Mitchener v. City Com'rs, City of Okmulgee

1924 OK 645, 228 P. 159, 100 Okla. 98, 1924 Okla. LEXIS 931
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJune 24, 1924
Docket12291
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 1924 OK 645 (Mitchener v. City Com'rs, City of Okmulgee) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mitchener v. City Com'rs, City of Okmulgee, 1924 OK 645, 228 P. 159, 100 Okla. 98, 1924 Okla. LEXIS 931 (Okla. 1924).

Opinion

Opinion by

RUTH, C.

This action was filed in the district court of Okmulgee county by W. C. Mitchener and others against the city commissioners of Okmulgee and one Moses Carr, defendants, wherein it was sought to enjoin the city commissioners from' vacating Cherokee street from Seminole avenue and Morton avenue, in the city of Ok-mulgee, and to enjoin the defendant Moses Carr from erecting a building on the land, so vacated for street purposes.

The plaintiffs’ petition alleges that in January, 1904, a plat covering Smith’s addition was filed and recorded, and upon such plat the said Cherokee avenue was shown commencing on the west' side of said addition and extending east between blocks 5 and 6 and 7 and 4 crossing Seminole avenue, and intersecting Morton avenue; that the said Cherokee avenue was 60 feet in width, and has ever since 1904 been used as a public thoroughfare; that Cherokee street provides the only means of travel east and west, and the closing of this street would necessitate the detouring to a street 1,100 feet south of Cherokee street; and further alleges that plaintiffs are owners of lands in Smith’s addition; that on November 3rd, 1919, the city commissioners undertook by resolution to vacate that portion of Cherokee avenue lying between Seminole and Morton avenues, and that said action of said commissioners was taken without notice to these plaintiffs and without any attempt to assess or ascertain the damages which the plaintiffs or any of them suffered because of the said attempted action. Plaintiffs’ petition further alleges:

“Plaintiffs allege that said action of the said city commissioners is null and void for the reason that it attempts to legislate by means of resolution rather than by ordinance as is expressly provided for in the charter of the said city of Okmulgee, Okla. That said attempted action is null and void for the further reason that the title of said resolution, a certified copy of which is hereto attached, made a part of this petition *100 and marked “Plaintiffs’ Exhibit A,” embraces more than one subject-matter, and that part of the subject-matter thereof is not expressed in the title of said resolution. That said resolution is null and void for the reason that the same was not published in the manner provided by said city charter, and for the further reason that it undertook to declare an emergency whore no emergency under the law exists. That said reso. lution contains more than one subject-matter, as above set out, and that an emergency is not shown to exist as respects each subject-matter therein attempted to be dealt with.
“That said resolution is further null and void for the reason that it undertook to deprive these plaintiffs of their property rights without due process of law in the following particulars, to wit: That the assessment made for the improvement of the intersection of Seminole avenue and Cherokee avenue, in improvement district No. 10 of the city of Okmulgee has been distributed to that portion of blocks -5 and 6, 4 and 7 of Smith’s addition lying immediately contiguous to said intersection. That lots 5 and 6 in block 7, are owned by the plaintiff W. C. Mitchener and that the said W. C. Mitchener has paid three annual- installments on the improvement of said intersection, which were assessed to said lots 5 and 6, block 7, and there still remains to .be paid seven annual installments, charged to said lots 5 and ,6 of said block 7. That the attempted vacating of street and the attempt to allow it to revert to the private ownership of the defendant Moses Carr would have the effect of permitting said defendant Moses Carr to own that portion of said street, the same having a frontage on Seminole avenue of 60 feet, without paying for any portion of the street improvement immediately in. front thereof, and would have the further effect of compelling the said plaintiff, W. C. Mitchener, to continue for a period of seven years to pay a portion of said improvement lying immediately in front of said 60 feet as aforesaid. That attempted action of the defendants, the above named commissioners of the city of Okmulgee, deprives said plaintiff, W. C. Mitchener, of his property and valuable rights without due process of law.”

It is further alleged that the other plaintiffs would be irreparably damaged by leaving them in a “dead end” street; by making them detour 1.100 feet south: that it would increase the fire hazard in that community by closing the east and west right of way to fire apparatus; and that the damages to their property has not been assessed.

It is further alleged that defendant Moses Carr is now attempting to begin the construction of a building on the said street, and that the vacation of said Cherokee street and the construction of a building thereon will cause irreparable damages to plaintiffs; that they have no adequate remedy at law, and pray an injunction be granted enjoining and restraining the defendant city commissioners from vacating or attempting to vacate the street.

The plaintiffs set out a copy of the resolution passed by the commissioners and make the same a part of their petition, the resolution being in the following words and figures:

“Resolution.
“A Resolution Vacating the Alley in Block Four (4), Smith’s Addition and the Alley North of' the Right of Way of the Ozark and Cherokee Central 'Railway in Block Seven (7), Smith’s Addition and Cherokee Street from the East Line of Seminole Avenue to the Line of Morton Avenue, All in the City of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, and Declaring an Emergency.
“Whereas, in the opinion of the board of commissioners of the city of Okmulgee, and state of Oklahoma, it is for the best interest of the citizens of said city of Okmulgee, state of Oklahoma, to vacate the alley in block four (4) in Smith’s addition and that portion of the alley north of the right of way of the Ozark and Cherokee Central Railway, in block seven (7), Smith’s addition and Cherokee street, from the east line of Seminole avenue to the west line of Morton avenue, all in the city of Okmulgee, Okla., provided that the owners of the property abutting upon that portion of Cherokee street, above described, shall construct and maintain a cement sidewalk five (5) foot in width on the north side of said Cherokee street, and keep the same open for public travel, Now Therefore,
“Be it Resolved by the Board of Commissioners of the City of Okmulgee, and the State of Oklahoma:
“Section 1. That the alley in block four (4), Smith’s 'addition and that portion of the alley north of the Ozark and Cherokee Central Railway, in block seven (7), Smith’s addition, and Cherokee street, from the east line of Seminole avenue to the west line to Morton avenue, all in the city of Okmulgee, Okla., be, and the same is hereby vacated upon the condition that the owners of the property abutting upon that portion of Cherokee street, herein described, shall construct and maintain a cement sidewalk five (5) feet in width along the north side of said Cherokee street and keep the same open for travel of the public, and at the cost and expense of the said property owners.
“Section 2. That because of the peace, health and safety of the inhabitants of the city of Okmulgee, Okla., an emergency is hereby declared to exist by reason of which *101

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Bluebook (online)
1924 OK 645, 228 P. 159, 100 Okla. 98, 1924 Okla. LEXIS 931, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mitchener-v-city-comrs-city-of-okmulgee-okla-1924.