North American Lumber Co. v. City of Blaine

154 P. 446, 89 Wash. 366, 1916 Wash. LEXIS 688
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 20, 1916
DocketNo. 12847
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 154 P. 446 (North American Lumber Co. v. City of Blaine) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
North American Lumber Co. v. City of Blaine, 154 P. 446, 89 Wash. 366, 1916 Wash. LEXIS 688 (Wash. 1916).

Opinion

Parker, J.

The plaintiff, North American .Lumber Company, commenced this action in the superior court for What-com county, seeking to enjoin the city of Blaine and its officers from constructing a local street improvement and levying local special assessments to pay for the same. The trial resulted in denial of the relief prayed for and dismissal of the action by the superior court, from which the plaintiff appealed to this court and secured a reversal of the judgment of the superior court and the remanding of the cause to the superior court “with instructions to enjoin the improvement as proposed.” The decision of this court is reported in 81 Wash. 13, 142 Pac. 438. The cause is again before us upon appeal taken by the city from the judgment entered by the superior court upon the going down of the remittitur, which, it is insisted, is not the proper judgment to be now rendered, in view of the fact that the improvement was fully constructed, the special assessments levied and confirmed, and bonds issued against the special fund so created and delivered to the contractor in payment of the improvement, before the rendering of the decision of this court and while there was no restraining order or injunction in force preventing the city from so proceeding. It will be conducive to clearness to summarize all the controlling facts here, though it will, in a measure, be a repetition of facts appearing in our former decision.

On January 20, 1913, the city council of Blaine declared its intention to improve that portion of E street lying within [368]*368the harbor area and the tide lands in the city and to assess the cost thereof against the property benefited thereby, defining the proposed local improvement district, including the property to be assessed. This proposed district included certain portions of the harbor area which the lumber company held under lease from the state, and also certain tide lands owned by the lumber company. On February IT, 1913, after due notice furnishing property owners an opportunity to protest against the making of the proposed improvement, the council duly passed ordinance No. 428, finally providing for the construction of the improvement and for the creation of a local improvement district, including that portion of the harbor area upon which the lumber company held a leasehold interest from the state, and, also, the lumber company’s tide lands, with other property to be charged by assessment with the cost of the improvement; and for the issuance of local improvement bonds against the special fund to be created by such assessments to pay for the improvement.

On March 12, 1913, this action was commenced by the lumber company in the superior court for Whatcom county, praying for an injunction restraining the city from proceeding with the proposed improvement and assessments, and for general relief. The lumber company sued as a general taxpayer of the city, as the owner of a leasehold interest in the harbor area to be assessed, and as the owner of certain tide land blocks to be assessed. The lumber company rested its right to an injunction upon the theory that the harbor area was not subject to assessment to pay for local improvements, and that the city could not lawfully make provision for the payment of the deficiency which would be caused by its inability to assess the harbor area, because of the fact that it was indebted far beyond the limit prescribed by the state constitution. Reference to our former decision will show that this is, in substance, the ground upon which it was held that the lumber company was entitled to relief. It will also be noticed that the only instruction to the superior court touch[369]*369ing the nature of the relief it should grant the lumber company is contained in these concluding words of the decision:

“The judgment is reversed, and the cause remanded with instructions to enjoin the improvement as proposed.” North American Lumber Co. v. Blaine, 81 Wash. 13, 142 Pac. 438.

When the remittitur went down to the superior court for entry of final judgment in accordance with our decision, both the city and the lumber company brought to the attention of that court, by affidavits, facts occurring since the original trial of the cause in that court, which rendered it plain that whatever relief the lumber company was entitled to by virtue of our decision could not be then effectually granted in the terms of an injunction as originally prayed for, since all of the acts of the city which the lumber company had sought to have enjoined had been fully performed by the city. These new facts, necessary to be here noticed, are the following: Immediately on the judgment of the superior court being rendered in favor of the city, it entered into a contract for the construction of the improvement at a cost of something less than $12,000, which was the original estimated cost of the improvement. The improvement was completed according to the contract and as originally contemplated by the resolution and ordinance providing therefor. Local improvement bonds against the district were by the city issued and delivered to the contractor in payment of the improvement. An assessment roll was made up in the usual manner, assessing the cost of the improvement against the property within the district, apportioning approximately $2,000 thereof against the harbor area and $10,000 thereof against the tide lands within the district. The portion of the harbor area held under lease by the lumber company was assessed $346.92. The tide lands owned by the lumber company were_ assessed $1,796.83. Due notice was given as the law directs, of hearing before the council upon the question of the confirmation of this assessment roll, and no objection being made thereto by any one, the council, by ordinance, duly confirmed the [370]*370same. All of this occurred before the rendering of our former decision holding that the lumber company was entitled to relief, and at a time when there was no restraining order or injunction in force against the city from so proceeding.

After the rendering of our former decision, the council, seeing that it was without authority to assess the harbor area, adopted a resolution cancelling all assessments made upon the harbor area and directed the city treasurer to cancel the same upon the assessment roll of the district. These new facts being brought to the attention of the superior court by affidavits filed in behalf of both the city and the lumber company, as to which facts there seems to be no serious dispute, the question was presented to the superior court as to the nature of the judgment it should enter, to the end that the lumber company should have such relief as it was entitled to in the light of our former decision. The matter being thus presented to the superior court, it entered a judgment annulling each and all of the assessments made Upon the property within the district, adjudging and decreeing :

“That each and every of the said assessments is cancelled and the defendants, and their successors in office and all persons acting or to act by, through or under them, be and they are hereby perpetually enjoined from enforcing or collecting the said assessments or any part thereof.”

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Related

Elston v. King County
34 P.2d 906 (Washington Supreme Court, 1934)
Wade v. City of Tacoma
230 P. 99 (Washington Supreme Court, 1924)
Sanderson v. City of Seattle
164 P. 217 (Washington Supreme Court, 1917)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
154 P. 446, 89 Wash. 366, 1916 Wash. LEXIS 688, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/north-american-lumber-co-v-city-of-blaine-wash-1916.