Commonwealth ex rel. Stephens v. Stephenson

574 S.W.2d 328, 1978 Ky. App. LEXIS 619
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedJuly 7, 1978
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 574 S.W.2d 328 (Commonwealth ex rel. Stephens v. Stephenson) 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
Commonwealth ex rel. Stephens v. Stephenson, 574 S.W.2d 328, 1978 Ky. App. LEXIS 619 (Ky. Ct. App. 1978).

Opinion

WHITE, Judge.

The Commonwealth of Kentucky appeals from a summary judgment in favor of ap-pellee Eugene Stephenson in a suit seeking ouster of appellee from his office as a member of the Boone County Board of Education for violation of KRS 160.180(4). It is alleged that appellee violated the statute by voting at a Board meeting on March 10, 1977, on a motion to employ his sister as a cafeteria worker and by voting on April 19, 1977, on a motion to hire his niece as a teacher. KRS 160.180(4) prohibits a school board member from voting on any matter regarding employment or appointment of certain enumerated relatives (including sister and niece) by the school board. On April 7,1977, the Board voted to amend the minutes of the March 10 meeting to show that Stephenson did not vote for his sister. On August 1, 1977, the Commonwealth moved for summary judgment on the second cause of action concerning appellee’s voting to hire his niece. On August 23, 1977, the Board again amended its minutes to reflect that Stephenson had not voted on this motion. The trial court refused to allow into evidence the Commonwealth’s sworn affidavits of witnesses to the March 10 and April 7 meetings, which stated that appellee had in fact voted on motions to employ his relatives. On the basis of the amended minutes, the trial court overruled appellant’s motion for summary judgment and granted like motion for appellee. The issue before this court is whether the trial court was clearly erroneous in excluding parol evidence in this instance. We hold the trial court was erroneous.

In Kentucky, the general rule allows only the minutes of municipal corpora[330]*330tions to speak for actions of these bodies. Parol evidence is generally not admissible to refute or explain actions taken at meetings, City of Monticello v. Ragan, 258 Ky. 223, 79 S.W.2d 720 (1935), Lewis v. Board of Education of Johnson County, Ky., 348 S.W.2d 921 (1961); and minutes can be amended to correct inaccuracies and reflect actual events of meetings, Janutola & Comadori Const. Co. v. Taulbee, 229 Ky. 213, 16 S.W.2d 1026 (1929), Commonwealth v. Combs, Ky., 426 S.W.2d 461 (1968).

Appellant agrees that minutes of the School Board are generally conclusive as to actions taken by that body but argues that parol evidence should be admissible in this instance because the Board amended its minutes not to correct inaccuracies but to reflect actions which in fact did not occur. This subject is touched upon in 56 Am. Jur.2d Municipal Corporations § 179 at p. 231:

After the record has been amended, it is entitled to the same respect as an original record. The only remedy of a person who is injured by such amendment and claims that the original entry was correct is by a direct proceeding to have the minutes as amended annulled, and the original minutes restored. While the amended minutes remain, they cannot be impeached or varied in a collateral proceeding.

In accord is an Alabama case, Anniston v. Davis, 98 Ala. 629, 13 So. 331 (1893), where Davis sought a writ of mandamus to compel the city council of Anniston to reinstate him as councilman. The record revealed Davis was elected by unanimous vote but the minutes were later amended showing a vote of less than a majority for Davis. The Alabama Supreme Court held that the minutes as they stood were a complete answer for a writ of mandamus and that Davis’ remedy lay in a direct proceeding to have the city council amended minutes set aside and the original minutes restored.

The fact situation before this court differs considerably from that of Anniston v. Davis, supra, where an individual’s rights were concerned. Here we have an alleged violation of KRS 160.180(4) which is designed to protect the public at large. Enforcement of this provision is only allowed through ouster proceedings initiated by the Attorney General’s office. KRS 415.050 and KRS 415.060. To allow a school board to circumvent KRS 160.180(4) by amending its minutes and then not allow such amendments to be attacked under the guise of sanctity of such records appears inordinately unjust to this court. In such instances where fraud or mistake is alleged parol evidence should be considered by the trial court. “[I]t would be an intolerable situation if, as appellants contend, the records of a city were conclusive against a direct attack for fraud or mistake.” City of Monticello v. Ragan, supra, 79 S.W.2d at 721. “Furthermore, extrinsic evidence has been allowed to disprove the authenticity of a public record.” E. McQuillan, The Law of Municipal Corporations § 14.07 at p. 19 (3rd ed. 1969).

Appellee contends that attack of the minutes should not be allowed because it constitutes a separate and distinct cause of action. Furthermore, amendment of corporate minutes must be sought through a direct action. Thus, appellee contends the summary judgment should be upheld and no evidence considered concerning amendment of the minutes. Appellee also points out that, even if an action for amendment of the minutes could properly be consolidated with this action,’the appellant failed to move to amend the pleadings at the trial level and cannot seek to do so on appeal.

The fact situation of this case appears to be a novel one for this jurisdiction. Since Kentucky has modeled its rules on the federal rules, assistance is sought in commentary on these rules and federal cases interpreting the same. Moore, in Federal Practice 2nd Ed. Vol. 3 § 15.08[2] pp. 877-878, states: “Many jurisdictions for instance have followed the rule that an amendment may not ‘substantially change’ the cause of action or defense, or introduce a different claim or defense. This limitation has not been observed under Rule 15.” Thus, modern practice allows liberal amendment of [331]*331pleadings to change the theory on which the case is tried.

Recognizing that the entire spirit of the rules is to the effect that controversies shall be decided on the merits, the courts have not been hesitant to allow amendments for the purpose of presenting the real issues of the case, where the moving party has not been guilty of bad faith and is not acting for the purpose of delay, the opposing party will not be unduly prejudiced and the trial of the issues will not be unduly delayed. Moore, supra, pp. 874-875.

Federal courts have repeatedly allowed amendments to facilitate the disposition of a case on its merits. Oil, Chemical & Atomic Workers International Union, AFL-CIO v. Delta Refining Co.,

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

Related

Cross v. Commonwealth ex rel. Cowan
795 S.W.2d 65 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1990)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
574 S.W.2d 328, 1978 Ky. App. LEXIS 619, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-ex-rel-stephens-v-stephenson-kyctapp-1978.