Elbert v. Carlisle Twnshp. Bd. of Trustees, Unpublished Decision (6-18-2003)
Elbert v. Carlisle Twnshp. Bd. of Trustees, Unpublished Decision (6-18-2003)
Opinion of the Court
This cause was heard upon the record in the trial court. Each error assigned has been reviewed and the following disposition is made: {¶ 1} Appellants, Lorne Elbert and the Chestnut Ridge Development Co., appeal from the decision of the Lorain County Court of Common Pleas which granted the motion for summary judgment of Appellees, Carlisle Township, Carlisle Township Board of Trustees, Kenneth Prechtel, Eleanor Pryce, R. Schworer, David Street, and Rosaland Street. We affirm.
{¶ 2} Appellants filed a complaint against Appellees alleging constitutional violations due to Appellees failure to approve an excavation permit authorizing the installation of a storm sewer pipe under a public road. Thereafter, Appellees filed a joint motion for summary judgment. The trial court, finding no genuine issues of material fact, granted Appellees' motion. Appellants timely appealed raising two assignments of error which have been consolidated for ease of review.
"The judgment rendered by the trial court was not appropriate because genuine issues of material fact existed to preclude the granting of [Appellees'] motion for [s]ummary [j]udgment."
"[Appellees'] actions violated [Appellants'] constitutional rights under theFifth Amendment."
{¶ 3} In their assignments of error, Appellants maintain that the trial court erred by granting Appellees' motion for summary judgment because genuine issues of material fact exist. We disagree.
{¶ 4} Pursuant to Civ.R. 56(C), summary judgment is proper if: "(1) No genuine issue as to any material fact remains to be litigated; (2) the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law; and (3) it appears from the evidence that reasonable minds can come to but one conclusion, and viewing such evidence most strongly in favor of the party against whom the motion for summary judgment is made, that conclusion is adverse to that party." Temple v. Wean United, Inc. (1977),
{¶ 5} The party moving for summary judgment bears the initial burden of informing the trial court of the basis for the motion and is to identify portions of the record that demonstrate the absence of genuine issues of material fact as to an essential element of the non-moving party's claims. Dresher v. Burt (1996),
{¶ 6} The
{¶ 7} In the instant case, Appellants assert that Appellees failure to issue an excavation permit constituted a taking under the
{¶ 8} Additionally, a review of the record reveals that the Lorain County Engineers Department ("LCED") was the division responsible for the processing of all permit applications involving the numerous county and township highways. Thus, in order for Appellants to receive a permit, an application was to have been submitted to the LCED. In the instant case, the City of Elyria applied for an excavation permit in order to install a storm sewer pipe underneath the subject road. There is no evidence that Appellants applied to the LCED for such a permit. Therefore, even if the LCED issued the excavation permit, the City of Elyria would be the holder of the permit and not Appellants.
{¶ 9} Furthermore, Appellants have asserted their claim against the wrong entities. Although the Lorain County Board Resolution acknowledges that townships may have separate permit requirements for township maintained roads, the LCED, and not the Appellees, was given the authority to issue the required excavation permit. Accordingly, we find that Appellants have failed to meet their Dresher burden of setting forth the existence of a genuine triable issue of fact. The trial court correctly granted summary judgment to Appellees. Appellants' assignments of error are overruled.
{¶ 10} Appellants' assignments of error are overruled. The decision of the Lorain County Court of Common Pleas is affirmed.
BAIRD, J. and BATCHELDER, J. CONCUR.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.