Opinion ID: 2506946
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Bay v. Magistrate of Wood County

Text: In the first of these two consolidated matters, Rhonda Bay, a tenant of landlord Albert Pryor, leased property in Parkersburg, West Virginia, through a month-to-month verbal rental agreement for $695.00 per month. According to the record in this matter, a water pipe on the premises broke in August 2010. Responding water company personnel ultimately reported unsafe conditions, and citations for violation of health and safety codes were issued. Mr. Pryor filed an unlawful detainer action [2] against Ms. Bay in Magistrate Court in September 2010. Ms. Bay denied the allegations and asserted that she had not received notice of the hearing [3] held on October 6, 2010, during which immediate possession of the leased premises and costs of $387.22 were awarded to Mr. Pryor. When Ms. Bay sought to appeal this holding, she was informed that she would be required to pay an appeal bond despite the fact that she had been permitted to submit a financial affidavit pursuant to West Virginia Code § 59-2-1 (1999) (Repl.Vol.2005), [4] allowing her to proceed in forma pauperis and waiving the payment of a normal circuit court filing fee. In her request for relief with this Court, Ms. Bay maintains that the Magistrate Court lacked authority to require the posting of an appeal bond where a financial affidavit pursuant to West Virginia Code § 59-2-1 had been submitted and approved, waiving the payment of the circuit court filing fee. Specifically, Ms. Bay emphasizes that West Virginia Code § 50-5-12(a) (1994) (Repl.Vol.2008) provides that [n]o bond shall be required. . . of a person who has been permitted to proceed without prepayment in accordance with the provisions of West Virginia Code § 59-2-1.