Rose v. Kansas City

30 S.W. 518, 128 Mo. 135, 1895 Mo. LEXIS 16
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedApril 12, 1895
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 30 S.W. 518 (Rose 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
Rose v. Kansas City, 30 S.W. 518, 128 Mo. 135, 1895 Mo. LEXIS 16 (Mo. 1895).

Opinion

Gantt, P. J. —

This is an action of ejectment for a strip of land now known as a part of Grand avenue in Kansas City. The cause was tried in the circuit court of Jackson county on an agreed statement of facts and resulted in a judgment for defendants.

Prior to its incorporation into the city it was known as Grand Avenue boulevard and was opened by proceedings had in the county court of Jackson county, begun at the regular May term, 1884, of said court, and, unless these proceedings were void for want of jurisdiction in the county court, the judgment of the circuit court must be affirmed.

I. The petition for the establishment of the road stated every jurisdictional fact, was signed by the requisite number of freeholders, and due notice of the application was given and shown to the satisfaction of the county court, and it thereby obtained jurisdiction to establish said proposed road. It, is, however, insisted that the county court of Jackson county had no power to hold regular monthly terms of said court alternately at Kansas City and Independence, and that the proceedings had in said court at the June and July terms thereof, in 1884, in the appointment of commissioners to assess damages for the opening of Grand Avenue boulevard over the lands of Robert Hunter, mentioned in the petition, and the filing of their report thereon, were without warrant or authority in law, and that said appointment and report, not being at a term authorized by law, were and are void. To appreciate the force of this contention reference must be had to [139]*139the legislation on the subject of county courts in Jackson county.

By section 5 of an act of the general assembly, approved March 21,1873, the terms of the county court of Jackson county were required to be held thereafter, alternately at Kansas City and Independence; and each monthly term shall commence on the first Monday of each month, and special terms may be called at either of said places in the same manner as now provided by law regulating county courts. Session Acts, 1873, p. 155, sec. 5.

By the act of the general assembly approved April 27, 1877, entitled “An act to provide for a uniform system of county courts,” and repealing all acts and parts of acts inconsistent therewith, it is provided that four terms of the county court shall be held in each county annually, at the place of holding courts therein, commencing on the first Monday in February, May, August and November; that the county courts may provide for adjourned terms whenever it may become necessary for the transaction of business; may order special terms, and may alter the time for holding their stated terms, giving notice thereof in such manner as to them shall seem expedient. Session Acts, 1877, sections 14, 15, 16 and 17, pp. 227,228. These provisions of the act of 1877 are carried forward and contained in the revision of 1879. 1 R. S. 1879, secs. 1205,etseq.

By the provision of the act of the general assembly approved March 15, 1887, section 1205, of the Revised Statutes of 1879, is amended by adding a proviso thereto : “That in counties now containing or that may hereafter contain seventy-five thousand or more inhabitants, and where county courts are now or may hereafter be held at more places than one, and at other places than the county seat, the terms of said court shall be held monthly and alternatively at the county seat and such [140]*140other places as may he provided for the holding of such court, and each monthly term shall commence on the first Monday in each month.” There is an emergency clause in said act, stating that four terms of the county court in counties containing seventy-five thousand or more inhabitants are insufficient to transact the ordinary business of such court, and of necessity an emergency exists for the immediate taking effect of said act. Session Acts, 1887, page 157.

From the foregoing citation of the laws of this state concerning terms of the county courts thereof, it is argued by appellant that the special act of March 21, 1873, authorizing monthly terms of the county court of Jackson county to be held alternately at Kansas City and Independence, was repealed by the general act of April 27, 1877, establishing a uniform system of county courts, and that thereafter only four regular terms of said county court could be held in said county, on the first Monday in February, May, August and November in each year, and that the county court of Jackson county had no authority in law to hold monthly terms of said court alternately at Kansas City and Independence thereafter, until the adoption of the act of. March 15,1887, and that it must therefore follow that the monthly June term of said court, held at Kansas City in June, 1884, and the monthly July term of said court, held at Independence in July, 1884, were held by said court without any authority of law therefor, and that all proceedings of said court at such unauthorized terms were null and void.

The agreed statement of facts contains all the orders of adjournment of the county court from the convening of the May term, 1884, up to the commencement of the regular August term, 1884. From these orders it appears that on May 20, 1884, the court was adjourned to the first Monday in June, 1884. Regular [141]*141adjournments were then had from day to day and time to time until June 17, 1884. On June 17, this order was made: “On motion the court adjourned until Monday, the seventh day of July, A. D. 1884.” There is no break in the continuity of the sessions of the court from the beginning of the May term, 1884, to the August term, 1884.

Under this state of facts, it is evident that, if the act of-1873 was not repealed, as was held in State ex rel. v. Vaile, 122 Mo. 42, lawful sessions of the court were held on the first Mondays in June and July, 1884, and its orders and judgments were valid; but, if the act of 1873 was repealed by the law of 1877, it can not admit of question any longer in this state that the several adjourned sessions were but continuances of the regular May term. Higgins v. Ransdall, 13 Mo. 205; State ex rel. v. Railroad, 101 Mo. 136; Fannon v. Plummer, 30 Mo. App. 25.

"Was it competent for that court then, at the May term, 1884, to appoint the commissioners to assess the damages, and for them to file their report at the May term? The statutes governing in such cases will be found in the Session Acts or Laws of 1883, p. 157, and following.

As already said, a proper petition with the requisite allegations and proper number of petitioners was filed on May 5, 1884, the first day of the regular May term and proof of notice made, and no remonstrance filed. Thereupon the court ordered the road commissioner to “view, survey and mark out such road and make report thereof at the next term thereafter.” See. 7, p. 159, Laws, 1883. On June 3, 1884, the road commissioner, O’Flaherty, submitted his report and it was ordered filed. This he was authorized by the statute to do. Sec. 7, supra. Thereupon the court appointed three commissioners to assess the damages of all those [142]*142persons through whose lands the proposed road would run, and who had not relinquished the right of way. It was entirely competent for the court to do this at the same term at which the petition was presented and proof of notice made.

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Bluebook (online)
30 S.W. 518, 128 Mo. 135, 1895 Mo. LEXIS 16, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rose-v-kansas-city-mo-1895.