Court Opinion

ID: 9747812
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-27 15:36:50.891401+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:25:27.393090
License: Public Domain

Dissenting Opinion by
Mr. Justice Cohen :
This Court in its zeal to disregard and overrule a long existing and well established rule of standing has, in my opinion, committed additional error in ignoring universally accepted concepts of mootness. The majority state that even assuming the correctness of appellee’s averment that all of the work contracted for had been completed and the contract wholly performed, *282this appeal -would not be moot. That statement is patently incorrect. If the averment is true, neither the court below nor this Court can render a judgment which will in any way affect the rights of any of the parties. Any judgment rendered would be merely an opinion on an academic question and would be fruitless. 9 Standard Pennsylvania Practice §135. Accordingly, under the accepted rule that when no judgment rendered can be carried into effect, a cause is moot and should not be considered on appeal (See Words and Phrases, “Moot Question” for universality of this rule), we held in Smith v. Zoning Board of Adjustment, 407 Pa. 122, 179 A. 2d 192 (1962) that where an appeal is taken from an order refusing to restrain the completion of a building and to grant a supersedeas, and the building is completed prior to the hearing of the appeal, the appeal from the order refusing the supersedeas is moot and will be dismissed.
The majority opinion states that appellant’s allegation that she was without sufficient knowledge or information to form a belief as to the truth of appellee’s averment that the work had been completed amounts to a denial and demand for proof thereof. I cannot agree. Rule of Civil Procedure 1029(c) provides: “(c) An averment shall be deemed to be denied if proof thereof is demanded and the pleader states either (1) that after reasonable investigation he is without knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief as to the truth of the averment, or (2) that he is without such knowledge or information because the means of proof are within the exclusive control of an adverse party or hostile person. The pleader shall not be required to state what investigation he had made or to rely upon information received from an adverse party or hostile person.” Appellant alleges that all means of proof of appellee’s allegation are within the exclusive control of appellee. That is not correct, simply because all of the *283facts required for proof are matters of public record. Under such circumstances, an answer under Rule 1029(c) is inadequate because it is inherently incredible. Goodrich-Amram, Pennsylvania Rules Service, §1029(c)-l (Supp. 1965).
The majority opinion points out that Rule 41 requires appellee to take depositions after the filing of a motion to dismiss when the allegations are contraverted. I have already indicated that the allegations herein involved have not been contraverted, but assuming that they are, the majority should have remanded this matter to the court below with instructions that depositions be ordered for the purpose of determining whether or not appellee’s averments are correct. If they are, the cause is moot and should be dismissed.
The majority further speak about “some other relief in the nature of restitution of moneys to the Housing Authority” which may be available to appellant. If such relief should take the form of an action to surcharge the individual members of the Housing Authority, nothing may be done toward that end in the instant action because those individuals are not named as defendants herein. Indeed, the majority opinion recognizes the weakness of its “some other relief” contention by studiously refraining from indicating what other relief could be granted. Worse than its vague approach toward that question is the majority opinion’s establishment of the proposition that a case can never be moot so long as the plaintiff has made a general prayer for “ ‘such other and further relief as may be deemed just and reasonable,’ ” which is a stock prayer in every practitioner’s equity form file.
Finally, I disagree with the majority’s conclusion as to the issue of a taxpayer’s standing to maintain an action in equity against the Housing Authority—an issue which the majority label as the sole issue presented herein, but one which I contend need never be reached. *284The majority opinion overrules White v. Philadelphia, 408 Pa. 397, 184 A. 2d 266 (1962), which held that a taxpayer has no standing to enjoin the actions of the Philadelphia Housing Authority. In my opinion White is good law and should not be overruled. The legislature has seen fit to leave in the hands of the Attorney General the responsibility of implementing the safeguards by which the citizens of Pennsylvania may protect themselves against any improprieties on the part of the Housing Authority. Compare Sherman v. Yiddisher Kultur Farband, 375 Pa. 108, 99 A. 2d 868 (1953) ; Wiegand v. The Barnes Foundation, 374 Pa. 149, 97 A. 2d 81 (1953). As I review this matter, it becomes obvious to me that the majority have disregarded the concept of mootness solely in order to indulge themselves in the forbidden luxury of second guessing the General Assembly and superimposing their judgment for the will of that body.
I dissent.
Mr. Justice Eagen joins in this dissenting opinion.