Kapsos v. City of Milwaukee

450 F. Supp. 172, 1978 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17957
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Wisconsin
DecidedMay 4, 1978
DocketNo. 77-C-642
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 450 F. Supp. 172 (Kapsos v. City of Milwaukee) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kapsos v. City of Milwaukee, 450 F. Supp. 172, 1978 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17957 (E.D. Wis. 1978).

Opinion

DECISION and ORDER

MYRON L. GORDON, District Judge.

The plaintiffs have filed a motion for a preliminary injunction. The defendants have filed motions to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted and, as to the defendants city of Milwaukee and board of zoning appeals, to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. In addition, the defendant Donald O’Connell has filed a motion to dismiss to which the plaintiffs are not opposed. The plaintiffs’ motion will be denied, and the defendants’ motions, except for the unopposed motion of Donald O’Connell, will also be denied.

This is an action for damages and injunctive relief pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1343 and 42 U.S.C. §§ 1983, 1985, and 1986, by the owners of a tavern against the city of Milwaukee, present and former aldermen of the city, and the city of Milwau[174]*174kee board of zoning appeals, claiming constitutional deprivations in connection with the defendants’ decision to deny the plaintiffs a renewal of the liquor license for their tavern.

THE MOTIONS TO DISMISS FOR LACK OF SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION

The defendants city and board of zoning appeals argue that they should be dismissed from the action because they are not “persons” within the meaning of 42 U.S.C. § 1983. City of Kenosha v. Bruno, 412 U.S. 507, 93 S.Ct. 2222, 37 L.Ed.2d 109 (1973).

The plaintiffs argue that they do not rely on § 1983 for their claim against the city and the board. Instead, they rely on federal question jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1331 and claim liability based on violations of the equal protection and due process requirements of the Fourteenth Amendment.

I have previously ruled that subject matter jurisdiction may be acquired over a municipality alleged to have deprived a tavern owner of due process in connection with the nonrenewal of a liquor license provided the jurisdictional requirements of 28 U.S.C. § 1331 are met. Barrette v. City of Marinette, case no. 77-C-433 (decision and order dated July 22, 1977); see also Barrette v. City of Marinette, 440 F.Supp. 1277, 1278 (E.D.Wis.1977). The defendants have not responded to the plaintiffs’ allegations that the jurisdictional prerequisites for acquiring subject matter jurisdiction over the city and board pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331 have been properly pleaded. Accordingly, the motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction over these two defendants will be denied.

THE MOTION TO DISMISS FOR FAILURE TO STATE A CLAIM UPON WHICH RELIEF MAY BE GRANTED

In support of their motion to dismiss, the defendants rely on a decision of the circuit court for Milwaukee County affirming a decision of the board of zoning appeals; the board had denied the plaintiff an occupancy permit for the tavern premises in question. The defendants do not suggest the significance of the state court’s decision to the issues before this court. If the decision is cited to establish the fact that the requirements of state law have been met, this fact may be taken as established. However, I find no indication in the state court’s decision that the constitutional issues raised in this action were considered or resolved. I therefore find that the decision of the state court alone does not require the dismissal of this action.

THE PLAINTIFFS’.MOTION FOR A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION

The plaintiffs have filed a motion for a preliminary injunction supported by affidavits, exhibits and a brief. The defendants have not filed any material in response, but their motion to dismiss clearly evidences the defendants’ opposition to the plaintiffs’ motion. From the record, most of which is established by the plaintiffs’ affidavits, there are recited below what now appear to be the facts of this case.

Until the events complained of in this action, the premises owned by the plaintiffs had been occupied by a licensed tavern since 1936. In 1945, the area in which the premises are located was rezoned from local business to residential. Since that time, a tavern has been allowed to exist on the property as a legal nonconforming use. In early 1974, the premises were substantially damaged by fire. The plaintiffs offered to purchase the premises in the damaged condition subject to their obtaining a liquor license to operate a tavern at that location. The plaintiffs assert that they requested and received assurances from the office of the city clerk and the department of building inspection that the property could be renovated, restored and relicensed for operation as a tavern.

In May, 1974, the plaintiffs purchased the premises for $26,000. On June 28,1974, one of the plaintiffs obtained a liquor license for the tavern. The plaintiffs thereupon [175]*175invested approximately $85,000 for rebuilding and renovating the premises.

The tavern opened for business in mid-April, 1975. The youthful clientele who patronized the tavern brought an increase in traffic, parked cars, and noise to the neighborhood. When the license came up for renewal before the utilities and licenses committee on June 6, 1975, several neighbors of the tavern objected to renewal of the license. Nevertheless, the committee recommended that the license be renewed, and the city common council voted for renewal on June 17,1975. However, on June 26, 1975, upon the motion of the neighborhood alderman, Robert Kordus, the matter of the plaintiffs’ license was referred back to the committee meeting scheduled for June 30, 1975.

At 5:00 on Friday afternoon, June 27, 1975, one of the plaintiffs was served with notice of a hearing for reconsideration of the tavern license scheduled for the following Monday morning, June 30, at 10:30 A.M. The notice stated that the plaintiffs had the right to have an attorney present. The plaintiffs did not engage an attorney for the Monday meeting, but they appeared at the Monday hearing in person and made statements before the committee. Several neighbors also appeared and gave statements. In addition, the committee received written statements prepared by other neighbors not in attendance. The plaintiffs made no rebuttal presentation and did not cross examine any of the neighbors who gave statements.

After hearing the arguments of the plaintiffs and the neighbors, the committee unanimously passed a motion that the renewal application be held in committee until the plaintiffs submitted a plan for committee approval which would meet the neighbors’ objections.

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Related

Kapsos v. City of Milwaukee
588 F.2d 838 (Seventh Circuit, 1978)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
450 F. Supp. 172, 1978 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17957, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kapsos-v-city-of-milwaukee-wied-1978.