Davies v. State ex rel. Scherer

20 Ohio C.C. Dec. 527
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in Davies v. State ex rel. Scherer. Read the opinion of the Court — 11 Ohio C.C. (n.s.) 209
Lucas Circuit Court·Decided June 2, 1908·Published

Opinion

WILDMAN, J.

The two cases, David T. Davies, Jr. v. State ex rel. William H. Scherer, and the case of William H. Scherer v. Arthur H. Rine will be-disposed of in one opinion. The case of David T. Davies, Jr., as auditor of the county, against the State on relation of Scherer is an error proceeding brought in this court to reverse the judgment of the court below rendered in an application on behalf of Scherer, as relator, for a writ of mandamus to compel Davies as county auditor to approve the-appointment of two persons named by Scherer as assistant assessors,. [528]*528■and to deliver to Scherer books and papers pertaining to the office of ■assessor; Mr. Scherer, claiming that he is the assessor of one of the wards or precincts of the city by virtue of his election thereto. The ■other case of Scherer against Bine was instituted in the court below but brought to this court by appeal, and is a suit for an injunction to ■restrain Bine from disturbing Scherer, in the performance of the ■duties of the office as assessor.

We are brought first to a consideration of the question whether or not Scherer, at the time of the institution of these suits, was entitled to claim the office of assessor. He had been duly elected thereto on November 5, 1907, and he attempted to qualify by filing a bond on the nineteenth day of the same month. The statute, Sec. 1518 (Lan. 2995), provides that upon the election of an assessor in any ward or precinct of a municipal corporation, the office shall be considered vacant, in the event of the failure of the person elected to give bond and take the oath of office for one week after his election. By Lan. Rev. Stat. 3025 (B. 1536-3), it is provided:

“When the corporate limits of a city or village become identical with those of a township, all township offices shall be abolished, and the duties thereof shall thereafter be performed by the corresponding officers of the city or village, excepting that justices of the peace and ■constables shall continue to exercise their functions,” etc.

By Rev. Stat. 1739 (Lan. 3251; B. 1536-998), it is provided that certain official bonds in municipalities, including, as we construe the statutes, the bond of the assessor, “shall, upon its approval, be delivered to the city clerk,” who shall file and preserve the same after record. By Rev. Stat. 1738 (Lan. 3249; B. 1536-997), it is provided that such bond shall be approved by the mayor. Bevised Statutes 1718 (B. 1517-1) provides that in municipal corporations divided into wards, an assessor shall be elected in each ward at every annual election. He shall take the same oath, give the same bond and perform the same duties as are provided for township assessors. The section immediately preceding 1517 (Lan. 2994) provides as to the character of the bond to be given by the township assessor, so that the two sections must be read together to determine the duties of the municipal assessor. Be-vised Statutes 1517 and 1518 (Lan. 2994, 2995), to which I have already referred, are carried into the municipal code, and the code has provided for the amount of the bond to be given.

On April 8, 1907, of the year after Scherer’s election, an official •oath was taken by him, and on the thirteenth the city council undertook to pass a resolution approving his bond, and the mayor undertook [529]*529to approve the act of the council, the bond having been fixed at $1,000. There was never any approval of Scherer’s bond by the mayor. He did nothing, so far as the record discloses to us, but approve the resolution of the council.

By Rev. Stat. 1740 (Lan. 3252; B. 1536-999), it is provided that,

“The council may declare vacant the office of any person elected or appointed to an office, who shall fail to take the oaths required in section 1737 [Lan. 3248; B. 1536-996], or to give any bond required of him, within ten days after he has been notified of his appointment, or election, or obligation to give a new or additional bond, as the case may be.”

This seems to have application to bonds generally, but by the section to which reference has already been made, Rev. Stat. 1518 (Lan. 2995), specific provision is made with reference to assessors, and it is provided, in effect, that as to this office, perhaps because of the need of filling it speedily after the election, the office of assessor shall be considered vacant, without waiting for the council to declare it so. The legislature probably made this enactment in view of the conditions existing, of a legislative character, as to the time of election, when the enactment was made; but they have permitted Rev. Stat. 1518 (Lan. 2995) to remain in force notwithstanding the subsequent changes as to the time of holding municipal elections.

A deputy auditor, Mr. Otto Sanzenbacher, attempted to approve the bond of Scherer, but we are quite clear in our view that the approval of an official bond is an act requiring such judgment of the officer attempting to exercise such approval that it cannot be done by a merely ministerial officer, and we do not think that a deputy auditor is clothed with, the power attempted here to be exercised. The same thing is true as to the appointment of assistants. It is an authority given to the assessor. The assessor names the assistants, and the. appointment is to be exercised or approved by the auditor, and it is a power which he could not delegate to another.

Now, coming directly to the question based upon the legislative •enactments to which I have referred, and the view which I have expressed as that of the court, whether or not Mr. Scherer, at the time of the institution of these proceedings, was the legally appointed and qualified assessor, or/in other words, whether he was the de jure officer, I desire to cite certain authorities which seem to me decisive of the question. I have before me the ease of the State v. Matheny, 7 Kan. 327, in which it is held that the failure of a county clerk-elect to [530]*530áfiPlfiS teWoSffldaa^Wná^Mto^iieljgéftKífyS'Éeagufei- %$fcafiP«SBai# áSysom¥ÍItKéíícó5tómíenfém'í^|3M0t¿m>^fbF>’wafi%K£®í%a§Wel%m&a; VífcaBSs Wéss íñdsiaté^Fmmk^'mmr' qaoapí® 514], decided in 1905. it was held: .iioxxuoo mif io xioif

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Davies v. State ex rel. Scherer, 20 Ohio C.C. Dec. 527 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1908).

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