City of Aurora v. Andrew Land Company

490 P.2d 67, 176 Colo. 246, 1971 Colo. LEXIS 717
CourtSupreme Court of Colorado
DecidedNovember 1, 1971
Docket23529
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 490 P.2d 67 (City of Aurora v. Andrew Land Company) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of Aurora v. Andrew Land Company, 490 P.2d 67, 176 Colo. 246, 1971 Colo. LEXIS 717 (Colo. 1971).

Opinion

Opinion by

Mr. Justice Lee.

*248 The City of Aurora seeks reversal of two judgments entered against it in favor of Andrew Land Company, plaintiff in the trial court. Six claims for relief were asserted against Aurora in the District Court of Arapahoe County. The controversy arose out of the annexation of Andrew’s land to the city and the imposition by the city of various fees for annexation, water taps, sewer taps, storm sewers, damages for failure to install a storm drainage system, and for recovery of excessive costs expended by the installation of over-designed water mains and a pressure reducing valve required by the city in Andrew’s subdivision.

Judgment was awarded for $12,716.32 on the first claim for relief for return of annexation fees alleged to have been improperly charged Andrew Land Company by the city. The city asserts error and seeks reversal of this award. We agree and reverse this judgment for the reasons set forth hereinafter.

A second judgment for $29,700 was awarded Andrew Land Company on its second claim for relief for refund of storm drainage fees required to be paid under Ordinance No. 832 adopted March 2, 1959, by the City of Aurora. We affirm this judgment for the reasons set forth in City of Aurora v. Bogue, 176 Colo. 198, 489 P.2d 1295. The issue is identical to that in Bogue, and it is accordingly so resolved.

The trial court denied the third, fourth, fifth and sixth claims for relief. Andrew seeks reversal of these judgments of dismissal.

In July of 1958, a petition for annexation of the land under consideration was submitted to the City Council of Aurora. The following terms, in addition to those required by C.R.S. 1953, 139-11-2, were included in the petition:

“PETITIONER WAIVES ANY responsibility or duty of the City of Aurora to immediately furnish a municipal water supply for the lands herein described. Petitioner understands that such water will be made available by *249 the City of Aurora when practicable and feasible. Annexation fees shall constitute a lien upon the lands herein described from the time that water is supplied to said lands, until paid. Initial zoning of lands herein described shall be R-O residence district, pending a complete study and determination of proper zoning for said area.
“(A) When each final subdivision plat is filed and accepted by the City Council, an annexation fee of Two Hundred Twenty-Five ($225.00) Dollars shall be payable for each acre included in said subdivision plat, which shall release said lien as to said acreage so paid for.
“(B) Water tap and development fees shall be payable as each tap application is made. Water tap (5/9" and 3/4" meter) —Two Hundred Fifteen ($215.00) Dollars. Water development fee — Two Hundred ($200.00) Dollars.
“(C) When each final subdivision plat is filed and accepted by City Council, a Sanitary Sewer fee of Two Hundred Twenty-Five ($225.00) Dollars per acre shall be payable for each acre included in said subdivision plat.
“(H) As each building permit is applied for, a storm drainage fee of One Hundred Fifty ($150.00) Dollars per building site shall be due and payable.”

The petition was accepted by the city and Ordinance No. 814 was adopted October 20, 1958, annexing the land to Aurora. It contained the following provision:

“The City of Aurora undertakes no obligation or responsibility to immediately furnish a municipal water supply for the lands herein annexed, but will undertake to furnish a municipal water supply when practicable and feasible. At such time as municipal water is made available to the lands herein annexed, fees of $225.00 per acre shall constitute a lien upon the lands herein described from the time that water is supplied to said lands, until paid. At such time as municipal water is made available to the lands herein annexed, water development fees and tap fees shall be chargeable to the property in an amount or amounts as determined by City Council and *250 such fees shall constitute a lien upon said lands until paid.”

On March 5, 1959, Ordinance No. 833 was adopted by the city. This ordinance provided for the payment of a “water development fee” for each residence tap on the Aurora system, the amount of which fee was graduated upward depending on the size of the water tap issued. Water development fees were charged Andrew Land Company in accordance with the tap schedule, and Andrew complains of overcharges amounting to $23,900, for which it sought recovery under its fourth claim for relief.

On March 5, 1959, Ordinance No. 831 was also adopted by the city, imposing sanitary sewer fees of $225 per acre for lands not previously served by Aurora’s sanitary sewer system. Sewer fees in the amount of $15,016.50 were charged Andrew Land Company in connection with development of its annexed lands. The company sought recovery of these fees under its fifth claim for relief.

Under the sixth claim for relief, recovery was sought for excessive costs amounting to $10,541.06, which Andrew was compelled to expend in complying with the city’s design requirements in the installation of water mains and a pressure reducing valve for Andrew’s subdivision.

We now consider the alleged errors asserted by the parties.

I.

We agree with Aurora that the judgment for $12,716.32 on the first claim for relief for return of annexation fees was erroneous. It was clearly within the power of the city to require the payment of the annexation fees as a condition of annexation. Colo. Springs v. Kitty Hawk, 154 Colo. 535, 392 P.2d 462. The contention that Andrew was entitled to recover the annexation fees paid, however, is predicated not on want of authority in the city, but rather on the method by which the city council determined to impose such fees.

*251 The rationale supporting the trial court’s judgment was based upon Ordinance No. 654 adopted by-Aurora on May 2, 1955. This ordinance provides:

“Fees. City Council shall from time to time, by proper resolution, determine the amount of fees that shall be charged as a condition of annexation of lands to the City of Aurora and the method of payment of any such fees. Nothing herein contained shall be construed as prohibiting the City Council from accepting land or other improvements in lieu of any fees so established.”

It was argued in the trial court, and the court held, that imposition of an annexation fee could be accomplished only “by resolution” and not by ordinance, as was done. It was contended that Gordon v. Commissioners, 152 Colo. 376, 382 P.2d 545, controlled the present action. In Gordon this Court held that substantial compliance with zoning statutes required boards of county commissioners to amend existing zoning resolutions

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

Related

Carpenter v. Superior Court
862 P.2d 246 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1993)
Farner v. Cole
778 P.2d 688 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1989)
No.
Colorado Attorney General Reports, 1979
Board of County Commissioners v. City & County of Denver
565 P.2d 212 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1977)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
490 P.2d 67, 176 Colo. 246, 1971 Colo. LEXIS 717, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-aurora-v-andrew-land-company-colo-1971.