Kremin v. Commonwealth
Kremin v. Commonwealth
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
TMs case was filed within the original jurisdiction provisions of the Appellate Court Jurisdiction Act (Act of July 31, 1970, P. L. , Act No. 223) as it applies to the Commonwealth Court. The action was based on the filing of a Complaint in Assumpsit signed by counsel and attested to by a partner of counsel of record on the basis of a power of attorney from the claimant. The Plaintiff is Sofia Vaslievna Kremin, a citizen and resident of Soviet Russia. The Plaintiff is alleged to be the widow of Ivan Kreminy, who died a resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Mr. Kreminy’s estate was administered in the Orphans’ Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County at No. 1128 of 1961.
The Orphans’ Court there determined that the widow of Mr. Kreminy is the sole heir to his estate. However, because of Section 737 of the Fiduciaries Act of 1949 (Act of April 18, 1949, P. L. 512, Section 737, as amended by the Act of February 23, 1956, P. L. (1955) 1084, Section 6, 20 P.S. 320.737), the fiduciary of the estate petitioned the Orphans’ Court to direct the payment of the balance of the estate in the amount of $5,-275.55 to the Commonwealth without escheat, to be held in the State Treasury until further order of the Orphans’ Court. Under an order of that Court on May 20, 1965, that sum was paid to the Commonwealth, to be held for the widow of the decedent.
The Commonwealth filed preliminary objections (1) that the Court lacks jurisdiction because of the Commonwealth’s sovereign immunity from suit without its consent, and (2) that the Court is without jurisdiction because under the statute only the Orphans’ Court Di
Counsel for Mrs. Kremin argues that Section 737 of the Fiduciaries Act of 1949 and the Act of July 28, 1953, P. L. 674, have been held to be unconstitutional, and relying upon Section 8 of the Commonwealth Court Act (Act of January 6, 1970, Act No. 185, P. L. ), the Court has jurisdiction to direct payment to Mrs. Kremin.
The Pennsylvania Constitution at Article I, Section 11, states: “... Suits may be brought against the Commonwealth in such manner, in such courts and in such cases as the Legislature may by law direct.” At this stage in the development of the law in this State, there can be no doubt that without legislative permission the Commonwealth cannot be sued because of the doctrine of sovereign immunity. Meagher v. Commonwealth, 439 Pa. 532, 266 A. 2d 684 (1970). The Plaintiff offered no proof of any such authorization or permission to sue the Commonwealth.
In connection with the second point in the Preliminary Objections of the Commonwealth, even though the two statutes relied upon by the Plaintiff are unconstitutional
Having concluded that this Court does not have jurisdiction because of the sovereign immunity of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania under the constitutional provisions applicable thereto, and because under the statutes only the Orphans’ Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County has jurisdiction to direct repayment from the State Treasury of moneys deposited there by an order of that Court, we make the following:
Order
And Now, April 12, 1971, all of the preliminary objections filed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are hereby sustained and the complaint in assumpsit is hereby dismissed with costs to the plaintiff.
See Zschernig v. Miller, 389 U.S. 429, 19 L. Ed 2d 683 (1968), and Struchmanczuk Estate, 44 D. & C. 2d 155, 18 Fid. Rep. 186 (1968).
Dissenting Opinion
Dissenting Opinion by
I disagree with the majority’s contention that this court lacks jurisdiction to decide this case. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is holding funds which be
Sofia Eremin has filed suit against the Commonwealth demanding the funds which rightfully belong to her. The majority takes the position that the Commonwealth Court cannot help Sofia Eremin because she is suing the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and thus is barred by the Doctrine of Sovereign Immunity and also because she is in the wrong court. According to the majority, Sofia Eremin must file suit for her money in the Orphans’ Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County.
I believe the majority to be incorrect concerning both reasons.
The Doctrine of Sovereign Immunity has nothing to do with the suit of Sofia Eremin against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth is holding monies which belong to Sofia Eremin and her suit to recover these funds cannot be barred by the Doctrine of Sovereign Immunity. The constitution of Pennsylvania prohibits the Commonwealth from any taking of a person’s property without just compensation. There has never been any question that one has a right to sue the Commonwealth to recover just compensation for his property. In the usual case, the Commonwealth attempts to take a person’s real or personal property and the individual has a right to sue and obtain just compensation for the property. In this
The second reason given by the majority is that Sofia Kremin has filed suit in the wrong court. The majority claims that the Commonwealth Court is not the proper court but rather that suit should be filed in the Orphans’ Court Division of the Common Pleas Court of Allegheny County.
I do not agree that the proper court is the Orphans’ Court in Allegheny County.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania obtained possession of the monies which belonged to Sofia Kremin because of an Act, which has since been declared unconstitutional, allowing the holdup of Sofia Kremin’s
But even if the Act referred to by the majority were not unconstitutional, it would not affect the jurisdiction of this Court. The majority states that the Orphans’ Court has the same jurisdiction that it had prior to the adoption of the judiciary article in 1968; but as the majority points out the Orphans’ Court jurisdiction was the same until otherwise provided by law.
Since the passage of the new constitution, it has otherwise been provided by law.
The Appellate Court Jurisdiction Act which was passed in 1970, specifically stated that the Commonwealth Court shall have original jurisdiction of all civil actions and proceedings against the Commonwealth. That Act also contains a repealer of any acts inconsistent with the Appellate Court Jurisdiction Act. I fail to see how the jurisdiction given to the Commonwealth Court can be read except to cover all civil actions and proceedings against the Commonwealth. Sofia Kremin’s suit in this case is certainly a civil action. It is an action in assumpsit filed against the Commonwealth to recover funds. Without question, it falls under the jurisdiction given to the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. The jurisdiction which originally resided in the Orphans’ Court no longer exists. It is difficult to see how the legislature could have spoken more clearly than when it used the language “all civil actions and proceedings against the Commonwealth.” The majority opinion in effect creates an exception which does not exist, and ignores the re-
The preliminary objections of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania should be dismissed and this court should assume jurisdiction of this case as mandated by the legislature.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.