Binder v. Pottstown Borough

10 Pa. D. & C.2d 166
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Montgomery County
DecidedFebruary 23, 1955
Docketno. 8
StatusPublished

This text of 10 Pa. D. & C.2d 166 (Binder v. Pottstown Borough) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Montgomery County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Binder v. Pottstown Borough, 10 Pa. D. & C.2d 166 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1955).

Opinion

Forrest, J.,

Plaintiffs, Carl M. Binder and Dorothy G. Binder, his wife, and others have brought this complaint in equity against the Borough of Pottstown and certain officials thereof to enjoin defendants from enforcing the provisions of an ordinance of the Borough of Pottstown of June 9, 1952, alleging that the ordinance is void because of (1-) alleged procedural defects in the enactment of the ordinance and (2) alleged want of statutory author[167]*167ization to the borough to enact such ordinance and enforce it against plaintiffs.

For present purposes the averments pertaining to Carl M. Binder and Dorothy G. Binder, his wife, will be considered applicable to all plaintiffs, it being alleged that the situation of the other plaintiffs is “similar or comparable”. The complaint alleges, inter alia, that on September 8, 1952, the Binders bought the vacant lot on which a contractor built a dwelling for them, that the construction was • completed prior to March 3, 1953, on which date they received a letter from the borough manager, reading, inter alia, as follows:

“Inasmuch as this permit was issued subsequent to the enactment of a Borough Ordinance dated June 9, 1952, and is deemed a violation of the provisions of this Ordinance, it will be necessary for you to effect prompt compliance with its terms.
“Sections of the Ordinance which relate to your case are cited herewith:
“Section 1. No contractor, owner, builder or developer shall commence construction of any housing development, dwelling, residence or building of any kind designed or to be used for residential purposes, nor shall any permit therefor be finally issued until the following shall have been furnished, supplied, complied with, performed, and approval thereof by the Borough Council obtained:
“(e) All adjoining, bounding, intersecting and connecting streets or highways, curbs and sidewalks completely and fully constructed and paved in accordance with Borough specifications and requirements at the cost of the contractor, builder, owner or developer, and approved by the Borough, or a performance bond in double the amount of the Borough’s estimate of cost in cash or with approved corporate surety, shall be filed by the contractor, builder, owner or developer, [168]*168conditioned for completion of construction of such streets, curbs and sidewalks”; that the letter also directed notice to the penalty section which contains the following clause:
“Any permit issued in violation, hereof shall be null and void and any construction begun without compliance herewith shall be stopped and cessation thereof enforced by the Police Department”; that the letter also contained the following:
“Instructions received by this office from proper authority grant ten (10) days, from receipt of this notice, in which you may comply by filing with this office approved corporate surety or cash as provided by Section 1(e) of the Ordinance. Failure to comply will necessitate further action against you as provided by Section 2.”

Defendants filed preliminary objections as follows:

“1. The Complaint seeks to enjoin enforcement of the provisions of a duly enacted ordinance of the Borough of Pottstown, and to have this Court declare the ordinance illegal and void.
“2. By Section 1 of the Act of May 18, 1933, P. L. 818, as amended July 10, 1947, P. L. 1621, Sec. 23, known as the Borough Code (53 Purdons 12900), the exclusive remedy of any party aggrieved by or seeking to establish the invalidity of a borough ordinance, is by appeal to the Court of Quarter Sessions, upon entering into appropriate recognizance, as therein provided.
“3, Plaintiffs have full, complete and adequate remedy at law.
“4. A municipal corporation cannot be enjoined in the performance of an authorized, municipal function.”

Inasmuch as this comes before us on preliminary objections in the nature of a demurrer, the allegations of fact contained in the complaint are taken to be true. In commenting upon Pa. R. C. P. 1017 (6) (4) [169]*169authorizing preliminary objections in the nature of demurrer, Anderson Pa. Civ. Prac., vol. 2, p. 330, states: “The demurrer admits as true the facts set forth in the opposing pleading”: Brown v. T. W. Phillips Gas & Oil Co., 365 Pa. 155 (1950). The procedure on demurrer in an action in equity is in accordance with rules relating to the action of assumpsit. See Pa. R. C. P. 1501. As stated by Anderson, op. cit., vol. 10, p. 98:

“The practice in equity relating to the form and disposition of preliminary objections is the same as in assumpsit.”

Preliminary objections nos. 1, 2 and 3 are related and will be considered together because they raise only one question of law, to wit, whether a complaint in equity is a proper procedure to attack a borough ordinance or whether the procedure should have been an appeal under the Borough Code of July 10, 1947, P. L. 1621, sec. 23, 53 PS §12900, requiring that the appeal be taken in 30 days. We have decided in an opinion by President Judge Knight in Wynnewood Civic Association v. Lower Merion Township, 70 Montg. 260 (1954), that only procedural defects can be attacked on an appeal from an ordinance. This court reached this decision after a full discussion as to whether the ordinance could be attacked on the substantive law involved, and we came to the conclusion that such matters could not be considered in an appeal under a like provision in the township code. Accordingly, plaintiffs’ complaint that the procedure in passing the ordinance was irregular cannot be considered in equity.

Consequently, only one consideration remains, i.e., preliminary objection no. 4, which is: “A municipal corporation cannot be enjoined in the performance of an'authorized, municipal function”, which raises the question whether the borough had the power to adopt an ordinance as it is being interpreted by the borough [170]*170authorities. It is hornbook law that a borough has only such power as it is given by the legislature.

“Municipalities are not sovereigns; they have no original or fundamental power of legislation; they have the right and power to enact only those ordinances which are authorized by an act of the legislature: Kline v. Harrisburg, 362 Pa. 438, 68 A. 2d 182; Murray v. Phila., 364 Pa. 157, 71 A. 2d 280.

“Moreover, an ordinance must be in conformity with the provisions of the enabling statutes; if it conflicts therewith it is void: Bussone v. Blatchford, 164 Pa. Superior Ct. 545, 67 A. 2d 587; Grisbord v. Phila. 148 Pa. Superior Ct. 91, 24 A. 2d 646; Kline v. Harrisburg, 362 Pa., supra; 1 Dillon on Municipal Corporations, 5th Ed., 449”: Genkinger v. New Castle, 368 Pa. 547, 549 (1951). See also Kline v. Harrisburg, supra, and cases cited therein, and Deane v. Edgeworth Borough Board of Adjustment, 172 Pa. Superior Ct. 502 (1953), for instances where the general rule has been applied to zoning law.

Plaintiffs contend, that the borough has no right to prohibit the Binders, the owners of one home, as contrasted with the builder of a development, from constructing a mere entrance or driveway to their home ; a fortiori, they cannot be compelled to build a public street when they merely desire an entrance to their home.

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Related

Brown v. T. W. Phillips Gas and Oil Co.
74 A.2d 105 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1950)
Genkinger v. New Castle
84 A.2d 303 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1951)
Gambone v. Commonwealth
101 A.2d 634 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1954)
Manorville Borough v. Flenner.
133 A. 30 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1926)
Solar Electric Company's Appeal
138 A. 845 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1927)
Adams v. New Kensington
55 A.2d 392 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1947)
Kline v. Harrisburg
68 A.2d 182 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1949)
Valley Dep. and Tr. Co. of Belle Vernon
167 A. 42 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1933)
Grisbor v. Phila.
24 A.2d 646 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1941)
Bussone v. Blatchford
67 A.2d 587 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1949)
Kneedler v. Borough of Norristown
100 Pa. 368 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1882)
Murray v. Philadelphia
71 A.2d 280 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1950)
Grisbord v. Philadelphia
148 Pa. Super. 91 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1942)
Deane v. Edgeworth Borough Board of Adjustment
94 A.2d 112 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1953)
Livingston v. Wolf
20 A. 551 (Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas, 1890)

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Bluebook (online)
10 Pa. D. & C.2d 166, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/binder-v-pottstown-borough-pactcomplmontgo-1955.