815 Mission Corp. v. Superior Court

22 Cal. App. 3d 604, 99 Cal. Rptr. 538, 1971 Cal. App. LEXIS 1719
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 31, 1971
DocketCiv. No. 29980
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 22 Cal. App. 3d 604 (815 Mission Corp. v. Superior Court) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
815 Mission Corp. v. Superior Court, 22 Cal. App. 3d 604, 99 Cal. Rptr. 538, 1971 Cal. App. LEXIS 1719 (Cal. Ct. App. 1971).

Opinion

Opinion

SIMS, Acting P. J.

An alternative writ of mandate and an alternative writ of prohibition were issued in these proceedings to review the action of the trial court in refusing to consider the sufficiency of a demand for possession made under the Federal Housing and Redevelopment Act of 1965, and the validity of the trial court’s order for possession based on that demand. It is determined that the trial court erroneously failed to consider the petitioner’s objections, but that since the objections are not legally sufficient, the alternative writs should be discharged, and the petition for peremptory writs should be denied.

On December 17, 1970 this court filed its decision (13 Cal.App.3d 561 [91 Cal.Rptr. 886]) granting in part and denying in part the petition of Redevelopment Agency of the City and County of San Francisco (real party in interest in these proceedings) for a writ of mandate directed to the trial court in proceedings in which the redevelopment agency sought possession of the previously condemned property of 815 Mission Corporation (real party in interest in those proceedings, and petitioner herein). Reference is made to that decision for the facts with respect to the background of this litigation. So far as is material to these proceedings it was then concluded that under the federal statute (42 U.S.C.A. § 3072, subd. (3))1 and regulations adopted pursuant to it (Urban Renewal Handbook [607]*607of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, ch. 4, § 2, RHA 7208.1), there was no right of immediate possession on condemnation but possession could only be had by the giving of the 90-day notice prescribed. (13 Cal.App.3d at p. 568.) On or about January 6, 1971, the redevelopment agency gave the corporation a notice demanding possession of the premises then occupied by it on or before April 15, 1971.2 This notice referred to the statute and regulations noted in the opinion of this court. The corporation attacked the sufficiency of the notice by motion. The trial court refused to consider the objections to the notice and granted an order for possession. These proceedings ensued.

The corporation filed its petition for. writ of mandamus and/or prohibition with this court on June 21, 1971, and it was assigned to Division Two. Petitioner seeks review of the proceedings which resulted in an order of possession signed and filed June 1, 1971. The order recites, “This Order is based upon findings that under the decision of the Court of Appeal, this Court’s jurisdiction and powers with respect to the 90-day written notices served upon Louis J. Silver and 815 Mission Corporation are limited to the question of whether or not said notices comply on their face with the Federal regulations and were duly served, and that this Court had no jurisdiction to determine other questions of law with respect to the validity of said notices; ...” Petitioner asserts that the court erroneously refused to exercise jurisdiction to consider its contentions (1) that the “90-day notice” was prematurely given in that no plans for construction or development of public improvements existed as asserted on the face of the notice, and (2) that petitioner had not been [608]*608afforded the “relocation assistance to which it was and is entitled under applicable Federal law.”

The petitioner prayed for alternative writs and peremptory writs which would direct the trial court to vacate its order for possession and determine the legal questions of the validity of the 90-day notice upon which the order was predicated, and which would prohibit the trial court from taking any further steps or proceedings to enforce that order until it determines those legal questions.

On August 3, 1971, after consideration of the petition, points and authorities filed in opposition to the petition, and other communications from the parties, the petition was denied by Division Two. Thereafter, in response to the petitioner’s petition for hearing, the Supreme Court granted a hearing and summarily retransferred the case to this division with directions to issue alternative writs of mandate and prohibition as prayed, and to conduct a hearing on the petition. Following the' issuance of those writs, the filing of a return by real party in interest and a traverse by the petitioner, the matter was regularly heard. At the hearing it was agreed that if this court found that the trial court had erroneously failed to exercise jurisdiction to consider the objections interposed by petitioner, this court should consider the legal sufficiency of those objections before remanding the case for further hearing.

I

At the hearing on the petitioner’s objections to the sufficiency of the notice the trial judge voiced the views, subsequently incorporated in the order and quoted above, as follows: “So the first matter that obviously has to be determined is the extent and scope of the issues now properly before this Court in light of that decision [Redevelopment Agency v. Superior Court (1970) 13 Cal.App.3d 561 (91 Cal.Rptr. 886)]. When this matter was originally before the trial court the Court purposely provided in its order that no writ of possession, or writ of assistance should be issued until the giving of a 90-day notice in compliance with Federal Law, and also included the language ‘or until the further order of this Court.’ The latter clause was purposely included by myself in order to reserve jurisdiction to make any other further orders and final disposition in the case that I might deem reasonable, proper, or necessary. However, the Appellate Court in its decision appears to have by eliminating this clause to circumscribe the Court’s powers to make any orders other than those which it wasn’t expressly required to make in the Appellate Court’s decision. And I quote from the decision in the mandamus proceeding of the Appellate Court as follows: ‘the trial court acted properly when it [609]*609provided in the order for entry of the final order of condemnation “That no writ of possession or order for possession with respect to the occupants of said property . . . shall be issued as to any such occupant until plaintiff has furnished to such particular occupant the 90-day written notice of the date possession will be required, . . ’ [13 Cal.App.3d at p. 568] but to continue the quote: ‘We perceive, however, that there is no authority for the additional condition imposed that such possession could not be had “until further order of this court.” As we view the right of possession, the only limitation which could properly be imposed on petitioner’s right to immediate possession was the giving of the subject 90-day notice.’ [Id.]

“And they cite the Thorpe case, Thorpe versus Housing Authority, and to continue the quotation from the opinion: ‘We are of the opinion, moreover, that the subject statute and regulation in no way purport to limit or restrict the title and estate in the condemned property which vests in the condemner, nor does it purport to grant or create any estate or tenancy in such property in favor of any tenant or occupant save and except the right to remain in possession of the premises lawfully occupied by such tenant or occupant until a notice of at least 90 days is given to such tenant or occupant to surrender possession of said premises.’ [Id.]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
22 Cal. App. 3d 604, 99 Cal. Rptr. 538, 1971 Cal. App. LEXIS 1719, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/815-mission-corp-v-superior-court-calctapp-1971.