Gallagher v. City of Clinton

221 N.E.2d 350, 247 Ind. 668, 1966 Ind. LEXIS 426
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 18, 1966
DocketNo. 30,936
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 221 N.E.2d 350 (Gallagher v. City of Clinton) 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
Gallagher v. City of Clinton, 221 N.E.2d 350, 247 Ind. 668, 1966 Ind. LEXIS 426 (Ind. 1966).

Opinions

Myers, J.

This was an action brought by a former City Attorney of Clinton, Indiana, a city of the fifth class, for fees allegedly due and unpaid. There was a fourth amended complaint filed to which a demurrer was filed on the ground that the complaint did not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action. It was sustained by the trial court. Plaintiff refused to plead over and appealed to the Appellate Court of Indiana. That court reversed the decision of the trial court and remanded the cause back for trial on the merits after ordering the demurrer to be overruled. See Gallagher v. City of Clinton (1965), 207 N. E. 2d 647. We have accepted a petition to transfer the cause to this court, pursuant to Burns’ Ind. Stat., § 4-215, 1946 Replacement.

[670]*670At the time this case arose, appellant-plaintiff was the City-Attorney for the City of Clinton. The pertinent allegations of the complaint are as follows:

(First Paragraph — rhetorical paragraphs 3-7)
“3. That from a time prior to January, 1961, until on or about July 24, 1961, the Board of Public Works and Safety of the defendant, City of Clinton, consisted of plaintiff herein City Attorney, the defendant John W. Goldner, Mayor of the defendant City, and the defendant Conrad Kite; and by resolution of said Board of Public Works and Safety duly adopted by said Board on or about May 15, 1961, and signed by each of the members thereof with the defendant Mayor of said City approving said resolution, a copy of which said resolution is attached as Exhibit A of the complaint, attorney fees of Ten Thousand Three Hundred Dollars ($10,300.00) were determined by said Board to be paid for legal services, which said legal services other than governmental had been and were to be performed by plaintiff in connection with the said City arranging for a proposed revenue bond issue to finance proposed extensions and additions to the City Municipal Water Works.
“4. That the Common Council of said City at its special meeting held May 17, 1961, approved the determination of the Board of Works in determining the amount to be paid for said legal services other than for bond approving counsel, by the adoption of Special Ordinance No. 2, by unanimous vote at said meeting at which all councilmen were present, which Special Ordinance No. 2 provides in part as follows:
“ ‘The proceedings had and actions taken by the Board of Public Works and Safety in and about the employment of engineers, accountants and attorneys in the preparation of plans, specifications and estimates, and advertising for and receipt of construction bids, and the award of tentative contracts for construction, are hereby ratified, confirmed and approved.’
“5. That the plaintiff, as the City Attorney of the defendant City, and at the specific request of the defendant Mayor thereof from time to time during the period from January 1, 1961, to July 24, 1961, performed legal services other than governmental in behalf of the defendant City, such as were contemplated by, and for which the said Board [671]*671of Public Works and Safety had determined and agreed to pay attorney fees of Ten Thousand Three Hundred Dollars ($10,300.00) in the resolution, Exhibit A hereof, and which said legal services other than governmental were necessary and were required in connection with the causing to be prepared of the plans and specifications and estimates, and the advertising for and receipt of construction bids and the award of tentative contracts for the construction of said proposed water works improvements and additions, and in connection with the proceedings incident thereto, and the proposed bond issue by which said improvements and additions to be made were to be financed and which said legal services other than governmental provided by plaintiff were in addition to and other than the services performed by the said Ross, McCord, Ice & Miller, of Indianapolis, Indiana, referred to as bond counsel in said resolution, Exhibit A hereof, for which the Board of Public Works & Safety had made specific provisions to supplement the legal services available in the legal department of said City in connection with the arrangements for the financing of said proposed water works, improvements and additions.
“6. All of said legal services, for which the defendant City of Clinton, by its Board of Public Works and Safety with the approval and confirmation of its Mayor and Common Council determined the amount to be paid as aforesaid, have been fully performed by said plaintiff and neither the defendant City nor the defendant Mayor, nor the defendant members of said Board of Public Works and Safety have rescinded, modified or terminated said resolution and determination to pay plaintiff for said legal services other than those performed by the said Ross, McCord, Ice & Miller in connection with the arranging for the issuance of the revenue bonds and for the construction of the extensions and additions to the City Municipal Water Works, all of which plaintiff has fully performed.
“7. That there is due and owing by defendant City to plaintiff the sum of Ten Thousand Three Hundred Dollars ($10,300.00) pursuant to and under said resolution of the Board of Public Works and Safety of defendant City approved by its Mayor and Common Council for said services plaintiff rendered pursuant thereto other than governmental for said City in connection with the operation by the said City under the control of its Board of Public Works and Safety of the municipally owned water works utility of said City, all as hereinabove specified and that said sum is due and owing and is just, reasonable and unpaid.”
[672]*672(Second Paragraph — rhetorical paragraph 7 and prayer)
“7. That there is due and owing by the said City to plaintiff the sum of Ten Thousand Three Hundred Dollars ($10,300.00) as reasonable compensation for the value received by the said City for the legal services rendered by plaintiff to the said City pursuant to and under employment of plaintiff by the said Board of Public Works and Safety at the instance and request of and approved by the Mayor thereof and the Common Council of said City, all of which said sum is due and owing from the defendant City to plaintiff and is unpaid.
“WHEREFORE, plaintiff demands judgment against defendants in the amount of Ten Thousand Three Hundred Dollars ($10,300.00) together with costs and all other proper relief in the premises.”

Exhibit A of the complaint was a copy of the resolution by the Board of Public Works and Safety and reads as follows:

“RESOLUTION OF BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS AND SAFETY CLINTON, INDIANA
“WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works and Safety of the City of Clinton, Indiana, has heretofore received bids on the proposed waterworks extensions and additions which have been under consideration for some time, and on the basis of the lowest and best bids received and estimates of other expenses made by the consulting engineers, the total cost of said extensions and additions, including all incidental expenses to be incurred in connection therewith, has been determined to be Four Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($425,000.00), itemized as follows:
“Construction
Construction Cost $355,977.56

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Related

Gallagher v. City of Clinton
221 N.E.2d 350 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1966)

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Bluebook (online)
221 N.E.2d 350, 247 Ind. 668, 1966 Ind. LEXIS 426, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gallagher-v-city-of-clinton-ind-1966.