Maki v. City of East Tawas

170 N.W.2d 530, 18 Mich. App. 109
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 10, 1970
DocketDocket 5,030, 5,371
StatusPublished
Cited by33 cases

This text of 170 N.W.2d 530 (Maki v. City of East Tawas) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Maki v. City of East Tawas, 170 N.W.2d 530, 18 Mich. App. 109 (Mich. Ct. App. 1970).

Opinions

Danhof, J.

Plaintiff1 sued defendant, city of East Tawas, for damages arising from the loss of an eye resulting from an explosion while he was at the East Tawas municipal dump on December 4, 1965. The claim was originally based upon negligence, but additional counts of gross negligence and nuisance were later added. The defendant filed a motion for an accelerated judgment asserting that PA 1964, No 170, § 7 (MCLA § 691.1407 [Stat Ann 1969 Cum Supp § 3.996(107)]), relative to governmental immunity, bars the cause of action. The circuit judge denied the defendant’s motion stating that the aforesaid § 7 was unconstitutional as it did not fall within the object embraced in the title of the act and, therefore, defendant was not immune from such suit. The case proceeded to a jury trial solely on the theory of nuisance, after plaintiff voluntarily struck his allegations of negligence and gross negligence from the complaint, and a verdict was rendered in favor of plaintiff in the amount [114]*114of $12,500, plus costs. From this judgment defendant appealed, alleging the trial court erred in ruling that defendant was not immune from suit. In addition, the plaintiff filed a motion for a new trial alleging the verdict was grossly inadequate and from the denial of his motion, the plaintiff appealed. Subsequently, the two appeals were consolidated.

On appeal, the first question to he answered is whether plaintiff’s nuisance suit was well-founded. The city argues that plaintiff’s cause of action was founded upon nothing more than negligence in the operation of its dump, and that such cause of action was barred by PA 1964, No 170, § 7.

In support of this position defendant points out that plaintiff initially claimed ordinary negligence in his complaint, then by amendment added gross negligence and nuisance, later voluntarily abandoning- the negligence theories and proceeding to trial on a nuisance theory only — all without change in the allegations.

As authority the defendant cites Royston v. City of Charlotte (1936), 278 Mich 255, 260, where the court enunciates the following legal proposition:

“Acts in the discharge of governmental functions which create a nuisance per se do not come within the immunity otherwise accorded. Want of care in maintenance, however, presents the question of negligence only, and not that of a public nuisance, which must rest on inherent danger even under the best of care.”

Since the Royston Case, supra, we have the case of Denny v. Garavaglia (1952), 333 Mich 317, which clearly recognizes three categories of nuisance, the last one based on negligence. At p 331 the Court quoted from Beckwith v. Town of Stratford (1942), 129 Conn 506 (29 A2d 775), wherein the court had [115]*115occasion to discuss the elements constituting nuisances. The quotation follows:

“ ‘Apart from nuisances which have their origin in accident, nuisances resulting in personal injury fall into three general classes. Beven, Negligence (4th ed), p 426, note. One class includes nuisances which result from conduct which is in itself a violation of law, and as to them it has been held on high authority that contributory negligence is not a defense, Delaney v. Philhern Realty Holding Corporation (1939), 280 NY 461, 465 (21 NE2d 507); but with such nuisances we have no concern in this case. A second includes nuisances which are intentional, using that word as meaning not that a wrong or the existence of a nuisance was intended but that the creator of them intended to bring about the conditions which are in fact found to be a nuisance. The other class includes nuisances which have their origin in negligence, which in its essence is an absence of care. Nuisances falling in the second class are those which we characterize as absolute and against which contributory negligence is not a defense. To hold that contributory negligence should not be a defense as regards them and should be as to the last class of nuisances rests upon the essential difference in the nature of the wrong committed. Negligence consists in a failure to exercise due care, and to a nuisance grounded on negligence, contributory negligence is for that reason an appropriate defense. Winfield, Torts, p 501. Where, however, the essence of the wrong is conduct which is intentional, in the sense in which we have used that word, that conduct goes beyond a mere lack of proper care, and there is not the same balance of obligation between the duty of one person to guard another from an injury from such a lack and the duty of the other not to fail to exercise a like care in his own protection. See Bohlen, Studies in the Law of Torts, p 527. The fact that contributory negligence is not a defense as against reckless mis[116]*116conduct presents a somewhat analogous situation.’ ” (Citations omitted.)

The Court in the Denny Case then held:

“The record supports the finding of the trial court that the nuisance was created through acts of negligence on the part of Garavaglia.”

Again in the case of Dahl v. Glover (1956), 344 Mich 639, 644, 645, the Court recognized that a nuisance might have its origin in negligence for the Court said:

“We are not in accord with appellant’s claim that the court erred in charging the jury that they might find the maintaining of a nuisance created by negligence; or that the court ‘improperly injected [the question of negligence] into the case.’ The court charged the jury that a nuisance might have its origin in negligence, and charged that if the jury so found, contributory negligence would be a good defense which the jury must consider.
“The charge as a whole was proper. Denny v. Garavaglia (1952), 333 Mich 317; Brown v. Nichols (1953), 337 Mich 684.”

Also, in the case Young v. Groenendal (1968) 10 Mich App 112, the general rule that contributory negligence is available as a defense to an action based on a nuisance where the nuisance is caused by negligent conduct was recognized. The Court said:

“The Supreme Court of Michigan has stated that as a general rule contributory negligence is available as a defense to an action based on a nuisance where the nuisance is caused by negligent conduct. Denny v. Garavaglia (1952), 333 Mich 317. The rule is contra by the established weight of authority when there is a ‘classic’ or ‘standard’ or ‘absolute’ nuisance involved. See 73 ALR2d 1381. The latter [117]*117type nuisance arises when one so uses his land as to cause unreasonable interference with the use and enjoyment of the land of another. The classic nuisance is not in question here because there are no conflicting real property interests being asserted.
“Whether the source of a nuisance action is really negligence requires attentiveness to all the facts of the action. In Dahl v. Glover (1956), 344 Mich 639, the Supreme Court, relying on Denny v. Garavaglia, supra, held that a jury charge on contributory negligence as a defense to be considered by the jury was proper although plaintiff, at the close of her evidence, withdrew her count in negligence and relied solely on her count in nuisance. In the instant case,

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Bluebook (online)
170 N.W.2d 530, 18 Mich. App. 109, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/maki-v-city-of-east-tawas-michctapp-1970.