Luna v. Dept. of Job and Family Svcs., Unpublished Decision (11-22-2002)
Luna v. Dept. of Job and Family Svcs., Unpublished Decision (11-22-2002)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} Appellants, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services ("ODJFS") and Thomas J. Hayes, Director of ODJFS, administer the state funded Medicaid program. Appellee, Ruben Luna, appealed to the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas from an ODJFS ruling that he could not apply certain medical bills to his "spend down" obligation. The bills are paid on appellee's behalf by a local county agency.
{¶ 3} On January 3, 2002, the common pleas court affirmed the decision of ODJFS. This decision was journalized on January 4, 2002. It was not appealed. On January 16, appellee filed a motion for reconsideration, which was opposed by appellants. On April 25, 2002, the trial court granted appellee's motion for reconsideration and found that appellee could apply the payments made on his behalf to his spend down requirement, reversing the decision of ODJFS.
{¶ 4} Appellant now appeals that judgment, setting forth the following sole assignment of error:
{¶ 5} "The court of common pleas lacked jurisdiction to reconsider its own decision, and issue a new decision, after an opinion had been issued and a judgment entry signed, and journalized. "
{¶ 6} The Supreme Court of Ohio has previously determined that "the Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure do not prescribe motions for reconsideration after a final judgment in the trial court." Pitts v.Ohio Dept. of Transp. (1981),
{¶ 7} Since we are, however, bound by the Ohio Supreme Court's ruling in Pitts, we conclude that the common pleas court's April 25, 2002 ruling on appellee's motion for reconsideration is a nullity. We also note, that even if such a motion were permitted, appellee's motion was untimely, since it was filed on January 16, 2002, two days past the 10 day time limit required by App.R. 26(A). Therefore, based upon Pitts, the common pleas court erred in considering appellee's motion for reconsideration. Accordingly, appellee's sole assignment of error is found well-taken.
{¶ 8} The judgment of the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas is reversed and the January 3, 2002 judgment is reinstated. Court costs of this appeal are assessed to appellee.
JUDGMENT REVERSED.
James R. Sherck, J., Richard W. Knepper, J., and Mark L. Pietrykowski,P.J., CONCUR.
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