Scolardi v. City of Providence
Decision Date | 19 May 2000 |
Docket Number | No. 98-535-Appeal.,98-535-Appeal. |
Citation | 751 A.2d 754 |
Parties | Joseph SCOLARDI et al. v. CITY OF PROVIDENCE et al. |
Court | Rhode Island Supreme Court |
Present WEISBERGER, C.J., and LEDERBERG, BOURCIER, FLANDERS, and GOLDBERG, JJ.
Lauren E. Jones, Providence, for plaintiff.
Richard G. Riendeau, Providence, for defendant.
This case came before the Court on April 5, 2000, on the appeal of the plaintiff, Joseph Scolardi (plaintiff or Scolardi), from a Superior Court judgment in favor of the defendants, the City of Providence, Charles Mansolillo (Mansolillo) in his capacity as Providence city solicitor, Stephen T. Napolitano (Napolitano) in his capacity as Providence city treasurer, and Joseph Chiodo (Chiodo) in his capacity as Providence city controller (collectively defendants). We directed the parties to appear and show cause why the issues raised in this appeal should not be summarily decided. After hearing the arguments of counsel and examining the memoranda submitted by the parties, we are of the opinion that cause has not been shown. Therefore, we shall decide the case at this time.
Accordingly, no payments pursuant to the board's decision were made to Scolardi.
On December 24, 1997, Scolardi filed a complaint with the Superior Court1 in which he argued that the city had exceeded its authority by failing to implement the decision of the board. He sought declaratory and injunctive relief and a writ of mandamus requiring the city to immediately begin paying to Scolardi the benefits that had been approved by the board. On May 14, 1998, a justice of the Superior Court made a bench decision in which he held that Scolardi's condition was "accidental" pursuant to a presumption created by a city ordinance. Thereafter, it was brought to the trial justice's attention that the ordinance had been amended and the presumption upon which he relied had been repealed. The trial justice thereupon reversed his decision of May 14, finding that Scolardi had not proven that his injuries were the accidental result of his employment as a firefighter for the City of Providence. Scolardi has appealed.
Before this Court, Scolardi argued that neither the city solicitor nor the city controller has the power to review decisions of the board; the proper avenue for review of such decisions, he argued, is by way of a petition for certiorari pursuant to Rule 13 of the Supreme Court Rules of Appellate Procedure. In response, defendants argued that the controller's review of retirement benefit awards provides the city with a system of checks and balances that acts to prevent illegal payments, and is authorized under section 813(b)(4) of the Providence Home Rule Charter, whereby the city controller is empowered "[t]o audit before payment of all bills, invoices, payroll and other claims, demands or charges against the city, and approve the same only if proper, legal and correct."
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State v. Yashar, No. PC 06-1866 (R.I. Super 3/21/2007)
...Yashar argues, that a couple of state court precedents seemingly conflict with this line of precedent. See, e.g., Scolardi v. City of Providence, 751 A.2d 754, 756 (R.I. 2000); Mosby v. Devine, 851 A.2d 1031, 1049-1051 (R.I. In particular, the Rhode Island Supreme Court has stated in Scolar......
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Bradford Associates v. DIV. OF PURCHASES
...at 1325 (declining to reach remaining issues where Superior Court lackedsubject-matter jurisdiction); see also Scolardi v. City of Providence, 751 A.2d 754, 756 (R.I.2000) (holding that in the absence of "specific statutory delineation of a particular forum for relief, a party must resort t......
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Pierce v. Providence Ret. Bd..
...I, Rule 13(a); Sobanski v. Providence Employees' Retirement Board, 981 A.2d 1021, 1021 (R.I.2009) (mem.); Scolardi v. City of Providence, 751 A.2d 754, 755–56 (R.I.2000). In so doing, “our task is ‘to discern whether any legally competent evidence supports the lower tribunal's decision and ......