Koons v. Cluggish

34 N.E. 651, 8 Ind. App. 232, 1893 Ind. App. LEXIS 58
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 23, 1893
DocketNo. 699
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 34 N.E. 651 (Koons v. Cluggish) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Koons v. Cluggish, 34 N.E. 651, 8 Ind. App. 232, 1893 Ind. App. LEXIS 58 (Ind. Ct. App. 1893).

Opinion

Davis, J.

In and prior to April, 1891, the appellant was the owner of a parcel of land containing one acre situate in the town of Mooreland, Henry county, Indiana. The street on which said real estate fronts, was improved during that year by appellees as contractors, under order of the board of trustees of said town. The assessment against appellant’s real estate, on account of said improvement, amounted to $61.56. The description indicates that the real estate was unplatted and extended back more than one hundred and fifty feet.

We have not deemed it necessary to set out the substance of the averments in the complaint. Suffice it to say the theory of the complaint is that, by reason of the improvement of the street, under the provisions of the act of 1869, appellees acquired a lien on all of said real estate, and that they were entitled to a foreclosure of the lien against the real estate, and to personal judgment against appellant.

It is not necessary to consider or discuss, at this time, the question whether appellees, under the act of 1869, were entitled to personal judgment. The record discloses that there was no foreclosure of the lien, and that personal judgment was rendered against appellant for the amount of the assessment. This appears to have been done without objection or exception.

The first error discussed by counsel, is that the court below erred in overruling appellant’s demurrer to the complaint.

The main and controlling question which is presented by this assignment, for our consideration, is whether the act in force April 27th, 1869, in relation to the improvement of streets in towns, was repealed by implication by the act providing for the improvement of streets in cities and towns approved March 8th, 1889, p. 237.

It is conceded, by counsel for appellees, that the street [234]*234improvement, which forms the basis of this action, was made under the act of 1869. Sections 3364, 3365 and 3366, R. S. 1881.

If that act was repealed by implication, by the act of 1889, the complaint is insufficient. Elliott’s Supp., sections 812 to 822, inclusive.

The act of 1889 covers the whole subject-matter of the former law, as will be seen by a comparison of the two acts. The act of 1869 required a petition by “a majority of all the resident owners,” etc. Section 3364, supra.

The act of 1889 requires a petition by the resident “owners of two-thirds,” etc. Section 812, supra.

Under the act of 1869 the lien of the assessment attached to the entire lot or tract fronting on the street, whether platted or not. Section 3365, supra.

On the failure to pay such assessment it was provided, in the language of the act, that the contractor “may immediately, by suit in any court of competent jurisdiction, recover against such owners of lots or parcels of land the amount of such estimate,” and further provides for the sale of such lot or tract on the judgment. Section 3366, supra.

Under the act of 1889, the lien attaches to the lots or land fronting on the street, but as to the improvement “along or through any unplatted land” the lien extends “back to the distance of one hundred and fifty feet from such front line” only. Section 814, supra.

Under the act of 1869 there was no lien in favor of the town. The lien was in favor of the contractor alone. Section 3366, supra.

Under the act of 1889 the lien is in favor of the “incorporated town and contractor.” Section 814, supra.

The owner may pay the whole or any part of the assessment when the improvement is completed, or, on fail[235]*235ure so to do, the amount so assessed is placed on the tax duplicate. Section 818, supra.

The town may pay for the improvement, or any part of it, out of the general revenue of the town. Section 816, supra.

Or, the town may issue certificates to the contractor, who may foreclose the lien and collect the assessment. Sections 814 and 820, supra.

It will be observed that the act of 1889 is more comprehensive than the act of 1869. The act of 1869 does not provide for any notice in relation to either the petition, improvements or assessment, except “advertising to receive proposals” for the performance of the work. Section 3364, supra.

The act of 1889 provides for notice to the property-owners, in certain contingencies at least, before the improvement is made, and also for another notice, in all cases, after the completion of the work and before the assessment is made. Sections 813, 818, Elliott’s Supp.; Acts 1891, p. 323, section 2. See McEneney v. Town of Sullivan, 125 Ind. 407; De Puy v. City of Wabash, 133 Ind. 336, 32 N. E. Rep. 1016.

The title of the act of 1889 contains, among other things, the following: “And repealing all conflicting laws.”

The only act prior thereto on the subject of improvement of streets in towns was the act of 1869. This is the only law which could have been in conflict, in any respect, as to improvement of streets in towns, with the act of 1889. The Legislature evidently intended the act of 1889 as a substitute for the act of 1869. The provisions of the two acts are, in some respects, as indicated in the foregoing partial review, inconsistent and repugnant. While the new statute, as before stated, covers the same subject-matter as the older statute, and is more [236]*236specific and comprehensive, the provisions in the later act which are inconsistent with or different from the provisions of the former act, can not, in our opinion, be so reconciled as to permit both to stand.

In this connection, the statement of Judge Coeeey is applicable: “Underlying all the rules for the construction of statutes is the cardinal and general one, that in construing a statute the court will seek to discover and carry out the intention of the Legislature in its enactment. In the search for that intention, the court will look to each and every part of the statute; to the circumstances under which it was enacted; to the old law upon the subject, if any; to the other statutes upon the same subject or relative subjects, whether in force or repealed; to contemporaneous legislative history, and to the evils and mischiefs to be remedied.” Barber, etc., v. Edgerton, 125 Ind. 455.

Also, we quote the pertinent language of Judge Niblack, in another case: “It is true, as insisted, that repeals by implication are not favored in the construction of statutes. * * * It is, nevertheless, a well-recognized rule of statutory construction,that where a new statute covers the subject-matter of an older statute, and contains some provision or provisions inconsistent with, or different from it, the new statute operates as an implied repeal of the older one.” Crowell v. Jaqua, 114 Ind. 246.

The rule is thus stated in Water Works Co. v. Burkhart, 41 Ind. 364 (383): “It must appear that the subsequent statute revised the whole subject-matter of the former one, and was evidently intended as a substitute for it, or that it was repugnant to the old law. In other words, it must appear that it was the intention of the law makers to repeal the former law. When that [237]*237appears, the will of the law makers is just as manifest as if it had been shown by express words.” •

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Related

City of Indianapolis v. Dillon
6 N.E.2d 966 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1937)
Harless v. Consumers' Gas Trust Co.
43 N.E. 456 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1896)
Cluggish v. Koons
43 N.E. 158 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1896)
State ex rel. McKinney v. Souder
41 N.E. 468 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1895)
Allen v. Town of Salem
38 N.E. 425 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1894)

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Bluebook (online)
34 N.E. 651, 8 Ind. App. 232, 1893 Ind. App. LEXIS 58, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/koons-v-cluggish-indctapp-1893.