Oliver v. Pickaway Corr. Inst.

[Cite as Oliver v. Pickaway Corr. Inst., 2011-Ohio-6973.] Court of Claims of Ohio The Ohio Judicial Center 65 South Front Street, Third Floor Columbus, OH 43215 614.387.9800 or 1.800.824.8263 www.cco.state.oh.us TYRONE OLIVER Plaintiff v. PICKAWAY CORRECTIONAL INSTI. Defendant. Case No. 2010-13121-AD Deputy Clerk Daniel R. Borchert MEMORANDUM DECISION FINDINGS OF FACT {¶1} Plaintiff, Tyrone Oliver, an inmate incarcerated at defendant’s Pickaway Correctional Institution (PCI), filed this complaint alleging that agents of defendant improperly removed $14.69 from his inmate account on May 28, 2010. According to plaintiff, defendant has acknowledged the error but has not replaced the funds into his account. {¶2} Plaintiff filed this complaint seeking to recover $14.69, the stated amount erroneously withdrawn from his inmate funds. The filing fee was paid. {¶3} On September 16, 2011, defendant filed an investigation report admitting liability for the amount of $14.69. {¶4} Plaintiff filed a response requesting that defendant “be required to pay me any interest, and my $25.00 filing fee that was paid April 25, 2011.” CONCLUSIONS OF LAW {¶5} Defendant may bear liability for failure to properly monitor an inmate plaintiff’s account by either failing to record deposits or in making unauthorized withdrawals. See Nelms v. Southeastern Corr. Inst., Ct. of Cl. No. 2007-01401-AD, 2007-Ohio-7087; Lonero v. Lebanon Corr. Inst., Ct. of Cl. No. 2009-01719-AD, 2009- Ohio-6359. Plaintiff, in the instant action, has submitted sufficient evidence to prove that defendant acted improperly in handling the funds in his inmate account. {¶6} Prejudgment interest is not compensable in this claim. In addition, inmate accounts are maintained as checking accounts and do not earn interest credited to the individual inmate. See Ohio Administrative Code 5120-5-02; see also Moore v. Belmont Corr. Inst., Ct. of Cl. No. 2008-03670-AD, 2008-Ohio-7065. {¶7} Plaintiff has suffered damages in the amount of $14.69, plus the $25.00 filing fee, which may be reimbursed as compensable damages pursuant to the holding in Bailey v. Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (1990), 62 Ohio Misc. 2d 19, 587 N.E. 2d 990. Court of Claims of Ohio The Ohio Judicial Center 65 South Front Street, Third Floor Columbus, OH 43215 614.387.9800 or 1.800.824.8263 www.cco.state.oh.us TYRONE OLIVER Plaintiff v. PICKAWAY CORRECTIONAL INSTI. Defendant Case No. 2010-13121-AD Deputy Clerk Daniel R. Borchert ENTRY OF ADMINISTRATIVE DETERMINATION Having considered all the evidence in the claim file and, for the reasons set forth in the memorandum decision filed concurrently herewith, judgment is rendered in favor of plaintiff in the amount of $39.69, which includes the filing fee. Court costs are assessed against defendant. DANIEL R. BORCHERT Deputy Clerk Entry cc: Tyrone Oliver, #599-853 Gregory C. Trout, Chief Counsel 11781 State Route 762 Department of Rehabilitation Orient, Ohio 43146 and Correction 770 West Broad Street Columbus, Ohio 43222 9/27 Filed 9/29/11 Sent to S.C. reporter 2/6/12