administrative law - commissions - powers

Deoria v. State Athletic Commn. - Cmwlth. Court - December 8, 2008

http://origin-www.courts.state.pa.us/OpPosting/Cwealth/out/1266CD08_12-8-08.pdf

A commission has the status set out in the Administrative Code of 1929, 71 P.S. §§51 - 732. As a statutorily created agency of the Commonwealth, a commission has only those powers expressly conferred upon it by statute or those powers which are necessarily implied from its express powers. DeMarco v. Department of Health, 397 A.2d 61 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1979) (Administrative agencies, being creatures of the legislature, are vested only with those powers conferred by the statute or such as are necessarily implied from a grant of such powers; where authority is conferred on such an extrajudicial body, the legislative grant of power to act in any particular case must be clear.); Human Relations Commission v. St. Joe Minerals Corp., 476 Pa. 302, 382 A.2d 731 (1978) (The power and authority to be exercised by administrative commissions must be conferred by legislative language clear and unmistakable. A doubtful power does not exist.). An agency must act within the strict and exact limits as statutorily defined. Id.

real property - tax sale - redemption - timely petition

U.S. Bank Natl. Assn. v. Parker - Superior Court - December 8, 2008

http://origin-www.courts.state.pa.us/OpPosting/Superior/out/s56038_08.pdf

Upon payment of all the necessary costs and fees, the owner of any property sold under tax or municipal claim may redeem the property at anytime within nine months of acknowledgement of the sheriff’s deed. 53 Pa. C. S. § 5293(a).

It is undisputed that the sheriff’s deed was acknowledged on March 19, 2007. Thus, Appellant had until December 19, 2007, in order to file her petition to redeem. Unfortunately for Appellant, she filed her petition on December 24, 2007, i.e., five days late.