846 WILSON et al. v. LEDBETTER. S90G0495. Supreme Court of Georgia. Decided May 4, 1990. Reconsideration Denied May 23, 1990. Phyllis J. Holmen, John L. Cromartie, Jr., for appellants. Michael J. Bowers, Attorney General, William C. Joy, Senior Assistant Attorney General, William M. Droze, Assistant Attorney General, for appellee. WELTNER, Justice. This is a class-action suit in superior court against the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Resources, which was filed on behalf of approximately 1,750 families receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) benefits. The cases of Ledbetter v. Foster, 180 Ga. App. 696 (350 SE2d 31) (1986), and Ledbetter v. Tidwell, Fulton County Superior Court No. 28946 (decided August 16, 1986, and not appealed), had held that Social Security and Veterans Administration benefits did constitute "child support" within the meaning of applicable statutes. A subsequent amendment to OCGA § 49-4-6 (b) changed the effect of Foster and Tidwell, supra, so as to decrease the plaintiff's AFDC benefits. The complaint sought to recover certain AFDC benefits that the plaintiffs should have received during the period of time between the Foster and Tidwell decisions and the effective date of the amendment to OCGA § 49-4-6 (b). The Court of Appeals reversed the partial grant of summary judgment to the plaintiffs, the effect of which is to hold that the plaintiffs' claim was barred by their failure to exhaust administrative remedies. Wilson v. Ledbetter, 194 Ga. App. 32 (389 SE2d 771) (1989). We granted certiorari to review that holding. 1. (a) In Hunnicutt v. Ga. Power Co., 168 Ga. App. 525, 526 (1) (309 SE2d 862) (1983), the Court of Appeals held: The mere existence of an unexhausted administrative remedy (b) OCGA § 50-13-19 (a) provides: (c) In Hilton Constr. Co. v. Rockdale County Bd. of Education, 245 Ga. 533, 539 (3) (266 SE2d 157) (1980), we held: 2. (a) Rules &amp; Regulations 290-1-1-.13 of the department provides: (b) Section 290-1-1-15 provides that the department may deny or dismiss a request for a hearing when "the sole issue is one of state or federal law requiring automatic grant adjustments for classes of recipients." (c) It is undisputed that the relief sought here is an automatic grant adjustment, as required by Foster and Tidwell, supra. 3. (a) In Ford Motor Credit Co. v. London, 175 Ga. App. 33, 36 (332 SE2d 345) (1985), the Court of Appeals held: (b) The trial court certified the action as a class-action. 4. (a) Foster and Tidwell, supra, established the claimants' entitlement to automatic grant adjustments. The department's rules preclude a hearing in cases of requests for automatic grant adjustments. (b) The commissioner acknowledged that he has made no grant adjustments and no changes in departmental policy as a result of the Foster or Tidwell cases. 5. (a) The commissioner may not avoid judicial review for want of exhaustion of administrative remedies when the very rules of the department preclude both hearing and automatic grant adjustment, as a "review of the final agency decision would not provide an adequate remedy." Division 1 (b), supra. "The law does not require a useless act." Tendler v. Thompson, 256 Ga. 633, 634 (352 SE2d 388) (1987). (b) The trial court properly certified the plaintiffs as a class, and correctly determined that the class was entitled to immediate judicial review of the controversy. Judgment reversed. All the Justices concur.