26 Pa. Commw. 7 | Pa. Commw. Ct. | 1976
Opinion by
By preliminary objections, defendants question the original concurrent jurisdiction of this Court to entertain a complaint by the Pennsylvania Department of Health against defendant nursing home situate in Philadelphia and its Administrator, said complaint seeking injunctive and other equitable relief and brought under the authority of Section 1052 of the Public Welfare Code (Code), Act of June 13, 1967, P.L. 31, as amended, 62 P.S. §1052.
Section 1054 of the Code, 62 P.S. §1054, provides that actions authorized by Section 1052 shall be insti
However, Section 401 of the Appellate Court Jurisdiction Act of 1970 (ACJA), Act of July 31, 1970, P.L. 673, as amended, 17 P.S. §211.401, affords to the Commonwealth Court original concurrent jurisdiction with the several courts of common pleas over all civil actions or proceedings by the Commonwealth or any officer thereof, with one exception not relevant here. Section 509(f) of the ACJA, 17 P.S. §211.509 (f), repeals all acts or parts of acts insofar as inconsistent with the ACJA. The ACJA, being of later enactment than the Code, affords original concurrent jurisdiction in this Court over the cause of action at hand. Pennsylvania Crime Commission Petitions, 446 Pa. 152, 285 A.2d 494 (1971); Commonwealth v. Queen Coal Co., 2 Pa. Commonwealth Ct. 28 (1971).
Defendants contend, however, that Section 508(c) of the ACJA, 17 P.S. §211.508 (c), demands a different result. This section, dealing with the transfer of jurisdiction from the courts named in enumerated acts of Assembly to the Commonwealth Court, provides in pertinent part:
“The Commonwealth Court shall also have jurisdiction under this subsection over every civil action, proceeding or appeal of whatsoever nature or description of the classes or kinds heretofore entered in the ‘Docket of Commonwealth Cases’ established by the act of June 26, 1895 (P.L. 315) . . . except any matter involving the interpretation, application, or enforcement of any act of Assembly which expressly vests jurisdiction in the courts of common pleas generally to entertain matters relating to the interpretation, application or enforcement of such act.”
Defendants would have us construe the savings clause contained in this subsection of Section 508 as limiting the substantive provisions of Section 401 of
Because this Court possesses original concurrent jurisdiction over the civil action here in question, defendants’ preliminary objections must be overruled.
Order
Now,- August 5, 1976, defendants’ preliminary objections are hereby overruled, and they are directed to answer plaintiff’s complaint within thirty (30) days of the date of this Order.