Judd v. Consolidated School District No. 3 of Platte County

58 S.W.2d 783, 227 Mo. App. 921, 1933 Mo. App. LEXIS 43
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 3, 1933
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 58 S.W.2d 783 (Judd v. Consolidated School District No. 3 of Platte County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Judd v. Consolidated School District No. 3 of Platte County, 58 S.W.2d 783, 227 Mo. App. 921, 1933 Mo. App. LEXIS 43 (Mo. Ct. App. 1933).

Opinion

SHAIN, P. J.

This is an action instituted by the plaintiff, the respondent herein, against the defendant, appellant herein, to recover for an alleged balance for the furnishing and installing of the heating and plumbing system for a new school building’, erected at Dearborn, Missouri.

The defendant is a consolidated school district, organized and existing under the laws of Missouri.

The facts of the ease are shown by agreed statements, by documents and by oral testimony.

*922 In the trial oonrt, this case was considered in connection with a case, wherein G. A. Rector was plaintiff and wherein this defendant was also defendant. The Rector suit is an action for alleged balance due to him as the general contractor for the erection and building of the schoolhouse, wherein this plaintiff installed heating and plumbing herein in issue. By stipulation, it is agreed that any testimony in one of these cases, that may be pertinent to the issues in the other, may be considered as evidence in the other.

The evidence discloses that in February, 1930, there was a written contract entered into between the plaintiff and the school board, wherein and whereby the installation of a heating and plumbing system was based upon a consideration of six thousand three hundred and twenty-four dollars ($6,324). It is shown, that there is an unpaid balance of two thousand twenty-eight dollars ($2,028) on this contract. There is no contention that the installment was not in compliance with the contract. A jury was waived and trial was by the judge. The plaintiff was given judgment for two thousand twenty-eight dollars ($2,028) from which the defendant duly appealed.

It appears from the record, that the Consolidated School District Number Three (3) of Platte county, Missouri, a corporation, defendant below and appellant herein, voted a bond issue to the amount of forty-two thousand five hundred dollars ($42,500) for the purchasing of a site and the erection of a building thereon. It appears that for this project, there was available the sum of two thousand dollars ($2,000) from the State for purchase of a site. It also appears, that there was available four hundred dollars ($400) from the sale of the old building.

The defendant makes the contention that the above amounts, totaling forty-four thousand nine hundred dollars ($44,900), in so far as the evidence shows, was the only available funds that could be used to pay for all that was contracted to be paid by three contracts, of which the one in controversy is one, entered into on February 6, 1930.

The contracts of said date are as follows: The Judd contract for plumbing and heating $6,324, the Rector contract, the general contract for the erection of the building, $37,750, and for the electrical wiring and appliances $2,600, which totals $46,674.

As it is shown, that the $2,000 State money purchased the site, this item can be eliminated from consideration. The evidence shows a credit item to the district, by way of interest collected on bond money, in the sum of $419. It appears, that this item of $4T9 was credited to the building fund. However, the right to so credit is controverted.

It is admitted, that an item of $770 for an electric clock is not chargeable to the building fund.

*923 From the admitted facts, the amount in what was termed the building fund, when the $2,000 for the site is eliminated, amounted to $42,900. It, therefore, appears that the three contracts amount to $3,774, in excess of the above fund.

The defendant school district is contending, based upon the above showing, that the three contracts are in excess of money available for purposes for which the contracts call for and that therefore, the contracts are null and void, because in contravention of law and contravention of section 12 of Article 10 of the Constitution.

The plaintiff, on the other hand, makes a contention that the three contracts include many items and things, other than for the purpose of a site and the erection of a building, and that therefore, these other items and things were properly payable out of other funds on hand and within the revenue provided for the year, that could be properly expended for these items and things.

It is shown that there was raised from the levy for incidentals for the year, wherein the contracts were made, the sum of $4,000 and that there was a balance in the incidental fund, at the time the levy was made. Gathered from the evidence, it can be inferred that the levy and balance on hand amounted to $5,900. There is no evidence, as to the expectancy of revenue other than some evidence comparing with other years.

The ease was tried by the judge, jury having been waived, and judgment was for the plaintiff in the sum of $2,028. The judgment and decree of the court was in words and figures as follows, to-wit:

“Wherefore, it is by the court ordered, adjudged and decreed that plaintiff have and recover judgment against the defendant in said sum of two thousand twenty-eight dollars ($2,028), to which amount said sum of one thousand eight hundred dollars sixty-four cents ($1,800.64) is chargeable against, and payable out of incidental funds of the defendant, School District, and of which said sum of two hundred twenty-seven dollars thirty-six cents ($227.36) is chargeable against, and payable out of building funds of the defendant, School District, together with plaintiff’s costs in this behalf expended, and that plaintiff have therefor execution.
“Guy B. Park, Judge.”

Appeal was duly had by the defendant and the case is properly before this court for review.

The defendant, School District, presents in its brief, under “Points and Authorities,” seven specifications of error with comment and citation of authority.

As before stated, the trial was before the court without a jury. There was no objections to any evidence offered and no declaration of law asked or given. It follows, that if upon an examination of *924 the whole record there is found anything that will sustain the judgment of the trial court, then same must be upheld.

It appears clear from the record, that the trial, court and all parties to the record proceeded upon the theory, that the validity of the contract in issue depended on the fact, as to whether or not the expenditures being made were in excess of the bond issue and revenues of the year that could be legitimately expended in payment of the consideration for the building and improvements provided for in the contract.

The seven specifications of error, presented in the appellant’s brief, all are directed to a contention that a series of three contracts, of which the one in issue is one; exceeded the limit of money available under the law, and that therefore, the contract here in issue is void. The above being true, we deem it unnecessary to here set out and discuss these seven specifications under separate heads.

The bond issue in controversy, it appears, was limited to the purchase of a site and erection of a school building. The site being paid for by the State, the $42,500 of the bond issue was left available for the building.

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58 S.W.2d 783, 227 Mo. App. 921, 1933 Mo. App. LEXIS 43, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/judd-v-consolidated-school-district-no-3-of-platte-county-moctapp-1933.