1704 21ST AVENUE, LTD. v. City of Gulfport

988 So. 2d 412, 2008 Miss. App. LEXIS 457, 2008 WL 2894384
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedJuly 29, 2008
Docket2007-CA-00228-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 988 So. 2d 412 (1704 21ST AVENUE, LTD. v. City of Gulfport) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
1704 21ST AVENUE, LTD. v. City of Gulfport, 988 So. 2d 412, 2008 Miss. App. LEXIS 457, 2008 WL 2894384 (Mich. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

988 So.2d 412 (2008)

1704 21ST AVENUE, LTD., Appellant
v.
CITY OF GULFPORT, Mississippi, Appellee.

No. 2007-CA-00228-COA.

Court of Appeals of Mississippi.

July 29, 2008.

*413 Harry M. Yoste, attorney for appellant.

Margaret E. Murdock, Jeffrey S. Bruni, Gulfport, attorneys for appellee.

Before LEE, P.J., BARNES and ISHEE, JJ.

BARNES, J., for the Court.

¶ 1. 1704 21st Avenue, Ltd. ("1704 21st Avenue"), owner of an apartment complex, sued the City of Gulfport ("City") for "money had and received" and unjust enrichment, seeking the refund of garbage fees it had paid to the City when it had already obtained separate garbage collection service through a private contractor. In the County Court of Harrison County, a jury returned a verdict in favor of 1704 21st Avenue, awarding it $18,342.72 in damages, which was the exact amount of the refund sought by the plaintiff. The county court also awarded post-judgment interest. The City appealed to the Circuit Court of Harrison County, which reversed and rendered the judgment of the county court, finding the claims barred by the Mississippi Tort Claims Act ("MTCA") and the City immune. 1704 21st Avenue now appeals to this Court, raising two issues: (1) whether the circuit court erred when it ruled on appeal that 1704 21st Avenue's claims were governed by the MTCA, and (2) whether the county court erred in denying prejudgment interest. Finding the claims barred by the MTCA, we affirm.

STATEMENT OF FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

¶ 2. In January 1999, 1704 21st Avenue, a corporation, bought an apartment complex currently known as Waters Mark Apartments in Gulfport, Mississippi. 1704 21st Avenue entered into a private, independent contract with BFI for garbage collection from two dumpsters at the apartment complex.[1] Witnesses stated it *414 had been the practice of the tenants at Waters Mark to dispose of their trash in these dumpsters for nearly a decade. 1704 21st Avenue did not, however, notify the City of its private contract with BFI, and from March 1999 until May 2001, 1704 21st Avenue was also charged and paid for curbside garbage collection service, by the City's Water Department, at the rate of $833.76 per month.[2] The invoice also included line-items for sewer, water, and debt-service fees. In April or May 2001, the Waters Mark apartment manager noticed that the complex was, in effect, paying for garbage collection service twice. The manager inquired to the appropriate authorities at the City and requested a refund of the garbage fees paid to the City from March 1999 until May 2001, totaling $23,345.28. 1704 21st Avenue maintains it did not receive any curbside garbage collection service from the City during this time. The City responded to the refund request by stating that it has been an unwritten, standard, internal policy to go back only six months to audit or adjust accounts for water, sewer, or garbage fees, and the City would only credit the accounts for the charges incurred during that time frame. Accordingly, the next month the City ceased billing the complex for the garbage fees and subsequently credited the complex's account for six months of garbage fees, or $5,002.56.

¶ 3. In December 2001, 1704 21st Avenue filed suit against the City in the county court for "money had and received" and unjust enrichment, seeking the remainder of its garbage-fee refund, or $18,342.72. In its complaint, 1704 21st Avenue also demanded prejudgment interest. The City originally defended itself based on its internal policy of limiting refunds to six months, but later the City amended its answer to defend on the theory of sovereign immunity under the MTCA. The City maintained that the garbage fees it received from 1704 21st Avenue were paid to BFI, and those funds, or the means to pay the refund, were no longer in its possession. In March 2003, the county court issued a partial adjudication of a motion to dismiss filed by the City. In its order, the county court sided with the City, stating that the case was governed by the MTCA, and a bench trial would ensue. However, approximately three months later, the county court granted 1704 21st Avenue's motion to reconsider, stating that after considering the written pleadings, briefs, and oral argument, it now found that "the claims fall outside of the MTCA."

¶ 4. In September 2003, a jury trial was held in the county court. The jury returned a verdict in favor of 1704 21st Avenue, awarding it the requested refund amount of $18,342.72. 1704 21st Avenue made an ore tenus motion for prejudgment interest on its award, and the county court entered an amended judgment, awarding post-judgment interest but not prejudgment interest. Subsequently, the City appealed to the circuit court. 1704 21st Avenue cross-appealed regarding the decision not to award prejudgment interest. The circuit court issued an order on January 5, 2007, finding 1704 21st Avenue's claims were governed by the MTCA. Accordingly, the county court's judgment was reversed and rendered, thereby granting judgment for the City. 1704 21st Avenue then appealed to this Court, raising two issues: (1) whether the circuit court erred in ruling its claims were governed by the MTCA, and (2) whether the county court erred in denying prejudgment interest.

*415 ANALYSIS

WHETHER THE CIRCUIT COURT ERRED IN RULING 1704 21ST AVENUE'S CLAIMS WERE GOVERNED BY THE MTCA.

¶ 5. The circuit court, acting as an appellate court, found the City immune from liability pursuant to the MTCA. The circuit court determined that 1704 21st Avenue's claims constituted an alleged "wrongful... act" within the meaning of Mississippi Code Annotated section 11-46-3(1) (Rev. 2002); therefore, the court held that the MTCA applies. Section 11-46-3(1) declares the legislative intent in enacting the MTCA is that the state and its political subdivisions shall be:

immune from suit at law or in equity on account of any wrongful or tortious act or omission or breach of implied term or condition of any warranty or contract... notwithstanding that any such act, omission, or breach ... may or may not arise out of any activity, transaction or service for which any fee, charge, cost or other consideration was received or expected to be received in exchange therefor.

The circuit court held that the City was exempt from liability under Mississippi Code Annotated section 11-46-9(1)(i) and (d) (Rev.2002), respectively, as the claim arose "out of the assessment or collection of any tax or fee" and was a "discretionary duty." The circuit court further determined that since 1704 21st Avenue failed to submit a notice of claim to the City prior to commencing the suit, as required under the MTCA, the claims were barred pursuant to Mississippi Code Annotated section 11-46-11(1) (Rev.2002).

¶ 6. Generally, the City argues that the MTCA supports the circuit court's findings. The City further contends that the MTCA is the exclusive remedy against any and all civil actions. The City interprets the action instituted against it to be either grounded in tort or equity, both of which are covered by the Act.

¶ 7. This Court applies a de novo standard of review when examining questions of law, including the proper application of the MTCA. City of Jackson v. Brister, 838 So.2d 274, 278(¶ 13) (Miss.2003) (citing Maldonado v. Kelly, 768 So.2d 906, 908(¶ 4) (Miss.2000)).

¶ 8. Turning to the specifics of the instant case, 1704 21st Avenue sued the City for two claims: "money had and received" and unjust enrichment.

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Bluebook (online)
988 So. 2d 412, 2008 Miss. App. LEXIS 457, 2008 WL 2894384, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/1704-21st-avenue-ltd-v-city-of-gulfport-missctapp-2008.