City of Hudson v. City of Akron
City of Hudson v. City of Akron
Opinion
{¶ 1} Appellant, the City of Hudson, appeals the judgment of the Summit County Court of Common Pleas. This Court affirms.
I.
{¶ 2} This matter arises out of a water services dispute between the City of Akron and the City of Hudson, two municipal corporations in Northeast Ohio. Akron maintains a public water utility that services its residents as well as extraterritorial purchasers in various locations throughout the surrounding area. Hudson residents and businesses receive water utility services from four different providers. 1 A portion of Hudson's residents and businesses receive water utility services from Akron. In addition to a capital projects charge, Akron charges its Hudson customers a rate that is roughly 60% higher than the water rate charged to Akron customers. In November 2014, Akron began charging its residential Hudson customers a surcharge of $17.76 per month ("the Surcharge") and its commercial Hudson customers a 42% increase in water charges. A small portion of Hudson's residents and businesses receive water utility services from the City of Stow. While Stow owns the waterlines that service its customers in Hudson, Stow buys the water that flows through its waterlines from Akron. When Stow declined to charge its Hudson customers with a comparable surcharge, Akron began directly billing Stow's customers in Hudson in order to collect the Surcharge.
{¶ 3} Before the increase in charges, Akron notified Hudson that it was necessary to replace a major waterline known as the Twinsburg Line. The Twinsburg Line extends from a water source in Portage County to cities in the northern part of Summit County such as Hudson and Twinsburg. The cost of replacing the line will be approximately 15 million dollars and the vast majority of that cost will be absorbed by Hudson. 2 Hudson maintains that Akron imposed the Surcharge on its customers in Hudson in order to pay for the replacement of the Twinsburg Line.
{¶ 4} On December 12, 2014, Hudson filed a class action complaint for declaratory judgment against Akron in the Summit County Court of Common Pleas. After filing an amended complaint, Hudson filed a second amended complaint on February 9, 2015. Therein, Hudson sought a declaration that the Surcharge violates Ohio law because it is unfair and unreasonable and bears no rational relationship to the service being provided. Hudson further alleged that the unreasonable rates were implemented in order to compel Hudson to enter into an unfavorable agreement for water utility services. In addition to the declaration, Hudson sought permanent injunctive relief preventing Akron from continuing to impose the Surcharge, as well as damages.
{¶ 5} On February 24, 2015, Akron filed a motion to dismiss pursuant to Civ.R. 12(B)(6). Hudson filed a memorandum in opposition to the motion to dismiss, and Akron replied thereto. Hudson then filed a surreply brief with leave of court. The trial court issued a journal entry granting the motion to dismiss on the basis that it did not have authority under Ohio law to grant the relief requested by Hudson.
{¶ 6} Hudson filed a timely notice of appeal. Now before this Court, Hudson raises one assignment of error.
II.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED BY CONCLUDING THAT IT WAS PRECLUDED FROM STRIKING DOWN A SURCHARGE ASSESSED BY A MUNICIPAL WATER PURVEYOR TO WATER CUSTOMERS IN ANOTHER MUNICIPALITY THAT HAS NO CONTRACT FOR WATER SERVICE WITH THE PURVEYOR WHERE THE SURCHARGE IS UNFAIR, UNREASONABLE, AND HAS NO RELATIONSHIP TO THE WATER SERVICES PROVIDED.
{¶ 7} In its sole assignment of error, Hudson contends that the trial court erred by granting Akron's motion to dismiss. This Court disagrees.
{¶ 8} An appellate court reviews a trial court order granting a motion to dismiss pursuant to Civ.R. 12(B)(6) under a de novo standard of review.
Perrysburg Twp. v. Rossford
,
{¶ 9} In reviewing whether a motion to dismiss should be granted, an appellate court must accept as true all factual allegations in the complaint and all reasonable inferences must be drawn in favor of the nonmoving party.
Rossford
at ¶ 5 ;
Mitchell v. Lawson Milk Co.
,
{¶ 10} Moreover, as a general rule, "[w]hen a trial court enters a judgment in a declaratory judgment action, the order must declare all of the parties' rights and obligations in order to constitute a final, appealable order."
No-Burn, Inc. v. Murati
, 9th Dist. Summit No. 24577,
DISCUSSION
{¶ 11} In its October 30, 2015 journal entry, the trial court conducted a deliberate analysis regarding whether it was permissible under Ohio law for Akron to impose the Surcharge on its Hudson customers, in addition to the charges and fees that were already in place. The trial court concluded that if Akron could not be compelled to sell water to Hudson under Ohio law, then it stands to reason that a court does not have authority to order Akron to provide water to Hudson at a particular rate. On this basis, the trial court granted Akron's motion to dismiss because Hudson failed to state a claim upon which relief could be granted.
{¶ 12} On appeal, Hudson contends that every utility customer in Ohio should have a mechanism for challenging their water rates. Hudson points to the Supreme Court of Ohio's decision in
State ex.
Rel. Mt. Sinai Hosp. of Cleveland v. Hickey
,
{¶ 13} "[A] city's power to acquire, construct, own, and operate a public utility within or without its corporate limits has been conferred upon it by Sections 4 and 6, Article XVIII, of the Ohio Construction."
Bakies v. Perrysburg
, 6th Wood Nos. WD-03-055, WD-03-062,
{¶ 14} The trial court properly dismissed Hudson's complaint in this case. While Hudson urges this Court to apply a reasonableness standard similar to the standard established by the Supreme Court in
Mt. Sinai
,
{¶ 15} For the foregoing reasons, the assignment of error is overruled.
III.
{¶ 16} Hudson's assignment of error is overruled. The judgment of the Summit County Court of Common Pleas is affirmed.
Judgment affirmed.
HENSAL, P.J.
TEODOSIO, J.
CONCUR.
Hudson stated in its complaint that Hudson residents, businesses, and other entities receive public water services from the City of Hudson, the City of Akron, the City of Stow, and the City of Cleveland.
Hudson stated in its amended complaint that replacing the Twinsburg Line would cost roughly 15 million dollars and that Akron's Hudson customers would be responsible for 13 million dollars of that cost.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- CITY OF HUDSON, Appellant v. CITY OF AKRON, Appellee
- Cited By
- 6 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- public water utility - extraterritorial customers - contractual agreement - reasonableness - Surcharge