Mishler v. County of Elkhart

521 N.E.2d 693, 1988 Ind. App. LEXIS 569, 1988 WL 33158
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 16, 1988
Docket50A03-8706-CV-164
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 521 N.E.2d 693 (Mishler v. County of Elkhart) 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
Mishler v. County of Elkhart, 521 N.E.2d 693, 1988 Ind. App. LEXIS 569, 1988 WL 33158 (Ind. Ct. App. 1988).

Opinions

STATON, Judge.

Lonnie Mishler and other landowners (collectively referred to as Landowners) appeal from a summary judgment denying them a collateral attack on a judgment ordering the Elkhart Board of County Commissioners (Commissioners) to rezone property owned by Dallas Woodward, Jr. This appeal raises four issues which we have consolidated and restated as:

1) Whether the trial court erroneously entered summary judgment prohibiting Landowners' collateral attack on the LaGrange Circuit Court's declara-
tory judgment and injunction. 2) Whether the trial court abused its discretion in denying Landowners' Motion to File Amended Complaint.
Reversed and remanded.

Woodward owns property that was zoned for residential purposes. Landowners own property contiguous to Woodward's property, or within 300 feet of Woodward's property, or so near that their property will be adversely affected if Woodward's property is rezoned for commercial purposes. In 1976 and 1977, Woodward applied to the Commissioners for rezoning for commercial purposes. The Elkhart County Plan Commission recommended rezoning but the Commissioners rejected Woodward's application. In 1978, Woodward filed a complaint for declaratory judgment, damages, and all other proper relief, alleging an unconstitutional taking of his property by the Commissioners.

[695]*695Relevant portions of the LaGrange Circuit Court's Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law are as follows:

4. That hearings were held on said applications on the 13th day of May, 1976, the 9th day of September, 1976, the lith day of November, 1976, the 10th day of February, 1977, the 14th day of April, 1977, the 12th day of May, 1977, the 6th day of June, 1977, the 14th day of July, 1977, and the 8th day of September, 1977.
5. That all appropriate notices were given for each of the said meetings pursuant to the laws and statutes of the State of Indiana.
6. That at said meetings, the Plaintiff [Woodward] presented numerous items of evidence relative to the pending applications. Further, a large group of citizens of Elkhart County [Landowners, among others] presented numerous remonstrances as well as testimony, all of which is represented in the Minutes of the meetings and the tape recordings thereof, H. I.
* * a * L %*
11. That the Plaintiff submitted substantial evidence regarding the commercial and industrial use of the surrounding real estate as well as real estate in the immediate area of the Plaintiff's real estate. Said evidence was consistent with the view by judge herein.
12. That the remonstrators submitted oral testimony from resident property owners regarding residential uses in the area as well as their feelings of the adverse impact of the proposed rezoning and development on the subject real estate.
13. That all of the evidence presented by the Plaintiff, Mr. Woodward, demonstrated conclusively that the highest and best use for said property is a commercial zoning similar to that proposed by the ordinance submitted by the Elkhart County Planning Staff to the Elkhart County Commissioners.
* * * * * *
23. That there was no appropriate evidence upon which the Defendant Elk-hart County Commissioners could base their decision to reject the proposed amendment to the Elkhart County Zoning Ordinance.
24. That in recommending for denial the ordinance which had been recommended to them for approval by the Elkhart County Planning Commission, the Elkhart County Commissioners disregarded all of the applicable laws governing changes in the zoning ordinance and specifically violated Indiana Code 18-7-5-60 which requires that in rezoning the Elkhart County Commissioners shall consider existing conditions, character of the buildings in each district, the most desirable use for which the land in each district may be adapted and the conservation of property values.
25. That the Elkhart County Commissioners' decision was based on a poll of sentiment of the neighborhood and not on the evidence presented. And as Conclusions of Law upon the

Facts, the Court states:

1. That the law is with the against the Defendants.
2. That this Court has subject matter jurisdiction to consider the allegation that the acts of the Elkhart County Commissioners constituted an unlawful taking of property in violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 21 and 283, of the Indiana Constitution.
3. That the Plaintiff had exhausted all administrative remedies available to him.
4. That the Defendant, Elkhart County Commissioners, decision recommending the denial of the ordinance proposed to them by the Elkhart County Planning Commission resulted in a taking of the Plaintiff's real estate without compensation, thereby violating the Plaintiff's rights in violation of Sections 21 and 28 of Article I of the Constitution of the State of Indiana and the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution.
5b. That the action of the Elkhart County Commissioners prevented the Plaintiff from exercising any reasonable use of his real estate and that said action should be reversed.

(Record 84-88.)

The Court then entered the following order:

The Court having examined Motions for Summary Judgment, the record and [696]*696pleadings in this matter, now finds for the Plaintiff and against the Defendants, and orders the Elkhart County Commissioners to take action consistent with this Order and to grant the rezoning and approval of the Planned Unit Development as recommended by the Elkhart County Planning Commission and the proposed form of ordinance heretofore submitted to said County Commissioners.
The Court now orders said Commissioners to take action not inconsistent with this Order and to grant said rezoning subject to the same terms and conditions and any applicable administrative requirements now being used by said Commission on rezonings in Elkhart County.

(Record 90.)

On February 13, 1984, Landowners filed a motion to intervene on the grounds that they were persons claiming an interest in the litigation and were required to be named as parties in any action for declaratory judgment relief, pursuant to IC 34-4-10-11. The motion to intervene was denied and Landowners did not appeal that order.

On October 25, 1984, Landowners filed a complaint for declaratory judgment and injunction seeking to set aside the LaGrange Circuit Court judgment (LaGrange judgment). Woodward filed a motion to dismiss Landowners' complaint as an impermissible collateral attack. After considering the pleadings, Woodward's affidavit, and the record of the proceedings in the LaGrange Circuit Court, the trial court granted Woodward's motion to dismiss. Because the court had considered matters outside the pleadings, the court amended its order on January 20, 1987, to one for summary judgment in favor of Woodward.

L.

Collateral Attack

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Related

Kuehl v. Hoyle
746 N.E.2d 104 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2001)
Comer v. Gohil
664 N.E.2d 389 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1996)
Mishler v. County of Elkhart
544 N.E.2d 149 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1989)
Mishler v. County of Elkhart
521 N.E.2d 693 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1988)

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521 N.E.2d 693, 1988 Ind. App. LEXIS 569, 1988 WL 33158, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mishler-v-county-of-elkhart-indctapp-1988.