Court Opinion

ID: 9693699
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 16:57:25.394432+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:08:17.003273
License: Public Domain

DISSENTING OPINION BY
Judge FRIEDMAN.
I respectfully dissent. The majority holds that, on April 6, 2000, pursuant to Field Regulation (FR) 4-1.04, the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) properly withheld $18,800 from Thomas R. Scales (Scales) as reimbursement for damages to a state-owned vehicle. In so holding, the majority concludes that FR 4-1.04 allows the PSP to withhold Scales’ money prior to the completion of an internal investigation and a final determination by the Lost and Damaged Property Board of Appeal (Board). (Majority op. at 48.) I cannot agree.
FR 4-1.03(2) states that “damage to issued or provided property and equipment may require reimbursement of replacement or repair cost....” (R.R. at 460a.) FR 4-1.04 provides, in pertinent part, as follows:
Damage to Department vehicles, sustained as a result of motor vehicle accidents ... are generally excluded from the provisions of this regulation. However, in such cases, if the situation warrants an [internal] investigation ... separate from the accident investigation, any finding in the internal administrative investigation that personnel should be required to reimburse the Commonwealth for the cost of damage or repair shall enact the provisions of this regulation for an eventual ftnal determination regarding reimbursement.
(R.R. at 462a) (emphasis added). The words of FR 4-1.04 are clear and unambiguous. When there is an accident involving a state-owned vehicle, the PSP will perform an accident investigation. Then, if warranted, there will be a separate internal investigation. If the internal investigation results in a fínding that the trooper should be required to reimburse the Commonwealth for damages to the vehicle, that finding shall trigger FR 4-1 for an eventual ñnál determination regarding reimbursement. (R.R. at 462a.)
*50Here, as the majority indicates, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Coury reviewed the accident report and, on that basis alone, determined in April 2000 that Scales should be held responsible for damages to the state-owned vehicle, directing that $18,800 be withheld from Scales’ final paycheck. (Majority op. at 45.) Thus, unlike the majority, I submit that Coury’s action was contrary to FR 4-1.04.
Moreover, the initial internal investigation report, filed on July 7, 2000, by Corporal Casey M. McCormick, contained no finding that Scales should reimburse the Commonwealth for damages to the vehicle. (R.R. at 291a.) An internal investigation report filed on July 20, 2000, by Captain Joseph T. Marut, stated, “I consider this matter closed_” (R.R. at 290a, 424a.) The next day, Captain Francis E. Koscel-nak recommended that the matter be closed. (R.R. at 289a.) Thus, even after the internal investigation was complete, there was no finding to justify the withholding of Scales’ money.1
The majority states that these three internal investigation “reports effectively ratified Coury’s decision to withhold funds from Scales’ final pay by recommending that the matter be closed.” (Majority op. at 46.) I cannot agree. First, the reports do not mention Coury’s decision to withhold funds from Scales; thus, one could reasonably infer that the investigators were not even aware of Coury’s decision. Second, the Board did not make a finding that the investigators were aware of Coury’s decision and ratified it; to the extent that the majority has made its own finding in that regard, the majority has exceeded this court’s scope of review. See section 704 of the Administrative Agency Law, 42 Pa.C.S. § 704. Third, FR 4-1.04 required an internal investigation finding that Scales reimburse the Commonwealth, and the internal investigation reports do not contain such a finding. Fourth, even if the internal investigation reports did ratify Coury’s April decision to withhold Scales’ funds, then, at best, the reports ratified an invalid decision. Therefore, I still would conclude that the PSP violated FR 4-1.04 by withholding funds from Scales.
In concluding otherwise, the majority states that FR 4-1.04 “says nothing with respect to how or when the reimbursement liability will be imposed or collected.” (Majority op. at 47.) However, FR 4-1.08(B) does set forth how and when a required reimbursement is to be paid. That provision states;
B. Required Reimbursement: Payment shall be remitted to the individual’s Troop Commander/Bureau Director within 45 days of the date of determination by the Deputy Commissioner of Staff or Board of Appeal.
NOTE: For payments in excess of $100.00, a grace period and payment plan may be arranged through the Director, Bureau of Staff Services upon approval of the Deputy Commissioner of Staff.
(R.R. at 465a) (emphasis added). FR 4-1.08 clearly and unambiguously states that payment is not due until forty-five (45) days after the date of determination of the Board. Here, the date of determination was May 25, 2005; thus, if there had been a valid internal investigation finding in this *51case, payment would have been due on July 9, 2005, not April 6, 2000.2
Based on the foregoing, I would reverse.
Judge SMITH-RIBNER joins in this dissent.

. I realize that, on September 25, 2000, Coury reviewed the internal investigation reports and decided that Scales should reimburse the Commonwealth; however, at that time, Coury no longer had authority over internal investigations. (R.R. at 58a-59a, 287a, 425a.) Thus, Coury’s decision was not a valid internal investigation finding.

. The majority points out that, under FR 4-1.08(C), the State Police may adjust a final salary check "for reimbursement that is owed.” (Majority op. at 48 n. 8.) However, as indicated by FR 4-1.08(B), reimbursement is not "owed” until forty-five days after the determination of the Board of Appeal.