Mobile Home City of Chattanooga v. Hamilton County

552 S.W.2d 86, 1976 Tenn. App. LEXIS 207
CourtCourt of Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedOctober 22, 1976
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 552 S.W.2d 86 (Mobile Home City of Chattanooga v. Hamilton County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mobile Home City of Chattanooga v. Hamilton County, 552 S.W.2d 86, 1976 Tenn. App. LEXIS 207 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1976).

Opinion

OPINION

GODDARD, Judge.

Mobile Home City of Chattanooga, Inc. and others, most of whom are mobile home dealers, Plaintiffs-Appellants, filed a suit for declaratory judgment in the Chancery Court for Hamilton County against Hamil *87 ton County, Defendant-Appellee. Plaintiffs contend that a recently adopted resolution amending the zoning regulations of Hamilton County violated the provisions of both the Federal and State Constitutions. The Chancellor found the ordinance constitutionally permissible and entered an order dismissing the complaint, from which the Plaintiffs have duly perfected their appeal.

The amendment in question establishes single-unit mobile home districts, prescribes their minimum size, as well as the minimum frontage and area for building sites within the district. The Plaintiffs’ principal objection is directed to that provision which provides that such districts shall not be smaller than five acres.

In this regard, it is the Plaintiffs’ main position, as we understand it, that the ordinance bears no relation to the health, morals or safety of the community, and because it was adopted purely for esthetic purposes, may not be sustained. In City of Norris v. Bradford, 204 Tenn. 319, 321 S.W.2d 543 (1958), the Supreme Court dealt with an ordinance which prohibited fences along the front line of property, although permitting them, if their height did not exceed six feet, along the sides and rear lot lines. In striking down the ordinance as unconstitutional, the Supreme Court said (204 Tenn. at 325; 321 S.W.2d at 546):

The police power inherent in the sovereign is born of necessity for the protection and advancement of the public safety, health, morals and natural well being of its people. If a given exercise of such power in forbidding a natural use of one’s realty fails to accomplish that result, then the proposed exercise thereof is of no validity. Under practically all the authorities there falls within this invalid class those provisions of a zoning ordinance which accomplishes a result which is solely esthetic.

Conversely, when a zoning ordinance bears a reasonable relation to the public health, safety or morals, it must be sustained as a valid exercise of police power. Davidson County v. Rogers, 184 Tenn. 327, 331, 198 S.W.2d 812, 814 (1947), discusses the question at some length, as well as defines the meaning of the word “reasonable” as used in this context:

The defendants recognize that the exercise of the police power in furtherance of zoning restrictions has been validated repeatedly by former decisions of this Court, and they do not assail the Act of 1939, nor the general resolution passed in 1940. But they insist that the Resolution of April 1945 was arbitrary, unreasonable and unconstitutional.
Before considering the defendants’ contentions, the very limited scope of judicial review must be kept in mind lest this Court in error, substitute its judgment for that of the Legislature. “It is said that the courts have the right to determine whether such law is reasonable. By this expression, however, it is not meant that they have power to pass upon the act with a view to determining whether it was dictated by a wise or a foolish policy, or whether it will ultimately redound to the public good, or whether it is contrary to natural justice and equity. These are considerations solely for the Legislature. In determining whether such act is reasonable the courts decide merely whether it has any real tendency to carry into effect the purposes designed — that is, the protection of the public safety, the public health, or the public morals — and whether that is really the end had in view, and whether the interests of the public generally, as distinguished from those of a particular class, require such interference, and whether the act in question violates any provision of the state or federal Constitution.” Motlow v. State, 125 Tenn. 547, 589, 590, 145 S.W. 177, 188, L.R.A. 1916F, 177.
We have said that when a Quarterly County Court is acting in its legislative capacity in matters political and municipal in character, that there will be no judicial review unless the action is clearly unconstitutional. Donnelly v. Fritts, 159 Tenn. 605, 609, 21 S.W.2d 619; Gamble v. Paine, 141 Tenn. 548, 551, 552, 213 S.W. 419; County Court of Obion v. Marr, 27 *88 Tenn. 634; Carey v. Justices of Campbell County, 37 Tenn. 515.
We may not say that such legislative action is “unreasonable” when it is taken in pursuance of a specific enabling Act, as here. Rutherford v. City of Nashville, 168 Tenn. 499, 508, 79 S.W.2d 581. That the passage of a zoning regulation such as the one before us, is a valid exercise of the police power, has long been settled in this State. Spencer-Sturla Co. v. City of Memphis, 155 Tenn. 70, 290 S.W. 608.
In the case of Village of Euclid et al., v. Ambler Realty Co., 272 U.S. 365, 47 S.Ct. 114, 118, 71 L.Ed. 303, 311, 54 A.L.R. 1016, which established the same rule for the United States, it was said:
“If the validity of the legislative classification for zoning purposes be fairly debatable, the legislative judgment must be allowed to control. Radice v. People of State of New York, 264 U.S. 292, 294, 44 S.Ct. 325, 68 L.Ed. 690 [694].”
“One who assails classification made in a police measure must carry the burden of showing that it does not rest upon any reasonable basis, but that such classification is essentially arbitrary. Thomas v. State, 136 Tenn. 47, 188 S.W. 617; City of Memphis v. State ex rel. [Ryals], 133 Tenn. 83, 179 S.W. 631, L.R.A. 1916B, 1151, Ann.Cas. 1917C, 1056; Motlow v. State, 125 Tenn. 547, 145 S.W. 177, L.R.A. 1916F, 177.
“If any possible reason can be conceived to justify such classification, it will be upheld and deemed reasonable. Peters v. O’Brien, 152 Tenn. 466, 278 S.W. 660; Hunter v. Conner, 152 Tenn. 258, 277 S.W. 71; Caldwell & Co. v. Lea, 152 Tenn. 48, 272 S.W. 715; Bank of Commerce & Trust Co. v. Senter, 149 Tenn. 569, 260 S.W. 144; Ogilvie v. Hailey, 141 Tenn. 392, 210 S.W. 645.” Darnell v. Shapard, 156 Tenn. 544, 553, 3 S.W.2d 661, 663. (Italics ours.)

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Citizens For Safety And Clean Air v. City Of Clinton
434 S.W.3d 122 (Court of Appeals of Tennessee, 2013)
City of Lewiston v. Knieriem
685 P.2d 821 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1984)
Nance v. Council of City of Memphis
672 S.W.2d 208 (Court of Appeals of Tennessee, 1983)
Fallin v. Knox County Board of Commissioners
656 S.W.2d 338 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1983)
State v. Smith
618 S.W.2d 474 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1981)
Robinson Township v. Knoll
302 N.W.2d 146 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1981)
Fiser v. City of Knoxville
584 S.W.2d 659 (Court of Appeals of Tennessee, 1979)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
552 S.W.2d 86, 1976 Tenn. App. LEXIS 207, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mobile-home-city-of-chattanooga-v-hamilton-county-tennctapp-1976.