La Crosse Rendering Works, Inc. v. City of La Crosse

285 N.W. 393, 231 Wis. 438, 124 A.L.R. 511, 1939 Wisc. LEXIS 195
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedJune 6, 1939
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 285 N.W. 393 (La Crosse Rendering Works, Inc. v. City of La Crosse) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
La Crosse Rendering Works, Inc. v. City of La Crosse, 285 N.W. 393, 231 Wis. 438, 124 A.L.R. 511, 1939 Wisc. LEXIS 195 (Wis. 1939).

Opinion

The following opinion was filed April 11, 1939:

Martin, J.

Appellant’s contentions-may be briefly summarized thus:

(1) That Ordinance No. 543, enacted March 28, 1914, granted to Philip Martin and to- his successors and assigns, [445]*445the right to conduct a rendering plant in the city of La Crosse for a period of fifty years at its present site; that the right or license granted by said ordinance was accepted and acted upon by the original grantee and his assigns, and large investments having been made in reliance upon such right or license, plaintiff has acquired such vested property rights that they canriot now be interfered with;

(2) That Ordinance No. 1074, which provides for licensing rendering plants, is void;

(3) That the defendant city lacked power to enact Ordinance No. 1074, under sec. 62.11 (5), Stats., because the supervision, inspection, location, construction, and operation of all rendering plants are directly under the state board of health.

The defendants contend:

(1) That Ordinance No. 543 is not an irrevocable franchise or contract; that it created a mere permit or license which might be repealed or changed by a subsequent ordinance because the city could not abrogate its police power by contract or otherwise;

(2) That the city had the power to revoke Ordinance No. 543 as a corollary of its power to license, and that the city did not act unreasonably or arbitrarily in revoking said ordinance ;

(3) That Ordinance No. 1074 is a valid exercise of the power granted to the city;

(4) That secs. 146.11 and 146.12, Stats., granting certain powers to the state board of health regarding rendering-plants do not deprive the city of its right to prescribe and enforce additional regulations and restrictions; and

(5) That the demurrer was properly sustained as to the claim for damages.

While many contentions are made and are ably argued in the briefs of counsel, we think the main legal question involved is, whether the city of La Crosse could abrogate its police power by contract or otherwise. If the defendant city could not divest itself of its police power, then Ordinance [446]*446No. 543 granted to Philip Martin, his successors and assigns, a mere permit or license which might be revoked at any time providing the city did not act unreasonably or arbitrarily. The appellant’s contention is that by virtue of Ordinance No. 543 which was granted to Philip Martin, his successors and assigns, the rights conferred were absolute for a period of fifty years, and that because substantial investments have been made in reliance upon the assumed right or license to operate a rendering plant in the defendant city for 'such period of time, appellant now has such a vested-property right that the city is without power to license, regulate, or otherwise interfere with the operations of its plant.

One o-f the leading cases in this country relating to the exercise of the police power is Ex parte Hadacheck, 165 Cal. 416, 132 Pac. 584, and on appeal to- the supreme court of the United States reported in Hadacheck v. Los Angeles, 239 U. S. 394, 36 Sup. Ct. 143, 60 L. Ed. 348. In that case, the plaintiff in error was convicted of a misdemeanor for the violation of an ordinance of the city of Los Angeles, which made it unlawful for any person to establish or operate a brickyard or brickkiln, or any establishment, factory, or place for the manufacture or burning of brick within described limits of the city. The plaintiff in error was the owner of a tract of land within the limits described in the ordinance, upon which tract of land there was a very valuable bed of clay, of great value for the manufacture of brick of fine quality. It was alleged and not denied that the tract of land was worth about $800,000 for the manufacture of brick and worth not to exceed $60,000 for residential purposes or for any purpose other than the manufacture of brick. When the plaintiff in error purchased said tract of land it was outside the limits of the city and distant from dwellings and other habitations. The plaintiff alleged that at the time he purchased said tract of land he did not expect or believe, that the territory would be annexed to the city of Los Angeles; [447]*447that he erected expensive machinery for the manufacture of bricks of fine quality. There was a further allegation that if the ordinance be held valid, plaintiff would be compelled to entirely abandon his business and would be deprived of the use of his property. Plaintiff further alleged that his business was so conducted as not to be in any way or degree a nuisance; no noises arose therefrom, and no noxious odors, and that by the use of certain means provided and the situation of the brickyard, an extremely small amount of smoke was emitted from any kiin and what was emitted was so dissipated that it was not a nuisance in any manner detrimental to health or comfort. It further appeared that plaintiff had operated his brickyard for seven years and that no complaint had been made nor had any attempt ever been made to regulate it. The chief of police in his return denied that the ordinance was arbitrarily directed against the business of the plaintiff; also denied that the brickyard was conducted or could be conducted sanitarily or was not offensive to health. The officer’s return was supported by affidavits which set forth that the fumes, gases, smoke, soot, steam, and dust arising from plaintiff’s brickmaking plant had from time to time caused sickness and serious discomfort to those living in the vicinity. The supreme court of California sustained the ordinance as a valid exercise of the police power. In affirming the judgment the United States supreme court said at page 408:

“The court considered the business one which could be regulated and that regulation was not precluded by the fact ‘that the value of investments made in the business prior to any legislative action will be greatly diminished,’ and that no complaint could be based upon the fact that petitioner had been carrying on the trade in that locality for a long period.”

The court further said at page 409 :

“We think the conclusion of the court [supreme court of California] is justified by the evidence and makes it unneces[448]*448sary to review the many cases cited by petitioner in which it is decided that the police power of a state cannot be arbitrarily exercised. The principle is familiar, but in any given case it must plainly appear to apply. It is to be remembered that we are dealing with one of the most essential powers of government, one that is the least limitable. It may, indeed, seem harsh in its exercise, usually is on some individual, but the imperative necessity for its existence precludes any limitation upon it when not exerted arbitrarily. A vested interest cannot be asserted against it because of conditions once obtaining. Chicago & Alton R. R. v. Tranbarger, 238 U. S. 67, 78. To so hold would preclude development and fix a city forever in its primitive conditions. There must be progress, and if in its march private interests are in the way they must yield to the good of the community.” To the same effect see Reinman v. Little Rock, 237 U. S. 171

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Bluebook (online)
285 N.W. 393, 231 Wis. 438, 124 A.L.R. 511, 1939 Wisc. LEXIS 195, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/la-crosse-rendering-works-inc-v-city-of-la-crosse-wis-1939.