Court Opinion

ID: 9586837
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:15:46.291544+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:32:53.777352
License: Public Domain

ON MOTION FOE REHEARING.
The motion urges the following two reasons why the movant contends that a rehearing should be granted: (1) under the 1947 amendment (Ga. L. 1947, p. 717) of the act of 1924 setting up the pension plan and the decision of this court in Densmore v. West, 206 Ga. 531 (57 S. E. 2d, 675), certiorari and not mandamus was the proper remedy for the petitioner; and (2) under the decision in DeWitt v. Richmond County, 192 Ga. 770, the petitioner, not having served 25 years, as required by the act since its effective date, was ineligible to receive benefits thereunder upon his retirement in 1942. It was considered, when the opinion was written, that the controlling law on the questions now urged was so obvious until the consumption of space to discuss the same was not justified, but, in view of the strong insistence of the motion, we will answer the questions presented in the order above stated.
Sec. IV of the act of 1947 relied upon provides for a review by certiorari of only one decision by the trustees, and that decision is one “granting or refusing a pension,” the language of the act being: “The decision of said Board of Trustees granting or refusing a pension shall be subject to review by the Superior Court in an action at law, suit in equity, writ of certiorari as provided by general law for such writs. . .” By the plain averments of the petition, which are admitted by the demurrer *114and which are nowhere denied in any brief or motion filed in this court by counsel for the city, it is shown that the board of trustees made the decision granting this petitioner a pension in August, 1942. Thus it unmistakably appears that the only decision which the 1947 amendment makes reviewable by certiorari has already been made in favor of the petitioner, has become final and binding upon both parties, and is not subject to review by certiorari or otherwise. While in Densmore v. West, supra, sec. 2 of the act (Ga. L. 1947, p. 675) therein involved provides that “a majority of the board of trustees shall control on all disputed questions, but such decision shall be subject to review by . . writ of certiorari,” unquestionably that act makes all disputed questions matters for decision by the trustees and provides for a review of such decisions by the writ of certiorari. In conformity with the plain provisions of that act, this court held, in the case above cited, that, since the review by certiorari was an available remedy, mandamus would be denied and that a ground of the demurrer specifically raising that question should have been sustained.
The second complaint is wholly without merit for two reasons, either of which is sufficient. In the first place, as pointed out above, the eligibility of this petitioner was adjudicated by the trustees in August, 1942, and that judgment has become final and binding upon all parties. In the second place, a casual reading of the opinion in DeWitt v. Richmond County, supra, will reveal that the authorities cited therein on the constitutional question were to the effect that to allow pensions to employees who had retired or terminated their services before the effective date of the pension law, would constitute a gratuity and would be unconstitutional. Upon that authority it was held that the same rule must apply to the act then under construction, and that to construe it to allow the payment of pensions to employees of Richmond County who had made no contribution from their salaries, and whose services were rendered before the pension act became law, would offend the State Constitution. The act there construed provided no funds with which to pay the benefits therein provided except Z% deductions from the salaries of employees to whom the act applied, and the county was expressly prohibited from using county funds for that purpose. We recognized the rule requiring that the act be given a con*115struction that would render it effective rather than ineffective, if its language would permit; and since to construe it to allow pensions to employees who had served 25 years, any portion of which service was rendered before the effective date of the law, could and most likely would rendér the act inoperative because of insufficient funds with which to pay benefits thereunder, it was, for this reason, held that the act required the full 25 years of service together with the salary contributions therein after the effective date of the law in order to render an employee eligible for retirement. It was quite obvious that to allow the benefits there provided to be payable to an employee who had served 25 years, 22 of which were before the effective date of the act, would have exhausted the pension fund and thus rendered the law ineffective. That reason does not exist in the present case. While the present pension act provides for deductions from salaries and other specific sources of revenue with which to create the pension fund, it is expressly provided in sec. 6 of the 1931 amendment and again in sec. 3 of the 1935 amendment that if the funds thus arising are inadequate for the payment of all benefits thereunder the deficiency shall be made up with funds from the City Treasury. This material and plain distinction between the present law and that dealt with in the case relied upon by counsel shows the inapplicability of that decision in the present case.
The motion for a rehearing is denied.

All the Justices concur, except Wyatt and Almand, JJ., who dissent.