Municipal Securities Corp. v. Kansas City

177 S.W. 856, 265 Mo. 252, 1915 Mo. LEXIS 17
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedJune 1, 1915
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 177 S.W. 856 (Municipal Securities Corp. v. Kansas City) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Municipal Securities Corp. v. Kansas City, 177 S.W. 856, 265 Mo. 252, 1915 Mo. LEXIS 17 (Mo. 1915).

Opinion

FARIS, J.

This is an action at law in seventy-five counts for divers sums of money aggregating in all the amount of $3924.42. Plaintiff sues as the assignee of one Michael Walsh, who made a contract with defendant city to construct certain sewers therein.

All of the seventy-five counts in the amended petition were identical. This petition, in the view which we take of the case, is important, and in connection with the tax bills and the assignments thereof, is [259]*259decisive of the case. In fairness, and for clearness’s sake we set out below one of these counts in full, omitting merely formal parts, as follows:

“Now comes plaintiff and for cause of action against defendant alleges that plaintiff is a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Missouri, and the defendant is a municipal corporation duly organized and existing under the Constitution and laws of the State of Missouri.

“That by an ordinance of Kansas City, No. 16219, entitled, ‘An ordinance to establish and cause to be constructed a district sewer in Sewer District-No. 146,’ approved January 24, 1901, said defendant, Kansas-City, provided'that a district sewer should be constructed in Sewer District No. 146- in said Kansas City as designated by said ordinance.

“Plaintiff alleges that bids for doing the work provided for by said ordinance were duly advertised for by said Kansas City and a contract was duly entered into with Michael Walsh to construct the said sewer, he being the lowest and best bidder therefor.

“Plaintiff alleges that pursuant to said contract and ordinance said Michael Walsh constructed the sewer provided for by said ordinance and that by the terms of said contract and ordinance said sewer was to be paid for by special tax bills against the real estate within the said Sewer District 146', as provided by the' charter of Kansas City.

“Plaintiff alleges that Lot 1, Block 1, C. EL Pratt’s Yine Street Addition, is located within said Sewer District No. 146 and that at the time said work was done and tax bills therefor were issued, the owner of said property held the same subject to certain proceedings to condemn said lot for a public parkway in the South Park District in Kansas City, Missouri, known as the ‘Paseo Extension,’ under ordinance No. 13067, entitled, ‘An ordinance to open and establish a public parkway in the South Park District in Kansas City, Missouri,’' [260]*260approved October 3,18991. That by said ordinance last mentioned it was ordained that said Lot 1, Block 1, and other property should be condemned for the purpose of a public parkway. That under said ordinance, proceedings were begun in the circuit court of Jackson county, Missouri, for the condemnation of land described in said. ordinance as required by law. The owners of said lands at the date said condemnation ordinance was enacted were properly made parties to the proceedings and a hearing was had to determine the value of the property taken and a verdict in said case was rendered in the circuit court of Jackson county, on the 4th day of June, 1901.

“Plaintiff alleges that motions for a new trial were filed in said cause, which were duly overruled and said verdict was duly confirmed and judgment was rendered in said cause on the 14th day of September, 1901, by said circuit court.

“The plaintiff further alleges that said cause was appealed to the Supreme Court of the State of Missouri, October 4, 1901, and that upon said appeal said judgment of the circuit court was suspended until affirmed by the Supreme Court, and was so affirmed June 4,1902; and that subsequently to that date said Kansas City paid for and took possession under said condemnation proceedings of Lot 1, Block 1, C. H. Pratt’s Vine Street Addition, as a public park and now holds the same as such.

“Plaintiff alleges that while said condemnation case was pending upon appeal in the Supreme. Court, said Michael Walsh completed the work under his contract for the construction of district sewers in Sewer District No. 146 under said Ordinance No. 16219; and that the Board of Public Works of said city thereupon ascertained the share of the cost of said work for which the said lot and the owner thereof and the said city were justly liable, and the said board certified the said amount both upon its records and by a certificate or [261]*261tax bill wbicb it then issued to said Walsh on March 15, 1902, in payment of the proportionate share of .the cost of the work of constructing said sewer chargeable to or on account of said lot as provided by law. That the said certificate or tax bill was No. 84, and was issued against Lot 1, Block 1, C..H. Pratt’s Vine Street Addition, for the sum of $43.20, being the proportionate part of the cost of the said sewer required to be paid on account of said lot under the charter of Kansas City.

“Plaintiff alleges that for valuable consideration, said Michael Walsh heretofore sold and assigned said certificate or special tax bill to this plaintiff, who is now the owner and holder of the same, which is hereto attached, herewith filed and made a part of this petition.

“Plaintiff alleges that it is advised by counsel and believes, and therefore charges the fact to be, that by reason of the prior judicial determination of the value of said property and the judgment of condemnation thereon, in said condemnation proceedings, said tax bill never became a lien upon the value of said lot awarded to the owner thereof, in said condemnation proceedings, but that upon the final determination of said condemnation case, the defendant, Kansas City, became and is liable to pay said amount of the said certificate or tax bill with interest thereon, and that Kansas City cannot by an act of itself not consented to by the plaintiff, either by judicial proceedings in the nature of condemnation or otherwise, destroy the plaintiff’s right to collect the cost of the said work according to its said contract, and in support of this claim the plaintiff invokes the Fourteenth Amendment to the,Constitution of the United States guaranteeing the protection of its property by due process of law and as against the acts of states.

“Plaintiff alleges that prior to the commencement of this action it offered to surrender to the Board of Public Works and to Kansas City said certificate or [262]*262tax bill issued as aforesaid if the said city or said board should believe aud hold that the said certificate or tax bill was not a certificate of said Board of Public Works conformable to the provision of section 14, article 9, of the charter of Kansas City, and to accept in lien thereof such a certificate as is provided for by said section 14, but said city and said board refused to accept the same or issue a new certificate in lieu thereof and denied all liability for the said charge.

“Plaintiff states that defendant has failed to pay the amount of said certificate or tax bill, although payment thereof was demanded March 15, 1902.

£ £ Plaintiff alleges that by reason of failure to pay said certificate or bill, of any part thereof, and by reason of its action in the premises, plaintiff is entitled $o recover of defendant the amount so certified by said board as lawfully chargeable against said lot, with interest as therein provided at the rate of ten per cent per annum.

££ Wherefore, plaintiff asks judgment against defendant for the sum of $43.20 with interest from March 15, 1902, at the rate of ten per cent per annum and for costs of this action.”

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Bluebook (online)
177 S.W. 856, 265 Mo. 252, 1915 Mo. LEXIS 17, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/municipal-securities-corp-v-kansas-city-mo-1915.