City of Bristol v. Horter

43 N.W.2d 543, 73 S.D. 398, 1950 S.D. LEXIS 32
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 26, 1950
DocketFile 9105-9106
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 43 N.W.2d 543 (City of Bristol v. Horter) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of Bristol v. Horter, 43 N.W.2d 543, 73 S.D. 398, 1950 S.D. LEXIS 32 (S.D. 1950).

Opinion

SICKEL, J.

Two actions were brought by the City of Bristol, a municipal corporation, plaintiff, for the condemnation of land. In one case Bruno Horter is defendant and in the other the defendants are Swen E. Sandstrom and Carl E. Sandstrom. The issues in both cases are the same, except as to the value of the land owned by different defendants. The actions were consolidated for trial in the circuit court and on appeal.

Plaintiff’s petition in each case alleges that the governing body of the city has by resolution declared the necessity for taking private property belonging to defendants for public use as a water storage area in connection with the storm and sanitary sewerage disposal by the city. The petition prays that just compensation be made to the owners for such property. A copy of the resolution declaring the necessity for taking the property was attached to the petition. The answer alleges that the petition fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted; that the taking of defendant’s property is not necessary; ownership of the land in defendant; that the condemnation proceedings are void. The case was tried to a court without a jury and findings of fact, conclusions of law and judgment were entered in favor of the city. Defendant in each case appealed.

Defendant’s first contention is that the city failed to prove compliance with the rules of the State Board of Health relating to sewerage, garbage and refuse disposal and that such failure bars judgment of condemnation in this case. The city admits noncompliance with the rules of the State-Board of Health but contends such compliance was not necessary.

SDC 27.0104 in effect at the time this case was tried provides that the State Board of Health shall have power to adopt regulations “not inconsistent with the statutes of the state * * * necessary for the preservation and protection of the public health” and particularly to “prohibit and suppress” “(b) The business of scavangering and the disposal of sewerage; * * * (e) The pollution of streams and *401 other waters * * *”. On the authority of these statutes the board adopted regulation Number 35 which reads as follows:

“Section 1. No person, company, corporation, private or public institution or municipality, shall install or materially alter or extend, for public use, any system of water supply, water purification, sewerage or sewage, garbage or refuse disposal until complete plans and specifications for such installation, alternation or extension, together with such information as the State Board of Health may require, submitted in duplicate, have been approved by the State Board of Health insofar as their sanitary features are concerned. All works shall be construed in accordance with the plans as finally approved.
“Section 2. Whenever it shall be determined that there should be any material change in the plans, construction or operation of any such system, a detailed statement of such contemplated change, together with the reasons therefor, shall be submitted in duplicate to the State Board of Health, before such change, or any contract for the making of such change is made, and then such change shall be made only after the approval as to all matters likely to affect the public health, has been given by the State Board of Health.
“No such system or alteration or extension thereof shall be placed in use until after final inspection and approval by the State Board of Health.”

The above regulation in substance prohibits municipal corporations from entering into any contract to install, materially alter or extend any public system for sewerage, garbage or refuse disposal until plans and specifications therefor have been approved by the State Board of Health.

SDC 45.0201(13) grants to all municipal corporations the power “To acquire by lease, purchase, gift, condemnation, or other lawful means and hold in its corporate name or use and control as provided by law both real and personal property and easements and rights of way within or without the corporate limits for all purposes authorized by law or necessary to the exercise of any power granted.” The establishment of a sewage disposal system by the municipality is authorized by SDC 45.0201 (84, 89).

*402 The manner of exercising the power of condemnation by the municipal corporation is regulated by SDC 45.2712 in the following language: “Except as otherwise specially provided, whenever the governing body of any municipality shall deem it necessary to appropriate or damage any private property, either within or without the corporate limits of the municipality, for any purpose authorized by law, it shall, by a resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of all the members elected thereto, declare such appropriation necessary, stating the purpose and extent of such appropriation. Thereupon the proceedings for such appropriation and condemnation shall be as provided by law and the rules of practice and procedure adopted by the Supreme Court.”

The condemnation statute, SDC 37.4001, provides that “In all cases where any resolution, ordinance, or other proceeding of any corporation is required by law before taking private property, a copy of such resolution, ordinance, or proceeding shall be attached to such petition”. A municipal corporation is required by statute, SDC 45.2712, supra, to pass a resolution declaring the appropriation of the property to be necessary, and stating the purpose and extent of such appropriation. This is the resolution “required by law” to which reference is made in SDC 37.4001, supra, and a copy of which must be attached to the petition for condemnation.

The statutes nowhere require a resolution or other proceeding by the State Board of Health, nor the submission and approval of plans and specifications by the board as a prerequisite to the execution of a contract by the city for the installation or extension of a sewerage disposal system or to the condemnation of real property by the muncipality for that purpose. The Board of Health was given the power to adopt such regulations as are reasonably necessary “for the preservation and protection of the public health,” SDC 27.0104. To this end it may regulate the disposal of sewerage and “the pollution of streams and other waters” by a municipality. The board may establish standards for the accomplishment of these objectives and require the submission of plans and specifications in order that it may determine the fact of compliance. Such power is administrative and may be properly conferred upon the board. *403 However, the Board of Health is without the power to add to the statutory requirements for condemnation of real property by municipalities. Such power is legislative. Cavanagh v. Coleman, 72 S.D. 274, 33 N.W.2d 282; Casualty Reciprocal Exchange v. Sutfin, 196 Okla. 567, 166 P.2d 434, 16 C.J.S., Constitutional Law, § 138 (19). We therefore conclude that the submission of plans and specifications for the proposed sewerage disposal system was not a condition precedent to the entry of the decree of condemnation in this case.

Appellant also contends that there was no necessity for the taking of defendants’ property.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
43 N.W.2d 543, 73 S.D. 398, 1950 S.D. LEXIS 32, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-bristol-v-horter-sd-1950.