Hamblin v. City of Clearfield

795 P.2d 1133, 139 Utah Adv. Rep. 3, 1990 Utah LEXIS 57, 1990 WL 101693
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 18, 1990
Docket860289
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 795 P.2d 1133 (Hamblin v. City of Clearfield) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hamblin v. City of Clearfield, 795 P.2d 1133, 139 Utah Adv. Rep. 3, 1990 Utah LEXIS 57, 1990 WL 101693 (Utah 1990).

Opinion

ZIMMERMAN, Justice:

Plaintiffs Rick and Cherlynn Hamblin appeal from a summary judgment that dismissed their action against the City of Clearfield. The Hamblins initiated this suit in April of 1985 to recover cleanup costs and compensation for flood damage to their home. This flooding was allegedly caused by changes in surface water drainage that resulted from the construction of a nearby subdivision authorized by the City, as well as from inadequate measures undertaken by the City to handle the changes in drainage. The district court granted the City summary judgment and ordered the suit dismissed with prejudice. It reasoned that the governmental immunity provisions of the Utah Code barred the action. It also concluded'that the “taking or damaging” provision of the Utah Constitution, article I, section 22, did not provide the Hamblins with an independent cause of action against the City. We reverse and remand for further proceedings.

*1134 Since this is an appeal from a grant of summary judgment, we recite the facts in a light most favorable to the party against whom the judgment was entered. Branam v. Provo School Dist., 780 P.2d 810, 810 (Utah 1989); Zions First Nat’l Bank v. Clark Clinic Corp., 762 P.2d 1090, 1092 (Utah 1988). ■ The Hamblins reside in Clear-field, Utah, in a home they bought in 1975. In 1978 or 1979, construction began on a new subdivision near the Hamblins’ home. In approving the subdivision plan, the City authorized the elevation and regrading of the property. The City also authorized the construction of a storm system that channels water draining from the subdivision to a point in front of and uphill from the Hamblins’ home. As a result of these improvements, the natural drainage pattern was altered so that all surface water draining from the subdivision flows toward the Hamblins’ property.

In May of 1981, following a heavy rain, the Hamblins’ property was flooded by runoff from the subdivision. This was the first time the property had been flooded since the Hamblins purchased the home in 1975. The City rebuilt the intersection in front of the Hamblins’ home sometime in 1981 and enlarged the catch basin uphill from their property in November of 1983, but these efforts have not alleviated the problem. The Hamblins’ property continues to be flooded during heavy rains. Other homes in the area have not experienced similar flooding.

From the date of the first flooding through October of. 1984, the City reimbursed the Hamblins for all cleanup expenses they incurred as a result of the periodic floodings. In October of 1984, the City ceased making reimbursement. It has never reimbursed the Hamblins for the permanent damage and decrease in market value they claim by reason of the physical harm to the property.

The Hamblins filed suit against the City in April of 1985. They alleged that their property had been damaged by an improperly designed and constructed drainage system for which the City was responsible. The City responded with a motion for summary judgment. It asserted that the Hamblins’ action was barred by the governmental immunity provisions of the Utah Code. In particular, it argued that the 1984 amendment to section 63-30-3 of the code 1 conferred absolute immunity from suit for harm resulting from “[t]he management of flood waters ... and the construction, repair, and operation of flood and storm systems by governmental entities” and that this amendment should be applied retroactively to give the City absolute immunity from all harms complained of by the Hamblins. Utah Code Ann. § 63-30-3 (1986).

The district court granted the City's motion for summary judgment in December of 1986. It first ruled that it was not necessary to determine whether the 1984 amendment to section 63-30-3 should be applied retroactively because the City had paid all of the Hamblins’ damage claims through October of 1984, a date after the effective date of the 1984 amendment. The court also held that the payment of the cleanup expense claims by the City did not estop it from contending that section 63-30-3 barred the Hamblins’ action. Finally, the court stated that section 63-30-3 did bar the Hamblins’ action, although it did not explain this conclusion.

*1135 In their initial complaint, the Hamblins had not alleged that the uncompensated damaging of their property was a taking or damaging in violation of article I, section 22 of the Utah Constitution. However, they raised this issue in their memorandum in opposition to the City’s first motion for summary judgment. Apparently in response to this argument, the district court, after holding that the claims stated in the initial complaint were barred by section 63-30-3, permitted the Hamblins to amend their complaint to add a claim under article 1, section 22 of the Utah Constitution. 2 The City filed a second motion for summary judgment, which the district court then granted. It held that article I, section 22 was not self-executing and that the Hamb-lins could not seek damages for its violation because the legislature had not authorized such an action. In granting this second motion for summary judgment, the district court restated its earlier ruling that the 1984 amendment to section 63-30-3 barred the Hamblins’ claim and, for the first time, held that section 63-30-3 was to be applied retroactively. 3

Before addressing the Hamblins’ arguments, we note that summary judgment is appropriate only when no genuine issue of material fact exists and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Utah R.Civ.P. 56(c); Utah State Coalition of Senior Citizens v. Utah Power and Light Co., 776 P.2d 632, 634 (Utah 1989); Ron Case Roofing & Asphalt Paving, Inc. v. Blomquist, 773 P.2d 1382, 1385 (Utah 1989). In determining whether the lower court correctly found that there was no genuine issue of material fact, we view the facts and inferences to be drawn therefrom in the light most favorable to the losing party. Ron Case, 773 P.2d at 1385. And in deciding whether the trial court properly granted judgment as a matter of law to the prevailing party, we review the trial court’s decision on legal questions for correctness. CECO Corp. v. Concrete Specialists, Inc., 772 P.2d 967, 969 (Utah 1989); Mountain Fuel Supply Co. v. Salt Lake City Corp., 752 P.2d 884, 887 (Utah 1988); Kimball v. Campbell, 699 P.2d 714, 716 (Utah 1985).

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Bluebook (online)
795 P.2d 1133, 139 Utah Adv. Rep. 3, 1990 Utah LEXIS 57, 1990 WL 101693, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hamblin-v-city-of-clearfield-utah-1990.