Schiff v. City of Columbus

223 N.E.2d 54, 9 Ohio St. 2d 31, 38 Ohio Op. 2d 94, 1967 Ohio LEXIS 409
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 18, 1967
DocketNo. 40179
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 223 N.E.2d 54 (Schiff v. City of Columbus) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Schiff v. City of Columbus, 223 N.E.2d 54, 9 Ohio St. 2d 31, 38 Ohio Op. 2d 94, 1967 Ohio LEXIS 409 (Ohio 1967).

Opinion

Taft, C. J.

Plaintiffs contend and the Court of Appeals found that plaintiffs ’ lots were not “bounding and abutting upon the improvement” of Livingston Avenue. In our opinion, it is not necessary to consider whether they were or were not. The contention, that they were not so bounding and abutting, was apparently made because both Section 727.01 (c), Eevised Code, and Section 165 of the Columbus Charter limit use of the front-foot method of assessment to property “bounding and abutting upon the improvement.” However, all the evidence, including the resolution declaring the necessity of and the ordinance determining to proceed with the improvement, indicates that the assessments were to be made in proportion to the special benefits resulting from the improvement; and both Section 727.01, Eevised Code, and Section 164 of the Columbus City Charter authorize “special assessments” not only “upon the abutting, adjacent and contiguous” but also upon “other specially benefited” land. See Chamberlain v. City of Cleveland (1878), 34 Ohio St. 551 (paragraph four of syllabus); City of Cincinnati v. Batsche (1895), 52 Ohio St, 324, 341, 40 N. E. 21. [35]*35The only evidence as to the amounts of assessments on individual lots was an exhibit identified only as a “schedule of assessments.”

Because the amount of the assessments on plaintiffs’ lots usually equaled about $5 a front foot, and because the amount of the assessments on other lands, admittedly bounding and abutting on Livingston Avenue, usually equaled about $10 a front foot, the Court of Appeals concluded that the front-foot method of assessment had been used. However, no one testified that it had. Further, no records were offered tending to show that that method had been used.

From the resolution, ordinance and the testimony of the city’s Chief Engineer, it is established without dispute that $10 represents what the resolution and ordinance refer to as the “rate * # * per assessable unit.” The facts, that the number of assessable units assigned to a lot bounding and abutting on Livingston Avenue usually equals about the front feet of that lot and that the number of such units assigned to a lot of plaintiffs’ bounding and abutting only on a service road (with four exceptions) usually equals about one-half of the front feet of that lot, do not indicate that assessments were not made in proportion to benefits. The four exceptions demonstrated this. For example, the number of such units assigned to lot 173 in Thunderbird Acres, which bounds and abuts only on a service road, equals only one-fourth of the frontage of that lot. An examination of the “schedule of assessments” indicates the reason for this, i. e., the depth of lot 173 is only 70 feet instead of the usual 120-foot depth of the lots bounding and abutting on a service road.

Where lots of the same depth are so located that they are likely to receive comparable benefits from an improvement, apportionment of assessments in proportion to benefits will usually result in assessments also being in proportion to the front feet of such lots. The fact, that they are, does not indicate that assessments were made on a front-foot basis instead of in proportion to benefits. See Spangler v. City of Cleveland (1885), 43 Ohio St. 526, 537, 3 N. E. 365, quoted infra-, Shoemaker v. City of Cincinnati (1903), 68 Ohio St. 603, 613-14, 68 N. E. 1.

[36]*36The Court of Appeals based its judgment in part upon a conclusion that, in levying the assessments enjoined, Columbus had not complied with certain legal requirements of statutes and of the City Charter.

For example, it found that there was no evidence of or determination of the actual benefit to any parcel, no evidence of the aggregate amount of benefits to all properties and no determination of the proportion that the benefits to any parcel bore to the total benefits to all parcels.

Further, the Court of Appeals found that there was no report of the City Engineer, as required by the Charter, and no evidence that the Board of Bevision, as required by the Charter, either adopted the engineer’s report or issued any report of its own other than the “schedule of assessments.” The latter schedule is identified in the stipulation of the parties only as the “schedule of assessments,” and there is nothing in the record tending to prove that such schedule was adopted by the Board of Bevision as found by the Court of Appeals.

Where a party seeks, in equity, to enjoin the collection of an assessment on the ground that certain legal requirements were not complied with in making the assessment, such party has the burden of alleging and proving that such requirements were not complied with. Bolton v. City of Cleveland, 35 Ohio St. 319 (paragraph three of the syllabus and page 322 in the opinion); Chesbrough v. Commissioners, 37 Ohio St. 508 (paragraph five of the syllabus and page 518 in the opinion); Spangler v. City of Cleveland, supra (43 Ohio St. 526) (paragraph one of the syllabus). In the latter case, it is said in the opinion by Follett, J., at pages 536 and 537:

“* # * plaintiff claims the benefit of the facts — of what was in fact done — as opposed to presumptions; yet she did not try to show what was in fact done, and she now seeks the benefit of a conclusive presumption, that nothing was done that was not fully recorded and shown by the particular records plaintiff gave in evidence. [Emphasis not added.]
“The facts asked by plaintiff to be presumed are such as plaintiff could seek to establish with evidence; and, as it does not appear that any evidence was offered that the court did not [37]*37receive and consider, we mnst disregard presumptions, and we must look only to the plaintiff’s evidence for the proof of her right to an injunction.
a * * #
“In her amendment to the petition plaintiff averred, 1. ‘There has never, by anybody, been a valuation of any special benefits conferred by said opening of Hough avenue;’ 2. ‘nor has there ever been a determination that said assessment was apportioned in proportion to the special benefits derived from such opening;’ 3. ‘or that said assessment did not exceed said benefits;’ 4. ‘and in truth and in fact said assesment was not on the property benefited thereby, but only on the property fronting on said street. ’ All these averments were denied; and the plaintiff had the burden of proving a clear right to an injunction; and, in proof of the averments and of such right, * * * plaintiff put in evidence certain records and papers, some that tended to prove and some that tended to disprove the aver-ments. The paper showing an assessment and the paper showing the equalization of the same, did not prove the assessment to be by the front foot merely, but at least that the same may have been ‘in proportion to benefits.’ * * # The defendants were not called upon affirmatively to establish a right or a valid assessment. For aught that appears, there may have been record evidence of a valid assessment, which the plaintiff would not introduce, and the defendants need not introduce. ’ ’

Not only does the petition in the instant case fail to allege the noncompliance with legal requirements, found by the Court of Appeals, but the findings of the Court of Appeals indicate no evidence to sustain its finding of such noncompliance. This case differs from Chamberlain v.

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Bluebook (online)
223 N.E.2d 54, 9 Ohio St. 2d 31, 38 Ohio Op. 2d 94, 1967 Ohio LEXIS 409, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schiff-v-city-of-columbus-ohio-1967.