Futterman-Marott Corp. v. City of Fort Wayne

230 N.E.2d 102, 248 Ind. 503, 1967 Ind. LEXIS 475
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 4, 1967
DocketNo. 567S1
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 230 N.E.2d 102 (Futterman-Marott Corp. v. City of Fort Wayne) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Futterman-Marott Corp. v. City of Fort Wayne, 230 N.E.2d 102, 248 Ind. 503, 1967 Ind. LEXIS 475 (Ind. 1967).

Opinion

Mote, J.

Appellant brought this action below on its own behalf and on behalf of other taxpayers of the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The complaint prayed (1) for injunctive relief to prevent the defendant City of Fort Wayne from authorizing the defendant Southtown Mall, Inc. (“Southtown”) from undertaking the construction of improvements upon certain real estate acquired by Southtown from the City, (2) for injunctive relief to prevent Southtown from constructing the improvements, and (3) a judgment declaring void the transaction by which Southtown acquired the real estate from the City.

The issues were formed by Appellant’s complaint and Appellees’ answer. The complaint was in two paragraphs, the first based on the theory that the transaction between the City and Southtown constituted a wrongful disposition of municipal property, for the reason that the City could have obtained a larger consideration for the real estate from the Appellant than it obtained from Southtown. The second paragraph of the complaint charged that the City lacked authority to consúmate the transaction with Southtown because of its failure to comply with certain statutory provisions.

In effect, the defendants (Appellees) denied the material allegations of the complaint.

The cause was submitted to the trial mainly on answers to interrogatories and on motions for summary judgment filed [505]*505by each of the parties. After taking said motions under advisement, the court entered judgment as follows:

“It is therefore ordered, adjudged and decreed, that defendants’ motion for summary judgment is hereby granted and that plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment be and the same hereby is in all things overruled.
It is further ordered, adjudged and decreed, that the plaintiff take nothing by way of Count I or Count II of the complaint, and judgment is for defendants.
It is further ordered, adjudged and decreed, that defendants recover of and from plaintiff, their costs in this behalf paid, laid out and expended.”

Appellant’s Motion for New Trial or, in the Alternative, that the Judgment be Set Aside and Judgment be Entered for Plaintiff was denied. The Assignment of Errors is based upon the overruling of said Motion for New Trial and asserts that the trial court erred in overruling Appellant’s Motion for Summary Judgment; the trial court erred in granting Appellees’ Motion for Summary Judgment; the decision of the court is contrary to law; the finding of the court is not sustained by sufficient evidence; and that the finding of the court is contrary to law.

A careful examination of the record indicates that Appellee, City of Fort Wayne, owned, and there was under the control-of its Board of Park Commissioners, a tract of land consisting of 84.40- acres. On January 11, 1966, the Common Council of said City adopted an Ordinance authorizing its Board of Park Commissioners to sell said tract of real estate, sometimes called the “Mall Site,” to Southtown Mall, Inc., Appellee herein, or to parties acting on its behalf, for the sum of $230,000.00 and the free and unencumbered title to a tract of land consisting of approximately 70 acres. Upon the adoption of said Ordinance, a motion was made for reconsideration at the next meeting of said Council; on January 25, 1966, said Council refused to reconsider said Ordinance.

[506]*506.. On December 13, 1965, prior to the.time said Council adopted said Ordinance, Appellant submitted to said City, through its Board of Park Commissioners, an offer to purchase the said Mall Site for $365,000.00 cash. On January 21, 1966, Appellant submitted to the City, through its said Board of Park Commissioners, an alternative offer to purchase said Mall Site for' $260,000.00 in cash and title to certain real estate along the St. Mary’s River in Allen County, Indiana. It also proposed a second alternative purchase of said Mall Site for $300,000.00 cash and the conveyance of title to certain real estate along the Maumee River in Allen County, Indiana.

• Despite the said offer and alternative offers by Appellant, the City proceeded to convey the said Mall Site to Appellee, Southtown Mall, Inc., by warranty deed dated February 1, 1966. '

Appellant asserts in its. complaint that the sale aforesaid constituted waste and wrongful disposition in not accepting one of its offers for a greater consideration and that the said transaction was ineffective. Appellant also - asserts that the Ordinance authorizing the sale was adopted without appraisal of said Mall Site.

It is appropriate, we think, to set forth the General Ordinance of the • Common Council which, omitting the formal parts and the description of the real estate, is as follows-: .

■ “An ordinance authorizing the sale of certain real estate owned by the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Whereas, the City of Fort Wayne is the owner of certain real estate hereinafter described, which real estate is under the jurisdiction of the Board of Park Commissioners of the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and •
Whereas, it is now possible that said real estate can be sold at not less than its appraised value, said consideration to ■include cash and the receipt of a seventy (70) acre tract of land along the St. Marys River, which land is most suitablé for park purposes, and
[507]*507Whereas, such a transaction is desirable and is beneficial to the City of Fort Wayne:
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Common Council of the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana:
1. That the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana, sell and convey the following described real estate at not less than the full appraised value thereof; (detailed description)
2. That the consideration for the conveyance of the aforesaid real estate shall be paid in cash and the receipt of a 70 acre tract of land along the St. Marys River, described as follows: (detailed description)
3. That the Mayor of the City of Fort Wayne, in the name of the City, is hereby authorized to convey by Warranty Deed the hereinabove described premises owned by the Board of Park Commissioners of the City of Fort Wayne, said conveyance to contain the attestation of the City Clerk and the Seal of the City of Fort Wayne and shall be for the consideration specified in Paragraph 2 of this Ordinance; and this Ordinance shall be and constitute sufficient authority to said Mayor and City Clerk) in the premises.
4. That the Judge of the Allen Circuit Court be and he is hereby requested to appoint three (3) disinterested freeholders of the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana, to appraise the above described real estate which is proposed to be sold, with a view to the sale of the same.
5. That this Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor and due legal publication thereof.
John H. Robinson
Councilman
Read the third time in full and on motion by Robinson seconded by Tipton and duly adopted, placed on its passage. Passed by the following vote:
Ayes seven

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
230 N.E.2d 102, 248 Ind. 503, 1967 Ind. LEXIS 475, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/futterman-marott-corp-v-city-of-fort-wayne-ind-1967.