Burroughs v. City of Cherokee

109 N.W. 876, 134 Iowa 429
Supreme Court of Iowa·Decided November 15, 1906·Published·Cited by 40 cases

Opinion

Ladd, J.

1. Plats: dedication. The plat of Burroughs’ Magnetic Spring addition to New Cherokee was properly acknowledged and filed for record May 16, 1882, and this, under the statute then N force, was “ equivalent to a deed in fee simp]e 0f g-uCh portion of the premises platted as is on such, plat set apart for streets-or other public use.” [431] Section 561, Code 1873; Coe College v. City of Cedar Rapids, 120 Iowa, 544. At that time New Cherokee was an incorporated town, and acceptance by ordinance was not .essential. Burlington, C. R. & N. R. Co. v. City of Columbus Junction, 104 Iowa, 110, section 527, Code 1873. Nor is this conclusion obviated by an ordinance of New Cherokee, passed May 2, 1882, in which it was declared that “ extension of the original plat of said incorporated town, or additions thereto, shall be illegal and of no effect or binding force on said incorporated town unless the plat of said addition or extension is submitted to the town council in said incorporated town of New Cherokee, Iowa, at a regular session thereof, and by said town council approved by resolution regularly passed by said town council.” Chapter 12 of title 4 of the Code of 1873 provided for the platting of additions to incorporated towns and cities, and declared precisely what was necessary as conditions precedent to the recording of plats, and it was not competent for the town of New Cherokee to annex thereto additional requirements. This was clearly in excess of its authority. A municipality cannot exercise a power unless it is expressly conferred by the Legislature or necessarily implied in order to carry out powers expressly conferred. Des Moines v. Gilchrist, 67 Iowa, 210; Keokuk v. Scroggs, 39 Iowa, 447; Brockman v. City of Creston, 79 Iowa, 587. As the entire subject of platting had been fully covered by the general statutes, without the aid of municipal councils, the passage of the ordinance was in excess of the powers which the town of New Cherokee might exercise-, and was therefore void.

2. Same: acceptance streets. But it does not follow, although appellants so contend, that no acceptance of the proposed dedication was necessary. There are authorities to the effect that a- statutory dedication without- acceptance vests title to portions of a plat set apart for public purposes in the municipality. This is on- the theory that the plat, being recorded, may be relied upon by the public until the same [432] has been canceled by an act of equal solemnity and authority, and that, as the statute has provided for a vacation of the plat, until this has been done the fee of the streets and alleys should be deemed to rest in the town or city. Baker v. St. Paul, 8 Minn. 491 (Gil. 436); Brown v. Carthage, 123 Mo. 10 (30 S. W. 312); City of Jacksonville v. Jacksonville R. Co., 67 Ill. 540; Town of Lake View v. Le Bahn, 120 Ill. 92 (9 N. E. 269). It seems that under these authorities the burden may be cast upon the municipality, without its consent, to keep streets and alleys so dedicated in repair, and that liability will attach for personal injuries resulting from the neglect so to do. Denver v. Clements, 3 Colo. 472; Osage City v. Larkin, 40 Kan. 206, (19 Pac. 658, 10 Am. St. Rep. 186, 2 L. R. A. 56). An examination of the statutes construed in these decisions, however, will indicate that they provide in effect that the recording of the plat shall operate to vest title in the city. Under our statute the filing of the plat is made equivalent to a deed in fee simple to the streets and alleys, but; like other deeds, requires acceptance, before it can be effective in conveying the title and casting the burden upon the municipality for the care and safety of the ways proposed. That this was so intended by the Legislature is settled conclusively by the statute exacting spch an acceptance on the part of a city by the enactment of an ordinance, and also by the provisions for a vacation of a plat prior to the sale of any lots. Section 563, Code 1873. And such seems to have been the opinion of this court for many years. Bell v. City of Burlington, 68 Iowa, 296; Johnson v. City of Burlington, 95 Iowa, 197; Town of Cambridge v. Cook, 97 Iowa, 601; Updegraff v. Smith, 106 Iowa, 385; Brown v. Taber, 103 Iowa, 2; Blennerhassett v. Forest City, 117 Iowa, 680.

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Burroughs v. City of Cherokee, 109 N.W. 876, 134 Iowa 429 (iowa 1906).

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