In Re Slum Clearance Between Hastings, Gratiot, De Quindre and Mullett Streets

50 N.W.2d 340, 331 Mich. 714
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 3, 1951
DocketDocket 28, Calendar 45,010
StatusPublished
Cited by37 cases

This text of 50 N.W.2d 340 (In Re Slum Clearance Between Hastings, Gratiot, De Quindre and Mullett Streets) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Slum Clearance Between Hastings, Gratiot, De Quindre and Mullett Streets, 50 N.W.2d 340, 331 Mich. 714 (Mich. 1951).

Opinion

Reid, C. J.

The petition in this matter was filed to institute condemnation proceedings to take private property for the public use or benefit, for the purpose of eliminating housing conditions detrimental to the public peace, health, safety, morals and welfare, and to aid in replanning and reconstruction of the area involved, in accordance with PA 1937, No 293, as amended (CL 1948, § 125.601 et seq. [Stat Ann 1949 Rev •§ 5.3057(1) et seq.), PA 1933 (Ex Sess), No 18, as amended (CL 1948, § 125.651 et seq. [Stat Ann 1949 Rev § 5.3011 et seq.]), with the provisions of ordinance 262-C, and title 8, chapter 1, of the charter of the city of Detroit.

*717 Prom judgment on a verdict determining the necessity for the taking of their property and award of damages, several owners of property- involved, .appeal.

A ground of appeal common to all appellants (defendants), is the order and decision of the court allowing defendants 6 peremptory challenges collectively and not 5 peremptory challenges to each defendant property owner, separately.

The proceeding was brought under the provisions of the Detroit city charter and the trial court (recorders court for the city of Detroit) followed the provisions of said charter in allowing 6 peremptory challenges to defendants collectively. The provisions of the charter in that regard are stated in title 8, ch 1, § 6, as follows:

“The city on one side and the respondents and taxpayers on the other, shall have the right to challenge peremptorily 3 persons called to serve as jurors in each such proceedings; in the discretion of the judge of said court the number of peremptory challenges may be increased to not exceeding 6 on each side.”

Defendants claim that such charter provision is void as contravening the State statute, CL 1948, § 618.40 (Stat Ann § 27.1020), which is in part as follows :

“In all civil cases each party may challenge peremptorily 5 jurors.”

Defendants cite People v. Welmer, 110 Mich 248, which, however, was a criminal case governed by a statute differing from the statute and charter provision involved in this case.

CL 1948, § 213.88 (Stat Ann § 8.60) and CL 1948, § 213.94 (Stat Ann § 8.66) are sections of PA 1883, No 124, as amended, which is an act to provide for the condemnation by cities, villages and counties of *718 private property for the use or benefit of the public,, et cetera.

“The practice and proceedings of the recorder’s court of the city of Detroit under this act, relating to the summoning and excusing of jurors and tales-men and to imposing penalties upon them for nonattendance, shall be the same as the practice and proceedings of said court relative to petit jurors for the trial of criminal cases, but no peremptory challenges shall be allowed.” CL 1948, § 213.88 (Stat Ann § 8.60).

“Cities and villages now authorized under existing-acts of incorporation, or other special acts, to take private property for public uses, may severally proceed, under the provisions of their respective local charters, or other special acts, or under the provisions of this act; and this act shall not be construed as in any way affecting or impairing the provisions of such local charters or special acts on the subject of taking privaté property for public use.” CL 1948, § 213.94 (Stat Ann § 8.66).

CL 1948, ’§ 213.76 (Stat Ann § 8.48), a section of the above-cited act, does not allow any peremptory challenges in condemnation proceedings brought under that act.

The court was not in error in limiting the defendants to 6 peremptory challenges collectively, under the charter provision. Defendants are incorrect in relying on provisions - for challenges in statutes which are not applicable in the instant proceeding.

Defendants further claim that the slum clearance condemnation proceeding is unconstitutional because the real estate, while taken for a public use, is, after objectionable buildings are razed, to be sold for redevelopment by private persons and that, considering the purposes of the condemnation as a whole, the proposed action is improper and unconstitutional, as condemning the lands of one private person to

*719 be devoted to the uses and purposes of another private person. Defendants cite Board of Health of Township of Portage v. Van Hoesen, 87 Mich 533 (14 LRA 114). In that case we held irrelevant, incongruous and void, an amendment to an act (How Stat §§ 4763-4777) which as it originally stood was an act to encourage formation of. private cemetery corporations, but the' later amendment undertook to confer on boards of health, public corporations, the power of condemnation of lands for public purposes. However, in that ease we did not say that a properly drawn, suitably entitled act, could • not be upheld which would confer on the public corporations the right to maintain condemnation of lands for the public purposes involved.

The provisions of the Detroit city charter involved in the case at bar are not subject to the objections raised in the Board of Health Case, above cited.

In Berrien Springs Water-Power Co. v. Berrien Circuit Judge, 133 Mich 48 (103 Am St Rep 438), we held, page 52, that the water power sought to be developed by condemnation, was private in its character and land cannot be condemned for the purpose of creating it. The question to he submitted-to the-condemnation authority in that case is stated on page 55 as, “Does .public necessity require that the land specified in relator’s petition shall be taken to so improve the navigability of St. Joseph river that relator can operate thereon a transportation business and can obtain thereby the water power it desires?” The question of necessity in that case embraced at one and the same time, navigability (a public use) and water power (a private use). The act authorizing a determination that public necessity ■requires a taking for private purposes, was held unconstitutional, in that (Water-Power Co.) case.

In General Development Corp. v. City of Detroit, 1322 Mich 495, a suit instituted by a taxpayer, we held *720 slum clearance to be a public purpose, and held to have been properly dismissed a taxpayer’s bill which failed to show how the taxpayer would be-prejudiced by a subsequent sale of the lands (after clearance). But in contradistinction to a case involving interests of a taxpayer, who shall pay less taxes because of the subsequent sqle of the land and deduction from the general fund necessary to be raised for the slum clearance, in the case at bar, on the objection of owners of lands sought to be condemned, we are called upon to decide whether the provision authorizing a sale subsequent to clearance-is a commingling- and combination of a private purpose with a public purpose.

It seems to us that the public purpose of slum clearance is in any event the one controlling purpose of the condemnation.

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Bluebook (online)
50 N.W.2d 340, 331 Mich. 714, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-slum-clearance-between-hastings-gratiot-de-quindre-and-mullett-mich-1951.