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The Legislative Service Commission staff updates the Revised Code on an ongoing basis, as it completes its act review of enacted legislation. Updates may be slower during some times of the year, depending on the volume of enacted legislation.

Chapter 2505 | Procedure On Appeal

 
 
 
Section
Section 2505.01 | Procedure on appeal definitions.
 

(A) As used in the Revised Code, unless the context requires a different meaning:

(1) "Appeal" means all proceedings in which a court reviews or retries a cause determined by another court, or by an administrative officer, agency, board, department, tribunal, commission, or other instrumentality.

(2) "Appeal on questions of law" means a review of a cause upon questions of law, including the weight and sufficiency of the evidence.

(3) "Appeal on questions of law and fact" or "appeal on questions of fact" means a rehearing and retrial of a cause upon the law and the facts.

(B) As used in this chapter, "administrative-related appeal" means an appeal to a court of the final order of an administrative officer, agency, board, department, tribunal, commission, or other instrumentality.

Section 2505.02 | Final orders.
 

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Substantial right" means a right that the United States Constitution, the Ohio Constitution, a statute, the common law, or a rule of procedure entitles a person to enforce or protect.

(2) "Special proceeding" means an action or proceeding that is specially created by statute and that prior to 1853 was not denoted as an action at law or a suit in equity.

(3) "Provisional remedy" means a proceeding ancillary to an action, including, but not limited to, a proceeding for a preliminary injunction, attachment, discovery of privileged matter, suppression of evidence, a prima-facie showing pursuant to section 2307.85 or 2307.86 of the Revised Code, a prima-facie showing pursuant to section 2307.92 of the Revised Code, or a finding made pursuant to division (A)(3) of section 2307.93 of the Revised Code.

(B) An order is a final order that may be reviewed, affirmed, modified, or reversed, with or without retrial, when it is one of the following:

(1) An order that affects a substantial right in an action that in effect determines the action and prevents a judgment;

(2) An order that affects a substantial right made in a special proceeding or upon a summary application in an action after judgment;

(3) An order that vacates or sets aside a judgment or grants a new trial;

(4) An order that grants or denies a provisional remedy and to which both of the following apply:

(a) The order in effect determines the action with respect to the provisional remedy and prevents a judgment in the action in favor of the appealing party with respect to the provisional remedy.

(b) The appealing party would not be afforded a meaningful or effective remedy by an appeal following final judgment as to all proceedings, issues, claims, and parties in the action.

(5) An order that determines that an action may or may not be maintained as a class action;

(6) An order determining the constitutionality of any changes to the Revised Code made by Am. Sub. S.B. 281 of the 124th general assembly, including the amendment of sections 1751.67, 2117.06, 2305.11, 2305.15, 2305.234, 2317.02, 2317.54, 2323.56, 2711.21, 2711.22, 2711.23, 2711.24, 2743.02, 2743.43, 2919.16, 3923.63, 3923.64, 4705.15, and 5111.018 (renumbered as 5164.07 by H.B. 59 of the 130th general assembly), and the enactment of sections 2305.113, 2323.41, 2323.43, and 2323.55 of the Revised Code or any changes made by Sub. S.B. 80 of the 125th general assembly, including the amendment of sections 2125.02, 2305.10, 2305.131, 2315.18, 2315.19, and 2315.21 of the Revised Code;

(7) An order in an appropriation proceeding that may be appealed pursuant to division (B)(3) of section 163.09 of the Revised Code.

(C) When a court issues an order that vacates or sets aside a judgment or grants a new trial, the court, upon the request of either party, shall state in the order the grounds upon which the new trial is granted or the judgment vacated or set aside.

(D) This section applies to and governs any action, including an appeal, that is pending in any court on July 22, 1998, and all claims filed or actions commenced on or after July 22, 1998, notwithstanding any provision of any prior statute or rule of law of this state.

Section 2505.03 | Appeal of final order, judgment, or decree.
 

(A) Every final order, judgment, or decree of a court and, when provided by law, the final order of any administrative officer, agency, board, department, tribunal, commission, or other instrumentality may be reviewed on appeal by a court of common pleas, a court of appeals, or the supreme court, whichever has jurisdiction.

(B) Unless, in the case of an administrative-related appeal, Chapter 119. or other sections of the Revised Code apply, such an appeal is governed by this chapter and, to the extent this chapter does not contain a relevant provision, the Rules of Appellate Procedure. When an administrative-related appeal is so governed, if it is necessary in applying the Rules of Appellate Procedure to such an appeal, the administrative officer, agency, board, department, tribunal, commission, or other instrumentality shall be treated as if it were a trial court whose final order, judgment, or decree is the subject of an appeal to a court of appeals or as if it were a clerk of such a trial court.

(C) An appeal of a final order, judgment, or decree of a court shall be governed by the Rules of Appellate Procedure or by the Rules of Practice of the Supreme Court, whichever are applicable, and, to the extent not in conflict with those rules, this chapter.

Section 2505.04 | Perfecting an appeal.
 

An appeal is perfected when a written notice of appeal is filed, in the case of an appeal of a final order, judgment, or decree of a court, in accordance with the Rules of Appellate Procedure or the Rules of Practice of the Supreme Court, or, in the case of an administrative-related appeal, with the administrative officer, agency, board, department, tribunal, commission, or other instrumentality involved. If a leave to appeal from a court first must be obtained, a notice of appeal also shall be filed in the appellate court. After being perfected, an appeal shall not be dismissed without notice to the appellant, and no step required to be taken subsequent to the perfection of the appeal is jurisdictional.

Section 2505.05 | Notice of appeal.
 

The notice of appeal described in section 2505.04 of the Revised Code shall conform, in the case of an appeal of a final order, judgment, or decree of a court, with the Rules of Appellate Procedure or the Rules of Practice of the Supreme Court and shall designate, in the case of an administrative-related appeal, the final order appealed from and whether the appeal is on questions of law or questions of law and fact. In the notice, the party appealing shall be designated the appellant, and the adverse party, the appellee. In the case of an administrative-related appeal, the failure to designate the type of hearing upon appeal is not jurisdictional, and the notice of appeal may be amended with the approval of the appellate court for good cause shown.

Section 2505.06 | Bond on administrative-related appeal.
 

Except as provided in section 2505.12 of the Revised Code, no administrative-related appeal shall be effective as an appeal upon questions of law and fact until the final order appealed is superseded by a bond in the amount and with the conditions provided in sections 2505.09 and 2505.14 of the Revised Code, and unless such bond is filed at the time the notice of appeal is required to be filed.

Section 2505.07 | Time for perfecting appeal.
 

After the entry of a final order of an administrative officer, agency, board, department, tribunal, commission, or other instrumentality, the period of time within which the appeal shall be perfected, unless otherwise provided by law, is thirty days.

Section 2505.073 | Appeal denial of abortion by minor.
 

(A) A complainant whose complaint under section 2151.85 of the Revised Code is dismissed by a juvenile court, may appeal in accordance with this section. Within four days after a notice of appeal is filed in an action arising under that section, the clerk of the juvenile court shall deliver a copy of the notice of appeal and the record on appeal to the clerk of the court of appeals named in the notice. Upon receipt of the notice and record, the clerk of the court of appeals shall place the appeal on the docket of the court.

The appellant shall file her brief within four days after the appeal is docketed. Unless the appellant waives the right to oral argument, the court of appeals shall hear oral argument within five days after the appeal is docketed. The court of appeals shall enter judgment in the appeal immediately after the oral argument or, if oral argument has been waived, within five days after the appeal is docketed.

No filing fee shall be required of, and no court costs shall be assessed against, an appellant who appeals under this section.

Upon motion of the appellant and for good cause shown, the court of appeals may shorten or extend any of the maximum times set forth in this division. However, in any case, if judgment is not entered within five days after the appeal is docketed, the failure to enter the judgment shall be considered to be a constructive order of the court authorizing the appellant to consent to the performance or inducement of an abortion without the notification of her parent, guardian, or custodian, and the appellant and any other person may rely on the constructive order to the same extent as if the court actually had entered a judgment under this section authorizing the appellant to consent to the performance or inducement of an abortion without such notification.

In the interest of justice, the court of appeals, in an appeal in accordance with this section, shall liberally modify or dispense with the formal requirements that normally apply as to the contents and form of an appellant's brief.

(B) All proceedings under division (A) of this section shall be conducted in a manner that will preserve the anonymity of the appellant on appeal. All papers and records that pertain to an appeal under this section shall be kept confidential and are not public records under section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

Section 2505.08 | Complete transcript of original papers, testimony, and evidence taken into consideration in issuing final order.
 

In the case of an administrative-related appeal other than an expedited appeal brought under sections 2506.05 to 2506.08 of the Revised Code, within forty days after the filing of a notice of appeal or the obtaining of a leave to appeal, as described in section 2505.04 of the Revised Code, the administrative officer, agency, board, department, tribunal, commission, or other instrumentality whose final order is being appealed shall prepare and file in the court to which the appeal is taken a complete transcript of all the original papers, testimony, and evidence offered, heard, and taken into consideration in issuing the final order. The costs of the transcript shall be taxed as part of the costs of the appeal.

Section 2505.09 | Stay of execution - supersedeas bond.
 

Except as provided in section 2505.11 or 2505.12 or another section of the Revised Code or in applicable rules governing courts, an appeal does not operate as a stay of execution until a stay of execution has been obtained pursuant to the Rules of Appellate Procedure or in another applicable manner, and a supersedeas bond is executed by the appellant to the appellee, with sufficient sureties and in a sum that is not less than, if applicable, the cumulative total for all claims covered by the final order, judgment, or decree and interest involved, except that the bond shall not exceed fifty million dollars excluding interest and costs, as directed by the court that rendered the final order, judgment, or decree that is sought to be superseded or by the court to which the appeal is taken. That bond shall be conditioned as provided in section 2505.14 of the Revised Code.

Section 2505.10 | Supersedeas bond - sufficiency of sureties.
 

Before a supersedeas bond shall operate to stay execution of a final order, judgment, or decree, its execution and the sufficiency of its sureties shall be approved by the court in which the final order, judgment, or decree was rendered or by the court to which the appeal is taken. In the case of an appeal of a final order, judgment, or decree of a court, the approval shall be obtained pursuant to the Rules of Appellate Procedure or in another applicable manner.

If a supersedeas bond is approved in connection with any appeal, the fact of approval shall be indorsed on the bond, and the bond shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the court in which the final order, judgment, or decree was rendered or, in the case of an administrative-related appeal, of the court to which the appeal is taken, for the appellee.

Section 2505.11 | Substitute for supersedeas bond.
 

A conveyance of property may be ordered by a court instead of a supersedeas bond in connection with an appeal, and, if a conveyance of property is so ordered, the conveyance may be executed and deposited with the clerk of the court in which the final order, judgment, or decree was rendered, or, in the case of an administrative-related appeal, with the clerk of the court to which the appeal is taken, to abide the judgment of the reviewing court.

In any appeal, in lieu of filing a supersedeas bond, an appellant may deposit an amount of money equal to that specified for the bond with the clerk of the appropriate court to abide the result of the appeal and the conditions specified by the court.

Section 2505.12 | No supersedeas bond required for certain appeals.
 

An appellant is not required to give a supersedeas bond in connection with any of the following:

(A) An appeal by any of the following:

(1) An executor, administrator, guardian, receiver, trustee, or trustee in bankruptcy who is acting in that person's trust capacity and who has given bond in this state, with surety according to law;

(2) The state or any political subdivision of the state;

(3) Any public officer of the state or of any of its political subdivisions who is suing or is sued solely in the public officer's representative capacity as that officer.

(B) An administrative-related appeal of a final order that is not for the payment of money.

Section 2505.13 | Supersedeas bond lien upon the land of the sureties.
 

If a supersedeas bond has been executed and filed and the surety is one other than a surety company, the clerk of the court with which the bond has been filed, upon request, shall issue a certificate that sets forth the fact that the bond has been filed and that states the style and number of the appeal, the amount of the bond, and the sureties on it. Such a certificate may be filed in the office of the county recorder of any county in which the sureties may own land, and, when filed, the bond shall be a lien upon the land of the sureties in such county. The lien shall be extinguished upon the satisfaction, reversal, or vacation of the final order, judgment, or decree involved, or by an order of the court that entered the final order, judgment, or decree, that releases the lien or releases certain land from the operation of the lien.

The clerk shall issue a notice of discharge of such a lien, which shall be filed in the office of any county recorder in whose office the certificate of lien was filed. Such notice shall state that the final order, judgment, or decree involved is satisfied, reversed, or vacated, or that an order has been entered that releases the lien or certain land from the operation of the lien. The county recorder shall properly record the certificates and notices in the official records provided for in section 317.08 of the Revised Code and shall index them in the indexes provided for in section 317.18 of the Revised Code.

The fee for issuing such a certificate or notice shall be as provided by law, and shall be taxed as part of the costs of the appeal. A county recorder shall receive a base fee of fifty cents for filing and indexing such a certificate, and a housing trust fund fee of fifty cents pursuant to section 317.36 of the Revised Code.

Section 2505.14 | Conditions of supersedeas bond.
 

A supersedeas bond shall be payable to the appellee or otherwise, as may be directed by the court, when the conflicting interests of the parties require it, and shall be subject to the condition that the appellant shall abide and perform the order, judgment, or decree of the appellate court and pay all money, costs, and damages which may be required of or awarded against him upon the final determination of the appeal and subject to any other conditions that the court provides. When the final order, judgment, or decee appealed is for the payment of money, the bond may provide that, if the final order, judgment, or decree is not paid upon final affirmance, it may be entered against the sureties on the bond.

Section 2505.15 | Appeal when interest of party is distinct from others involved in action.
 

If the interest of a party is distinct from that of all others in an action or proceeding, and the party desires to appeal his part of it, the appeal shall be so allowed by the court, and any supersedeas bond shall be fixed accordingly. The court shall make such order as to the papers, pleadings, and other documents of the action or proceeding, or copies of them, and shall make such other orders, as it considers appropriate in view of the division of the action or proceeding for appeal.

Section 2505.16 | Bond insufficient.
 

When a surety upon a supersedeas bond has moved out of the state or is not sufficient, or if the bond is insufficient in form or amount, on motion, the appellate court may order its change or renewal, or that a new supersedeas bond be given, with security to be approved by the court and in an amount to be determined with the limitations specified in section 2505.09 of the Revised Code. If that order is not complied with, the stay of execution shall cease to operate.

Section 2505.20 | Judgment or order against sureties.
 

Upon the affirmance of a final order, judgment, or decree by an appellate court, a judgment or order may be entered against the sureties on any supersedeas bond involved when the mandate of affirmance from the appellate court is filed in the trial court or with the administrative officer, agency, board, department, tribunal, commission, or other instrumentality involved.

Section 2505.22 | Filing assignments of error.
 

In connection with an appeal of a final order, judgment, or decree of a court, assignments of error may be filed by an appellee who does not appeal, which assignments shall be passed upon by a reviewing court before the final order, judgment, or decree is reversed in whole or in part. The time within which assignments of error by an appellee may be filed shall be fixed by rule of court.

Section 2505.34 | Appeal on questions of law and fact damages.
 

In an appeal on questions of law and fact, if the judgment of an appellate court is substantially the same as the final order of an administrative officer, agency, board, department, tribunal, commission, or other instrumentality, whose final order is the subject of the appeal, or if such an appeal is dismissed for want of prosecution, damages may be awarded as follows:

(A) If the judgment involves the payment of money other than in a nominal amount, unless the appellate court is satisfied that there were reasonable grounds for the appeal, it shall be adjudged that the appellant pay the appellee five per cent on the amount of that money or, if the court is satisfied that the appeal was for delay merely, that he pay ten per cent on the amount of that money.

(B) In other appeals, including those in which a judgment is for a nominal and amount of money, costs only, or both, unless the court is satisfied that a reasonable ground existed for the appeal, it shall grant damages to the appellee in any sum considered reasonable, not exceeding two hundred dollars.

Section 2505.35 | Appeal on questions of law damages.
 

In an appeal on questions of law, if the final order, judgment, or decree is affirmed, or if the appeal is dismissed for want of prosecution, as part of the costs in the case there may be taxed a reasonable fee of not more than two hundred fifty dollars, to be fixed by the appellate court, for the counsel of the appellee. The appellate court may grant damages to the appellee in any reasonable sum not exceeding one thousand dollars, unless the final order, judgment, or decree of the lower court or of the administrative officer, agency, board, department, tribunal, commission, or other instrumentality involved directs the payment of money and execution was stayed on appeal in the appellate court. If such execution was stayed on appeal, in lieu of such damages, the final order, judgment, or decree shall bear additional interest, at a rate not exceeding five per cent per annum, for the time it was stayed, to be ascertained and awarded by the court. If the appellate court certifies in its judgment that there was reasonable cause for the appeal, such fee, additional interest, and damages shall not be taxed, adjudged, or awarded.

Section 2505.39 | Remand of cases.
 

A court that reverses or affirms a final order, judgment, or decree of a lower court upon appeal on questions of law, shall not issue execution, but shall send a special mandate to the lower court for execution or further proceedings.

The court to which such mandate is sent shall proceed as if the final order, judgment, or decree had been rendered in it. On motion and for good cause shown, it may suspend an execution made returnable before it, as if the execution had been issued from its own court. Such suspension shall extend only to stay proceedings until the matter can be further heard by the court of appeals or the supreme court.

Section 2505.44 | Compelling completion of transcripts of actions or proceedings.
 

Courts may compel transcripts of actions or proceedings, that relate to a final order, judgment, or decree sought to be reversed, to be furnished, completed, or perfected.