Court Opinion

ID: 9756422
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 21:27:48.343687+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:28:21.843730
License: Public Domain

*400Dissenting Opinion by
Mb. Ci-iiee Justice Bell:
Many, many houses in Philadelphia are “unfit for human habitation” and are a disgrace to our City. It is imperative that this City-wide deplorable condition be quickly eliminated and Philadelphia (and also all other Cities in the Commonwealth) made a fi't place in which to live and of which all of us can be very proud. However, this can and must be done in such a way as not to violate the Constitution. For example, this can be done under a realistic grant by the Legislature of the “police power” or under any other Constitutionally delegated power. While the State can confer or delegate power and authority and discretion in connection with the execution of an Act, and may impose upon others a right or duty to carry out the declared Legislative purpose and intent in accordance with the standards or guideposts clearly set forth in said Act, the Legislature must provide definite and adequate standards which will clearly permit and guide or limit (as the case may be) the exercise of the delegated administrative functions. See Chartiers V. Jt. Schs. v. Allegheny Co. Bd., 418 Pa. 520, 529-530, 211 A. 2d 487. Unfortunately, the Pennsylvania Rent Withholding Act, as drawn (and adopted) by the Legislature, failed to comply with the requirements of the Constitution, and the Philadelphia Ordinance cannot cure this Legislative failure. None of the cases relied upon by the Majority are applicable or controlling.
How many hundreds of times do we have to reiterate that (a) a worthy objective, or (b) the existence of deplorable conditions which everyone believes should be remedied, do not justify ignoring or violating the Constitution? Because this Act, with its undoubtedly worthy objectives, (1) is not a realistic and lawful exercise or Legislative delegation of the police power, and (2) violates several other provisions of the Constitution, I am compelled to dissent.