Webb v. Diamond State Tel. Co.

Citation237 A.2d 143,43 Del.Ch. 472
Parties, 72 P.U.R.3d 521 Walter WEBB, Plaintiff, v. The DIAMOND STATE TELEPHONE COMPANY, a corporation of the State of Delaware, Defendant.
Decision Date13 December 1967
CourtCourt of Chancery of Delaware

Norman N. Aerenson, of Aerenson & Balick, Wilmington, for plaintiff.

Hugh L. Corroon, of Potter, Anderson & Corroon, Wilmington, for defendant.

MARVEL, Vice Chancellor:

According to the verified complaint in this case, officers of the Delaware State Police Department, on August 16, 1966, conducted a raid on plaintiff's premises at 718 North Walnut Street Lane, Greentree, in Claymont. In the course of such raid the police disconnected and removed plaintiff's telephone. According to plaintiff, his attempts thereafter to have service restored by defendant failed. His complaint prayed for an order enjoining defendant from denying him telephone service and in effect sought mandatory injunctive relief restoring such interrupted service.

On December 16, 1966, after argument of counsel, plaintiff was granted temporary relief in the form of an order restraining defendant from withholding telephone service from plaintiff at his home at Greentree until further order of the Court. Thereafter, defendant moved to dismiss the complaint.

In arguing its motion to dismiss, defendant makes the following contentions: (1) Assuming this Court has jurisdiction of plaintiff's claim, plaintiff must first pursue his remedies before the Public Service Commission inasmuch as the doctrine of primary jurisdiction does not oust this Court of any part of its original jurisdiction: (2) In point of fact this Court does not have jurisdiction of plaintiff's claim, mandamus being an adequate remedy at law for remedying his grievance; and (3) Even if the relief prayer for would otherwise come within this Court's historic jurisdiction, the Legislature has provided an exclusive and equivalent remedy for plaintiff before the Public Service Commission.

Defendant relies on the cases of Tollin v. Diamond State Telephone Co., 39 Del.Ch. 350, 164 A.2d 254, and Schofield v. Material Transit, Inc. (Del.Ch.), 206 A.2d 100, to sustain its contention that plaintiff must in the first instance pursue statutory remedies before the Public Service Commission as provided for in 26 Del.Ch. § 101 et seq., before pressing his claim here, citing this Court's ruling in the Tollin case to the effect that:

'Generally speaking, where an administrative agency exists with authority to regulate a particular type of business or field, courts should stand aside until prior resort to such agency has been sought.'

This decision, of course, was based on the doctrine of primary jurisdiction and not on that of the exhaustion of administrative remedies, the latter doctrine being applicable to situations where a proceeding to enforce a claim must be initiated before an administrative agency and then reviewed by the courts. The doctrine of primary jurisdiction, on the other hand, comes into play when a claim is originally cognizable in a court of law or equity but referral to an agency competent to rule preliminarily on issues which fall within its regulatory powers is authorized. In such situations, proceedings before a court are merely suspended pending referral of appropriate issues to such an administrative body. See Best v. Humboldt Placer Mining Co., 371 U.S. 334, 83 S.Ct. 379, 9 L.Ed.2d 350, and United States v. The Philadelphia National Bank, 374 U.S. 321, 83 S.Ct. 1715, 10 L.Ed.2d 915. Thus, in the Tollin case it was determined that it was incumbent upon the Public Service Commission to decide in the first instance whether or not plaintiff's telephone service should be discontinued because of its alleged use as a means of disseminating information of value to the carrying on of illegal gambling.

However, in the Tollin case the constitutional considerations, later dealt with in Pottock v. Continental Can Co. (Del.Ch.), 210 A.2d 295, were not raised by counsel and were not considered by the Court. In the Pottock case, however, such issue was vigorously argued, and the Court agreed with plaintiff's contentions concerning the historic jurisdiction of the Delaware Court of Chancery, refusing to apply the doctrine of primary jurisdiction in a situation which involved ostensible violations of provisions of the Delaware Air Pollution Act. It did so because of the fact that the Constitution of Delaware denies to the State Legislature the right to diminish the traditional jurisdiction of the Delaware Court of Chancery unless a statutorily created remedy is not only made equivalent to that of Chancery but exclusive as well, either expressly or by necessary implication. In other words, the basic jurisdiction of this Court is that bestowed on it by the Constitution of 1792, namely the general equity jurisdiction of the High Court of Chancery of Great Britain as it existed prior to the separation of the American Colonies, DuPont v. DuPont, 32 Del.Ch. 413, 85 A.2d 724, 727, and Glanding...

To continue reading

Request your trial
14 cases
  • Family Court v. Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
    • United States
    • Court of Chancery of Delaware
    • May 2, 1974
    ...L.Ed. 73 (1888) (availability of mandamus); 27 Am.Jur.2d, Equity, § 96 (1966); 30 C.J.S. Equity § 31 (1965). Webb v. Diamond State Telephone Company, Del.Ch., 237 A.2d 143 (1967) does not state a contrary rule, the Vice Chancellor there having concluded mandamus to be an adequate remedy bas......
  • Nathan v. Martin
    • United States
    • Superior Court of Delaware
    • March 22, 1974
    ...3 Terry 14, 27 A.2d 67 (1942). The remedy is available only where the right of the petitioner is clear. Webb v. Diamond State Telephone Company, Del.Ch., 237 A.2d 143 (1967). The duty must not only be clear, but it must be ministerial and not require that the official or body make a factual......
  • Levinson v. Delaware Compensation Rating Bureau, Inc.
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Delaware
    • September 9, 1992
    ...fall within its regulatory powers is authorized." Eastern Shore Natural Gas Co., 298 A.2d at 325 (quoting Webb v. Diamond State Telephone Co., Del.Ch., 237 A.2d 143, 145 (1967)). Application of the doctrine of primary administrative jurisdiction results in staying or abstention of the judic......
  • Mock v. Div. of State Police
    • United States
    • Court of Chancery of Delaware
    • May 31, 2022
    ...v. Martin, 317 A.2d 110, 113 (Del. Super. 1974) ("The remedy is available only where the right of the petitioner is clear." (citing Webb, 237 A.2d at 146)). [66] Darby, 336 A.2d at 210 ("The writ is extraordinary and appropriate only when a plaintiff is able to establish a clear legal right......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT