Non-specific requests

Denied: Request for information, not for records

Denied: A request for information regarding Fairview Township permits. Read More...

Granted: Records where borough failed to prove they could be withheld

Granted in part and denied in part: A request for a number of records related to the requester’s employment with the borough of Jim Thorpe, including police reports, records of disciplinary actions and investigation records. Read More...

Denied: Request deemed not specific enough for agency response

Denied: A request to the Pennsylvania Sexual Offender Assessment Board seeking records relating to the requester. The agency denied the request for lack of specificity. Read More...

Denied: Pittsburgh school building use calculations

Denied: A request for records showing how the Facility Condition Index was calculated for two buildings in the Pittsburgh School District. The district had denied the request, citing exception for predecisional deliberative records. Read More...

Denied: DEP records including well location, and answers to questions

Denied: Several individual requests for records from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection related to a coal fly-ash dump near the requester’s home. Read More...

Granted: State police policy on motor vehicle stops

Granted: A request to the Pennsylvania State Police for records relating to procedures to be followed when stopping and searching a motor vehicle and seizing property. Read More...

Denied: DEP investigative records into blast

Denied: Records from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection related to blasting that took place near the requester's home five years ago. Read More...

Denied: Records in electronic format where redaction not secure

Granted in part and denied in part: A request to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board for copies of the 2008 travel expense reports for all board. The board granted the request, but indicated that the copying fees would be more than $2,000, which the requesters appealed, arguing that the fee was unnecessary as the records should be provided in electronic format. Read More...

Denied: Request for township ordinance documents already provided

Denied: A request to Plumstead Township for documents related to the adoption of 26 ordinances. The township had denied two parts of the five-part request as failing to be sufficiently specific, and denied the other three parts as disruptive, saying it had provided the requester with the same records in 2007. Read More...

Granted: Building inspections and submissions not exempt under security provisions

Granted: A multi-part request to the Borough of Lansford for building inspections and submissions. The borough had denied access, citing the noncriminal investigation exception and lack of specificity. Read More...

Granted: School district W-2 and W-3 forms

Granted in part and denied in part: A request to the Allegheny Valley School District for W-2 and W-3 forms for school employees and all laws that mandate employee benefits as taxable compensation. Read More...

Denied: School district contact information in format requested

Denied: A request for contact information for William Penn School District employees, which the district provided but not in the way the requester wanted it. Read More...

Granted: Access to Chester charter school financial records

Granted: A request for copies of financial reports involving the Chester Community Charter School and Charter School Management. The district had partially granted and partially denied the request, invoking a number of exemptions. Read More...

Granted: Financial and driver information from L&L Fire Co.

Granted: Access to financial and vehicle driver information from the L&L Fire Company of Weatherly. The request had been denied based on lack of specificity and the argument that volunteer fire companies need only provide financial information in response to Right to Know requests. Read More...

Granted: State Police procedures about audio recordings of vehicle encounters

Granted: A request to the Pennsylvania State Police for its policies relating to audio recordings of vehicle encounters. Read More...

Granted: State Police procedures about use of dash cameras

Granted: A request made to the Pennsylvania State Police seeking procedure records relating to dash camera usage, retention and copying. The PSP had denied the request, saying the requester cited the old Right to Know Law, and that the request was not specific enough to determine what records were being sought. Read More...

Denied: Executor's request for deceased's social services records

Denied: A request to Allegheny County from the executor of a woman's estate for all county records pertaining to the deceased. Read More...

Granted: 20 requests for school district email, correspondence

Granted in part and denied in part: Thirty-six requests to the Methacton School District for emails and letters to or from school board members and/or staff concerning district business and activities. The Office of Open Records found that the school district did not prove that any of the requests were exempt as predecisional deliberations, but also cautioned the requester about his voluminous and duplicative request.
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Granted: Access to building plans and non-complaint correspondence

Granted in part and denied in part: A request for all records related to a residential development in the Plymouth Township zoning/code enforcement office, specifically applications for building permits; copies of permits; plans submitted for review with reviewers comments; field inspection logs; all correspondence to the office, with responses; violation notices; certificates of occupancy; and any other documents in these files. Read More...

Granted: Access to records of fire company as a local agency

Granted in part and denied in part: A request to Morris Township and the Morris Township Fire Company for five types of documents related to the operation of the fire company. The township had denied the request based on non-possession, and the fire company had denied access by saying it was not subject to the Right to Know Law. Read More...

Denied: Request asked questions, didn't seek records

Denied: A request to the borough of Churchill that sought answers to three questions but did not seek records. Read More...

Denied: Request sought answers to questions, not records

Denied: A request submitted to the Department of Labor & Industry regarding a Wage Payment and Collection Claim, which consisted primarily of questions, rather than a request for records. Read More...

Granted: Request that city denied as not specific enough

Granted: A request for records the city of Philadelphia had denied by saying the request was not specific enough to determine what records were requested. Read More...

Granted: Emails to or from township supervisors

Granted in part and denied in part: Seven requests for emails to or from the Worcester Township supervisors. The township, in denying the request entirely, stated that some of the emails were insufficiently described to enable it to respond, and that the others did not constitute public records, were not in the township's possession or were privileged. Read More...

Granted/Reversed: Uncertified property utility bill information

Granted/Reversed: A request for current and delinquent utility bill information on a single property from the Chester Water Authority, without the need to pay $15 for a certified copy. The Delaware County Court of Common Pleas reversed the OOR's decision in this case, saying the request was not specific, in that it did not indicate that certified copies were not being requested. Read More...