Court Opinion

ID: 9853361
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 05:47:11.305335+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:22:46.242753
License: Public Domain

On Motion for Rehearing.
Counsel argues strenuously that the effect of this decision is to overrule City Council of Augusta v. Wilhelm, 111 Ga. App. 234 (141 SE2d 220), wherein Georgia Laws 1925, p. 867, as amended by Georgia Laws 1931, p. 683, applying to all officers and employees of the City of Augusta, was interpreted to require an increase in the pension of a detective wherein the position which he performed at retirement was re-written after retirement to require a lieutenant to perform these duties, the opinion holding he was entitled to increased benefits on retirement based on the salary of the position thus increased. Here, *501the retired officer who retired with 25 years’ service was a police sergeant, and since the pension law reads that when said employee retires after serving 25 years he shall receive “one-half of the pay of his rank, or should the pay of said rank be increased, when said increase takes effect, then his pension should be one-half of the pay that the rank then commands.” (Emphasis supplied). Other portions of the law on disability payments refer to “position or rank.” The Wilhelm case is authority for reversing the lower court here to require a liberal construction of the law in favor of the rights of the pensioner. See City of Macon v. Herrington, 198 Ga. 576, 589 (32 SE2d 517); Van Treeck v. Travelers Ins. Co., 157 Ga. 204 (121 SE 215). The appellant clearly retired with the rank of sergeant in the Police Department of the City of Augusta. A question of fact remains whether or not he has been properly paid.

Motion for rehearing denied.