City of Frankfort v. Byrns

817 S.W.2d 462, 1991 Ky. App. LEXIS 124, 1991 WL 224375
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedOctober 25, 1991
DocketNo. 90-CA-000914-MR
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 817 S.W.2d 462 (City of Frankfort v. Byrns) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of Frankfort v. Byrns, 817 S.W.2d 462, 1991 Ky. App. LEXIS 124, 1991 WL 224375 (Ky. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

EMBERTON, Judge.

This is an appeal from a judgment for the appellees, plaintiffs below, in an action in negligence. Specifically, a jury determined that the appellant, City of Frankfort, [463]*463had been negligent in designing and building a storm water system, and as a result of such negligence, the property of the appellees was damaged. On appeal, the principal issues are whether the trial court clearly erred in (1) not directing a verdict for the appellant in that all its actions were discretionary and thus, clothed with immunity, KRS 65.2001(2); KRS 65.2003; and (2) allowing the appellees’ expert to introduce evidence on rebuttal.

The substantive facts giving rise to this appeal are that the appellees, Aaron and Cathy Byrns, et al., are, or have been, property owners of homes located in the Westgate Subdivision in the City of Frankfort. Several times during the late 1970’s, the properties in question incurred flooding when the existing drainage ditch overflowed its banks after rainfall. In September of 1979, the drainage ditch overflowed to such an extent that it entered the homes of the appellees, causing extensive damage.

As a result of this flooding, the city established a moratorium on new home construction in the area, which included the Westgate Subdivision. And, although the moratorium was subsequently lifted in 1980, the City Commission elected to enlarge the capacity of its existing drainage system appropriating approximately $1,000,000 for the project. Notwithstanding the subsequent changes to the system, more flooding and more resulting damage occurred to the appellees’ property in July, 1986. This litigation resulted.

The appellees filed this action, alleging negligence with respect to the installation, design and maintenance of the drainage system serving Westgate. Additionally, they alleged that the city was negligent in allowing excessive commercial and residential development in the area without providing adequate provisions for proper drainage. In an amended complaint the appellees alleged that the flooding of their property deprived them of its use, and therefore, constituted an unjust taking in violation of Section 242 of the Kentucky Constitution and the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. A jury subsequently found for the appellees on the basis that the city was negligent in both the design and construction of the drainage system and awarded them damages in the amount of $171,397. The trial court overruled the city’s motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict or, in the alternative, a new trial. It is from the trial court’s judgment that the city now appeals.

The threshold issue presented to this court is whether the city, in designing and constructing the drainage system in question, acted in a purely discretionary capacity, and therefore, acted with immunity from liability for negligence on its part. Subsequent to the decision of the court in Gas Service Co., Inc. v. City of London, Ky., 687 S.W.2d 144 (1985), a decision significantly restricting the doctrine of immunity for municipalities, the legislature enacted KRS 65.2001 through KRS 65.2006. KRS 65.2001(3) affirms the validity of all existing statutory and case law involving actions in tort against local governments. Nevertheless, KRS 65.2003 sets forth areas in which a claim against a local government is to be disallowed. The statute states in part:

Notwithstanding KRS 65.2001, a local government shall not be liable for injuries or losses resulting from:
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(3) Any claim arising from the exercise of judicial, quasi-judicial, legislative or quasi-legislative authority or others, exercise of judgment or discretion vested in the local government, which shall include by example, but not be limited to: (a) The adoption or failure to adopt any ordinance, resolution, order, regulation, or rule; (b) The failure to enforce any law; (c) The issuance, denial, suspension, revocation of, or failure or refusal to issue, deny, suspend or revoke any permit, license, certificate, approval, order or similar authorization; (d) The exercise of discretion when in the face of competing demands, the local government determines whether and how to utilize or apply existing resources; or (e) Failure to make an inspection.
[464]*464Nothing contained in this subsection shall be construed to exempt a local government from liability for negligence arising out of acts or omissions of its employees in carrying out their ministerial duties.

Under the language of KRS 65.2003(3), the question of a city’s liability hinges on a determination of whether the city acts within its discretionary authority, including a judicial, quasi-judicial, legislative or quasi-legislative authority or, in a simple ministerial role. Here, the city argues that the design and construction of the drainage system, as well as the decision to construct it were purely discretionary. Conversely, the appellees argues that although the decision to construct the system was under a discretionary decision, all actions performed by the city in designing the system and in constructing it were ministerial. Therefore, it should be liable for any resulting negligence. See, Town of Wingo v. Rhodes, 234 Ky. 385, 28 S.W.2d 465 (1930).

Apparently no court in this jurisdiction has construed the language of KRS 65.-2003 as it relates to what is discretionary and what is ministerial. Nevertheless, this court determines that on the basis of the court’s language and rationale in City of London, supra, the actions of the appellant were ministerial in nature and therefore, not clothed with immunity.

In City of London, supra, the court reaffirmed the principles of its landmark decision of Haney v. City of Lexington, Ky., 386 S.W.2d 738 (1964), which severely restricted the rule of immunity for municipalities. In so doing, it emphasized again the line of prior decisions which held cities liable for negligence, including negligence for defective conditions of city sewer facilities. See, City of Frankfort v. Buttimer, 146 Ky. 815, 143 S.W. 410 (1912); Town of Central Covington v. Beiser, 122 Ky. 715, 92 S.W. 973 (1906). The court stated that in simple terms the rule for local governments is a rule of liability; the exception is immunity.

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Bluebook (online)
817 S.W.2d 462, 1991 Ky. App. LEXIS 124, 1991 WL 224375, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-frankfort-v-byrns-kyctapp-1991.