Opinion ID: 2690888
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Interpretation of R.C. 4123.512

Text: {¶ 16} In interpreting a statute, we rely on general principles of statutory construction. Cline v. Ohio Bur. of Motor Vehicles, 61 Ohio St.3d 93, 97, 573 N.E.2d 77 (1991). The starting point is the statute’s text (“[W]here the language of a statute is clear and unambiguous, it is the duty of the court to enforce the statute as written, making neither additions to the statute nor subtractions therefrom.” Hubbard v. Canton City School Bd. of Edn., 97 Ohio St.3d 451, 2002-Ohio-6718, 780 N.E.2d 543, ¶ 14). Furthermore, to determine the legislative intent behind a statute, we must read the language in context and we must construe related sections together. State v. Buehler, 113 Ohio St.3d 114, 2007-Ohio-1246, 863 N.E.2d 124, at ¶ 29; State ex rel. United States Steel Corp. v. Zaleski, 98 Ohio St.3d 395, 2003-Ohio-1630, 786 N.E.2d 39, at ¶ 12. The second paragraph of R.C. 4123.512(B) provides a variety of instructions that are directed at multiple parties: The administrator of workers’ compensation, the claimant, and the employer shall be parties to the appeal and the court, upon the application of the commission, shall make the commission a party. The party filing the appeal shall serve a copy of the notice of appeal on the administrator at the central office of the bureau of workers’ compensation in Columbus. The administrator shall notify the employer that if the employer fails to become an active party to the appeal, then the administrator may act on behalf of the employer and the results of the appeal could have an adverse effect upon the employer’s premium rates. 7 SUPREME COURT OF OHIO {¶ 17} The second paragraph of subsection (B), when read in context, is not a continuation of the first paragraph, dictating additional items that must be included in a notice of appeal. Instead, the second paragraph lists a number of things that are required in addition to or subsequent to a notice of appeal. Because the statute’s jurisdictional requirements are explicitly limited to filing a notice of appeal, the additional requirements in the second paragraph of subsection (B) are not jurisdictional. {¶ 18} This interpretation of the statute is consistent with the majority of Ohio’s case law on the issue. See, e.g., Milenkovich v. Drummond, 88 Ohio Law Abs. 103, 181 N.E.2d 814 (C.P.1961) (although the administrator must be made a party, failure to name the administrator in the notice of appeal is not a jurisdictional error, interpreting R.C. 4123.519, which was recodified as R.C. 4123.512 in 1993); Goricki v. Gen. Motors Corp., 11th Dist. No. 3527, 1985 WL 4944 (Dec. 31, 1985) (the failure to name the administrator is not a jurisdictional error); Jarmon v. Ford Motor Co., 10th Dist. No. 95APE10-1377, 1996 WL 221523 (Apr. 30, 1996) (the requirement that the administrator be a party is separate from the requirements for a valid notice of appeal); Karnofel v. Cafaro Mgt. Co., 11th Dist. No. 97-T-0072, 1998 WL 553491 (June 26, 1998) (naming the administrator is not a jurisdictional requirement). Compare Day v. Noah’s Ark Learning Ctr., 5th Dist. No. 01-CVE-12-068, 2002-Ohio-4245, 2002 WL 1902875 (appellant’s outright failure to file a notice of appeal deprived the court of jurisdiction); Olaru v. FedEx Custom Critical, Inc., 6th Dist. No. L-03-1143, 2003-Ohio-6376, 2003 WL 22829247 (summarily adopting decision of the trial court, which erroneously relied on Day).