Opinion

Rink v. Dept. of Rehab. and Corr.

  • 2018 Ohio 3633
Court
Ohio Court of Appeals
Filed
Sep 11, 2018
Status
Published
On the bench
Sadler
Cited by
1 cases
Authority
More cited than 54.6%

The opinion

[Cite as Rink v. Dept. of Rehab. and Corr., 2018-Ohio-3633.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO

TENTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

Stanley Rink, :

Plaintiff-Appellant, :

No. 18AP-65

v. : (Ct. of Cl. No. 2017-00319-AD)

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation : (REGULAR CALENDAR)

and Correction,

:

Defendant-Appellee.

:

D E C I S I O N

Rendered on September 11, 2018

On brief: Stanley Rink, pro se.

APPEAL from the Court of Claims of Ohio

SADLER, J.

{¶ 1} Plaintiff-appellant, Stanley Rink, appeals from a judgment of the Court of

Claims of Ohio confirming the administrative decision of November 3, 2017 in favor of

defendant-appellee, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction ("ODRC"). For the

reasons that follow, we dismiss this appeal for lack of jurisdiction.

I. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

{¶ 2} On April 10, 2017, appellant, who is an inmate in the custody and control of

ODRC, filed a complaint in the Court of Claims alleging ODRC lost or destroyed his

personal property valued at $1,825. On November 3, 2017, a deputy clerk of the Court of

Claims issued a memorandum decision in favor of ODRC. On November 13, 2017,

appellant filed a motion, pursuant to R.C. 2743.10(D), seeking review by the Court of Claims

of the deputy clerk's decision.

No. 18AP-65 2

{¶ 3} On December 22, 2017, the Court of Claims issued an "entry confirming

administrative determination." Appellant has filed a notice of appeal to this court from the

judgment of the Court of Claims.

II. ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR

{¶ 4} Appellant assigns the following as trial court error:

THE COURT OF CLAIMS ERRORED [sic] WHEN IT LOST

ITS WAY WHILE REVIEWING THE STATED FACTS IN THE

COMPLAINT AND RENDERED A DECISION RELYING ON

PERJURED STATEMENTS IN AN INVESTIGATIVE REPORT

THAT WAS IRRELEVANT TO THE ACTUAL ISSUE OF THE

COMPLAINT DENYING THE PLAINTIFFS [sic] RIGHT TO

DUE PROCESS IN ACCORDANCE TO THE SIXTH AND

FOURTEENTH AMENDMENTS TO THE UNITED STATES

CONSTITUTION.

III. LEGAL ANALYSIS

{¶ 5} R.C. 2743.10 requires the Court of Claims to determine certain civil actions

administratively. Lewis v. State, 10th Dist. No. 77AP-827 (Apr. 11, 1978). R.C. 2743.10

provides, in relevant part, as follows:

(A) Civil actions against the state for ten thousand dollars or

less shall be determined administratively by the clerk of the

court of claims.

***

(D) Upon the motion of a party, the court of claims shall

review the determination of the clerk upon the clerk's report

and papers filed in the action and shall enter judgment

consistent with its findings. The judgment shall not be the

subject of further appeal. No civil action arising out of the

same transaction or set of facts may be commenced by the

claimant in the court of claims.

(Emphasis added.)

{¶ 6} "Although R.C. 2743.20 provides generally for appeals from orders and

judgments of the Court of Claims to this court, R.C. 2743.10(D) expressly provides that

there shall be no such appeal to this court where the action has initially been determined

administratively by the clerk of the Court of Claims." Maffeo v. Dept. of Agriculture, 10th

Dist. No. 77AP-608 (Oct. 20, 1977). Accordingly, this court has consistently dismissed, due

No. 18AP-65 3

to the lack of jurisdiction, any appeal taken from a Court of Claims judgment in a civil action

determined administratively by the clerk of the Court of Claims. Id. See also Lewis;

Johnson v. Dept. of Corr., 10th Dist. No. 81-106 (Apr. 23, 1981); Lillie v. S. Ohio Corr.

Facility, 10th Dist. No. 80AP-162 (Apr. 17, 1980); Hampton v. Ohio Dept. of Rehab. &

Corr., 10th Dist. No. 80AP-182 (June 10, 1980). Because appellant's civil action against the

state was determined administratively by the clerk of the Court of Claims, this court does

not have jurisdiction of appellant's appeal. Lewis; Johnson; Lillie; Hampton.

{¶ 7} For the foregoing reasons, we sua sponte dismiss the appeal.

Appeal dismissed.

BROWN, P.J., and BRUNNER, J., concur.

________________

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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