Opinion ID: 2518071
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Motion for Reconsideration and Tolling of the Appeal Period

Text: ¶ 8 The statute governing appeals from decisions by a police civil service commission, RCW 41.12.090, requires that an appeal be taken within 30 days of the commission's judgment or order. Because an appeal from an administrative body invokes the superior court's appellate jurisdiction, `all statutory requirements must be met before jurisdiction is properly invoked.' Fay v. Nw. Airlines, Inc., 115 Wash.2d 194, 197, 796 P.2d 412 (1990) (quoting Spokane County v. Utils. & Transp. Comm'n, 47 Wash.App. 827, 830, 737 P.2d 1022 (1987)). Skinner filed his appeal from the Commission's decision 29 days after the Commission issued its order denying motion for reconsideration and 46 days after the Commission issued its findings, conclusions, and order. The City argues that the 30-day appeal period runs from the issuance of the first order and identifies two alternative bases for its conclusion: (1) the statute prohibits motions for reconsideration, so the motion for reconsideration here had no effect; and (2) even if the motion for reconsideration was permissible, the statute requires that the 30-day period run from the original order. The City misreads the statutory scheme. Because the Commission's rule allowing for reconsideration is not inconsistent with the statute, it is valid and authorized by chapter 41.12 RCW. In addition, Skinner's motion for reconsideration tolled the 30-day appeal period.
¶ 9 Contrary to the City's argument, state law does not prohibit the Commission from reconsidering its initial order. RCW 41.12.040(1) authorizes police civil service commissions [t]o make suitable rules and regulations not inconsistent with the provisions of [chapter 41.12 RCW]. The Commission here enacted a rule allowing a party to move for reconsideration within 10 days of the Commission's decision. CP at 60 (City of Medina Civil Service Rule (MCSR) 18.31, Ex. A to Decl. of William Murphy). Under RCW 41.12.040(1), the Commission's rule is invalid only if it is inconsistent with another provision of chapter 41.12 RCW. ¶ 10 The City argues that the Commission's rule allowing for reconsideration is inconsistent with RCW 41.12.090. RCW 41.12.090 provides, in pertinent part: If such judgment or order be concurred in by the commission or a majority thereof, the accused may appeal therefrom to the court of original and unlimited jurisdiction in civil suits of the county wherein he or she resides. Such appeal shall be taken by serving the commission, within thirty days after the entry of such judgment or order, a written notice of appeal. This provision is silent as to motions for reconsideration; it neither authorizes nor prohibits such motions. As a result, it cannot fairly be said that the rule allowing for reconsideration is inconsistent with the statute. The Commission's rule, therefore, validly authorizes the filing of a motion for reconsideration. [1]
¶ 11 The City next argues that even if the Commission had the power to reconsider its decision, the 30-day statutory deadline for taking an appeal still runs from the date of the Commission's first order. This argument is not compelled by the language of the statute, would undercut judicial efficiency, and has been considered and rejected by the courts of this state. ¶ 12 The relevant statutory language requires an appeal within 30 days of such judgment or order ... concurred in by the commission or a majority thereof. RCW 41.12.090. The term such judgment or order is not defined by the statute. Here, there were two orders concurred in by the Commission: the findings, conclusions, and order, and the order denying the motion for reconsideration. The statutory language is broad enough to encompass both such orders and, therefore, does not compel the City's conclusion that such judgment or order includes only the first order by the Commission. ¶ 13 Viewing the matter pragmatically, the City's interpretation would undercut judicial efficiency. The decision on the motion for reconsideration may alter the outcome. Under RCW 41.12.090, a commission is empowered to impose a range of penalties, including demotion, suspension, and removal. If the commission amends the result on reconsideration, surely the aggrieved party has the right to appeal from the new decision. This being so, the appeals period must be tolled by the motion for reconsideration, regardless of the outcome of the motion. This is so for two reasons. First, nothing in either the statute or the rule distinguishes between deadlines for successful and unsuccessful appeals. Second, creating a distinction between the two situations presents a host of practical problems. Chief among them is that a party will not know in advance of the decision whether the motion for reconsideration will be successful. Because there is no requirement that the Commission rule on the motion for reconsideration within 30 days of its initial decision, the aggrieved party may not learn until after 30 days from the initial decision whether to appeal and/or what judgment to appeal. The natural result would be for parties to automatically file an appeal in superior court pending a decision by the Commission on a motion for reconsideration. Unnecessary filings in the superior court would lead to needless expense and contribute to the overcrowding of court dockets. ¶ 14 Finally, precedent from the courts of this state is contrary to the City's interpretation. The Court of Appeals has previously held that the statutory appeal period is tolled by a motion for reconsideration where the statute is silent on the issue. Hall v. Seattle Sch. Dist. No. 1, 66 Wash.App. 308, 316, 831 P.2d 1128 (1992). In Hall, a public school teacher requested a hearing on the school district's notice of probable cause to terminate him. On August 30, 1988, the hearing officer issued a decision in the teacher's favor, and denied the school district's motion for reconsideration on October 12, 1988. Id. The statute at issue in Hall required appeal within 30 days of receipt of the decision but was silent as to the effect of a motion for reconsideration. Former RCW 28A.58.460 (1969), recodified as RCW 28A.405.320. The school district filed its appeal 72 days after the hearing officer's first decision and 29 days after the hearing officer's ruling on the motion for reconsideration. Hall, 66 Wash. App. at 316-17, 831 P.2d 1128. The Court of Appeals held that the 30 days within which a party must appeal under that statute runs from the denial of the motion for reconsideration, not the hearing officer's first decision. Id. at 315-16, 831 P.2d 1128. ¶ 15 Consistently with Hall and in the interest of judicial efficiency, we hold that under RCW 41.12.090, a valid motion for reconsideration tolls the 30-day deadline for filing an appeal in superior court. Because Skinner's motion for reconsideration was timely and otherwise valid, it tolled the appeal period and Skinner had 30 days from the Commission's decision on the motion for reconsideration to take his appeal.