Mill v. City of Denison

25 N.W.2d 323, 237 Iowa 1335, 1946 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 378
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedDecember 17, 1946
DocketNo. 46940.
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 25 N.W.2d 323 (Mill v. City of Denison) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mill v. City of Denison, 25 N.W.2d 323, 237 Iowa 1335, 1946 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 378 (iowa 1946).

Opinion

Oliver, J.

September 38, 1944, the council of the City of Denison, Iowa, duly adopted a resolution reciting that to meet 1he public need it is deemed advisable for said city to acquire real estate and personal property for airport purposes and to submit- to the voters the proposition of authorizing a special tax and bond issue for the purpose of acquiring and equipping a municipal airport, all as provided by chapter 303.1, Code of 1939, as amended (now chapter 330, Code of 1946), and ordering a special election th-erefor. The election was held, the proposition carried, and the council employed an engineering company to draw master plans and survey for a municipal airport. Said plans and specifications, which included a plat and the legal description of the real estate required, were approved by the Iowa State Commerce Commission February 15, 1945. (Cbap *1337 ter 330, Code of 1946, transfers such powers and duties to Iowa State Aeronautics Commission.)

The first-stage development of the master plans called for the acquisition of approximately 185 acres of land therein described, including the 96.33 acres here involved, owned by Laura M. Peters. About May 25, 1945, the city filed with the sheriff of Crawford county application for condemnation of said 96.33 acres in the manner and form provided by chapter 472, Code of 1946 (chapter 366, Code of 1939). June 19, 1945, the condemnation commission assessed Laura Peters’ damage at $13,861.30. June 25th, the city council by yea-and-nay votes adopted a motion accepting said appraisal, instructing the clerk to draw a warrant for said amount payable to Laura Peters and deposit the same with the sheriff (which was done), and that the city take possession of said land at once, and another motion directing the making of a crop lease with Frank Lingle upon the same terms as Lingle’s lease with Laura Peters. July 18th, Laura Peters appealed to the district court from the assessment of damages made by the commissioners.

About August 17, 1945, plaintiff, as a citizen and taxpayer of the city, instituted this action in equity, alleging the condemnation was invalid because of certain procedural errors and omissions of the city council and also in the condemnation proceedings, praying that the city be decreed without power to acquire said land as an airport, that the condemnation proceedings be declared void and the city be enjoined from proceeding further with said effort to acquire said real estate, and that Laura Peters be enjoined from accepting the payment deposited with the sheriff by the city and the same be returned to such city.

Laura Peters answered, admitting the allegations of plaintiff’s petition and praying that the relief therein sought be granted. Shortly thereafter Laura Peters filed a petition in her condemnation appeal, one division of which contained substantially the same allegations, and sought the same relief as that demanded by plaintiff in this action. January 16, 1946, Laura Peters dismissed her condemnation appeal.

Thereafter this cause was tried to the court and judgment was entered dismissing plaintiff’s petition. From said judgment plaintiff has appealed. Laura Peters has not appealed.

*1338 I. Frank Lingle was occupying the condemned land under a five-year lease from Laura Peters. In the condemnation proceedings a “Notice of Assessment" in the form prescribed by sections 472.8 and 472.9, Code of 1946 (sections 7829 and 7830, Code of 1939) was addressed to and served upon Laura Peters and Lingle. Lingle appeared, by attorney, before the condemnation commissioners when they were viewing the premises and appraising the damages. The commissioners considered Lingle’s claim'but allowed him no damages. He did not appeal therefrom. He- was not a party in the case at bar.

Appellant contends the condemnation proceedings were defective because Lingle was not listed as a “record owner" of the land in the application for condemnation filed with the sheriff, as directed by section 472.3, Code of 1946 (section 7824, Code of 1939). Des Moines Wet Wash Laundry v. City of Des Moines, 197 Iowa 1082, 1085, 198 N. W. 486, 488, 34 A. L. R. 1517, states:

“A-tenant for years is the owner of an estate, and is entitled to compensation for an injury done in taking his property for public uses. ”

In this case, however, Lingle’s lease was not recorded in the real-estate records. Therefore he was not a “record owner” and the failure to list him in the application was not a deviation from the statutory requirement.

Moreover, the listing in the application for condemnation of the names of all the record owners of the property 'affected is not a jurisdictional requirement. Ellsworth & Jones v. Chicago & I. W. R. Co., 91 Iowa 386, 388, 59 N. W. 78, holds that one who, in response to an insufficient notice by publication, not addressed to him by name, appears at the assessment or appeals therefrom, will be regarded as a party to the assessment proceedings. In Eggleston v. Town of Aurora, 233 Iowa 559, 10 N. W. 2d 104, it was held the district court upon appeal had jurisdiction to bring in and fix the compensation due the oivner of an equitable interest in the real estate, who had not been made a party to the original condemnation proceedings, and that the rights of such owner were not jeopardized, inasmuch as the opportunity of a hearing and determination thereof was preserved for, her in the appeal proceedings. Hence the mere *1339 failure to list, in the application for condemnation, a record owner who thereafter becomes a party to condemnation proceedings would afford no basis for a subsequent action to set aside such proceedings.

II. Appellant contends the condemnation is invalid because only 96 acres were thereby acquired, whereas the plans approved by the commerce or aeronautics commission require 185 acres. This contention is without merit. The law does not require that all the property be acquired under one contract or by one condemnation. Here the council, by several resolutions, committed itself to the master plans approved by the aeronautics commission, which list and describe the required lands. Furthermore, prior to the trial of this case, the council adopted a resolution to institute condemnation proceedings for 80 acres of such lands in addition to the 96 acres here involved. The record indicates the council was proceeding in accordance with said plans.

III. Appellant' asserts the council did not formally authorize the institution of the condemnation proceedings. Chapter 330, Code of 1946, requires the approval of the electors where the levy of a special airport tax is necessary, and in every case the approval of Iowa State Aeronautics (Commerce) Commission, to the plans and specifications which must show, among other things: “The legal description and plat of the site.” Section 330.9, Code of 1946 (section 5903.07, Code of 1939). The record of the proceedings of the council shows the resolution of September 18, 1944, hereinbefore summarized.

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25 N.W.2d 323, 237 Iowa 1335, 1946 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 378, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mill-v-city-of-denison-iowa-1946.