Boise City National Bank v. Boise City

100 P. 93, 15 Idaho 792, 1909 Ida. LEXIS 20
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 18, 1909
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 100 P. 93 (Boise City National Bank v. Boise City) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Boise City National Bank v. Boise City, 100 P. 93, 15 Idaho 792, 1909 Ida. LEXIS 20 (Idaho 1909).

Opinion

SULLIVAN, C. J.

This action was commenced by the appellant, the Boise City National Bank, to test the validity of a proposed issue by the respondent city, of lateral sewer improvement bonds of Sewer Districts Nos. 104, 105, and 106, [796]*796amounting to $50,000. The respondent city now is, and for a long time prior to the adoption of the state constitution was, operating under a special charter, which has been amended several times by special acts of the legislature. The special charter of Boise City was originally passed and approved January 11, 1866, and was amended by act of March 11, 1903, and again on February 22, 1907, the charter of Boise City was re-enacted and amended, and what is known as the charter of 1907 went into force and effect. While operating under the charter of 1907, the city authorized the issuance of local improvement bonds for the lateral sewer districts above mentioned, for the sum of $50,000, and advertised for bids therefor, and the bid of the appellant for said bonds was accepted, the appellant accompanying said bid with a certified check for $2,500 as an evidence of good faith. After the bid of appellant had been accepted, the appellant bank refused to accept the bonds, contending that the same were invalid and requested the return of the check. The city refused to return the check, and the present action is the outcome of that controversy, to recover judgment against the city for the return of said certified cheek.

The respondent city answered, setting forth all of the facts in regard to said transaction. Thereupon counsel for the city made a motion for judgment on the pleadings on the ground and for the reason that from the complaint and answer it appeared that the respondent city was authorized by the act of the legislature' to issue said bonds, which motion was granted and judgment accordingly entered. This appeal is from the judgment.

On February 24, 1905 (Sess. Laws 1905, p. 297), the legislature passed an act entitled: “An act to provide for the issuance of bonds for improvement of streets and laying of sewers in incorporated cities, towns and villages, and for the payment of the cost of such improvement and laying of sewers by installments, and making the provisions hereof applicable to cities, towns and villages which have levied special assessments for improvements or for laying sewers.” Said bonds were issued, or were to be issued, under the provisions of said act, That act being a general law, it is contended by counsel for [797]*797appellant, does not apply to 'Boise City, and that the Boise City authorities have no power to issue bonds under the provisions of said act. It is contended that the amendment to the Boise City charter of February 22, 1907, under which the city is operating, was passed since said general act of February 24, 1905, and provides a complete system for building sewers; assessing the property benefited, and collecting from the property owners the cost thereof, and provides also that this method of collection shall be exclusive; while it is contended by respondent that the said bonding act of 1905 was intended as an aid to cities operating under special charters, in making improvements and to relieve the” hardship of the taxpayers in paying such assessments at one time, for the reason that see. 10 of said act expressly provides that nothing in that act shall be construed as repealing or modifying any existing laws prescribing the method by the means of which cities, towns and villages having more than one thousand inhabitants, whether organized under special charters, local laws or general incorporating acts, may make improvements and lay sewers, and that such act shall be construed as additional and confirmed authority.

The real question presented for decision is whether the provisions of the Boise City charter of 1907 in regard to constructing sewers and assessing the property benefited and collecting from the property owners the cost thereof is the law by which those matters must be done, or whether that charter is supplemented by the act of 1905, and the provisions of that act must be construed as additional authority conferred on Boise City. There is no express repeal of the provisions of the act of 1905 in said 1907 charter, and the main question presented is, Should the act of 1905 be construed as additional authority to the city in the issuance of sewer bonds, or must the action of the city in that regard be controlled by its charter provisions ?

We have in this state cities which were organized under and granted certain powers, by special charters, enacted by the legislature prior to the adoption of our state constitution. Sec. 2, art. XXI of our state constitution, continued such special charters in force after the constitution went into effect. [798]*798We have other cities that have been organized under the general municipal corporation law of the state. Section 1, art. XII of the constitution provides, among other things, that the legislature shall enact general laws for the incorporation and classification of cities and towns, and that cities and towns theretofore incorporated under special charters may become organized under such general laws whenever a majority of the electors at a general election shall so determine under such provisions of law as may be enacted by the legislature. Boise City has never become organized under the general laws of the state, but has continued to exist and do business under the powers granted it by its special charter.

It is contended by counsel for appellant that the city charter, as amended and re-enacted in 1907, contains all of the powers that the city has in regard to the construction of sewers and the method of levying assessments and collecting taxes for the payment of such sewers; while it is contended by counsel for respondent that the city charter is not as full and complete as it ought to be in regard to the making of improvements and laying of sewers, and that the bonding act of 1905 supplements the charter, and must be construed as additional authority for levying assessments and the collection of the same, and for the payment of the same in installments and issuing bonds therefor. Section 48 of the charter provides the manner in which all special assessments for' certain purposes must be made, and provides that whenever any special assessment is levied, it shall be the duty of the clerk to prepare a special assessment-roll and to collect said assessments. Under the general law of 1905 it is provided that such assessments may be paid in ten annual installments and that bonds -may be issued therefor. The city proposes to issue the bonds involved in this suit under said general law. .

Counsel for the city also contends that said general law of 1905 is made for the benefit of all cities operating under a special charter, as well as those organized and operating under the general law. We cannot agree with that contention. It is true the legislature attempted by sec. 10 to make said general law applicable to cities organized under a special charter, but that could not be done, for the reason that special charters [799]*799cannot be amended by general laws. The special charter of Boise City prescribes the method, manner and means of constructing improvements, such as sewers, and provides how the assessments therefor must be made and the tax collected for the payment of the same. That being true, the method there prescribed must be followed, and the method there provided cannot be superseded by the general law.

Under the provisions of sec. 1, art.

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Bluebook (online)
100 P. 93, 15 Idaho 792, 1909 Ida. LEXIS 20, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/boise-city-national-bank-v-boise-city-idaho-1909.