Dietz v. City of Medora

333 N.W.2d 702, 1983 N.D. LEXIS 266
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedApril 21, 1983
DocketCiv. 10297
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 333 N.W.2d 702 (Dietz v. City of Medora) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dietz v. City of Medora, 333 N.W.2d 702, 1983 N.D. LEXIS 266 (N.D. 1983).

Opinions

PAULSON, Justice.

This is an appeal by Tom Dietz from a judgment dismissing his action against the City of Medora; Rod Tjaden, the mayor of Medora; and William Connell, a member of the Medora City Council. Dietz contends that Tjaden and Connell are not residents of Medora and, therefore, are not qualified to serve as city officers. We affirm the dismissal.

Tjaden is a division manager employed by the Gold Seal Company to oversee Gold Seal’s property and tourist facilities in Me-dora. When in Medora, Tjaden lives in a house provided by the Gold Seal Company. During September through March, Tjaden spends much of his time traveling for business purposes.

Connell is the majority owner of the Hitching Post, a Medora business which is open throughout the year. When in Medo-ra, Connell lives in the living quarters above the family business.

Recently Tjaden and Connell purchased homes in Bismarck and Dickinson respectively. Tom Dietz, a resident and elector of the City of Medora, contends that Tjaden and Connell are no longer residents legally qualified to hold positions as governing officers of the City of Medora. The trial court heard evidence concerning Tjaden’s and Connell’s' residences and then dismissed Dietz’s action. In his oral opinion, the trial judge stated that he found “significant and substantial evidence” supporting Tjaden’s and Connell’s declared intentions to retain their residency and their status as residents of the city of Medora.

Section 40-13-01 of the North Dakota Century Code provides that an officer in a municipality must be “a qualified elector of the municipality and ... a resident thereof”.1 Similarly, § 40-08-05, N.D.C.C., provides that an alderman of a city council must be “a qualified elector of and a resident within the city”.

According to the North Dakota Constitution, a qualified elector is a “citizen of the United States, who has attained the age of eighteen years and who is a North Dakota resident”. N.D. Const, art. II, § 1. See also § 16.1-01-04(1), N.D.C.C. A qualified elector thus is a person legally qualified to vote because he meets age and residency requirements. In the case at hand, Tjaden and Connell, as city officers, are required by [704]*704statute to be actual residents of the City of Medora and are each required to meet the legal residency requirements of a qualified elector in the city. See Bergstrom v. Bergstrom, 271 N.W.2d 546, 550 (N.D.1978) [court recognizes distinction between legal residence and actual physical presence in child custody case]; Anderson v. Breithbarth, 62 N.D. 709, 714, 245 N.W. 483, 485 (1932) [court recognizes distinction between actual residence and legal or technical residence in school residency case].

We will first consider the requirement that Tjaden and Connell be actual “residents” of the City of Medora. Title 40, N.D.C.C., does not define “resident”. Cf. § 20.1-01-02(4), N.D.C.C. [resident defined for matters involving game, fish, predators, and boating]; § 37-24-01(3), N.D.C.C. [resident defined for educational assistance to veterans]; § 37-25-02(7), N.D.C.C. [resident defined in the Vietnam Conflict Veterans’ Adjusted Compensation Act]; § 57-38-01(10), N.D.C.C. [resident defined for state income tax purposes]. Although the word “resident” may have many meanings to suit different purposes, Goodsell v. State Automobile and Casualty Under., 261 Iowa 135, 153 N.W.2d 458, 460 (1967), the word “resident” in §§ 40-08-05 and 40-13-01, N.D.C.C., is to be understood in its ordinary sense. See § 1-02-02, N.D.C.C. Webster’s Third New International Dictionary 1931 (unabr.1971) defines the word “resident” as “one who resides in a place: one who dwells in a place for a period of some duration— often distinguished from inhabitant’’. Black’s Law Dictionary 1177 (5th ed. 1979) states that the “word ‘resident’ when used as a noun, means a dweller, habitant or occupant; one who resides or dwells in a place for a period of more, or less, duration ... ”. See also Staton v. Hutchinson, 370 So.2d 106, 109 (La.Ct.App.1978). A person may have two or more actual residences, as distinguished from his single legal residence. State v. Moodie, 65 N.D. 340, 356, 258 N.W. 558, 565 (1935). Accord Walker v. Harris, 398 So.2d 955, 958 (Fla.Dist.Ct.App.1981); State v. Jones, 202 Neb. 488, 275 N.W.2d 851, 853 (1979).

In the instant case both Tjaden and Connell have two actual residences, Tjaden in Medora and in Bismarck and Connell in Medora and in Dickinson. Tjaden and Con-nell are “residents” of Medora for purposes of §§ 40-08-05 and 40-13-01, N.D.C.C., if they live, reside, or dwell in Medora. Both have living quarters in Medora where they keep personal possessions, clothing, furniture, and items of sentimental value. These living quarters are the dwelling places of Tjaden and Connell whenever they are in Medora. It is not necessary that Tjaden and Connell spend every day of the year in Medora to be “residents thereof”.

The determination of whether or not an individual is a resident is a question of fact to be reviewed according to Rule 52(a) of the North Dakota Rules of Civil Procedure: “Findings of fact shall not be set aside unless clearly erroneous, and due regard shall be given to the opportunity of the trial court to judge the credibility of the witnesses.” See generally Hoge v. Burleigh Cty. Water Management Dist., 311 N.W.2d 23, 28 (N.D.1981). We hold that the trial court’s finding was not clearly erroneous when it found that Tjaden and Connell are actual residents of the City of Medora.

We next consider the statutory requirement that Tjaden and Connell have legal residences in the City of Medora for the purpose of voting eligibility. The rules to be used to determine legal residence for voting eligibility (according to § 16.1-01-04(3), N.D.C.C.) are set forth in § 54-01-26, N.D.C.C., and provide, in pertinent part, as follows:

“1. It is the place where one remains when not called elsewhere for labor or other special or temporary purpose, and to which he returns in seasons of repose.
“2. There can be only one residence.
“3. A residence cannot be lost until another is gained.
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“7. The residence can be changed only by the union of act and intent.”

[705]*705Every person has only one legal residence, as distinguished from the possibility of several actual physical residences. See § 54-01-26, N.D.C.C.; Wehrung v. Ideal School District No. 10, 78 N.W.2d 68, 70 (N.D. 1956); Moodie, supra 258 N.W. at 563; 25 Am.Jur.2d Elections § 66. An individual does not lose his legal residency for voting eligibility solely because of temporary absences from the area. N.D. Const, art. II, § 1; City of Enderlin v. Pontiac TP., Cass County, 62 N.D. 105, 242 N.W. 117, 121 (1932); 25 Am.Jur.2d Domicil § 31.

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Dietz v. City of Medora
333 N.W.2d 702 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1983)

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Bluebook (online)
333 N.W.2d 702, 1983 N.D. LEXIS 266, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dietz-v-city-of-medora-nd-1983.