Brady v. City of Homedale

944 P.2d 704, 130 Idaho 569, 1997 Ida. LEXIS 119
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 3, 1997
Docket23011
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 944 P.2d 704 (Brady v. City of Homedale) 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
Brady v. City of Homedale, 944 P.2d 704, 130 Idaho 569, 1997 Ida. LEXIS 119 (Idaho 1997).

Opinion

SCHROEDER, Justice.

This is an appeal of an order from the Third District Court which denied petitions for a writ of mandamus, a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction. The petitions were filed by Karon S. Brady, a resident of Homedale, Idaho, who objected to the construction of a school bus maintenance and storage facility on property across the street from her house. The property owner also appeals the award of attorney fees by the district court.

I.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

In July of 1995 the School Board for Homedale Joint School District No. 370 (“School District”) met for the purpose of allocating funds for the purchase and construction of a transportation and maintenance facility (“facility”), otherwise known as a bus barn, used to store school buses and maintain equipment owned by the School District. The School District solicited and accepted a bid for the construction of the facility later that summer and selected a site for the new facility on the grounds of the Homedale High School.

In November of 1995 the School District applied for a building permit for the construction of the facility. The building site was located in an area zoned “public.” The City of Homedale building inspector conditionally approved the zoning permit contingent upon the definition of the phrase “school, elementary — high school,” as used in the Homedale City Ordinance (“Ordinance”). On November 22, 1995, the Homedale Planning and Zoning Commission (“Commission”) held a meeting at the building inspector’s office. The Commission interpreted and defined the term “school” as used in the Ordinance to “include all buildings, fixtures, and/or improvements owned or built by the school district for the purpose of maintenance and operation of the school district and its property.” Based on this interpretation by the Commission, the building inspector issued a standard building permit on November 27, 1995. Construction of the building began on the same day the building permit was issued or shortly thereafter.

On January 8, 1996, Brady contacted the Homedale city clerk and requested that her *571 name be placed on the agenda for the city council meeting scheduled for January 10, 1996. According to testimony, Brady gave no indication of why she wished her name be placed on the agenda. The city clerk informed Brady that the January 10, 1996 agenda was full and Brady agreed to be placed on the January 25,1996 agenda.

On January 22, 1996, prior to the January 25, 1996 meeting, Brady filed a petition and application for writ of mandamus and motions for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction in the district court. On January 24,1996, the district court issued an order for a hearing on February 9, 1996, “to show cause why the above-ordered Temporary Restraining Order should not be continued during the pendency of this action.” On January 25, 1996, Brady appeared at the Homedale City Council meeting with her attorney and requested an opportunity to discuss the pending litigation. The Homedale Mayor responded that, since this matter was now in litigation, Brady should contact the City’s attorney for any discussion of the issue. All construction on the building at that time was complete.

On February 15, 1996, a motion to lift the temporary restraining order and a motion to dismiss Brady’s other applications were filed. On March 8, 1996, the district court held a hearing on Brady’s motion for preliminary injunction and writ of mandamus. In an order dated April 17, 1996, the district court quashed its order to show cause and dismissed Brady’s motion for temporary restraining order, motion for preliminary injunction and application for writ of mandamus. On August 8, 1996, the district court issued a subsequent order awarding attorney fees to the Respondents.

II.

THE DISTRICT COURT PROPERLY DENIED BRADY’S PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS

On appeal from a decision denying a writ of mandamus this Court’s task is to apply the same standard required of the district court. Kolp v. Board of Trustees of Butte County Joint Sch. Dist. No. 111, 102 Idaho 320, 629 P.2d 1153 (1981). Judicial review of the district court’s denial of Brady’s request for writ of mandamus is limited to determining whether Brady had a clear legal right to the relief sought. Knudson v. Boundary County Sch. Dist. No. 101, 104 Idaho 93, 656 P.2d 753 (Ct.App.1982); In re Brooks, 40 Idaho 432, 233 P. 514 (1925). Proceedings for writ of mandamus “are not available to review the acts of boards in respect to matters as to which they are vested with discretion, unless it clearly appears that they have acted arbitrarily and unjustly and in abuse of the discretion vested in them.” Kolp, 102 Idaho at 323, 629 P.2d at 1156 (quoting Wellard v. Marcum, 82 Idaho 232, 236, 351 P.2d 482, 483 (1960)).

The standard for the issuance of a writ of mandamus is set forth in I.C. § 7-302:

It may be issued by any court except a justice’s or probate court, to any inferior tribunal, corporation, board or person, to compel the performance of an act which the law especially enjoins as a duty resulting from an office, trust or station; or to compel the admission of a party to the use and the enjoyment of a right or office to which he is entitled, and from which he is unlawfully precluded by such inferior tribunal, corporation, board or person.

I.C. § 7-302. A writ of mandamus will not lie unless the party seeking the writ has a clear right to have done that which the petitioner seeks and unless it is a clear legal duty of the officer to so act. Freeman v. McQuade, 80 Idaho 387, 331 P.2d 263 (1958); Fitzpatrick v. Welch, 96 Idaho 280, 527 P.2d 313 (1974).

Brady has shown no “clear legal right” to the remedy sought: to halt construction and to enjoin the use of the building. A writ of mandate will not issue to “compel the performance of a discretionary act.” McCuskey v. Canyon County, 123 Idaho 657, 663, 851 P.2d 953, 959 (1993). “As I.C. § 67-6519 gives counties the discretion to grant or deny an application for a permit authorized or mandated by the Local Planning Act of 1975, a writ of mandate is not available to compel the issuance [or to revoke *572 the issuance] of such a permit.” Id. The district court properly denied Brady’s petition for a writ of mandamus.

Although Brady did not have a “clear legal right” to the remedy sought through a writ of mandamus, this Court also finds that Brady has not exhausted her administrative remedies. In Bone v. City of Lewiston, 107 Idaho 844, 693 P.2d 1046

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Bluebook (online)
944 P.2d 704, 130 Idaho 569, 1997 Ida. LEXIS 119, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brady-v-city-of-homedale-idaho-1997.