Opinion ID: 1997889
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the county's motion for summary judgment

Text: The one issue presented by the County's motion for summary judgment was the legal effect of Acierno's failure to appeal from an adverse decision by the County Board of Adjustment. Pursuant to 9 Del.C. § 1353(a), [a]ny person aggrieved by any decision of the Board of Adjustment ... may present to the Superior Court a petition duly verified alleging that such decision is illegal in whole or in part, and specifying the grounds of illegality. This statutory right of appeal must be exercised within 30 days after the filing of the Board of Adjustment' decision. Id. Acierno chose not to appeal, and the Court of Chancery ruled that, Delaware law precludes Acierno from challenging the finality of the Board of Adjustment's decision in the State court system. New Castle County v. Acierno, Del.Ch., C.A. No. 13302-NC, slip op. at 3, Steele, V.C., 1995 WL 694385  (November 9, 1995). That holding is a correct statement of the law. See Wiggin v. Mummert, Del.Ch., C.A. No. 8556, Hartnett, V.C., 1992 WL 113455 (May 26, 1992), aff'd., Del.Supr., 620 A.2d 858 (1993). The parties do not seriously question the validity of this limited holding. Rather, they focus their arguments on the preclusive effect, if any, of the District Court's arguably contrary holding. A few days before the Court of Chancery issued its opinion granting summary judgment to the County, the District Court issued an opinion granting, in part, the parties' cross-motions for summary judgment. Acierno v. New Castle County, D.Del., C.A.No. 93-579-385-SLR, Robinson, J., 1995 WL 704976 (November 1, 1995). In its opinion, the District Court stated: The court once again rejects the notion that the Board of Adjustment's January 14, 1994 decision is binding in all respects on this court.... The court likewise rejects the notion that the Board is the `final decisionmaker in the permitting process' for purposes of plaintiff's constitutional claims. The requirement is that local authorities be given the opportunity to `define the application of the zoning ordinance and define[] the harm to the owner.' Taylor Inv., Ltd. v. Upper Darby TP., 983 F.2d 1285, 1291 (3d Cir.), cert. denied, [510 U.S. 914,] 114 S.Ct. 304 [126 L.Ed.2d 252] (1993). There is no indication in the Third Circuit's decisions regarding the `finality rule' that the slate is wiped clean and the federal court is precluded from reviewing the totality of the circumstances underlying the allegations of constitutional violations. Id. at 1292-93. Id., slip op. at 1-2, n. 1, 1995 WL 704976  n. 1. Acierno argues that the District Court's conclusions about the effect of the Board of Adjustment decision should have been adopted by the Court of Chancery under the doctrine of collateral estoppel. That doctrine, also known as issue preclusion, provides that, where a question of fact essential to the judgment is litigated and determined by a valid and final judgment, the determination is conclusive between the same parties in a subsequent case on a different cause of action. Columbia Casualty Co. v. Playtex F.P., Inc., Del.Supr., 584 A.2d 1214, 1216 (1991) (quoting Tyndall v. Tyndall, Del. Supr., 238 A.2d 343, 346 (1968)). The preclusive effect of a foreign judgment is measured by standards of the rendering forum. Id. at 1217. Under the test recently articulated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, issue preclusion applies if, (1) the issue sought to be precluded [is] the same as that involved in the prior action; (2) that issue [was] actually litigated; (3) [the issue was] determined by a final and valid judgment; and (4) the determination [was] essential to the prior judgment. Graham v. Internal Revenue Service, 3d Cir., 973 F.2d 1089, 1097 (1992). In this case, the issues presented to the two courts are not the same. The Court of Chancery was asked to decide whether the Board of Adjustment's decision became final and binding by reason of Acierno's failure to appeal from that decision. The Court of Chancery decided, as a matter of State law, that it did. The District Court was asked to decide whether Acierno's constitutional rights had been violated as a result of the actions of the County, including the Board of Adjustment. The District Court determined that the Board of Adjustment's decision is not controlling for purposes of that court's constitutional analysis. Whether the District Court's conclusion is correct or not is irrelevant, and we offer no view on that subject. All that matters, for purposes of an issue preclusion inquiry, is whether the two decisions purported to address the same issue. They did not, and the Court of Chancery correctly addressed the state law issue without regard to any federal constitutional determinations being made by the District Court. Based upon the foregoing, the decisions of the Court of Chancery denying Acierno's motion to dismiss or stay and granting the County's motion for summary judgment are AFFIRMED.