Burger v. Board of Trustees of Montville Township

389 N.E.2d 866, 58 Ohio Misc. 21, 12 Ohio Op. 3d 222, 1978 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 86
CourtMedina County Court of Common Pleas
DecidedJuly 13, 1978
DocketNo. 33373
StatusPublished

This text of 389 N.E.2d 866 (Burger v. Board of Trustees of Montville Township) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Medina County Court of Common Pleas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Burger v. Board of Trustees of Montville Township, 389 N.E.2d 866, 58 Ohio Misc. 21, 12 Ohio Op. 3d 222, 1978 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 86 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1978).

Opinion

Whitefield, J.

The parties have stipulated and the Court so finds that a real controversy exists between the parties, regarding the validity of Subsection 115 (f) of the Montville Township Zoning Resolution. The court further .finds, that because of said controversy the case is properly before the court for declaratory judgment pursuant to R. C. Chapter 2721.

At issue in this action for declaratory judgment is the lawfulness and constitutionality of Subsection 115 (f) of the Zoning Resolution of the Township of Montville, Medina Count, Ohio. Said Subsection 115 (f) provides as follows:

’“No newspaper, radio or television service shall be ¡used to advertise such home occupation.”

Plaintiff conducts in her home in said, township a “home occupation” under a conditional zoning certificate granted under the authority of Section 401-2-B-8 of the Montville Township Zoning Resolution. Such section provides that “home occupations” are subject to Subsection 115 of the township zoning resolution.

[23]*23Facts have 'been stipulated by the parties to the effect that contrary to the provisions of Subsection..115 (f), plaintiff advertised her 'home occupation in a newspaper' and as a result of such conduct, the Township of Montville-, by and through its Zoning -Inspector, gave to plaintiff a “Notice of Zoning Violation,” by which notice plaintiff was advised “to-discontinue such use * * * otherwise this-matter will be. referred to; the county prosecutor for appropriate action.”. ...

Plaintiff contends that the resolution subsection in-question is contrary to law in that it does not -concern a “use” within'the regulatory power granted to the Township Board of Trustees pursuant to R. C. 519.02, and further contends that said subsection is unconstitutional in that it is a violation of plaintiff’s rights under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and Section 11, Article I of the Ohio Constitution.

The crux of plaintiff’s claim is two-fold:

1. Plaintiff’s placing an advertisement in a newspaper, which advertisement solicited ciistomers in connection with plaintiff’s home occupation, was a proper exercise of commercial speech, subject to protection of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and the Ohio Constitution, which freedom cannot be subjected to “blanket prior suppression. ’.’
2. R. C. 519.02, although conferring upon Township Trustees power to regulate the uses of land for trade, industry, residence, recreation, ete., is limited to the regulation of the physical attributes of such-land use, and' does not include power to further regulate plaintiff’s activities other than in regard to physical use of such land.

Based upon such grounds, plaintiff asks that the court declare Subsection 115 (f) of the Montville Township Zoning Resolution unlawful and unconstitutional, and further asks' that the court enjoin defendant from enforcing or attempting to enforce said subsection of its zoning resolution. ■ • ■

In meeting plaintiff’s contentions, defendant maintains that since the dispute concerns the validity of a zon-[24]*24mg resolution, no judicial interference with such resolution is appropriate unless the party- attacking -such ordinance clearly sets forth in the evidence that the restriction is unreasonable or arbitrary. Defendant asks that the court dismiss plaintiff’s- complaint for the reason-that plaintiff has failed to -satisfy such burden. -• •. ■

Regarding the merits of plaintiff’s constitutional claim, defendant argues that there is not a-“blanket suppression” of all types of advertising, inasmuch as other forms of advertising are “still appropriate,” and what is sought to be regulated according -to defendant, is plaintiff’s use of the mass- media, “which would or could clearly result in the expansion of the operation to the point where it would be inappropriate in a residential area.”-

Defendant further maintains that cases dealing with commercial advertising,in general which hold that such advertising cannot be arbitrarily prohibited for án otherwise permissible operation have little impact on the present ease, since plaintiff’s use of the land for home occupation purposes is a conditional use which is conditioned upon the acceptance of various conditions, among -which is a restriction upon the type of advertising Subsection. 115 (f) concerns.

Plaintiff’s Claim Based Upon Constitutional Grounds.

The general rule applicable in Ohio regarding the constitutional validity of zoning ordinances is stated in the case of Youngstown v. Kahn Building Co. (1925), 112 Ohio St. 654, 657-658:

“* # * [T]he state under the police power has the right to limit the use of private property for the-purpose of preserving the public health, safety and morals, and * * * the state can delegate its police power to a municipality; * * * where by virtue of such delegation, or by virtue of specific constitutional authority, the municipality exercises such -power, it is to be presumed that such power has been legitimately exercised.” ...........

It has been said that the test respecting challenges to such ordinances is not whether the court would have enacted such a law, but rather whether such legislation has “a [25]*25real and substantial relation to the prevention of conditions detrimental to the. public health, morals, or safety, ’’ Pritz v. Messer (1925), 112 Ohio St. 628, 639.

Generally, then, if the relationship of the legislation to delegated police powers is debatable, “the legislative judgment must be allowed to control.” State, ex rel. Grant, v. Kiefaber (1960), 114 Ohio App. 279, 285.

Recent United States Supreme Court cases have held, however, that where a legislative enactment arguably infringes upon an individual plaintiff’s First Amendment rights, the burden is upon the defendant to justify such enactment. Linmark Associates, Inc., v. Willingboro (1977), 431 U. S. 85, 52 L. Ed. 2d 155, 97 S. Ct. 1614; Buckley v. Valeo (1976), 424 U. S. 1, 64, 46 L. Ed. 2d 659, 96 S. Ct. 612; Erznoznik v. Jacksonville (1975), 442 U. S. 205, 45 L. Ed. 2d 125, 95 S. Ct. 2268; Freedman v. Maryland (1965), 380 U. S. 51, 13 L. Ed. 2d 649, 85 S. Ct. 734; Speiser v. Randall (1958), 357 U. S. 513, 2 L. Ed. 2d 1460, 78 S. Ct. 1332.

Additionally, if an enactment, such as that presently before the court, involves a prior restraint of speech, such enactment carries with it a “ 'heavy presumption against its constitutional validity.’ ” Freedman, supra, at page 57. The reason for this presumption is that “prior restraints on speech and publications are the most serious and the least tolerable infringement upon First Amendment rights.” Nebraska Press Assn. v. Stuart (1976), 427 U. S. 539, 559, 49 L. Ed. 2d 683, 96 S. Ct. 2791.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Speiser v. Randall
357 U.S. 513 (Supreme Court, 1958)
Freedman v. Maryland
380 U.S. 51 (Supreme Court, 1965)
Perry v. Sindermann
408 U.S. 593 (Supreme Court, 1972)
Kusper v. Pontikes
414 U.S. 51 (Supreme Court, 1973)
Erznoznik v. City of Jacksonville
422 U.S. 205 (Supreme Court, 1975)
Buckley v. Valeo
424 U.S. 1 (Supreme Court, 1976)
Young v. American Mini Theatres, Inc.
427 U.S. 50 (Supreme Court, 1976)
Elrod v. Burns
427 U.S. 347 (Supreme Court, 1976)
Nebraska Press Assn. v. Stuart
427 U.S. 539 (Supreme Court, 1976)
Brockman v. Morr
168 N.E.2d 892 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1960)
State, Ex Rel. Grant v. Kiefaber
181 N.E.2d 905 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1960)
In Re Writ of Habeas Corpus for Thornburg
9 N.E.2d 516 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1936)
Crist v. True
314 N.E.2d 186 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1973)
City of Youngstown v. Kahn Bros. Building Co.
148 N.E. 842 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1925)
Pritz v. Messer
148 N.E. 30 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1925)
Clymer v. Zane
191 N.E. 123 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1934)
Delpriore v. Ball
281 A.D. 214 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1953)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
389 N.E.2d 866, 58 Ohio Misc. 21, 12 Ohio Op. 3d 222, 1978 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 86, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burger-v-board-of-trustees-of-montville-township-ohctcomplmedina-1978.